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 2022:

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. Nominees must have five or more years of UConn undergraduate advising experience.

Professional Advisors: 

• The Outstanding New Professional Staff Advisor Award (new in 2022), recognizes an individual, typically a staff member, who has primary responsibilities involve undergraduate academic advising. Nominees must have three or less 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 five or more years of UConn undergraduate advising experience.

2021 Outstanding Undergraduate Advising Award Recipients

The Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor Awards, supported by the Office of University Advising and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), are held annually to recognize the extraordinary contributions of undergraduate academic advisors in supporting academic success and student development at the University of Connecticut.

Recipients have demonstrated sustained excellence in undergraduate advising and have made a significant impact on their advisees' intellectual development through sustained academic advising relationships. 

Outstanding Undergraduate Faculty Advisor Award

Daniela Weiser

Daniela joined the Dramatic Arts Department in 2011 to teach drawing, painting and drafting in the BFA and MFA Design/Tech programs and to be the Scenic Charge Artist for Connecticut Repertory Theatre.  Currently she also serves as the Associate Department Head for Courses and Curriculum and as an undergraduate academic advisor. Daniela's advising philosophy revolves around service. She believes in creating a support system for students, providing resources and guidance on how to navigate the college experience.  

Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Daniela completed her Master of Fine Arts in Technical Production from the Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) at the University of Delaware. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Psychology from Beloit College, WI. She is also a proud alumnus of United World College of South East Asia in Singapore. 

She has worked professionally as a Set Designer, Scenic Charge Artist and Stage Manager since 1998. Some of the companies she has collaborated with are Utah Shakespearean Festival, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Utah Musical Theatre, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, South Carolina Repertory Theatre, Theatre Catalyst, Lean Ensemble Theatre, Timberlake Playhouse, Teatro Teresa Carreño, Caracas Contemporary Ballet Company, Caracas International Theatre Festival and the Ateneo de Caracas.

Outstanding Undergraduate Professional Staff Advisor Award

Dr. Noemi Maldonado-Picardi

Dr. Noemi Maldonado Picardi has served as an Academic Counselor the past 13 years at both the Storrs and the Avery Point Campus where she has lead efforts to improve the academic, personal, and professional success of students through strong collaborations across multiple campuses.  She instills a student centered approach to advising that fosters connection and sense of belonging amongst her students and promotes life transformative experiences that enhances students educational opportunities and growth. 

Most recently, Noemi was named Director of Student Services at the UConn Avery Point Campus where she leads a team in supporting student success and retention across areas of admissions, orientation, advising, wellness and mental health, student activities, and career services.   She recently earned her Doctorate in Education from the Neag School of Education focusing on the retention efforts and overall support of African American males in higher education. Noemi is passionate about improving university wide efforts that support diversity and inclusion and  and the ways advising and student services can support these goals.

2021 Outstanding Undergraduate Advising Awards Committee

Shoshana Armington, Assistant Director of Advising for Student Transitions, School of Engineering

Dr. Alaina Brenick, Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Sciences, Avery Point

Dr. Judy Brown, Associate Professor inResidence,  School of Nursing and Institute for Systems Genomics

Dr. Erin Ciarimboli, Director, Office of University Advising

Kelly Gilbert, Program Coordinator, Office of University Advising

Christine Mosman, Associate Director, Office of Student Services, Hartford

Nominations were sought from undergraduate students who used the following criteria in recommending their advisors:

Criteria

Advisors will have significantly enhanced advisees’ educational experiences by being readily available to them, having knowledge of the University’s policies and resources as they pertain to advising, and having demonstrated 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: Advisors will have strong interpersonal skills, demonstrating a genuine concern for their advisee’s progress and success, using initiative and creativity to support their advisees in reaching their full potential, and working with their advisee’s to achieve their personal and career goals.

