2023 Region Awards and Certificate of Merit Winners

Hello NACADA R2 Family! 

It was so great to see many of you a few weeks ago at our Region 2 Conference in Hanover, MD. We hope that you left the conference all on in on students! 

Congrats to our Excellence in Advising winners on their outstanding contributions to student success! Be sure to stay tuned for nominations for the 23-24 awards and scholarship season. 

View our recipients acceptance videos below.  

Page Fetter | Virginia Tech | Excellence in Advising - New Advisor

Joy Stroman | Temple University | Excellence in Advising - Primary Role Advisor

James Tuten | Juniata College | Excellence in Advising - Faculty Advisor

Steph Dorman | Virginia Commonwealth University | Excellence in Advising - Advising Administrator

Certificate of Merit Winners and Scholarship Winners:

Courtney Dressler | Virginia Commonwealth University | Excellence in Advising - New Advisor Certificate of Merit

Grace Burden | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Excellence in Advising - New Advisor Certificate of Merit

Pamela Beatty | Old Dominion University | Excellence in Advising - Primary Role Advisor Certificate of Merit

Patrice Henry-Thatcher | Rowan University | Excellence in Advising - Primary Role Advisor Certificate of Merit

Janice Chatham | Virginia Tech | Excellence in Advising - Primary Role Advisor Certificate of Merit

Elizabeth Ozment | University of Virginia | Excellence in Advising - Faculty Advisor Certificate of Merit

Michelle Carpenter | Old Dominion University | Excellence in Advising - Faculty Advisor Certificate of Merit

Christopher Sigler | Penn State | Excellence in Advising - Faculty Advisor Certificate of Merit 

Shalom Rosenberg | University of Maryland-College Park | Region 2 Conference Graduate Student Scholarship

Marc Vukotich | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Region 2 Conference Graduate Student Scholarship

Keynote Speaker for Region 2 Conference 2023: Jasmine A. Lee

 Jasmine A. Lee Biography

Dr. Jasmine A. Lee is a diversity, equity, inclusion and justice scholar, practitioner, trainer and

coach. She currently serves as the Director of Inclusive Excellence, and leads the Initiatives for

Identity, Inclusion & Belonging team at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. In this

capacity, she works with students, staff and faculty to create inclusive campus environments

through direct programming and strategic Divisional leadership. Dr. Lee’s background

encompasses campus climate studies and crisis response, inclusive hiring and supervision best

practices, teaching and inclusive classroom pedagogy, diversity action planning and equity

assessments, strategic student success outreach and academic advising, as well as traditional

diversity and inclusion programming.

In 2019, Dr. Lee founded J. Lee Consulting Group, LLC, where she works collaboratively to

provide training, consulting, coaching and organizational change services; partnering with clients

to curate unique and engaging solutions that lead to sustainable and measurable change. Dr. Lee

is a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI), a certified diversity

trainer with the National Coalition Building Institute, and a certified Mental Health First Aid

instructor.

As a social worker, Dr. Lee holds a BSW from Eastern Michigan University and a MSW from

the University of Michigan. She earned her Ph.D. at Michigan State University, where she used

Critical Race Theory as a framework to study the experiences of Black, first-generation, low-income

college students pursuing degrees at a Predominantly White Institution. She is a

published author with work focused on academic advising for students of color, intergroup

dialogue, and social justice education, with forthcoming work on radical love in the academy and

cultivating belonging in first year seminars.

Dr. Lee is whole human who loves cartoons, traveling, laughing at corny jokes, hanging out with

her puppy, and spending time with family and friends. Beyond NACADA she is an active

member of many organizations, including ACPA® – Student College Educators International,

and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. More than anything Dr. Lee wants people to know that she

believes in the world changing and redeeming power of radical revolutionary love, and asks you

to consider the words of Valerie Kaur: “revolutionary love is the choice to enter into wonder and

labor for others, our opponents, and for ourselves in order to transform the world around us.”

Tribute Tuesday: Excellence in Advising Awards Edition (6)

                             

Our final Tribute Tuesday goes to Em Rowe (University of Delaware) for winning the Excellence in Advising Award in their role as a new advisor, and Chris Kirchoff (University of Pittsburgh) for receiving the Thomas J. Grites Service to Region 2 Award! 

Em is an academic advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Delaware. They earned their BA in Sociology and Communication from the University of Pittsburgh, and their MA in Sociology from the University of Delaware. Em advises over 300 first- and second-year students, as well as transfer students in their first semester at UD. These students span over 80 majors and minors. Em often teaches introductory Sociology courses at the university, which they really enjoy on top of their advising career. Em is passionate about student success, particularly as it relates to personal development and career exploration. Through their work as Chair of the Pride Caucus, leader of the Social Justice Subcommittee of UD’s Advisor Network, and their team’s own Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Subcommittee, Em is committed to fostering the success of students with marginalized identities—particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community. Em lives with their partner (Jess), their two cats (Pepper and Milton), their dog (Pierogi), and their growing foster family in Wilmington, DE.

