Alumni Impact Stories
At Peabody, we believe that success takes many forms. From Forbes list features and researchers making breakthroughs in their field, to local principals and special education teachers in rural and urban communities alike, our graduates go on to make lifelong impacts in their communities and on the people within them.
Human and Organizational Development
The Department of Human and Organizational Development offers degree programs that share a focus on human behavior and well-being in organizational and community contexts. Students apply conceptual and methodological approaches to a wide variety of institutions with a goal of enhancing human development and creating social capital. Students gain skills to facilitate individual development as well as that social institutions and organizations.
Career outcomes for HOD graduates include:
- Strategy & grants manager
- Analysts & strategists
- School and mental health counselors
- Internal and external affairs coordinator
- Non-profit and for-profit foundation consultant
Andrew Roth, Human and Organizational Development, B.S. '21
Andrew, named to Forbes 30 under 30 2025, is the founder of dcdx, a global research and strategy firm whose success in helping companies market to Gen Z. dcdx works with major brands like Spotify, Chipotle, Hinge, Crocs, and L’Oréal to design research in a human-centered way that speaks to how young people are communicating and behaving in the world, and specifically online. The company, under Andrew's leadership, is now expanding market research across generations, including work on Millennials and Gen Alpha.
Andrew's mission through his work has been to make the future human; to build a world designed for human connection. He said," The HOD program taught me a lot about how to improve the effectiveness of organizations by focusing on the people at the core of those organizations, both as individuals and as groups."
AJ Smith, Human Development Counseling - Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.Ed. '24
AJ Smith works at Mindful Nashville as a temporarily licensed Professional Counselor (L.P.C.-t) where he provides mental health counseling to individuals in Nashville, supporting clients from different backgrounds and professions as they heal, grow, and express themselves freely. He has worked in both substance use disorder treatment and private practice, supporting individuals as they explore their identities, overcome addiction, and find deeper meaning in their lives.
As a local artist, AJ created a podcast called Between Two Canvasses that invites professionals to paint and share their ideas, fostering dialogue at the intersection of creativity and mental health. His podcast content and painting process videos on @dotjaydotcreative have amassed over 175,000 views across TikTok and YouTube. AJ's visual artwork has been featured in several Nashville shops and events, and he plans to expand into larger exhibitions to contribute more significantly to the city’s vibrant visual arts culture.
Leadership, Policy, and Organizations
Leadership, Policy, and Organization's (LPO's) goal is to guide improvements in human learning and outcomes in the political, economic, organizational, social, legal, and regulatory contexts in which human development occurs. These programs will prepare students to guide any number of organizations - from K-12 schools, colleges, and universities to corporations, policy-making and political groups, and non-governmental organizations.
Career outcomes include:
- K-12 and higher education principals, directors, and administrators
- Superintendent
- Admissions coordinators and directors
- Program coordinators
Jared Clodfelter, K-12 Educational Leadership and Policy, Ed.D. '22
Jared Clodfelter is the Academy Director for the Roberts Academy, a program for primary students with dyslexia. He earned his education doctorate in K-12 Educational Leadership and Policy at Peabody College and holds 15 years of experience in education, including his most recent role as the upper school division head at Currey Ingram Academy, a college-preparatory school for students with learning differences. Clodfelter also served as the academy’s dean of studies.
Clodfelter has taught internationally and domestically, in special and general education classrooms. He served as a learning specialist and English language learner in Qatar, and taught English in Costa Rica. Prior to these roles, Clodfelter was a Metro Nashville Public Schools English teacher and instructor at Fort Wayne Center for Learning in Indiana.
Clodfelter has brought his expertise in education around the world, teaching students of a variety of learning abilities and native languages. A seasoned educator, he now brings his experience to the Roberts Academy, where he said, "Only a month into the school year, we’ve seen, and parents have reported, a change in our kids’ attitudes towards school: they’re feeling a sense of belonging at Roberts Academy, and this early into the school year, we couldn’t ask for any more.”
