| Sullivan-Vance honored among her advising peers
for release: July 20, 2010
MONMOUTH – Karen Sullivan-Vance, director of the Academic Advising and Learning Center (AALC) at Western Oregon University, has been named the 2010 recipient of the Gail Rola Memorial Award from the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). Sullivan-Vance was also selected as an Outstanding Advising Award Winner in the advising administrator category in May. The Gail Rola Memorial Award recipient is chosen from that group of award winners.
The recipient of this award demonstrates a passion for advising, empathy in working with students and advisors, and the potential impact on the larger field of advising through the individual’s leadership. This award was created by advising colleagues to honor and celebrate the life of Gail Rola, a former advising administrator at the University of North Texas, who led with passion and creativity.
Sullivan-Vance has been with WOU for nearly five years. She has an exemplary career in advising and has been heavily involved with NACADA, including serving as the past Region 8 Chair, Conference Chair for Portland 2005, Honolulu 2006, and Seattle 2010. She earned her master’s in education from Oregon State University and is currently working on her Ed.D. in educational leadership at Portland State University. She publishes on issues surrounded advising, students at risk and theory. In 2009 she was awarded a Dedicated Service Award from her advising colleagues in Region 8 of NACADA.
"I am stunned and feel such gratitude to receive the Gail Rola Memorial Award. To be recognized by my colleagues for leading with passion and creativity is an incredible honor and one I shall cherish,” said Sullivan-Vance, who will be presented with the award in Orlando this fall during the annual NACADA conference.
Associate Provost David McDonald is equally thrilled about the recognition, “Effective and readily available academic advising is something that distinguishes those universities that are truly committed to student success. Karen Sullivan-Vance has helped the university to increase its advising effectiveness to the benefits of all students. She is a leader and role-model at WOU and nationally.”
In 2008, NACADA honored Dr. Michael LeMaster, an assistant professor of biology, as an Outstanding Faculty Advisor, and both Tamie Saffell (assistant director of AALC) and Bobbi Weber (an adviser in AALC) received recognition as Outstanding Academic Advisors. In 2009, music professor Dr. Kevin Walczyk received the Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Faculty Advisor. In addition to Sullivan-Vance, Dr. Marita Cardinal was given a Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Faculty Advisor in 2010.
NACADA was created in 1979 to promote quality academic advising and professional development of its membership to ensure the educational development of students and is the leader within the global education community for the theory, delivery, application and advancement of academic advising to enhance student learning and development. The organization has grown to over 11,000 members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Established in 1982, the National Awards Program for Academic Advising honors individuals and institutions making significant contributions to the improvement of academic advising.
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