by Nikole Gianopoulos and Beth Freeman
On May 12, 2014, the Professional Association of Academic Advisors at the University of West Georgia held an end-of-year luncheon, where the 2013-2014 Faculty Advisor of the Year and Staff Advisor of the Year awards were presented.
(L to R) Elaine Heath-Ward, Treasurer; Beth Freeman, President; Dr. Vanessa Woodward, PAAA Faculty Advisor of the Year; Danny Gourley, PAAA Staff Advisor of the Year; Katie Hiers, Vice President of Communications; Ashley Hodges, Vice President of Assessment and Certification
Established by PAAA, the goal of the awards is to enhance the UWG campus by promoting excellence, innovation and effectiveness in professional advising.
Among the award recipients was Dr. Vanessa Woodward, assistant professor of criminology, who was honored as the Faculty Advisor of the Year. “While UWG enjoys many great faculty advisors, Dr. Vanessa Woodward deserves Faculty Advisor of the Year for her outstanding efforts to make criminology advising a good experience for students. She has labored to ensure she gives accurate information to students at times that meet their needs and in a way that meets their needs,” says Dr. Woodward’s nominator.
PAAA cares immensely about student success and focuses on promoting the network of staff and faculty who are involved in academic advisement at UWG. It aims to supply UWG students with a professional environment, resources and support.
Also on the list of award recipients was Danny Gourley, associate director of the UWG Advising Center, who was honored as the Staff Advisor of the Year. His nominator notes, “Danny is a valuable resource for any advising-related issues and questions. I think he has been integral in the Advising Center transitions this past year. He can think out of the box when supporting students. He makes himself available to work with different departments around campus.”
The advising experience for UWG students continues to be enhanced to its fullest potential in part by PAAA.
