Kim (Vozzo) Nickolenko ’96 has spent her career doing what she loves most, helping students discover their passions and prepare for life after college. After earning her BS in HDFR from UConn in 1996, Kim continued at UConn to earn her MA in Education while serving as a graduate assistant in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program. It was there that she realized she wanted to build a career supporting students in higher education.

As a UConn student, Kim was deeply involved in campus life. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, served as President of the Panhellenic Council, and mentored fellow students through the UConn Connects program. Those experiences helped shape her passion for leadership, mentorship, and student engagement.

Kim began her professional career at Fairfield University shortly after graduate school and has remained there for the past 28 years. Over the years, she has served in a variety of leadership roles within student affairs and career development. She has served as Director of Judicial Affairs, Assistant and Associate Dean of Students, Director of Internships and Student Support, and now serves as the Senior Director of Career Engagement. In her current role, she works closely with students on everything from resumes and interviews to internships and job searches. She also oversees career programming, develops partnerships with alumni and employers, and manages funding opportunities that support internships, research, and experiential learning.

Kim and her husband Brian, also a UConn alum, live in Hamden with their family. Their daughter Abigail recently graduated from UConn’s School of Business, and their son Tyler just completed his first year at UMASS Amherst. Lifelong fans of UConn Huskies basketball, Kim and Brian have proudly held season tickets since graduating from UConn and have attended several NCAA championship games over the years. When she’s not working with students, Kim enjoys spending time with family, traveling and cheering on UConn basketball.

Kay Camerato holds both a BA in HDFS and an MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs from UConn. As a Connecticut native and first-generation college student, Kay deeply values the experiences and learning opportunities she gained during her time at UConn.

To support herself financially while developing transferable skills, Kay actively engaged in a variety of student roles, including serving as a resident assistant and student tour guide, creating a programmatic internship within the Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center, and serving as Co-Program Director for Cross Cultural Connections. Through these experiences, Kay developed a strong interest in the field of Higher Education and Student Affairs. During her graduate studies, Kay co-published What does “high-impact” mean in extracurricular experiences? (Camerato et al., 2019). While publishing was not initially a professional goal, she pursued the opportunity with confidence, drawing on the academic foundation she established as an HDFS student—particularly in HDFS 2004W: Research Methods in Human Development and Family Studies.

Throughout her career, Kay has held leadership roles across multiple functional areas, including Residential Life, Women’s Center work, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Her professional experiences span a range of institutional types, including Research 1 universities, public flagship institutions, private liberal arts colleges, two-year colleges, and women’s institutions.

Kay currently serves as the Associate Director of the Office of Student Care and Concern (OSCC) at UConn. She describes this role as the culmination of her professional experiences, as it allows her to work directly with students to provide individualized support, lead educational and training initiatives, conduct assessment, and improve systems and processes. OSCC oversees the Student Care Team, UConn’s Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) team, serving students across the UConn system, including regional campuses, non-degree students, and most graduate and doctoral programs.

Since its founding in 2019 with two full-time staff members, OSCC has expanded to include five full-time staff at Storrs and six case managers across regional campuses. One component of Kay’s role is leading community education initiatives. Over the past academic year, the OSCC team has engaged in more than 4,500 individual touchpoints with students, faculty, staff, and administrators through educational programming.

Kay is certified in the National Threat Evaluation and Reporting (NTER) Program’s Threat Evaluation and Reporting Course, which focuses on BTAM best practices to help prevent targeted violence. She is currently pursuing the NTER Master Trainer certification, which will enable her to deliver certification courses and expand access to critical training across the UConn community and beyond. She is committed to continuing to grow OSCC’s impact and advancing a culture of care across the university.

Kay values the power of mentorship, both as a mentee and mentor. She maintains strong mentoring relationships and welcomes opportunities to support others seeking guidance. She is particularly passionate about connecting with women and fostering meaningful dialogue in both formal and informal settings. She regularly presents at UConn conferences, including the Women’s Advance Conference and the Annual Conference on First-Year Student Success, to give back to her community.

Outside of her professional work, Kay enjoys traveling with her fiancée, spending time with her cats, Roux and Barry, and exploring new recipes. She is passionate about practicing realistic and sustainable self-care, regularly engaging in yoga and Pilates. She also enjoys creative expression through art and has recently focused on designing and creating embroidery projects.

Heather Price has always known she wanted to help others and create meaningful change. As a student at UConn Waterbury, she initially thought the only way to achieve this goal was through direct service as a social worker. During her time in the Human Development and Family Studies program, however, she discovered how comprehensive the field truly is and how policies, programs, and community partnerships are just as vital as direct service in supporting individuals and families across the lifespan. Her service-learning, internships, and on-campus employment helped her explore career paths, gain professional experience, and build confidence for life after graduation.

After earning her degree, Heather served as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Portland, Oregon, where she served as Volunteer and Development Coordinator. She continued her career at KairosPDX, a public charter school and nonprofit, advancing from Administrative Assistant to Operations Coordinator. In 2019, Heather returned to UConn Waterbury, where she has held multiple roles. She last served as Director of Community Innovation, leading campus-wide public engagement, managing partnerships with nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies, and developing service-learning and internship opportunities for students. While working full-time, Heather also earned her Master’s of Public Administration at UConn, expanding her ability to design and lead impactful, student-centered initiatives.

Heather now serves as Program Administrator for Public Awareness at Eversource. She collaborates with internal departments, develops communications and programming, and conducts outreach across Connecticut and Massachusetts. She works closely with internal teams and engages residents, as well as public and emergency officials, to promote natural gas safety.

Outside of work, Heather enjoys road trips, exploring new cities, hiking, and practicing yoga. She loves returning to Oregon to visit friends and the coast and appreciates being back in New England, close to family and able to enjoy all four seasons.