UGA academic advisor wins national award

Ryan Smith, academic advisor for Geography and Art in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, has been selected as a recipient of the NACADA Outstanding New Advisor Award. Smith received the UGA Outstanding New Advisor Award in spring 2024, which made him UGA’s nominee for the global NACADA award. His award will be presented in a ceremony at the NACADA Annual Conference this October.

Established in 1983, the NACADA Global Awards Program honors individuals and institutions making a significant impact on academic advising. NACADA is a representative and advocate of academic advising and those providing that service to higher education.

Smith is a 2024 winner of the Outstanding New Advisor Award - Primary Role. UGA advisors have been recognized with multiple Certificate of Merit Awards in recent years and an Outstanding New Advisor Award in 2021-22.

"This is a wonderful distinction not only for Ryan but also for the Office of Student Academic Services, the Franklin College, and UGA as a whole," said Diane Miller. "Ryan is an exceptional advisor who has earned the respect of his faculty and staff colleagues and become indispensable to them as well as his advisees. The consistent excellence of his work and the impact he has on students’ lives make him tremendously deserving of this honor.”

"I am beyond grateful to my students in Geography, Interior Design, Photography, and Printmaking for inspiring me, making me laugh every day, and helping me find my place in the world. They make my job not just rewarding, but a blast," Smith said. "And receiving this award would have been impossible without the help of Dr. Diane Miller, Greg Kline, the Art and Geography faculty and staff, and all of my fellow advisors. "

"Consistent excellence in our advising corps delivers great service to our students as individuals with specific interests and combinations of courses, majors, and minors to achieve their goals," said Anna Stenport, dean of the Franklin College. "Ryan Smith exemplifies this standard of excellence and I congratulate him on behalf of faculty and students of the entire university. This award serves as a major testament to the thorough-going commitment to our students."

Image: photo of Ryan Smith (submitted)