Dr. Krystyne Savarese

Dr. Krystyne Savarese serves as Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director of the Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration (CCDAE) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In this role, she leads university-wide efforts focused on career readiness, academic and career exploration, employer development, and student success. She also oversees implementation of Vol Edge, UT’s career readiness initiative designed to help students connect their academic experiences to post-graduation goals and confidently articulate their skills, strengths, and aspirations. Her work centers on helping students navigate meaningful pathways from college to career.

With more than two decades of experience in higher education and student affairs, Dr. Savarese built much of her professional foundation at The Ohio State University. She began her career in residence life, supporting student development and engagement through residential experiences that fostered belonging and leadership. Over time, her responsibilities expanded into university-wide strategy, including annual reporting, accreditation, and strategic planning for the Division of Student Life. She later transitioned to Ohio State’s Office of Legal Affairs, where she managed the university’s policy portfolio and contributed to institution-wide governance efforts. During her time at Ohio State, she also served as chair of the University Staff Advisory Committee, further strengthening her collaborative and systems-focused leadership approach.

Before joining the University of Tennessee, Dr. Savarese served as Senior Director of Residence Life at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, overseeing one of the nation’s largest residential programs and supporting students through critical moments of transition and growth. She later joined UT’s Division of Student Success, helping lead strategic initiatives focused on career readiness, student well-being, CliftonStrengths, male persistence, and data-informed student success efforts before assuming leadership of CCDAE.

Originally from Southern California, Dr. Savarese earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California, Irvine, before completing a Master of Arts in College Student Personnel at Bowling Green State University. She later earned a PhD in Higher Education and Student Affairs from The Ohio State University, where her dissertation examined how new mid-level student affairs professionals experience organizational socialization and leadership transition.

Education: BA in English, University of California, Irvine; MA in college student personnel, Bowling Green State University; PhD in higher education and student affairs, The Ohio State University.

CliftonStrengths: Strategic, Intellection, Individualization, Developer, Empathy.