Laurie Shano of the SBA's undergraduate advising office has been selected as a recipient of the Outstanding New Adviser Certificate of Merit for 2011 by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).
NACADA has more than 10,000 members across the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and other countries, with a mission to promote and support quality academic advising in higher education. It presents the Outstanding New Adviser Award to individuals who demonstrate qualities associated with outstanding academic advising of students, and who have served as an adviser for three years or less.
Shano was selected for the award in recognition of her diligent work in improving advising services, creating opportunities for growth, and engaging students.
Shano demonstrated this dedication in her first year as a professional adviser at the SBA when, in addition to her advising duties, she undertook the implementation of the SBA's ACHIEVE program. Here she successfully created a new program, then ushered more than 500 new business students through the pilot. Under her successful management, the program grew to become an integral part of the SBA experience and now includes more than 2,000 SBA students.
Other tributes to Shano's valuable advising services are illustrated in the first-year programs she manages including all freshman and transfer student orientations in the SBA; coordinating COM 101 for business students; and measuring results, and identifying and implementing improvements.
"I am honored to be recognized for this national award," Shano says. "As a two-time OU alum, I am also proud to shine a light on the OU staff and the amazing work they do for both students and the campus community."
Recognition from NACADA is in addition to accolades and appreciation she has received by students, peers and OU overall. Shano was named Adviser of the Month in her first and second years as an adviser, she received OU's AP Award in 2009 in recognition for meritorious performance, and has been nominated twice for Adviser of the Year at OU. The bulk of her nomination letters have come from students praising her performance.
"Laurie's fearless approach and amazing work ethic is contagious, and has great influence on those who work with her," her then supervisor Kellie Klinck wrote in the nomination form. Klinck now serves OU as Director of the Academic Skills Center. " As her supervisor, I witnessed Laurie take her advising efforts to a new level. Laurie’s passion for all students, standard of excellence, and attention to detail is second to none. She has a natural curiosity that fuels continuous exploration and research. Students seek her advising because she knows how to ignite this curiosity in them and they in turn begin their own exploration as they journey towards independence."
Shano will be honored at NACADA’s annual conference in fall 2011.
Laurie Shano of the SBA's undergraduate advising office has been selected as a recipient of the Outstanding New Adviser Certificate of Merit for 2011 by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).