2023-2024 Undergraduate Academic Advisor Awards
Established in September 2005, these awards recognize Temple University undergraduate academic advisors and advising administrators. Every year one professional advisor, advising administrator, faculty advisor, and beginning in 2008, a new advisor is honored for their demonstrated excellence advising undergraduate students. Starting in 2020, the new Michele O'Connor Service Award honors a member of the Temple community who provides extraordinary support to advancing and significantly impacting advising mission and goals. Finally, beginning in 2018, the outstanding advising program award was created to recognize one college specific or cross-departmental program that documents innovative and/or exemplary practices resulting in improvement of academic advising services.
Award recipients receive an engraved plaque and a monetary gift of $1,000. Their names will also be added to a perpetual plaque displayed in Conwell 500.
Recipients of the advising awards can be Temple's nominees for NACADA's corresponding Advisor Awards. The awards are presented at the annual Temple University Academic Advising Day (TUAAD) at the end of the Spring term.
Outstanding Advisor Awards:
Faculty Advisor: Any tenured, tenure-track or non-tenured track faculty member who assists undergraduate students in the faculty member's school and/or department to make decisions that affect their academic progress at the University through personal guidance, interpretation of University and College/School policies and guidelines, and an analysis of the student's records.
New Advisor: Any benefits-eligible employee of Temple University whose primary role is to serve as an academic advisor and has served in this role for two (2) or fewer years, including any prior advising positions at Temple or other institutions. Primary job responsibilities include assisting undergraduate students in making decisions that affect the students' academic progress at the University through personal guidance, interpretation of University and College/School policies and guidelines, and an analysis of students' records.
Professional Advisor: Any benefits-eligible employee of Temple University who has been advising undergraduates for at least three (3) years and whose current primary job responsibilities includes assisting undergraduate students in making decisions that affect their academic progress at the University through personal guidance, interpretation of University and College/School policies and guidelines, and an analysis of students' records.
Academic Advising Administrator: Any benefits-eligible employee of Temple University who has been in his/her advising administrator position (e.g., Director, Associate Director, Assistant Director, Supervisor, etc.) for at least three (3) years and whose primary job responsibilities include supervising professional academic advisors and assisting undergraduate students in making decisions that affect students' academic progress at the University through personal guidance, interpretation of University and College/School policies and guidelines, and an analysis of students' records.
Candidates for the Faculty Advisor, Professional Advisor, and the Academic Advising Administrator Awards are expected to meet the following criteria:
- Must be in current position for at least three (3) years calculated from the deadline for submission
- Has not been a winner of the award within the past five (5) years
- Effective and continuous advising of undergraduate students
- Has demonstrated a caring and nurturing attitude towards advisees
- Exemplary interpersonal skills
- Mastery of institutional regulations, policies, and procedures
- Participation in advisor development programs and groups
- Has made a significant contribution to the quality of the academic advising unit, school/college and/or department
- Inspires fellow colleagues and advisees to reach their full potential
- Evidence of working in an academic advising program that supports NACADA's Core Values.
Candidates for the New Advisor Award are expected to also demonstrate many of the above criteria; however, they have been in the position two (2) or fewer years calculated from the deadline of submission.
Other Awards
The Michele O’Connor Advising Service Award: Created in Fall 2020 to recognize a member of the Temple community who, through an exceptional contribution to undergraduate Academic Advising has enriched the experience for students. A reflection of the dedication, service and leadership Michele O’Connor displayed during her tenure at Temple University, this annual award recognizes individuals like Michele who have provided extraordinary support to advancing and significantly impacting Advising mission and goals.
Candidates for the Michele O’Connor Advising Service Award are expected to meet the following criteria:
- Must be in current position for at least two years
- Has not been a winner of the award within the past five (5) years
- Demonstrates a high level of service and effort to improve advising and/or enriching the undergraduate advising experience
- Evidence of a caring and nurturing attitude towards undergraduate students and the advising community, as reflected in service efforts designed to have a significant impact on individuals, programs, and/or campus operations.
Outstanding Advising Program Award: Recognizes one college-specific or cross-departmental program that documents innovative and/or exemplary practices resulting in improvement of academic advising services.
Examples include but are not limited to programs involving the administration and organization of advising, advising models, advisor training, uses of technology, advisor evaluation, program evaluation, programs serving specific populations: adult learners, at-risk students, undecided students, student athletes, and graduate students.
