The Advising Council of U-M has recognized Michelle Sonderman in the College of Engineering and Samantha Wilhelmi of the Medical School for outstanding academic advising.
The ACUM Outstanding Advising Award, established in 2022, recognizes staff and faculty advisers from any school or college on the Ann Arbor campus.
Valeria Bertacco, vice provost for engaged learning, offered her congratulations to the ACUM award winners and all the nominees.
“The hundreds of nominations our staff and faculty advisers received this year is a glowing testament to the positive impact advisers have on our students. The care, extra effort and positivity they bring is having a profound impact on our students’ education, well-being and overall experience,” she said.
Sonderman advises students in the College of Engineering’s Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences. Student nominators mentioned her honest yet supportive feedback and the welcoming atmosphere she fosters in the department.
“Michelle always asks how we’re doing, and is always willing to listen and help when we’re overwhelmed,” NERS student Geneve Magnan wrote.
Wilhelmi is a program manager for the Cancer Biology Program at Michigan Medicine. She is celebrated by students for her extraordinary commitment to their well-being and academic success.
“Sam’s help with providing the information related to the logistics of advancing to candidacy and positions within the university has helped me deeply consider how I shape my future years of graduate school in order to be in the best possible position to succeed,” wrote nominator Drew Stark, a graduate student in the Cancer Biology program.
LSA also has announced its advising award recipients. They are:
- Heather Gabbard, academic adviser for the LSA Comprehensive Studies Program, is the recipient of Ruth M. Sinclair Memorial Award, established in memory of a member of the Class of 1908 to recognize an outstanding general adviser in LSA.
- Lynn Carpenter, lecturer IV in ecology and evolutionary biology and in molecular, cellular and developmental biology in LSA, has received the Excellence in Departmental Advising Award, which recognizes LSA departmental advisers who exert consistent, positive contact with undergraduates in their classes or programs.
- Lauren Eddelbuettel, undergraduate program coordinator and major/minor adviser, for the Department of Sociology in LSA, is the recipient of the Unsung Champion of Advising Award, which recognizes individuals in LSA who are not formally designated advisers, but who influence and guide students in an informal mentoring capacity.
The award recipients were selected from among 274 advisers on the Ann Arbor campus based on 621 student nominations.
