2021 Outstanding Academic Advisors

The Office of Instruction announced the Outstanding Academic Advisor Award recipients, which include Franklin College staff members Jennifer Patrick and Elizabeth Fuller.

Elizabeth Fuller, Outstanding Professional Advisor, is known for her genuine and calm demeanor, which has served her well in her 16 years in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. She currently serves as the lead advisor for the Division of Biological Sciences, one of the largest majors at UGA.

“Elizabeth’s accessibility and responsiveness are hallmarks of both her advising approach and her work as a supervisor and lead,” said Diane H. Miller, director of student academic services in Franklin. “She is also a respected leader, chairing the Advisor Brown Bag Series and UGA MAP (Mentoring Advising Professionals), serving as a MAP mentor, serving on the AACC Professional Development committee, and teaching training and development courses for the advising certificate.”

Fuller caters her advising approach to each student, employing the advising model that will best suit their needs. She guides students to consider the best academic path to meet their goals and provides input for extracurricular, experiential learning, clinicals, and fieldwork, which will enhance their learning experiences. She considers all angles of a student’s life and academic goals and generously shares her knowledge of university resources.

“Ms. Fuller has managed to make college less stressful by breaking down what classes I need to take, as well as specific courses that would benefit my interests and career goals most. Not only has she been supportive of my goals and helped me find all the answers I could ever need, but she also tells me about opportunities at UGA that are relevant to my interests,” said one advisee.

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Jennifer Patrick, Outstanding Advising Administrator, excels as an advisor, particularly with incoming students, students in academic difficulty and (through her own initiative) students experiencing food insecurity.

“The extent to which Jenny’s work positively impacts the lives of students—through direct student contact, support and training for advisors, committee contributions, creating and distributing resources, and creating and managing programs like the Franklin Fridge—is immeasurable,” said Diane Miller, director of student academic affairs in Franklin, where Patrick works.

Patrick’s ability to identify student advising needs and create solutions makes her an invaluable asset to the UGA advising community. Her enterprising leadership in the hugely complex Franklin Orientation process and her continued willingness to meet with students during the summer to address general advising needs prove her ongoing dedication. Patrick’s empathic approach to working with retention students has assisted hundreds of individuals through to graduation.

One student shared, “When I first went on academic probation after transferring here, I struggled so hard I ended up getting kicked out for a semester. [Ms. Patrick] helped by being there to listen to my struggles, telling me about resources I never even knew were an option at UGA, and by directly telling me what I needed to do to succeed. Now I’m finally going to graduate this semester, and I honestly do not think it would have happened without her help.”

Congratulations to these valued members of the Franklin College and the UGA community, whose work is vital to the success of our students. Very well done!

Image: Jennifer Patrick