2018 Academic Advising Award Recipients

[lead]Throughout the course of their academic careers, students will make connections with many influential people. It could be a faculty member who presents a lesson that inspires a student to pursue a major in their field of study. Or a coach. Mentors and resident advisors. Alumni who have developed as leaders in the professional world. Every single person makes a difference, but the relationships that endure the longest may be those between students and Academic Advisors.[/lead]

These dedicated individuals support students as they figure out where they ultimately want to end up, and help chart the path to get there. Deeply committed to the success of all students, these are the folks who keep them on track to graduate on time, offer a dose of realism when needed, and provide the overall support students need to realize their greatest ambitions. They are true cheerleaders and champions for our students, and are undeniably deserving of recognition, every single day. On Jan. 26, NC State honored five exceptionally deserving advisors from across the university during the 2018 NC State University Undergraduate Academic Advising Awards Ceremony.

New Advisor Award

Recognizes a faculty advisor or primary role advisor who has been employed as an advisor for *three or fewer years. Advising should make up 50% or more of individual’s job duties. Nominees show a strong commitment to promoting student success through developing relationships with students, becoming aware of policies and procedures, referring students to resources for assistance, and demonstration commitment to professional development as an advisor.

Dr. Dana Kotter-Gruehn serves as director of undergraduate advising in the Department of Psychology in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Dana advises 225+ psychology majors and works with prospective and transfer students. She enjoys learning about her students and connecting them with mentors, resources, and professional opportunities. She teaches a variety of courses (e.g., Research Methods; Psychology of Gender), holds career workshops, and is involved in curriculum and course development in the psychology department.

New Faculty Advisor Award

Recognizes an academic advisor who has shown exemplary service, and has worked as an advisor for *three or fewer years. Primary responsibilities include teaching and/or research, with a portion of time dedicated to providing academic advising services.

Dr. Joy Morgan Fleming is Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She teaches and advises both undergraduate and graduate students majoring in Agricultural and Extension Education
degree programs. Within her classes, she strives to promote service learning and community engagement. Additionally, she serves as the advisor for the AEE Club and Sigma Alpha professional sorority. Currently, she is a member of the CALS Teaching and Advising
committee and serves as the National Poster Chair for the American Association for Agricultural Education. She is also a part of the leadership team for the North Carolina Agricultural Leadership Development Program which is a two year program for agricultural professionals. In the summer, Joy coordinates and directs the Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders, a program for rising high school seniors designed to promote agricultural careers, leadership opportunities, and NC State University.

Faculty Advisor Award

Recognizes an advisor whose primary responsibility is as a teaching/researching faculty member. The recipient exhibits a strong commitment to student success through availability to advisees, commitment to guiding students in career and academic paths, and awareness of policies and procedures.

Dr. Lisa Parks is Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor and Director of Biological Sciences in the College of Sciences. She came to NC State University in 1999 where she began teaching and advising freshmen biology majors. She teaches Introductory Biology (BIO 183), Cell Biology (BIO 414), Critical and Creative Thinking in the Life Sciences (LSC 101) and several other courses. She is actively involved in course development and enjoys mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in teaching and lab research projects. For many years, she has incorporated case studies into her physiology and cell biology courses and has designed a faculty-initiated honors component where students design new case studies they present and lead in those courses. She is a TH!NK faculty fellow and National Academies Education Mentor. Currently, she advises 20-30 biology majors, is director of the biology honors students, and works with the Women in Science and Engineering program as a mentor and presenter.

Advising Administrator Award

Recognizes an administrator who has oversight of an advising unit. Nominees have served as an advising administrator at NC State for at least three years. They show advocacy for advisors in their charge, a commitment to understanding the advising process and student learning, and a commitment to using assessment to continuously improve their unit’s advising process.

Tricia Buddin serves as Coordinator of Recruiting and First Year Experiences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). In this role, she provides leadership for the advising team, on campus recruiting initiatives, and first year programs like CALS CARES, orientation, and welcome events. She teaches a first year transition course for freshmen (ALS 103) and for transfer students (ALS 303). She assists with academic policy interpretation and serves on many committees across the university and has 17 years of CALS service (as of March 2018). She appreciates the day-to-day diversity her position brings and values the impact she makes on CALS students, their academic programs team, and their supporters across the state.

Barbara Soloman Advising Award

Recognizes a primary role advisor (academic advising makes up 50% or more of job duties), who has demonstrated dedicated service to students. Nominees are professional advisors who contribute to student success by going the extra mile to provide involved, holistic, and developmentally sensitive guidance and have five or more years of academic advising experience at NC State.

Julie Lawson has served as an academic advisor in the Poole College of Management since August 2012. She was born in Virginia, but moved to the Raleigh area at a young age. She attended Appalachian State University where she completed her undergraduate degree in graphic arts and imaging technology and later a master’s degree in college student development. Prior to her time at NC State, she has worked at several institutions in North Carolina in the areas of leadership, service and student programming. She has served in several professional development organizations including North Carolina College Personnel Association (NCCPA) and the Global Community of Academic Advising (NACADA). Julie thoroughly enjoys her work with students as she helps them navigate their college journey.