A group of 8 academic advisors stand in two rows holding up award certificates.
The 2024 UC Davis Academic Advising Award recipients, backrow from left, Grace Gomez, Ariel Collatz, Katherine Ampaw-Matthei, Melanie Ruby Avalos, Geoffrey Murry, and Colin Goulding. Front row, from left, Anya Gibson (on behalf of Janine Wilson) and Janet Gutierrez. (UC Davis)

UC Davis advisors recognized during 10th annual campus advising awards ceremony

UC Davis Academic Advising Enrichment recognized several campus advisors for their outstanding contributions for the 10th year during the annual Advising Fall Welcome at the Student Community Center Oct. 15.

The campus awards are timed to align with the National Academic Advising Association: The Global Community for Academic Advising, known as NACADA, regional and association awards program. Both the campus and NACADA awards advance awareness and recognition of the role of academic advisors in higher education.

The UC Davis Academic Advising Awards launched in 2015. Over the past 10 years, 75 advisors received campus honors, 42 received regional recognition and 22 earned global awards.

This year’s awardees:

  • Katherine Ampaw-Matthei, Outstanding Staff Advisor
  • Grace Gomez, Outstanding New Advisor
  • Ariel Collatz, Outstanding Advising Administrator
  • Colin Goulding, Outstanding Campus Collaborator
  • Geoffrey Murry, Outstanding Advising Mentor
  • Janet Gutierrez, Outstanding Equity Champion
  • Melanie Ruby Avalos, Outstanding Peer Advisor
  • Janine Wilson, Outstanding Faculty Advisor 

In addition to the awards, the ceremony also included the launch of a new program, Shout Out a Colleague!, intended to enhance the culture of appreciation in the advising community. Academic Advising Enrichment plans to regularly share submitted Shout Outs.

The annual Advising Fall Welcome also included a variety of activities and discussions designed to foster connection, reflection and professional engagement among advisors. 

Academic Advising Enrichment Executive Director Kayton Carter said approximately 140 advisors serve the UC Davis campus’ 31,000 undergraduate students. The unit works to support advisors to ensure the best educational experiences for students.

“Academic Advisors are the frontline in supporting students,” Carter said. “Our investment in advising directly enhances the quality of the student experience.”

UC Davis advisors play an essential, multifaceted role that contributes substantially to students’ overall academic and personal success, he added.

Academic Advising Enrichment is a unit of UC Davis Undergraduate Education.

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