Education

2000 Colorado Christian University, B.A. in Biblical Studies
2009 Denver Seminary, M.A. in Mental Health Counseling (CACREP Accredited)
2025 University of South Florida, Ph.D. in Doctoral Candidate, Higher Education Administration/Philosophy/Compassion Studies

Career Specialties

As senior assistant director of career exploration in the Office of Career Services, Rachel Killam provides leadership and supervision for staff and student employees on their career coaching practices.

Killam has been a career counselor in higher education/student affairs for 17 years, working with students and alumni to understand who they are, where they are going, what's out there and how to get there. She enjoys helping people pay attention to what makes them come alive and find ways to express their purpose in careers and life after UTampa. Killam is a former National Career Development Association Credential Reviewer, as well as a past Board Member for the Florida Career Development Association. As a current doctoral candidate, Killam combines her experience and expertise as a student affairs professional with research about higher education to influence sustainable and healing futures for higher education as a workplace.

Professional and Community Activities

Killam served as the chairperson for the UTampa Student Affairs Professional Development Committee from June 2022 to June 2025. In 2020 she was part of the UTampa Values to Action Task Force and has been an ongoing mentor for the Student Affairs New Professionals Institute. She also served on the UTampa 201 Curriculum Task Force to develop and launch UTampa 201 from 2021 to 2023.

Killam is part of the inaugural International Compassion Coalition, Education Working Group for creating more compassionate educational institutions. She is part of several academic and practitioner professional associations and has represented UTampa as a presenter at multiple NASPA national conferences. Killam also publishes work on the social, political and philosophical norms that shape higher education as a workplace.

Honors and Awards (list):

Student Affairs Strategic Priority Award for Professional Staff Development January 2025
Student Affairs Strategic Priority Award for Retention and Persistence January 2025
Edmund P. Sliz Award, The University of Tampa December 2023
Best Faculty Program Award, Career Readiness Course UTampa 201, Global Career Services Summit March 2023
Student Affairs Strategic Priority Award for Academic Affairs Collaboration January 2022
UTampa Staff/Faculty Advisor of the Year Award April 2020
NASPA Alice Manicur Symposium, Invited Participant January 2020
Outstanding Staff Contribution-key partnership between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, UT January 2019
The University of Tampa Employee of the Month November 2018
Student Affairs Strategic Priority Award for Outstanding Collaborative Partnerships January 2017