5 Questions with... Nina Buchanan

Leading up to the 2014 Region 2 Conference in Lancaster, PA, we will be crisscrossing the region to talk with NACADA presenters and members you will be meeting in Lancaster. Today we venture to the First State, Delaware, to speak with Preconference Presenter and Chair of Coordinator of Mentoring & Membership for Region 2, Nina Buchanan.

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

I am the Assistant Dean for Student Services in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Delaware. I’m also a baker, a Downton Abbey fan, and a terrible knitter. In my free time, I binge-watch Chopped, read lots of food blogs, and lift weights.

2. What is your experience in academic advising, higher education, and NACADA?

I began advising as part of my graduate education. I had the great fortune of working with great colleagues, who supported and mentored me. I’ve been in advising ever since. My current role is a challenging blend of support for faculty advisement, working with students experiencing extenuating circumstances, and collaborating with peers across campus in administrative planning and support. I’ve been a NACADA member since 2005 and look forward to the regional conferences each year. I am the Mentoring and Membership Coordinator for Region 2.

3. Tell us about your session. What can attendees look forward to?

I am excited to be presenting twice at the Lancaster conference! The first session is Navigating Your Early Professional Advising Career. In this session, those who are within their first three years of professional advising will be able to do some reflection, goal-setting, and planning on their career paths. The second session, which I will be presenting with Virginia State Liaison Melinda Anderson, is Graduate Job Search Boot Camp. In this session, Melinda and I will offer assessments, resume critique, mock interviews, and more. And I am very excited that both of these sessions will be FREE to attendees!

4. What do you hope attendees gain from going to your presentation?

In Navigating Your Early Professional Advising Career, I really want attendees to think consciously about their career plans. When they leave the session, I want them to know where they’d like to take their careers and have clear plans on how to get there. For Graduate Job Search Boot Camp, Melinda and I hope that participants will feel well-prepared to enter the job market and will have the tools they need to present themselves as good candidates.

5. What do you hope to personally gain from presenting in Lancaster?

As the Coordinator of Mentoring & Membership for Region 2, it’s really helpful for me to get to know those who are just starting out in advising or who are new to NACADA. I enjoy getting to know everyone personally, but I also enjoy getting to hear about the needs of our members. Hopefully I can use that knowledge to offer better support to our members.

 

Thank you Nina! You can find more information about Nina's and all the Preconference workshops here.