Chris Kirchhof is the Director for Undergraduate Recruitment & Transfer Student Services for the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. Chris has worked at Pitt since 2009, serving as an academic advisor for both freshmen and transfer students. Chris has also served as a program manager for Engineering Study Abroad experiences for first year students. He has been recognized by the University with the 2014 Staff Award for Excellence in Student Services. Chris has also been awarded with the 2013 Outstanding Academic Advisor, Primary Rolle by NACADA Region 2 and the 2016 NACADA Global Award for Outstanding Advising Program. Chris has served in various leadership roles in NACADA, serving as Western Pennsylvania Liaison, Advising Transfer Students Advising Community Chair, 2017 Region 2 Conference Co-chair, Region Chair, and currently as the Regional Division Representative on the NACADA Council. Chris holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History Education from Providence College and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Central Connecticut State University.

 Congrats to the two honorees! 

Tribute Tuesday: Excellence in Advising Awards Edition (5)

                                     

Today's Tribute Tuesday goes to Gerron Scott (Virginia Commonwealth) for receiving the Excellence in Advising Award for his role as a primary advisor, and Kristin Eden (Old Dominion University) for receiving a certificate of merit for her role as an advising administrator. 

Gerron Scott is a Senior Academic Advisor in the Center for Environmental Studies, where he works with students to ensure that they are successful during their journey at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Justice at VCU's School of Education. Mr. Scott has worked with local, state, regional, and national organizations to present workshops on biases, Myers-Briggs, and working with marginalized populations. He currently serves as NACADA's Region 2 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair. In this position, he has overseen efforts to promote marginalized populations and offers a platform for others to speak diversity, equity, and inclusion. . Gerron has won multiple awards for his work, including Outstanding Advisor for NACADA Region 2, Outstanding Advisor from VCU's University Academic Advising Board, and the Leadership in Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (LSIDE) Staff and Administrator Award from VCU's College of Humanities and Sciences. Gerron can be found riding his bike, taking care of his plants and pets, and spending time with family and friends in his free time.

Kristin Eden is the new director of engineering student success for the Batten College of Engineering and Technology.  As the director of engineering student success, Eden will oversee student success initiatives for Batten College of Engineering students.  This includes student development, academic planning, and support services. 

Eden’s previous experience includes six years of working with ODU Athletics where she served as director of student-athlete academic services, she oversaw the day-to-day operations for the Jacobson Student-Athlete Academic Center, all tutoring efforts for the Monarchs, advised men's wrestling, women's volleyball, women's basketball, men's and women's swimming teams, and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She was responsible for the advising efforts for all Monarchs student-athletes.

Most recently, Eden was named the ODAN Advising Administrator of the Year in 2021 and selected as a Region 2 Excellence in Advising - Advising Administrator Certificate of Merit recipient.

Eden's previous positions included athletic academic advisor at Tennessee State University and Western Kentucky University.

Eden holds an Education Specialist degree in higher education from Old Dominion University, a Master of Science in sport and recreation from Western Kentucky University and a Bachelor of Arts in mass communication-public relations from Pittsburg State University (KS).

Kristin is married to Rick French and the have a son George (5) and a daughter Faithe (19).

 Congrats to the two honorees! We appreciate your dedicated service in advising. 

Tribute Tuesday: Excellence in Advising Awards Edition (4)

Today's Tribute Tuesday goes to Kate Habegger (University of Delaware) and Kelsie Potter (Virginia Commonwealth University) for excellence in their roles as new advisors at their respective institutions. 

Kate Habegger is an Academic Advisor at the University of Delaware, in the College of Arts & Sciences. She is passionate about fostering student success by providing equitable support to help all students earn their bachelor’s degree. For the past two-and-a-half years, Kate has worked with students in more than 70 majors on developing their academic plan, assisting with monitoring their academic progress, answering questions regarding academic policies and requirements, and referring them to appropriate academic and personal support resources. Kate’s advising philosophy is to affirm, empower, and support all students through equitable access, proactive outreach, and clear communication. Originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Kate holds a Bachelor’s degree from New York University and a Master’s degree from the University of Delaware. Kate is also a trained opera singer, and sings locally in Wilmington, Delaware with OperaDelaware and Christ Church Christiana Hundred.

Kelsie Potter is the Senior Academic Advisor for English at Virginia Commonwealth University located in Richmond, Virginia. Previously, she was an academic advisor in psychology at VCU and a graduate advisor in media studies at The New School in New York City. Kelsie is a member of the NACADA LGBTQA Advising and Advocacy Community Steering Committee and is an advocate for LGBTQIA+ students and faculty. She has taught courses for LGBTQIA+ freshmen and enjoys working with first-generation students, as she identifies with both of those student populations. Her research interests include queer studies, interactive educational tools, game studies, and appreciate advising. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and is set to graduate in Spring 2024.

Congratulations to our certificate of merit holders! 

Tribute Tuesday: Excellence in Advising Awards Edition (3)

                                             

Today's Tribute Tuesday goes to Cristina Winterton (Villanova University) for excellence in her role as a new advisor, and Keith Schweiger (Temple University) for excellence in his role as a primary advisor. Both honorees received certificates of merit. 

