Bio | James L. McBride, Jr.

Director of University Career Services
University of Virginia

Jim is the Executive Director of University Career Services at the University of Virginia. Prior to his current position, Jim was the Director of Career Services Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was the Associate Director for Employer Services for 10 years at Virginia Tech, and Director of Career Planning and Assistant to the President for Governmental Affairs at Radford University prior to that. He has worked in higher education settings his entire professional life including stints in Residential Life and Student Activities.

He continues to pursue his strong interest in research related to the career services profession. In the late 1980’s his interest in student and employer needs assessment research resulted in two publications in the Journal of Career Planning and Employment, and numerous program presentations at state and regional conferences. In the 1990’s, Jim’s research interest expanded to include student outcomes.

He has received several awards and honors including: the Isabel Gordon Distinguished Service Award and the Meritorious Service Award and Leadership Award from the Virginia Association of Colleges and Employers; Dissertation of the Year Award, Southern Association for College Student Affairs; and First Place Research Category Award, Southern College Placement Association.

Jim received his education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech), in Blacksburg, Virginia (B.A. ‘73, M.A. ‘74, and Ed.D. ‘82).