Eligibility:
- The program must have been operational for three or more years (time frame may include pilot period). Data to substantiate program effectiveness must be included with the submission. Programs lacking data to substantiate at least three years of program effectiveness will not be evaluated.
- Previous Program Award Winners or Certificates of Merit recipients are eligible ONLY if three years have elapsed since their selection and the program has been significantly modified or altered.
Criteria:
Evidence of an outstanding program will include (but are not limited to), the qualities listed below. In addition, program description, suitability for dissemination, and adherence to program guidelines are key factors in selection.
- Innovative Quality — Represents new approaches to effective academic advising. If a program has been implemented elsewhere but is new to an institution, it is eligible.
- Creativity — Demonstrates creative use of resources (human, fiscal, and physical) in the delivery of academic advising services.
- Currency — Addresses current problems and issues in academic advising.
- Institutional Commitment — Demonstrating commitment to advising throughout the institution.
- Impact — Providing definitive evidence of positive student and/or institutional outcomes.
- Transferability — Applicable to a wide variety of college/departments.
Nomination Process
The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 8, 2024.
Any student, administrator, or faculty member can nominate for an award. Advising directors, advisors, undergraduate deans, faculty members, and department chairs are urged to nominate candidates worthy of consideration for these awards, and support and encourage them to apply. Self-nominations will also be accepted.
Advising awards nominations must include the nominee’s full name, title, department/school/college, email address, and awards category. All nominations must be submitted using the form below:
Advising Awards Nomination Form
Application Process
All nominees will be notified by email, which will include an explanation of next steps, including information on accepting the nomination and submitting the award application.
Required Documentation for Outstanding Advising Awards:
- Statement of advising philosophy/practice
- For the categories of Faculty, New, and Professional, provide a statement of your advising philosophy/practice with examples. It should be no more than two typed, 12-point, double-spaced pages. The following websites may assist you in clearly articulating your personal advising philosophy and Core values: NACADA advising philosophy and NACADA core values
- For the category of Advising Administrator, provide a brief overview of your advising philosophy (approximately one paragraph) and then address the following question: How do you integrate your advising philosophy into the culture of your advising unit? Provide clear examples from your advising administration practice that illustrate your philosophy in action. It should be no more than two typed, 12-point, double-spaced pages
- A summary of recent advising and/or professional development, including within your advising unit, more broadly within the Temple advising community, and external. Please limit to activities that pertain directly to academic advising (advising/department workgroups or committees, ADC or AAG committees, conference presentations, mentoring, etc.). Please include timeframes to distinguish current from past activities.
- No more than three (3) letters of recommendation to support your application. All letters must be submitted in PDF format. Members of the selection committee may not serve as recommenders. You are strongly encouraged to seek letters of support from the following:
- An advising colleague, faculty member, or administrator from within or outside your department/unit with whom you have worked closely and/or collaborated
- A student
- Another student or colleague of your choosing to best exemplify your advising work and impact
Required Documentation for Michele O'Connor Service Award:
- Resume of accomplishments promoting service and support to students and/or the Temple advising community
- No more than three (3) letters of recommendation to support your application. Members of the selection committee may not serve as recommenders. Please feel free to choose from the following list, but select no more than two from any category: Peer/colleague, university administrator, direct supervisor, faculty member, or student
Required Documentation for Outstanding Advising Program Award:
Program write-up of no more than 2,500 words in length and organized in the following format:
- Program description
- Program development (how, when, and why the program was developed, including problems encountered, organizational concerns, budget, and other practical considerations)
- Goals and objectives
- Procedures used in program evaluation (quantitative and/or qualitative)
- Results/outcomes (impact on students, department and/or the institution)
- Potential for adaptation by other units/departments/universities
How To Apply
Applications for all award categories along with all supporting documentation should be submitted using the Form below. Letters of recommendation (PDF files only) should be uploaded directly by the recommenders using this Form. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Advising Awards Supporting Documents Form
The deadline for submission of all required documents is Friday, April 5, 2024.
Selection Committee
The Selection Committee includes three standing members (2-year terms) and award recipients from a previous year.
