Beth Throne Selected to Lead DavisConnects
A pioneer in the field, she will bring forward-thinking leadership to prepare students for life, and not just work, at and beyond Colby
Beth Throne, a proven leader with experience in higher education, law, and human resource management, has been named the new dean of DavisConnects at Colby following a national search. Beginning June 23, Throne will bring her forward-thinking leadership to DavisConnects while working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to evolve DavisConnects into an even more effective program for transforming student pathways.
“Beth’s leadership skills and her experience in developing programs that enhance the student experience and build meaningful connections with alumni, employers, and parents are essential to the continued success of DavisConnects,” said Dean of the College Gustavo Burkett.
“She brings to this role a strong commitment to experiential learning and a clear focus on expanding opportunities for students through internships, research, and global and domestic experiences. Her experience and dedication to helping students navigate and take advantage of these pathways will be a tremendous asset to DavisConnects and Colby students.”
Throne is well-known for pioneering a nationally recognized model at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania, where she served as inaugural associate vice president of student and post-graduate development.
Throne joined Colby last summer as its inaugural deputy general counsel, having practiced law in the Philadelphia area with Fox Rothschild LLP before transitioning into higher education leadership with F&M. At Colby, Throne quickly recognized in DavisConnects a unique model for supporting student preparation and success. “I am amazed and inspired by what DavisConnects stands for,” she said. She is excited and eager to begin.
“Colby offers so many meaningful opportunities for students to gain confidence and clarity about the paths they may want to pursue during and beyond their time at Colby,” she said, noting Colby’s embrace of interdisciplinary majors, its institutes, labs, and centers of thought, action, and impact, and its expansive employer, community, and global partnerships.
“You put DavisConnects in the center of that wayfinding,” she said, “and you open up a world of possibilities for each student to design a life of success, meaning, and impact.”
An expanded portfolio
Since 2018 DavisConnects has helped Colby students define and embark on their distinctive paths by focusing on three types of high-impact experiences: internships, research opportunities, and global experiences. Throne plans to expand that model and grow the program’s portfolio.
An expanded portfolio will bolster DavisConnects’ focus on providing students with experiences that help them shape their time at Colby in ways that enhance their education and lead to purposeful lives of impact. It will also focus on fellowships, grow DavisConnects’ parent and alumni partnerships, and link Colby’s unique assets with off-campus global opportunities in a way that is collaborative, student-centered, and impactful.
“DavisConnects offers not just a place on campus for students to visit; instead, it facilitates an on-campus and global space for students to realize and pursue their passions,” she said. “That’s a natural evolution of what DavisConnects stands for.”
Throne wants DavisConnects to help students “literally draw, connect, and articulate their dots in ways that are compelling.”
‘Colby offers so many meaningful opportunities for students to gain confidence and clarity about the paths they may want to pursue during and beyond their time at Colby.’
Beth Throne, Dean of DavisConnects
A search committee worked to find the best person to lead DavisConnects, said Burkett. “After reviewing hundreds of applications and conducting many interviews, we had an exceptional pool of candidates. When we met with Beth it became evident that she was the ideal candidate for the job.
“Her energy and enthusiasm for the role, for DavisConnects, and Colby are contagious. I am confident she will build on DavisConnect’s momentum and take the program to new heights. Although she has been part of the Colby community for just over a year, she has already established strong partnerships across the College and earned the respect and trust of colleagues and students alike,” Burkett said. “We’re excited to welcome her into this role and look forward to all she will accomplish.”
In addition to Burkett, the search committee included Michael Freese, director of international programs; Melissa Glenn, associate provost for academic programs; Barbara Moore, the Charles Terrell Dean of Students; Erin Sheets, associate professor of psychology; Andrea Tilden, the Leslie Brainerd Arey Associate Professor of Biosciences; and Julie Wood, vice president and chief people officer. Students on the committee were Youssif Mostafa ’26 and Bibatshu Thapa Chhetri ’25.
Preparing talent for opportunity
A native Philadelphian, Throne was a first-generation student at Franklin & Marshall College, where she earned her bachelor’s in psychology and Spanish. Upon graduation, she entered the world of recruiting, starting with Randstad USA in Minneapolis. Within five years, she established a vocational training division for Randstad’s Midwest division and subsequently managed the recruiting operations of Randstad’s 14 Pennsylvania offices.
At 28, Throne entered law school, earning her J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law. Following nearly seven years of legal practice, F&M’s then-president and dean of the college approached her about returning to her alma mater to help the institution reimagine how it prepared students for life beyond college. She designed and launched the distinctive Office of Student and Post-Graduate Development, which engages students before they set foot on campus and supports their success well after graduation through career, leadership, life skill, and professional development offerings.
For the next 12 years, Throne designed and led a division dedicated to life, leadership, and career preparation that consistently engaged more than 90 percent of the entire student body and achieved 90-plus-percent employment rates for graduates six months after graduation. Working closely with faculty, employer and community partners, alumni, and parents, Throne also cultivated a supportive culture where each student could access opportunities aligned with their passions and a network that allowed them to thrive.
‘Beth’s leadership skills and her experience in developing programs that enhance the student experience and build meaningful connections with alumni, employers, and parents are essential to the continued success of DavisConnects.’
Gustavo Burkett, Dean of the College
When the time came to move on from F&M, Throne decided to return to the practice of law. She thought it would be “fabulous” to practice law with a liberal arts institution versus returning to practice with a firm if the opportunity became available. “I love the impact of serving an institution of higher education. I need that mission-driven, student-centered space.”
As she was coming to that realization, the deputy general counsel position at Colby opened. At the College, she enjoyed her work as a generalist with a broad legal portfolio supporting stakeholders across campus.
Powerful coaching
At the heart of her vision is a team that provides powerful coaching to every student. Importantly, coaching begins early in a student’s college experience. From there, DavisConnects coaches can help students figure out what to put into their hopper of experiences, said Throne. That could mean an off-campus experience, a student leadership position, volunteering, interning, or conducting research with a professor.
“The power is coming back to students and having the next developmental discussion,” she said. Coaches discuss those experiences with students, probing about what went well and what they wished had happened differently. They point out students’ skills, talents, and competencies, discuss them, and ask whether or not they were satisfied with that opportunity.
It’s a process of calibrating and prototyping to help students process each experience. Students begin to gain clarity about themselves and their future through periods of reflection and discernment coupled with meaningful student-centered coaching, she said.
“DavisConnects can be a pivotal part of every student’s experience and help them navigate through their curricular and cocurricular life,” said Throne. “Students can exit Colby not only with trajectory and opportunity, but also with the clarity of what they want to do in the world.”
