Jen Guyer-Wood

Hello friends! I’m Jen Guyer-Wood. I joined the Macalester community in March 2023, and I have the privilege of serving as the Associate Vice President of Life Design and Innovation.

My path to higher education leadership was paved, quite literally, through the halls of Minnesota State University, Mankato. I paid my way through college by working in the campus Post Office. While that meant I couldn’t always participate in traditional campus activities, it gave me something even better: a supportive network of staff and faculty who were my first career champions. Meeting all of these amazing supporters while delivering mail taught me that student success is built on relationships, and I’ve spent the last 25 years trying to pay that experience forward.

I’m no stranger to the career pivot. My very first job was at a Birdseye pea-packing plant (I didn’t last long before finding my way to a job at the mall!). Later in my career, I navigated a major work adventure by moving to Louisville, Kentucky, when my spouse, Mike, took a job at the Muhammad Ali Center. Through that move, I mastered the art of the informational interview, conducting over 40 of them to build a new network from scratch. Because of this, I especially love working with students and alumni who are planning to relocate for their next chapter.

Before coming to Mac, I served in leadership roles at Minnesota State Mankato, Bellarmine University, and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Today, I lead a multidisciplinary team at Macalester focused on Life Design, helping students use design thinking and their innate Gallup Strengths to build lives of purpose, whether through entrepreneurship, research, health professions, or career exploration.

When I’m not on campus, I’m likely enjoying my time with my husband, Mike, our large Great Pyrenees/German Shepard mix dog, Hank, and our tiny cat, Eames. I’m a fan of walking, running, biking, and yoga, and I enjoy reading and watching detective shows and movies. If I’m on vacation, you’ll find me searching for great vegan food or traveling to see live music with Mike.