Undergraduate Academic Advising Awards

The Barbara Soloman Advising Award is given in recognition of dedicated, exemplary service to NC State students by a primary role advisor.  The nominee for this award has 5 or more calendar years of academic advising experience at NC State as of November 30, 2024, and spends at least 50% of their time on direct delivery of advising to students.

• The nominee contributes to student success by providing involved, holistic and developmentally sensitive guidance.
• The nominee’s advising load, personal philosophy of advising, commitment to advocacy for students, and evidence of student success and learning is considered.
• The nominee demonstrates a commitment to improving advising practices at NC State.
• The nominee advises students in a respectful, inclusive way.

2024-25 Winner:  Dr. Dana Kotter-Gruehn, Director of Undergraduate Advising in the Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Past Winners:  Joyce Hatch, Philip Dail, Andrea Irby, Mary Alice Tetro, Cecilia Townsend, Mindy Sopher, Jacqui Hawkins-Morton, Betsy Alexieff, Sandy Stallings, Brian Koehler, Martha Wicker, Jill Anderson, Millie Herget, Maria Crockett, Susan Lamb, Julie Lawson, Andrea Atkin, Michelle Garoutte, Cynthia Zuckerman-Hyman, LaShica Waters, Susannah Lawrence and LeNelle Patrick.

The New Advisor Award is given in recognition of a primary role advisor who has been an advisor (1) at all institutions served for fewer than three calendar years and (2) for whom direct delivery of advising to students comprises 50% or more of their responsibilities. [NACADA sets the cutoff date for the Outstanding New Advisor Awards as three years subtracted from the Award Program Year. Therefore, for 2024-25, a new advisor would be anyone with fewer than three years of total undergraduate academic advising experience as of March 15, 2025.]

• The nominee contributes to student success by providing involved, holistic, and developmentally sensitive guidance.
• The nominee’s advising load, personal philosophy of advising, commitment to advocacy for students, and evidence of student success and learning is considered.
• The nominee advises students in a respectful, inclusive way.
• The nominee demonstrates a commitment to their professional development as an advisor.

2024-25 Winner: Gwyneth Howard, Academic Advisor, Poole College of Management

Past Winners:  Jenny Ellerbe, Anita Flick, Jennie LaMonte, Jill Anderson, Heather Duhart, Kimberly Franklin, Jennah Jones. Christina Hobbs, Roy Stamper, Erin Seiling, Aimee Stright, Dana Thomas, Dana Kotter-Gruehn, Michael Lee, Tony Shurer, Trisha Mackey, Stephanie Jares, Alyssa Jennings and Mary Kate Morgan Lanier.
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The Faculty Advisor Award is given in recognition of an advisor whose primary responsibility is teaching and who spends a portion of their time providing academic advising services to students.  Nominees must spend at least 50% of their time on teaching and/or research and have at least 3 calendar years of advising experience at NC State as of November 30, 2024.

• The nominee 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.
• Advising load, personal philosophy of advising, commitment to advocacy for students, and evidence of student success and learning are considered.

2024-25 Winner: Dr. Gene Melton, Department of English, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Past Winners:  Risa Ellovich, Debra Laefer, Clarence Smith, Michael Pause, Sandra Paur, Lisa Bullard, Candace Goode Vick, Jim Alchediak, John Morillo, Seth Murray, Linda Williams, Susan Navey-Davis, Stephanie Curtis, Kathy Hamilton Gore, Lisa Parks, Russell Gorga, Chad Jordan, Kim Bush, Jeremiah Feducia, Shweta Trivedi, Elizabeth Wagner.

The New Faculty Advisor Award is given in recognition of a faculty member who has been an advisor (1) at all institutions served for fewer than three calendar years and (2) for whom teaching and/or research comprises 50% or more of assigned responsibilities. [NACADA sets the cutoff date for the Outstanding New Advisor Awards as three years subtracted from the Award Program Year. Therefore, for 2024-25, a new advisor would be anyone fewer than three years of total undergraduate academic advising experience as of March 15, 2025.]

• The nominee 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.
• Advising load, personal philosophy of advising, commitment to advocacy for students, and evidence of student success and learning are considered.
• The nominee demonstrates a commitment to their professional development as an advisor.

2024-25 Winner:  Dr. Andrew Ziccarelli, Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (CCEE), College of Engineering

Past Winners:  Jacquelyn Golden, Anita Vila-Parrish, Joseph Palis, Cheryl Cass, Genessa Devine, Lara Pacifici, Natalie Cooke, Joy Morgan Fleming, Gene Melton, Joseph Donaldson, Erin McKenney, Keith Howard, Christin Phelps and Olgha Bassam Qaqish.

The Carrie McLean Award (named in 2021) is given in recognition of an outstanding administrator who has oversight of an advising area at NC State. The award is presented in honor of the service and accomplishments of Dr. Carrie McLean, who served as NC State’s first Director of Advising until her retirement in December, 2020.

Fifty percent of the nominee’s responsibilities should be dedicated to advising administration, and the individual should have served in advising administration at NC State for a minimum of three calendar years as of November 30, 2024.

• The nominee has demonstrated advocacy for advisors, a commitment to understanding the advising process and student learning, and a commitment to improving advising practices at NC State.
• The administrator’s personal philosophy of advising, knowledge of advising and student learning and development literature, articulation of appropriate advising vision, and evidence of results-based improvements are considered.

2024-25 Winner: Stephanie Jares, Director of Academic Advising in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Past Winners of the Advising Administrator Award:  Phil Moses, Marcia Gumpertz, Sandy Stallings, Shannon Carey, Carrie Leger, Keri Bowman, Karen Young, Roxanna McGraw, Meredith Fosque, Kim Outing, Lauren Brown, Jane Lubischer, Tricia Buddin, Tarek Aziz, Tremaine Brittian, Heather Lyerly, Jennifer McLamb, Erica Kosal and Meggie Metcalf.