The goal of the annual Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor Awards is to recognize the extraordinary contributions of undergraduate academic advisors in supporting academic success and student development at the University of Connecticut.

For 2026, the awards include:

• Outstanding New Professional Staff Advisor
• Outstanding Professional Staff Advisor
• Outstanding Faculty Advisor

Nominees will be evaluated on qualities and practices that distinguish them as an outstanding academic advisor and leader. Award winners will demonstrate excellence in undergraduate advising and will exhibit an impact on their undergraduate advisees’ educational development through sustained academic advising relationships.

Recipients of the awards will receive professional development funding and a commemorative plaque.

Outstanding Undergraduate New Professional Staff Advisor Award Recipient

Jordane Virgo

Director of Advising, UConn Avery Point

Jordane Virgo serves as the Advising Director at UConn Avery Point, where he manages a caseload of students and coordinates the BGS program. He is committed to building strong, meaningful relationships with both students and colleagues, and is especially drawn to complex advising cases that require thoughtful, individualized support. Jordane takes pride in creating an advising experience that is both approachable and impactful. Outside of his day-to-day work, you can often find him walking the campus path on a sunny day, enjoying the coastal setting that makes Avery Point such a unique place to learn and work.

Outstanding Undergraduate Professional Advisor Award Recipients

Caitlin Robertson 

Academic Advisor, Department of Chemistry, CLAS

For the past four years, Caitlin Robertson (she/her) has served as the Staff Academic Advisor in the Department of Chemistry.  Cait formally advises first and second-year Chemistry majors but keeps her door wide open for questions from all UConn students about the Chemistry curriculum and related undergraduate programs. Over the last academic year, Cait has adopted a cohort of advisees in Mathematics and currently supports a population of Biology-based majors.  As an advisor, Cait strives to provide holistic encouragement, an emphasis on growth, accountability and accuracy, while fostering an inclusive community for all students.  Prior to her work as an Academic Advisor in CLAS, she spent five years in Enrollment Management at UConn, supporting the University’s efforts in recruiting the next generation of Huskies.

Cait led efforts to restore the Chemistry Non-Residential Learning Community, which welcomed back its first cohort in Fall 2025.  She also founded and advised the Chemistry Undergraduate Ambassador Leadership program.  Cait and this group of Chemistry major leaders were tasked with building community and an increased sense of belonging among students in the Chemistry Department.  The group’s efforts led to the creation of events and programs which provide space for undergraduate students to gather, share ideas, and connect.  Cait also serves on the CLAS Advising Onboarding and Best Practices Committee and recently completed a Higher Education Coach Practitioner Program through the University of Central Florida.

Outside of work, Cait enjoys spending time exploring the outdoors with her partner, Josh and son, Henry.

Melissa Manning

Director of Advising, UConn Hartford

Melissa Manning is the Director of Advising at the Hartford campus and has been supporting students at UConn for over ten years. Her professional journey is rooted in a personal understanding of the student experience; as a first-generation college graduate who navigated a 12-year path to her undergraduate degree, she leads with a profound sense of empathy and determination.  She collaborates across programs, leads orientation efforts, plans advising events, and supports advising staff. Melissa is most energized by solving problems and working with others to remove barriers to student success. Outside of UConn, she enjoys spending time with her partner, and two active boys.

Outstanding Undergraduate Faculty Advisor Award Recipient

Claudia Koerting

Academic Assistant, Biology Program Coordinator, Marine Sciences, CLAS, UConn Avery Point

Dr. Claudia Koerting has been a scientist, faculty member and academic advisor in the department of marine sciences for over twenty years and she has been teaching at UConn for over 30 years. Her research at UConn has included marine benthic ecology, detection and ecology of marine pathogens and analysis of toxin producing microalgae but she now focuses on water quality. She is the undergraduate program coordinator and faculty advisor for Marine Sciences. Currently Dr. Koerting teaches several undergraduate courses and mentors undergraduate research projects. Her interests and research continue in the fields of marine chemistry and marine microbiology.