For questions, please contact Michael Lawlor, Office of Undergraduate Studies, 215-204-8580 or michael.lawlor@temple.edu
Award Recipients
2022-2023
Outstanding New Advisor: Shannon Martin, Academic Advisor II, University Honors Program
Outstanding Professional Advisor: Kristen Hong, Academic Advisor II, Academic Resource Center
Outstanding Advising Administrator: Melissa Valdes, Director of Advising, College of Engineering
Outstanding Faculty Advisor: Evelyn Vleck, Assistant Professor of Instruction in Biology, College of Science and Technology
Michele O'Connor Advising Service: Bhavesh Bambhrolia, University Registrar, Office of the University Registrar
2021-2022
Outstanding Professional Advisor: Joy Stroman, Senior Advisor, Fox School of Business and Management
Outstanding Advising Administrator: Kimberly Buck-Speck, Director, Pre-Professional Health Studies
Michele O’Connor Advising Service: Susan McCaffrey, Director, Banner Academic Affairs, Banner Student Collaboration Center
2020-2021
Outstanding New Advisor: Jessica McLaughlin, College of Science and Technology
Outstanding Professional Advisor: Keith Schweiger, Senior Advisor, College of Science and Technology
Outstanding Advising Administrator: Erin Spiotta, Assistant Director, College of Science and Technology
Outstanding Faculty Advisor: Joel Sheffield, Professor of Biology, College of Science and Technology
Michele O'Connor Advising Service: Ruth Ost, Senior Director, University Honors Program
Outstanding Advising Program: Advisor Development Program, Amanda Neuber, Director, University Honors Program
2019-2020
Outstanding New Advisor: Roseilyn Guzman, Academic Advisor I, University Honors Program
Outstanding Professional Advisor: Abby H. Cohen, Senior Advisor, College of Science and Technology
Outstanding Advising Administrator: Tom Price, Director of Advising, College of Science and Technology
Outstanding Faculty Advisor: Danielle K. Scherer, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Assistant Director of Global Studies, College of Liberal Arts
NACADA Global 2020 Awards:
Outstanding Advising Administrator Award – Certificate of Merit: Janet Distel
Advising Communities Division Service Award: Gavin Farber
NACADA 2020 Mid-Atlantic Region 2 Awards
Excellence in Advising – Advising Administrator: Janet Distel
Excellence in Advising – Advisor Primary Role: Joanne Garfield
2018-2019
Daniel W. Berman, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies
Outstanding Professional Advisor: Joanne Garfield, Sr. Academic Advisor, University Studies
Outstanding Advising Program: Tracy L. Malz, Academic Advisor II, University Studies
Outstanding Advising Administrator: Janet Distel, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Affairs, College of Education
Outstanding Faculty Advisor: Joshua Pongan, Instructor College of Liberal Arts: Spanish and Portuguese
Norihisa Shimada, Director for Academic Advising, Temple University, Japan Campus
Bruce Stronach, Dean, Temple University, Japan Campus
Outstanding New Advisor: Shota Fujii, Academic Advisor, Temple University, Japan Campus
George W. Miller III, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Klein College of Media and Communication
NACADA 2019 Mid-Atlantic Region 2 Awards
Excellence in Advising – Advisor Primary Role: Jaclyn Graves
Outstanding Contribution and Scholarship: Gavin Farber
2017-2018
Faculty Advisor: Thomas Wright, Klein College of Media and Communication
Outstanding New Advisor: Jordan Greenwood, Center for Performing/Cinematic Arts
Professional Advisor: Jackie Graves, University Honors Program
NACADA 2018 Mid-Atlantic Region 2 Awards
Excellence in Advising – Advisor Primary Role: Gavin Farber
2016-2017
Faculty Advisor: Jack Klotz, Jr, Klein College of Media and Communication
Outstanding New Advisor: Seth Finck, University Honors Program
Professional Advisor: Kristy Haar, College of Science and Technology
Advising Administrator: Chris Wolfgang, College of Liberal Arts
2015-2016
Faculty Advisor: Professor Patricia Moore-Martinez, College of Liberal Arts
Outstanding New Advisor: Zach Martin, University Honors Program
Professional Advisor: Gavin Farber, Fox School of Business and Management
Advising Administrator: Melinda Finley, Assistant Director College of Science and Technology
Leanna R. Arnold, The Academic Resource Center: University Studies, selected as the NACADA Outstanding New Advisor Award Winner in the Primary Advisign Role category.
