Tools for career success

For many students, academic degrees are the means to successful careers. That was the case for Mark Perry, who credits UC Davis for giving him a high-quality legal education and providing him the job placement assistance he needed to find a fulfilling career.

To help students discover their own career ambitions, Perry and his wife, Melanie Peña, have named the School of Law’s Career Services office as part of a gift to help the school’s expansion and renovation project.

“We chose to name the career services office in connection with our contribution because of the help I received from career services during my time at King Hall and for its importance to the success of future students,” said Perry, who is an independent advisor and board member in the biotechnology industry. Perry previously served as an executive at Aerovance and Gilead Sciences, and as a partner at Cooley LLP."

At the Mark Perry ’80 & Melanie Peña Career Services Office, expert advisors provide students with services such as workshops, resume and cover letter critiques and mock interviews. Since 2011 the career service helped graduates achieve an employment rate of over 90%.

“I do not think I would have had such a diverse and positive experience at any other law school and I attribute that to the unique faculty and student body who work in King Hall,” Perry said. “I believe it is critical for each of us to support the school in any way we can so it can continue to educate future generations of lawyers with a diversity of backgrounds.”