Bernadette Gailliard

Bernadette Gailliard is a communication scholar and career coach who helps students connect who they are with where they want to go professionally, empowering them to make intentional decisions as they navigate the career exploration process. As Assistant Director of Career Services, she partners with students, alumni, faculty, and employers to bridge the gap between college and careers, helping students build the skills, confidence, and professional networks needed to launch meaningful careers while cultivating employer partnerships that connect organizations with career-ready talent.

With more than 15 years of experience spanning higher education, consulting, and organizational leadership, Gailliard has designed and led university-wide initiatives that strengthen leadership, improve organizational effectiveness, and expand access to opportunity. She previously led strategic initiatives at SC&I focused on faculty, staff, and student success, and directed Rutgers' Program for Early Career Excellence (PECE), supporting the retention and advancement of early-career faculty across the university. She is also a faculty member in the Department of Communication.

Gailliard's work is grounded in the belief that talent thrives when people can navigate organizations with clarity and support, a perspective shaped by her research on how individuals from underrepresented groups experience organizational assimilation and belonging. Some of her published work can be found in Management Communication Quarterly, The Annals of the International Communication Association, and Human Relations.

Beyond Rutgers, Gailliard is an executive coach and organizational consultant who partners with senior leaders to align strategy, people, and culture. She specializes in designing scalable programs, facilitating organizational change, leading cross-functional initiatives, and translating complex challenges into practical solutions that create lasting impact.

Ph.D., Communication, University of California Santa Barbara
M.A., Communication, University of California Santa Barbara
B.S., Business Administration, American University