2014-2015
Faculty Advisor: Gabriel Wettach, College of Liberal Arts
Outstanding New Advisor: Leanna R. Arnold, The Academic Resource Center: University Studies
Professional Advisor: Kimberly Buck-Speck, Pre-Professional Health Studies
Advising Administrator Lifetime Achievement: Bonnie S. Frumer, University College: Curriculum and Planning
2013-2014
Faculty Advisor: Professor Cynthia Belliveau, College of Education, P.O.L.S.
Outstanding New Advisor: A. Musu Davis, University Honors Program
Professional Advisor: Stephanie Ballard, College of Science and Technology
Advising Administrator: Anar P. Khandvala, Associate Director College of Liberal Arts
2012-2013
Faculty Advisor: Nannette Vliet, Instructor, Curriculum Coordinator, College of Health Professions and Social Work
Outstanding New Advisor: Stephanie Graves, Academic Advisor II, Fox School of Business and Management
Professional Advisor: Brad Pearson, Senior Advisor, Honors
Stephanie Graves, Academic Advisor II, Fox School of Business and Management selected as the NACADA Region 2 Outstanding Advising Award Winner in the New Advisor Category.
Brad Pearson, Senior Advisor, Honors selected as the NACADA Region 2 Outstanding Advising Award Winner in the Advising Primaray Role category.
2011-2012
Faculty Advisor: Dani Moffit, Assistant Professor, College of Health Professions and Social Work
Outstanding New Advisor: Keesa Bond, College of Liberal Arts
Professional Advisor: Lindsay Arnold, Senior Advisor, College of Health Professions and Social Work
Advising Administrator: Norihisa Shimada, Director, Academic Advising Center, Temple University Japan
2010-2011
Faculty Advisor: Jonathan Kline, Assistant Professor, Tyler School of Art and Architecture
Outstanding New Advisor: Rashidah N. Andrews, College of Liberal Arts
Recipient of the 2012 NACADA Region 2 Excellence in Advising Award for Outstanding New Advisor. This award recognizes qualities associated with excellence as a new academic advisor in the region.
Professional Advisor: Janine C. Warnas, Senior Advisor, Academic Advising & Career Development, Ambler Campus
Advising Administrator: Matthew Campbell, Director, Office of Student Services, College of Science and Technology
2009-2010
Faculty Advisor: Scott Gratson, Associate Professor, Director of SCT Communications Program and Undergraduate Studies
Professional Advisor: Mark Rohland, Academic Advisor, College of Liberal Arts
National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) has selected Mark as 2011 Region 2 Outstanding Advising Award Winner in the Academic Advisor – Primary Role category. This award recognizes Marks’s demonstrated abilities as an advisor in the region. NACADA will present this award to Mark during the Region 2 Conference in April.
Advising Administrator: Helen H. Robinson, Director, Center for Undergraduate Advising, Fox School of Business and Management
Outstanding New Advisor: Tracy L. Malz, Academic Advisor, The Division of Undergraduate Studies
2008-2009
Faculty Advisor: Dennis O. Terry, Jr. , College of Science and Technology, Department of Earth and Environmental Science
Professional Advisor: Shannon J. O’Brien, Academic Resource Center
Advising Administrator: Patricia Louison, College of Education
Outstanding New Advisor: Ana Adinolfi, University Honors Program
2007-2008
Faculty Advisor: Jayne K. Drake, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Liberal Arts
Professional Advisor: Jennifer J. Thiel, Assistant Director, School of Tourism and Hospitality
Academic Advising Administrator: Susan McCaffrey, Assistant Director, Academic Services, Ambler Campus
Outstanding New Advisor: Amanda Neuber, Associate Director, Honors Program
NACADA National Awards Program for Academic Advising selected Amanda Neuber, Associate Director, University Honors Program at Temple University for an Outstanding New Advisor Award in the Academic Advising-Primary Role category. Amanda is one of eight academic advisors honored with this award in this category in the nation-wide competition this year. Amanda was the recipient of Temple’s Outstanding New Advisor Award in 2007-08.
2006-2007
Professional Advisor: Charles M. Allen, MEd, Associate Director, Honors Program, Fox School of Business and Management
Academic Advising Administrator: Karen Sofranko, PhD, Director, Academic Resources Center
2005-2006
Faculty Advisor: Paul Crowe, PhD, Department of Philosophy
Professional Advisor: Kristen diNovi, MS, Academic Resource Center
Academic Advising Administrator: Ruth Ost, PhD, University Honors