Damon Yarnell

Damon Yarnell is the associate provost and executive director of career development. In his role as head of the career advising and employer relations teams, he leads an integrated approach to career development that celebrates the liberal arts, emphasizes value-driven decision-making, and seeks to ensure that all Spiders enjoy full access to educational and career-related opportunities.

Yarnell joined Richmond in 2024 with 15 years of experience in higher education leadership. Most recently, he served as dean of student and global advancement at Colby College as the head of DavisConnects, an initiative that allows all students, regardless of economic circumstances, to participate in transformative global, internship, research, and fellowship opportunities. Prior to Colby, he worked as associate provost at Dickinson College, where he led the integration of academic and career advising as well as strategic initiatives related to the futures of work and education. Before embarking on his academic career, Yarnell founded a sustainable development company in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, specializing in site-specific designs that avoided urban sprawl. Yarnell holds a BA in comparative literature from Columbia, an MFA in design from the University of the Arts, and a PhD in Science, Technology, and Society from the University of Pennsylvania.