Advisors Are People, Too!, Events, Why We Do What We Do

2017 PACADA Outstanding Advisor Award

Written & Presented by Erin Schultz, 2016 recipient of the PACADA Outstanding Advisor Award

Kristin Deckard Dawson (center), surrounded by family and colleagues
Kristin Deckard Dawson (center), surrounded by family and colleagues.

It is my complete honor to present the 2017 PACADA Outstanding Advisor award.  This recipient was nominated and given glowing reviews by his/her supervisor, colleagues, and by our Director of Undergraduate Advising, Sandy Monroe.

This advisor is known to be compassionate, extremely organized, someone who goes above and beyond, is a leader and mentor, always displays a professional attitude, has a philosophy of empowering students to take ownership of their academic goals, and values the importance of professional development.

This advisor has personally walked several students, who were in distress, to the Dean of Students as well as CAPS on several occasions.  This individual is known to develop creative approaches in advising, especially when the advising team has been understaffed.  Seeing a need in his/her advising department, this individual also collaborated with the Office of the Dean of Students for QPR suicide training for the advising team and arranged for team members to take the Clifton Strengths Finder assessment.  This advisor has been an active member of PACADA and has volunteered as a Co-Chair previously and is currently dedicating his/her time on the PACADA New Advisor Training Committee.

Colleagues have shared:  “This outstanding advisor has been an invaluable resource and mentor and demonstrates his/her commitment to students, commitment to advising, commitment to professional development, and overall drive to provide each student with a successful advising experience while at Purdue.  This individual deserves the recognition for the tireless hard work and passion he/she displays on a daily basis.”  Others say, “Whether interacting with a student, serving on a committee with fellow academic advisors or other university colleagues, this advisor is respectful of others, willingly listens to opinions and ideas that may be contrary to his/her own but remains diplomatic and articulate in sharing his/her perspective.  This advisor is an excellent listener, communicator, and an exceptional role model for the academic advising community.”

And so, with all of this being said, it is my privilege to present to you the 2017 PACADA Outstanding Advisor, Kristin Deckard Dawson, from Mechanical Engineering!