Elon Law names new Assistant Dean for Career & Student Development

Stacie Dooley will oversee a team of five staff members in the Office of Career & Student Development after serving for seven years as Elon Law’s director of student life.

Assistant Dean Stacie Dooley

A veteran higher education administrator with extensive experience mentoring and counseling students at several universities has been promoted to lead Elon Law’s Office of Career & Student Development.

Stacie Dooley will oversee a team of five staff members dedicated to ensuring Elon Law students have the resources and support to thrive in their studies, identify and pursue internships, and excel in their first legal career opportunities.

Dooley worked briefly at Elon Law in 2014 before beginning her role as coordinator of inclusive community programs on Elon University’s main campus. She returned to Elon Law in 2015 and has been a part of the law school community ever since as director of student life.

She succeeds Melissa Duncan ‘06 L’09, who accepted an opportunity to manage professional development for attorneys at a national law firm.

“I’ve had the privilege of working with Elon Law students for the past several years and am excited to serve in this new capacity as I learn more about their career aspirations,” Dooley said. “The success of the Office of Career & Student Development in recent years has provided our team a foundation for even greater growth and achievement.”

Prior to her family’s move to North Carolina in 2014, Dooley served in the Office of Residence Life at Marquette University, where she held positions ranging from coordinator of off-campus student services, to assistant dean of university apartments & off-campus student services, to associate dean for residence life.

She also worked in student affairs and residence life at the University of Maryland at Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Texas A&M University, counseling students, serving as a chief judicial officer, working with student organizations, and leading various departmental and divisional assessment initiatives.

Dooley earned both a Bachelor of Science in geography and a Master of Science in educational administration from Texas A&M University, as well as a certificate in dispute resolution from Marquette University.

Throughout her career, Dooley has demonstrated a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is trained in several modes of dialogue, has served as a curriculum coordinator and instructor for an inclusive leadership course, and she has provided DEI education and training for students, staff, and faculty.

Dooley currently serves as the co-chair for the Elon University United Way Campaign coordination committee.

“Highly respected by colleagues for both her knowledge and her compassion, Dean Dooley’s holistic approach to mentoring our students makes her an ideal leader for the Office of Career & Student Development,” said Elon Law Interim Dean Alan Woodlief. “I look forward to working with her in a shared mission of helping students achieve their professional goals.”