Award for Excellence in Career Advising

For faculty and staff and Virginia Tech who provide career advising to undergraduates.

About the Award

  • The Award for Excellence in Career Advising was established in 1989 to recognize the value of career advising at Virginia Tech.
  • It is presented annually to an individual faculty or staff member within Virginia Tech, but external to the office of Career and Professional Development, who provides career advising to undergraduate students at Virginia Tech.

Nomination criteria:

  • Nominees must be faculty or staff members at Virginia Tech [and external to Career and Professional Development] who provide career advising to undergraduate students at Virginia Tech.
  • Personal characteristics such as creativity, communication skills, concern for students, and enthusiasm as they pertain to the role of career advisor.
  • The development of innovative career advising resources and outreach programs for the academic department or other undergraduate student population with whom the advisor works.
  • While these individuals might also serve as academic advisors, it is important to distinguish their career advising accomplishments.

Nomination and selection process

  • The call for nominations goes out each fall. Nominations are welcomed from students, faculty and staff. See advising.vt.edu for complete information.
  • Since 2002-2003, a $500 monetary award has been given to the award recipient. In 2024 the monetary award was raised to $1000, and later raised to $2000 in 2026 to align with the Academic Advising awards.

Award recipients and Virginia Tech affiliation at the time of the award:

  • 2025: Ms. Priscilla Baker | Biological Systems Engineering
  • 2024: Ms. Dawn Knight-Withers | English
  • 2023: Mr. Michael Kender | Finance, Insurance, and Business Law
  • 2021: Dr. Young Kim | Sustainable Biomaterials
  • 2020: Dr. Olga Isengildina Massa | Agricultural and Applied Economics
  • 2019: Ms. Kara Lattimer | Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • 2018: Dr. Lisa M. Tucker | Interior Design, School of Architecture + Design
  • 2016-2017: Dr. Jody Thompson Marshall | MAOP
  • 2015: Dr. Marlene Preston | Communication
  • 2014: Dr. Alex Niemiera | Horticulture
  • 2013: Dr. Matt Eick | Crop and Soil Environmental Science
  • 2012: Ms. Mary Taylor | Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • 2011: Ms. Donna Sedgwick | Sociology
  • 2010: Ms. Lorraine Borny | Management
  • 2009: Mr. Derek Klock | Finance, Insurance, and Business Law
  • 2008: Ms. Mary Ellen Verdu | Human Development
  • 2007: Dr. Wayne Moore | Pre-law Advising
  • 2006: Dr. Jerry Williams | Horticulture
  • 2005: Dr. Rosemary Goss | Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management
  • 2004: Dr. Alan McDaniel | Horticulture
  • 2003: Ms. Vickie Mouras | Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • 2002: Dr. Ed Bunce | Pre-medical and pre-dental Advising
  • 2001: Dr. Ruth Lytton | Near Environments
  • 2000: Ms. Sarah Wheeler | College of Engineering
  • 1999: Ms. Pam Crewey | Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • 1998: Dr. William Eigel | Food Science and Technology
  • 1997: Dr. Harold Bell | Chemistry
  • 1996: Dr. David Parrish | Crop and Soil Environmental Science
  • 1995: Dr. Thomas Howard | History
  • 1994: Dr. Leslie Graham Pendleton | Industrial and Systems Engineering
  • 1993: Dr. George Simmons | Biology
  • 1992: Ms. Virginia McWhorter | Electrical Engineering
  • 1991: Ms. Sandra Birch | Computer Science
  • 1990: Dr. Bill Beal | Animal and Poultry Sciences

Contact for questions:

Ms. Meredith Gerber
Director, Career Exploration and Access
Smith Career Center
Virginia Tech
gerberm@vt.edu
540-231-6241