Professional Staff Advisors

• Akosua Agyei, Honors and enrichment Program Coordinator, UConn Stamford
• Devanie Brijlall, Program Specialist, CAPS, UConn Waterbury
• Julie Carney, Academic Advisor I, ACES, Undergraduate Advising
• Emily Cole, Academic Advisor I, School of Fine Arts
• Ana Colon-Wallace, Intercultural Programs Coordinator, Intercultural Programs and Support
• Lindsay Darcy, Academic Advisor II, Admissions and Enrollment, Elisabeth DeLuca School of Nursing
• Michael Downs, Academic Advisor II, BGS, Undergraduate Advising
• Ramon Espinoza, Counselor, CAPS, UConn Hartford
• Kelsey Hammerman, Academic Advisor II, ACES, Undergraduate Advising
• Gavin Huismann, Academic Advisor II, Biology Advising Center, CLAS
• Jenna Hartwell, Honors & Enrichment Program Coordinator, UConn Hartford
• Anne Kim, Assistant Director for Honors Advising, Honors Program
• Samantha Kushel, Academic Advisor II, College of Engineering
• Megan Lucia, Academic Advisor II, CLAS, UConn Stamford
• Trevor Madore, Academic Advisor II, ACES, Undergraduate Advising
• Melissa Manning, Director of Advising, UConn Hartford
• Amy McKeon, Academic Advisor I, Allied Health Sciences
• Lauren Munyard, Academic Advisor II, Department of Economics, CLAS
• Joel Nebres, Academic Advisor II, Department of Communication, CLAS
• Katerine Pais, Academic Advisor II, Biology Advising Center, CLAS
• Heather Parker, Academic Advisor II, Department of History, CLAS
• Meagan Ridder, Academic Advisory Center Director, CAHNR
• Joanna Rivera Davis, Director of Student Success, Equity, and Inclusion, UConn Hartford
• Caitlin Robertson, Academic Advisor II, Department of Chemistry, CLAS
• Alex Sauer, Academic Advisor II, School of Business
• Ashley Rose Slotkin, Associate Director, Undergraduate Program & Academic Advising, College of Engineering
• Jordane Virgo, Director, Campus Advising, UConn Avery Point
• Rebecca Walker, Academic Advisor II, Department of Economics, CLAS
• Alyssa Webb, Educational Program Administrator, Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute
• Amanda Wilde, Director of Advising, School of Fine Arts

Faculty Advisors

• Pamela Bedore, Professor, Department of English
• Clyde Cady, Associate Professor in Residence, Department of Chemistry, CLAS
• Stephen Fitzgerald, Instructor in Residence, Operations and Information Management, School of Business
• David Giblin, Associate Professor in Residence, College of Engineering
• Tamara Kaliszewski, Associate Professor in Residence, Department of Allied Health Sciences
• Jamie Kleinman, Associate Professor in Residence, Psychological Sciences, CLAS
• Elizabeth Kline, Associate Professor in Residence, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS
• Claudia Koerting, Academic Assistant, Biology Program Coordinator, Marine Sciences, CLAS, UConn Avery Point
• Nicholas Leadbeater, Undergraduate Program Director & Professor, Department of Chemistry, CLAS
• Seok-Woo Lee, Associate Professor & Director for Undergraduate Studies, department of Materials Science & Engineering
• Allison MacKenzie, Instructor in Residence, Department of Kinesiology, CAHNR
• Paula McDowell, Lecturer & Academic Advisor, Department of Allied Health Sciences
• Matthew McKenzie, Professor, Department of History, CLAS
• Morty Ortega, Associate Professor, Department of Natural Resources & the Environment
• Sarah Reed, Associate Professor, Department of Animal Science, CAHNR
• Luke Reynolds, Assistant Professor in Residence, Department of History
• Aviana Rosen, Assistant Professor in Residence, Department of Allied Health Sciences, CAHNR
• Amy Safran, Lecturer, Department of Animal Science, CAHNR
• Stephanie Singe, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, CAHNR
• Sam Sommers, Assistant Professor in Residence, Department of English, CLAS
• Nu-Anh Tran, Associate Professor, Department of History, CLAS
• Lauren Wilson, Assistant Professor in Residence, Director of the Allied Health Sciences Major & Director of the Allied Health Sciences Advising Center, CAHNR
• Steve Zinn, Professor, Department of Animal Science, CAHNR

New Professional Staff Advisors

• Akosua Agyei, Honors and enrichment Program Coordinator, UConn Stamford
• Emily Cole, Academic Advisor I, School of Fine Arts
• Gavin Huismann, Academic Advisor II, Biology Advising Center, CLAS
• Samantha Kushel, Academic Advisor II, College of Engineering
• Jordane Virgo, Director of Campus Advising, UConn Avery Point