Christina Winterton joined Villanova University in July 2020 as the Faculty Advisor for Exploratory Science (undeclared) students and external science transfer students. She is also an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Biology. In her short time at Villanova, Christina has contributed to important new initiatives to promote engagement in STEM, such as advising for a new learning community called “Science, Inquiry, and Self” as well as developing and implementing a General Biology Peer Mentoring program. Recently, she has begun researching different aspects of the interactions between academic advisors and advisees in the STEM field to learn what advisees are hoping to gain during advising appointments. She hopes this research will add to the literature on STEM retention and recruitment. Christina is looking forward to continuing advising science students and guiding them as they discover their talents.

Growing up, Keith never saw himself becoming an Academic Advisor. Keith faced a lot of adversity growing up, and had it not been for some incredibly talented and caring teachers in high school, Keith probably would not have gone to college. One of those teachers was a high school math teacher, and this inspired Keith to become a high school math teacher. However, Keith then encountered Calculus, and those plans changed quickly. Keith still wanted to be in education, and decided to lean more towards elementary education until some field experiences said otherwise. It was his on-campus job in Residence Life at Montclair State University that sparked Keith's passion of helping college students succeed and pivoted his career in this direction. Keith finished his Bachelor's degree in 2009 and then went straight into the MA in Counseling with a concentration in Student Affairs at Montclair State University. Keith finished that degree in 2013 while completing internships through Montclair's Educational Opportunity Fund Office and NJIT's College of Computing Sciences Academic Advising office. After this, Keith began working professionally as an Academic Advisor in the Center for Advising & Student Transitions at Montclair State University. Keith then accepted a full-time employment offer working as an Academic Advisor in the College of Science & Technology (CST) at Temple University in early 2014, and Keith has been here ever since rising through the ranks. Keith is very proud of developing a number of initiatives at Temple, including organizing and implementing CST's first majors & minors fair, developing and implementing a living learning community to increase CST student engagement, leading all aspects of first year orientation in CST including the redesign of the student experience to accommodate the pandemic, redesigning a student position that existed in our college to get the most out of the position and what it can be, developing and redesigning curriculum for a probation-type version of our first year seminar, and developing the curriculum and launching a professional development course for the student worker position he oversees. Keith's fascination with student learning and student success has led to his interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in Education with a concentration in Educational Psychology, which Keith began at Temple University in Fall 2020 officially. Keith hopes to be able to produce scholarly research related to student motivation in higher education, especially as it relates to Academic Advising.

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Congratulations to our certificate of merit holders! 

Tribute Tuesday: Excellence in Advising Awards Edition (2)

 

Today's Tribute Tuesday goes to our Region 2 Conference Graduate Scholarship Winners: 

Karis Cornelius (Indiana University of Pennsylvania)

Jocelyn Fuller (Old Dominion University)

Nicole Tota (Rowan University)

Their bios and acceptance speeches are below: 

Karis Cornelius is a second-year graduate student at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) in the Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) Program. She completed her undergraduate work at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA with a Bachelor’s in Marketing and Communication. At IUP, she is the Graduate Assistant for the Diversity and Inclusion Standing Committee of the College of Education and Communications. During the SAHE program, she has had practicum experiences in New Student Advising at Dickinson College, Study Abroad Advising at Saint Vincent College, and Financial Aid at IUP. After graduation in May, Karis hopes to work abroad for a year teaching and advising English Language Learners and/or international students, then plans to work in international education advising with study abroad students in the U.S.

Jocelyn Fuller is a first-generation college graduate earning her bachelor's degree in psychology from Norfolk State University in May 2020. Currently, Jocelyn is working on completing and obtaining her Masters of Science in Education in Counseling at Old Dominion University. While at Old Dominion, Jocelyn is the Graduate Assistant for the Center for Advising Administration and Academic Partnerships and the co-advisor for Tau Sigma National Honor Society for transfer students. Jocelyn is a part of the National Honor Society of Leadership and Success. Jocelyn believes that her purpose is to help students be the best version of themselves by guiding them to their interests and what works for them.

Nicole Tota is currently obtaining her Master’s of Arts in Diversity and Inclusion from Rowan University, where she works as a part-time Program and Student Services Advisor with Rowan Global OASIS. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in History and English from Rowan in 2021. Motivated by her amazing academic advisor as an undergraduate, Nicole hopes to deliver that same positive experience to her Psychology and Applied Professional Communications students as they transition from Rowan College at Burlington County to Rowan University. Passionate about equity, social justice, and community-building, Nicole’s personal and professional interests converge in her graduate research on improving Rowan’s first-generation and transfer student experience, which she hopes will not only improve retention rates, but also foster a sense of community and belonging. She is a current member of Rowan’s Antiracist Pedagogies and Practices Taskforce, which aims to create a comprehensive Center for Antiracism and implement curricular changes in the coming years. Outside of work, Nicole’s hobbies include crocheting, scrapbooking, and curling up with a good book, preferably with one of her four cats nearby.

Congratulations to our award winners! We look forward to seeing your continued impact on your students and in the field! academic advising.