George Ampratwum
Executive Director
George Ampratwum serves as Executive Director of the Career Center at the University of Pittsburgh, where he leads strategy, employer partnerships, and career development initiatives for one of Pitt’s most student-facing units. He brings to this role a genuinely global perspective, having built and scaled career and professional development programs across four continents.
Prior to Pitt, Mr. Ampratwum served as Director of Partnerships and Career Development at the Ashinaga Foundation in Japan, where he led the design and evaluation of professional development initiatives across seven regional offices spanning Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Brazil, the United States, Senegal, and Uganda. He also directed research and learning needs analysis to shape programming for employees and scholars across the Foundation’s global network.
Before Ashinaga, he held roles at the African Leadership University (ALU) in Rwanda and Mauritius, where he scaled career development and corporate partnerships across both campuses to strengthen graduate employment outcomes.
George holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology, an M.Phil. in Social Psychology from the University of Ghana, an Executive MBA from ALU School of Business, and is currently pursuing an EdD in Education Policy and Social Change at the University of Pittsburgh. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and working out.
Ryan Sweeny
Associate Director
Pronouns: He/Him
School Info: University of Notre Dame; Bachelors in Psychology, Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology
Places I have lived: San Luis Obispo, CA; South Bend, IN; Lumberton, NM; St. Michael, AZ and Pittsburgh!
Hello, I’m Ryan and for over 20 years I’ve been helping Pitt students in the Career Center! In my current role as Associate Director I oversee the work of our eight amazing Career Consultants and I personally work with graduate students and alumni with their career pursuits. I genuinely love living in Pittsburgh and being a part of the Pitt family. I’m a proud father of a son who graduated from Pitt and a daughter who graduated from Notre Dame and they both benefited from getting to grow up with me at Pitt. I’m an avid sports fan and over the years have attended Pitt football, volleyball, basketball, softball, baseball, and soccer games.
The actor who would play me in a biopic is… Adam Sandler
My top picks on SiriusXM are… Big 80’s and Yacht Rock
Most likely late-night binge… SportsCenter
If I was a TikTok influencer, my niche would be… Football Commentary
Sharon Mickens
Associate Director, Employer Relations
Sharon Mickens joined the Career Center in June 2013. She serves as the Associate Director of Employer Relations. Sharon obtained her B.S. degree in Business Administration from the School of Business and Industry at Florida A&M University. Her experiences in leadership, management, training, and recruiting in the pharmaceutical and financial services industries lend support in attracting the region’s and the nation’s top employers to recruit from the world-class University of Pittsburgh.
Alyson Kavalukas
Assistant Director for Program Operations
Pronouns: She/Her
School Info: BA in French and Masters in Public Policy and Management, University of Pittsburgh!
Places I have lived: Sharon, Pittsburgh, NYC, Miami, Tampa, & Lyon, France
Hi! I’m Alyson and I love working with Pitt students to help them achieve their goals! In my role I oversee event operations, data collection and analysis, marketing, and Career Central. My favorite things about this role are connecting students to impactful conversations, and learning where you all go after graduation! As a Pitt student I lived in Holland Hall, was President of SGB and the Blue & Gold Society, and loved attending football games at Pitt Stadium, including the last one. My family and I love Pitt volleyball and traveling to beaches and national parks whenever we can.
My top artist on Spotify is… The Original Cast of Hamilton
Most likely late-night binge… Daily Show/Fallon/Kimmel on my DVR
The actor who would play me in a biopic is… Jennifer Garner
Specialties and Interests
Special Events, Marketing, DataMarie Newkirk
Assistant Director for Experiential Learning
Pronouns: She/Her
School Info: State University of New York at Stony Brook, BS in Psychology/ Sociology -Interdisciplinary and Masters in Education at City University of New York Brooklyn College
Places I have lived: New York City, Qatar, and Pittsburgh
Hi! I’m Marie, and I enjoy empowering students, giving them the resources and confidence to plan and make career decisions. At the Career Center, I lead the Experiential Learning unit as part of a dedicated team. Together, we guide students in finding local and global experiential learning opportunities. Our team is committed to equipping students for professional success.
The actor who would play me in a biopic…Debbie Morgan
Most likely late night binge… Downton Abbey- British T.V. series and the 2 movies
If I was a TikTok influencer, my niche would be… Report on my journeys around the globe
Kaitlin Anne Miller
Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director
Kaitlin joined the Career Center in September 2024. Prior to that, she worked as an Assistant Kindergarten Teacher where she helped students work toward who they wanted to become. She is now excited to be a part of a team that continues this work. Kaitlin graduated from Pitt in 2016 with a double major in fiction writing and communication, a studio arts minor, and a digital media certificate.
