In 2012, Jade Barricelli acted on her vision of what academic advising could be at George Mason University by presenting a proposal for what would become the Mason Academic Advisor Network (MAAN). She identified key allies from across the University who had the same drive, determination, and vision to elevate the standing of academic advising at Mason and improve the student experience. One of the first initiatives Barricelli started planning was the Mason Advisor Certificate, a multi-module training program. It has evolved to what is now the Fundamentals of Advising at Mason (FOAM) and regarded as a must for training new advisors by a majority of the departments at Mason. Barricelli also wrote a proposal that would bring the NACADA Virginia Drive-In Conference to George Mason for the very first time. MAAN continues to play an integral role in University-wide policy development and creating new initiatives that seek to build an even stronger and more supportive academic advising experience for all those who consider themselves to be a Patriot.
During her time as an academic advisor at George Mason University, Jade Barricelli continually demonstrated the qualities that have been identified by MAAN as the ideal characteristics of an advisor, which shaped the criteria for the award created in her name. This peer-nominated academic advising award was developed as a way to recognize and honor our colleague’s devotion to creating a culture of academic advising excellence at George Mason.
Award Criteria
- Possessing strong interpersonal skills
- Utilizing and sharing knowledge about appropriate student support services
- Monitoring student progress toward academic and career goals
- Engaging in developmental academic advising (which includes career and life planning)
- Demonstrating a mastery of institutional regulations, policies, and procedures
- Exhibiting a caring, helpful attitude toward advisees, faculty, and staff
- Supporting academic advising colleagues by being dependable and available
- Attending and supporting advisor development programs, such as the Fundamentals of Advising at Mason or other academic advising initiatives
- Enhancing the visibility and role of academic advising as an essential resource within the university
- Openly communicating and collaborating with students, faculty, and staff to support advising-related goals and initiatives
Eligibility
Any Mason employee (including graduate assistants) with responsibility for academic advising undergraduate and/or graduate students. Previous winners are not eligible for 5 years after receipt of the award.
Nomination Process
Nominations are accepted annually each Fall semester. The nominations will be reviewed by a selection committee. The selected winner will be announced and celebrated informally in the Fall and formally recognized in the Spring during HR’s Outstanding Achievement Awards Ceremony.
- The deadline for nominations for Fall 2024 is Thursday, October 31.
- Nominations after the deadline will not be accepted.
- Submit nominations via the nomination form.
- All nominations must be submitted through the nomination form. In order to provide fairness in the nomination process, no supplemental documents will be accepted.
- Each nominator is required to submit their own nomination. Combined nominations will not be considered more than one nomination.
- Nominators are encouraged to extensively address how the person has contributed to the above criteria and not assume the reviewers know who the person is.
Past Winners
2024: Marie Champagne, Coordinator of Student Services, Division of APTDIE, College of Education and Human Development
2023: Jada Crocker, Academic Advisor, Criminology, Law, and Society, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
2022: Ashley Hill, Senior Academic Advisor, Costello College of Business
2021: Dr. Deborah Polayes, Director of Undergraduate Studies Professor, Biology, College of Science
2020: Smriti Kansal Patwardhan, Academic Advisor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing
2019: Jon May, Associate Director, Center for Academic Advising, Retention, and Transitions
2018: Assad Khan, Director for Undergraduate Student Affairs, College of Science
2017: Erin McSherry, Director of Undergraduate Advising and Retention, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
2016: Elizabeth Kalinowski Ohrt, Director, Advising, Undergraduate Academic Affairs, College of Humanities and Social Sciences