Philip D. Gardner is Director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University.  Dr. Gardner has been with MSU for more than 30 years after receiving degrees from Whitman College (BA in Chemistry) and Michigan State University (Ph.D. in Resource & Development Economics/Public Policy).  His major areas of research include the transition from college to work, early socialization and career progression in the workplace, workforce readiness, and other areas related to college student studies. MSU’s nationally recognized annual college labor market study is done under his direction each fall. He also served as senior editor of the Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships, and in 2019, he was inducted into the NACE Academy of Fellows for his advancement of knowledge, leadership and excellence in his profession.