About Alumni Engagement

The Alumni Engagement office is working to strengthen the relationship that Kean’s graduates have with one another and the University through opportunities to volunteer, attend events and stay up to date on all that’s new and exciting at their alma mater.

Carol Ann Koert joined the University Relations team in April 2021 as the director of alumni engagement. In this role, she helps connect alumni to the University by providing a wide range of events and volunteer opportunities.

At Kean, Carol Ann’s priorities include creating a new young alumni council, educating students about the importance of philanthropy, building better communication channels and providing valuable programming for alumni. In addition, she will collaborate with colleagues across campus to create and support alumni participation at Kean University.

In her 16-year career in higher education, Carol Ann has worked as an alumni relations professional, advancement coordinator and in other roles. Prior to joining the team at Kean, she ran all alumni engagement initiatives for Saint Elizabeth University. She also was the director of alumni events at Seton Hall University where she planned over 100 events a year.

Carol Ann has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from York University and a post-graduate certification in corporate communications from Centennial College, both in Toronto, Canada.

Samantha Fox, Ed.D. serves as new alumni and student engagement coordinator. She brings over 17 years of experience in higher education to her role at Kean. Known for blending the strategic with creative, she approaches her work with a commitment to helping people feel seen and connected.

Sam began her journey in higher education, as a resident assistant at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), where she first discovered the power of student support. At Kennesaw State University (KSU), she expanded that passion through roles in advising, events, and ultimately as assistant director of admissions for the executive MBA program. She later served as director of student services at Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College, guiding students through transformative extracurricular experiences. Most recently, she advanced alumni engagement as alumni relations coordinator at Union College of Union County, NJ, expanding outreach and launching the Hoots’ Eye View alumni podcast to spotlight graduate success stories.

Outside of her professional career, she is a lifelong learner, loves experiencing new cultures firsthand, and novel experiences, from pottery making to skiing. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and lives with her husband and toy poodle. Samantha holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology (UVI), a master’s in conflict management (KSU), and a Doctor of Education degree in higher education leadership from University of the West Indies.