Professional Staff Advisors

• Devanie Brijalall, Program Specialist, CAPS, UConn Waterbury
• Ana Colon-Wallace, Intercultural Programs Coordinator, Intercultural Programs and Support
• Michael Downs, Academic Advisor II, BGS, Undergraduate Advising
• Anne Kim, Assistant Director for Honors Advising, Honors Program
• Trevor Madore, Academic Advisor II, ACES, Undergraduate Advising
• Melissa Manning, Director of Advising, UConn Hartford
• Amy McKeon, Academic Advisor I, Allied Health Sciences
• Katerine Pais, Academic Advisor II, Biology Advising Center, CLAS
• Caitlin Robertson, Academic Advisor II, Department of Chemistry, CLAS
• Rebecca L Walker, Academic Advisor II, Department of Economics, CLAS

Faculty Advisors

• Clyde Cady, Associate Professor in Residence, Department of Chemistry, CLAS
• Stephen Fitzgerald, Instructor in Residence, Operations and Information Management, School of Business
• David Giblin, Associate Professor in Residence, College of Engineering
• Jamie Kleinman, Associate Professor in Residence, Psychological Sciences, CLAS
• Claudia Koerting, Academic Assistant, Biology Program Coordinator, Marine Sciences, CLAS, UConn Avery Point
• Nicholas Leadbeater, Undergraduate Program Director & Professor, Department of Chemistry, CLAS
• Seok-Woo Lee, Associate Professor & Director for Undergraduate Studies, department of Materials Science & Engineering
• Allison MacKenzie, Instructor in Residence, Department of Kinesiology, CAHNR
• Paula McDowell, Lecturer & Academic Advisor, Department of Allied Health Sciences
• Morty Ortega, Associate Professor, Department of Natural Resources & the Environment
• Luke Reynolds, Assistant Professor in Residence, Department of History
• Stephanie Singe, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, CAHNR

Kelly Gilbert (Committee Chair) | Assistant Director for Engagement, Learning and Development, Undergraduate Advising

Nominees must be involved in the direct delivery of advising services as part of their job responsibilities to UConn undergraduate students. Three awards will be granted in 2026:

Professional Advisors: 

• The Outstanding New Professional Staff Advisor Award recognizes an individual, typically a staff member, who has primary responsibilities involve undergraduate academic advising. Nominees must have less than three years of UConn undergraduate advising experience.
• The Outstanding Professional Staff Advisor Award recognizes an individual, typically a staff member, whose primary responsibilities involve undergraduate academic advising. Nominees must have three or more years of undergraduate advising experience.

Faculty Advisors:

• The Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award recognizes an individual whose primary responsibility is as a teaching and/or research faculty member but who spends a portion of their time providing academic advising and mentoring to undergraduate students.

Criteria

Advisors must significantly enhance advisees' educational experiences by being readily available to them, have knowledge of the University’s policies and resources as they pertain to advising, and demonstrate a genuine interest in and concern for their advisees’ overall educational experience.

• Accessibility: Advisors will have demonstrated a willingness to be available and accessible to advisees, allowing for frequent contact and being proactive in their engagement with advisees.
• Knowledge: Advisors will have demonstrated a good understanding of and support for UConn’s policies to support student success, appropriately referring their advisees to support services and other resources on campus, and effectively collaborating with university partners to support student success.
• Support: Academic advisors will have demonstrated engagement in equitable and meaningful advising practices and relationships with students with diverse backgrounds, including addressing barriers and needs that support student success.

Nominations will be accepted from undergraduate students, as well as current UConn colleagues, faculty, or current or past supervisors. Nominate an advisor using this link by February 23, 2026.

Once nominations have been collected, nominees will be notified and asked to submit the following by Monday, March 23, 2026:

• Nominee’s advising philosophy
  • 2 pages maximum
• Nominee’s advising resume/vita
  • This should highlight experiences and dates that are relevant to academic advising for award consideration.
  • 2 pages maximum
• Testimonials, which speak directly to the specific criteria listed on the nomination submission-access, knowledge and support.
  • Testimonials should be submitted to the nominee and attached to this form at the time of submission.
  • Testimonials can come from:
    • Current or past undergraduate advisees
    • Current University of Connecticut colleagues
    • Past or present supervisors
  • Testimonials are not mandatory but are recommended for adding additional support for each nominee
  • Nominees may submit a maximum of 5 testimonials.

2026 Outstanding Advisor Awards Nomination Link