Natalie Rasnick, Leadership and Learning in Organizations, Ed.D. '22
Natalie Rasnick serves as the Dean of Development for College of the Ozarks, a private liberal arts institution in Missouri. Through comprehensive strategies encompassing donor and prospect engagement, fundraising campaigns, alumni relations, targeted digital initiatives, advertising, marketing, public relations, prospect research, and estate planning, she ensures the College’s sustained financial health and record-setting fundraising achievements.
This financial strength has empowered thousands of students with significant financial need to pursue and complete their college education at College of the Ozarks, aka Hard Work U., graduating debt-free and prepared for future success.
Providing an education for vulnerable populations is deeply rewarding for Natalie and she's incredibly grateful for the many ways Vanderbilt equipped her for supporting students.
Kelsey Olsen, Higher Education Administration, M.Ed. '24
Kelsey Olsen is the Senior Assistant Director of Admission and Rural Student Initiatives at Northwestern University. Her role encompasses a few different areas - student recruitment in the state of Illinois, reading applications for undergraduate admission, and being a member of her office's Outreach and Access Team (OAT). The main focus of her role is managing Northwestern's partnership with the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network, where she coordinates rural recruitment efforts, training staff on the nuances of rurality and how these nuances may appear throughout the application process, and creating networks of on-campus support for Northwestern's current rural students.
She is also currently the staff advisor for Rural and Small Town NU, Northwestern's student organization for rural students, where she builds stronger relationships with current rural students at the university and supports the group's campus-wide events/outreach. Her work supporting geographically isolated students, who have historically limited college access opportunities, is innovating the college application system to draw in new audiences and adapt to changing times.
Kelsey frequently draws on her time as a Graduate Assistant in Peabody's Office of Graduate Admissions as well. Event planning, communication with campus partners, and program management are huge components of her current role, and she was able to refine these skills specifically while at Peabody.
Psychology and Human Development
Researchers in the Psychology and Human Development Department use and develop state-of-the-art methods to examine biological, behavioral, and psychological processes, and the contexts in which they occur. A collaborative and interactive group, department members and students work together with each other and with faculty across the Vanderbilt campus and at other universities to answer research questions and develop effective solutions.
Career outcomes for Psychology and Human Development alumni include:
- Further psychology education
- Interventionist
- Counselor
- Healthcare and business analytics
- Medical, and behavioral researchers
Nicolette Granata, Child Development,'19, Psychology, MS '21 Psychological Sciences, Ph.D. '24
For nearly 10 years (Triple 'Dore!), Peabody helped Nicolette pursue her dream of studying children's and adults' concepts of disabilities, with the hope of creating a more inclusive world. Under the guidance of her advisor Dr. Jonathan Lane, she answered fascinating questions on how young, typically-developing children judge non-normative behaviors from other children with disabilities, the fairness of accommodations provided to other children with disabilities, and how certain senses might be strengthened in persons with a deficit in vision or hearing.
As a Data & Grants Specialist at the Living and Learning Enrichment Center (LLEC), Nicolette sits on the Development team and has led the design, analysis, and reporting of custom research programs across vocational skill-building programs, job development (paid employment) programs, art, camp, social skill-building programs, and more.
The other half of her time is spent as a Team Lead on the Job Development team, where they obtain and maintain meaningful, accepting, long-term employment for adults with disabilities. This role leans into her teaching, mentorship, and presentation skillset, as she closely mentors a cohort of jobseekers with disabilities and their families, as well as educating employers on the benefits of hiring people with disabilities, with the goal of securing new employer partnerships.
Jake Kaufman, Psychological Sciences, Ph.D. '23
Jake Kaufman is a Director of Research and Development, and Product Manager at Premier Sport Psychology, a company who supports psychological services and programming in sports to support athletes. In his work, Jake develops mental wellness and performance assessments to help athletes identify their growth areas in order to improve their overall wellbeing and performance.