Outstanding Undergraduate Faculty Advising Award Nominees

• • • Dr. Jessica Beaudet*, Allied Health Sciences
    • Dr. Pamela Bedore, English Department
    • Dr. Stephen Camilli*, Mathematics Department
    • Cheryl Eckert*, Allied Health Sciences
    • Dr. Rachel O'Neill*, Systems Genomics Institute
    • Dr. Natalia Smirnova*, Economics Department
    • Dr. Jeanette Wick, School of Pharmacy
    • Lauren Wilson*, Allied Health Sciences
    • Dr. Steven Zinn*, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources

Outstanding Undergraduate Professional Staff Advising Award Nominees

• • • Johnny Banks, Avery Point Campus
    • Micki Bellamy, Physics Department
    • Aaron Collins, SSS (Avery Point Campus)
    • Jill Deans, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
    • Kristen Dostaler, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
    • Micah Heumann; Academic Center for Exploratory Students
    • Sharon Mendes; Academic Center for Exploratory Students
    • Lauren Munyard*, Economics Department
    • Katerine Pais*, Biology Department
    • Meagan Ridder*, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources
    • Rawan Shilleh*, SSS (Stamford Campus)
    • Summer Spaderna*, SSS (Storrs Campus)

*submitted additional materials in consideration of advising award.

Recipients have demonstrated sustained excellence in undergraduate advising and have made a significant impact in their advisees' intellectual development through sustained academic advising relationships. 

2020-2021 Outstanding Undergraduate Faculty Advisor Award

Judy Brown

Dr. Judy Brown currently holds the following appointments at the university:

• Associate Professor and Director, Health Care Genetics Professional Science Masters Degree Program.
• Co-Director, UCONN Chromosome Core, a Division of the Center for Genome Innovation within the Institute for Systems Genomics.
• Associate Director, Genetic Counseling Professional Science Masters Degree Program under development 

More on Judy can be found here.

2020-2021 Outstanding Undergraduate Professional Staff Advisor Award

Shoshana Armington

Shoshana is the Assistant Director of Advising for Student Transitions in the School of Engineering. She currently advises undecided engineering, regional campus and exploring engineering students at all campuses regarding course scheduling, degree planning, and career enhancement. More on Shoshana can be found here.

Nominations were sought from undergraduate students who used the following criteria in recommending their advisors:

Criteria

Advisors will have significantly enhanced advisees’ educational experiences by being readily available to them, having knowledge of the University’s policies and resources as they pertain to advising, and having demonstrated 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: Advisors will have strong interpersonal skills, demonstrating a genuine concern for their advisee’s progress and success, using initiative and creativity to support their advisees in reaching their full potential, and working with their advisee’s to achieve their personal and career goals.

Outstanding Undergraduate Faculty Advising Award Nominees

• • • Dr. Leanne Adams*, Accounting
    • Dr. Marina Astitha*, Civil and Environmental Engineering
    • Dr. Daniel Burkey, Engineering
    • Dr. Jason Courtemanche*, English
    • Dr. Susannah Everett, NEAG School of Education
    • Mary Tabb-Foley, Human Development and Family Studies
    • Dr. David Kaputa, Biomedical Engineering
    • Dr. Patrick Kumavor, Biomedical Engineering
    • Dr. Seok-Woo Lee*, Mechanical Engineering
    • Dr. Yonatan Morse*, Political Science
    • Dr. Serge Nakhmanson, Materials Science & Engineering
    • Dr. Gustavo Nanclares*, Literature, Cultures and Languages
    • Dr. Jennifer Pascal, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
    • Dr. Heather Read*, Psychological Sciences
    • Dr. Amy Safran, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources

Outstanding Undergraduate Professional Staff Advising Award Nominees

• • • Dominique Battle-Lawson*, NEAG School of Education
    • Yesenia Cajigas*, SSS (Storrs)
    • Chelsae Cichocki*, SSS (Storrs)
    • Carl Dean, SSS (Storrs)
    • Megan Delaney*, Pharmacy
    • Nick Delaney*, Engineering
    • James Hill, Academic Center for Exploratory Students
    • Kayla Hogrefe*, Business
    • Whitney Losapio, Engineering
    • Ashley-Rose McLaury*, Engineering
    • Rawan Shilleh*, SSS (Stamford)
    • Summer Spaderna*, SSS (Storrs)
    • Dr. Ann Traynor, NEAG School of Education
    • Peter Tribuzio, Hartford
    • Dr. Dana Ziter, Engineering
    • Mariel Zoni, Engineering

*submitted additional materials in consideration of advising award.