National Academic Advising Association recognizes two faculty members for outstanding advising

7 May 2014

The National Academic Advising Association awarded two Virginia Tech faculty members with Outstanding Advising Awards.

Terry Papillon, professor of classics and director of the University Honors program, was named winner of the Outstanding Advisor Award – Administrator.

Rosemary Goss, the Residential Property Management Advisory Board Professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, received a Certificate of Merit of the Outstanding Advising Award – Faculty Academic Advising.

The organization’s annual awards program honors individuals and institutions that are making significant contributions to the improvement of academic advising.

Academic advising facilitates student success at Virginia Tech, providing one of the first opportunities for students to be actively engaged with a faculty or staff member who is concerned about their academic achievement. “Drs. Papillon and Goss both are exemplary advisors who are responsive to student needs, helping them to develop as autonomous thinkers while supporting student engagement,” said Kimberly Smith, director of university studies and undergraduate advising.

Each year, Virginia Tech nominates its university advising award winners for consideration of an award from the National Academic Advising Association.

Awards will be presented at the 2014 National Academic Advising Association Annual Conference being held this fall in Minneapolis. The National Academic Advising Association has more than 10,000 members representing all 50 states and several countries outside the United States.

Terry Papillon

Papillon came to Virginia Tech in 1992, teaching ancient Greek, Latin, classical civilization, mythology, and rhetoric. He regularly leads study abroad programs in Greece. He received the Diggs Teaching Scholar Award in 1997 and the Sporn Award for excellence in teaching introductory subjects in 2000. He joined the University Honors staff in 2005 and became director of the program in 2009.

Most recently, Papillon received the university's 2014 Provost’s Award for Excellence in Advising.

“Terry is much more than a traditional advisor or teacher, he also develops students as people, helps them realize their dreams, and believes in their potential sometimes before they believe in it themselves,” said a former University Honors student and now current University Honors Assistant Director Amber Smith.

“I learned from Dr. Papillon that there’s an incredible amount of power in informing, and reminding, students what they are capable of accomplishing and showing them how it is possible,” said Cassidy Grubbs of Powhatan, Va., a senior majoring in English in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. “I largely attribute my success to his message to ‘think big’ – and, perhaps more importantly, our frequent conversations in which he pushed me to critically examine my opinions on education and to articulate what I wanted to pursue certain opportunities.”

Papillon received his bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Rosemary Goss

Goss joined Virginia Tech in 1976. Under her leadership, she started the Residential Property Management program, the first program of its kind in the nation that she helped develop in the Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management. She serves as the career advisor for the program, regularly advising 30 to 50 students a semester.

Goss most recently received Virginia Tech’s 2014 Alumni Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising.

“I can honestly say that Dr. Goss played an instrumental role in shaping the student I am today. Her insightful advising and career advice has allowed me to find my niche here at Virginia Tech, take advantage of many undergraduate opportunities, and find gainful full-time employment for after graduation,” said Jessica Molson of Avon, Conn., a senior double majoring in philosophy and residential property management in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. “Dr. Goss takes time to get to know her students as individuals, and supports them to her fullest ability.”

Goss received her bachelor’s degree from Concord University, a master’s degree from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. from Florida State University.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.