Additionally, Jake manages a mental performance app, Premier Mindset Program, that helps athletes develop the mental skills known to be important for maximizing performance. Jake produces open access papers and reports, based on his company's industry leading research and experience, to help make sport psychology research and resources accessible and understandable to athletes of all backgrounds and competition levels.
By focusing on mental health in sports, an increasingly popular but still overlooked aspect of athletes' livelihood, Jake is paving the way towards a new outlook on sports that sees athletes as more than their physical performance, but as fully-rounded people who need support in all areas in order to reach their goals. By making his research accessible to the public for free, Jake is not only making changes for his clients, but encouraging others to follow his lead into researching the intersection of mental health and sports.
Samirah Tunks, Child Studies, M.Ed. '25
Shortly after graduating with her Master of Education in Child Studies from Peabody College, Samirah began working as a Developmental Therapist at First Steps. She serves as a parent coach, partnering with caregivers to support their child’s development.
During their weekly or monthly sessions in the family’s home or child's daycare center, Samirah and her clients discuss the child’s current developmental stage, the caregiver’s goals, and strategies to support their progress through everyday routines. She shares relevant resources and model techniques tailored to each child’s unique needs or diagnoses.
My work empowers families with the tools, confidence, and knowledge to advocate for their child and support their development in meaningful ways.
Special Education
The Peabody Special Education Department ranks high in scholarly production and leads in equipping special educators to deliver outstanding education for students with disabilities. Students gain the skills necessary to assess, plan, and monitor the progress of persons with disabilities.
Career outcomes for Special Education alumni include:
- Special education teacher or administrator
- Interventionist
- Education specialist
- Case manager
- Behavior analyst
- Early childhood teach
- High and low incidence specialist
Sarah Powell, School Administration, M.Ed. '01, Special Education, Ph.D. '09
Sarah R. Powell is a professor in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin and associate director of the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. Her research, teaching and service focus on mathematics, particularly for students who experience mathematics differently.
In her work, Sarah focuses on identifying crucial elements within math tutoring for students who experience difficulty with math, designing and implementing math interventions in schools across the US, and working with teachers across the US and world to improve math outcomes for students. Powell serves as a principal investigator on multiple Institute of Education Sciences (IES) grants, and was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2019.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching and Learning faculty and students are committed to understanding the most effective teaching tools in science, math and language arts. Faculty spend as much time in the classrooms and hallways of Nashville's public schools as they do in the seminar rooms of the college, guiding some of the best-prepared new teachers in the country.
Career outcomes include:
- Pre-school teacher
- K-12 general education and subject teacher
- Reading and literacy specialist
- Linguistics and ESL teachers
Matthew Rollo, World Languages, M.Ed. '25
Matthew Rollo is a high school French teacher in the Rutherford County Schools system. Rollo is an advocate for teaching French using relatable examples to students’ lives. Whether they’re exploring the nuances of name pronunciation, catching up on weekend plans, or even sharing the latest pop celebrity news, Rollo finds the connection to students’ interests is the perfect vehicle to teach French through. With students opting in to elective French programs like third and fourth year French or French club, the relatable teaching methods are working to get students interested in another language.
“At its heart, I think that this is what being a high-school French teacher is all about: creating a one-of-a-kind community space for teens,” said Rollo. “It never ceases to amaze me that my students build meaningful, lasting relationships with one another by communicating in the French that they learn in class.”
Nominate Alumni
If you know a Peabody College graduate and would like to nominate them to be featured on this page, email us at peabody.social.media@vanderbilt.edu with the following information:
- Alumnus/a's name
- Their email address
- Your relationship to them
- Their program at Peabody and graduation year
- Their job title
- The impact they've made through their work
You can still nominate someone even if you don't have specific about their college degree or career. We will follow up with all nominated alumni to gather the most up-to-date information, and to hear their personal story and impact.
Learn more about our alumni and their insights into an education at Peabody