NSCS is so thankful to our advisors. These advisors help guide members along their own journeys, organize induction ceremonies and other events, and provide general leadership in their chapters. Each year, we honor our advisors with the Advisor of the Year Awards. We’re pleased to introduce this year’s recipients.
Laura Taddeucci Downs National Advisor of the Year:
Professor Elizabeth Rhoades, University of Akron
Professor Rhoades stands out as one of our top chapter advisors and is an amazing pillar and strong mentor for the students and NSCS members at the University of Akron. She has been the advisor for the University of Akron chapter for over 13 years.
Abigail Geiser, Akron’s Chapter President, had this to say about Professor Rhoades:
“Professor Rhoades always goes above and beyond for her students and the members of NSCS. She attends officer meetings, helps execute events with her knowledge of, and history with, NSCS, and is a reliable contact for anything we need as officers.”
Regional Advisors of the Year:
Region 1:
Advisor of the Year: Dr. Kim Buch
Dr. Buch, from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte exemplifies what it is to be an NSCS chapter advisor. She is very reliable and is always pushing the chapter leaders to work hard and do their best, especially when presented with challenges such as the pandemic.
Region 1:
Advisor of the Year: Ms. Chelsea Zbikowski
Ms. Zbikowski, from American Military University-American Public University brings so much positivity to her chapter and it’s rare to find her without a smile on her face. She works closely with the officers to ensure the chapter runs smoothly and is always there to offer advice, support and encouragement when needed.
Region 2:
Advisor of the Year: Ms. Victoria Bañuelos
Ms. Banuelos has shown so much dedication to the chapter at New Mexico State University. This year alone, the chapter has tackled so many difficult tasks like boosting engagement in meetings and activities.
Region 2:
Advisor of the Year: Dr. Li Jin
Professor Li Jin has been an amazing mentor and support for the DePaul University chapter of NSCS. Helping the students navigate through a pandemic, through conflict, and through obstacles for engagement, she has never stopped supporting the chapter with passion and drive.
Region 3:
Advisor of the Year: Ms. Jenn Cook
Ms. Cook from Western Washington University has been so helpful and approachable to the chapter officers and they are very appreciative of the hard work she has put in to making the officer group so cohesive. She is working with almost a completely new officer board and has made the transition easier for all of the new officers.
Region 3:
Advisor of the Year: Ms. Melissa Hoffner
Ms. Hoffner has always been communicative about her support for the University of Northern Colorado Chapter. She has always active with the new member recruitment efforts; obtaining the Eligible Member Invitation (EMI) list and finding an alternative way for the new eligible students to be invited.
Region 4:
Advisor of the Year: Ms. Heather Kowaleski
Ms. Kowaleski from Saginaw Valley State University is always very friendly and reliable. She is enthusiastic about the organization as a whole as well as her chapter, specifically, eager to answer questions from members and seek answers for herself when she doesn’t know them.
Region 4:
Advisor of the Year: Dr. Thomas Shaw
Dr. Shaw’s experience as an advisorat the University of South Alabama shines through in every interaction he has with the national staff. At the start of the year, the chapter was facing difficulties getting registered and he was on top of it, assisting the officers in seeking help and clearly caring about the chapter’s status and success.
Regional Co- Advisors of the Year:
Co-Advisor Team of the Year:
Dr. Breanna Naegeli and Ms. Anna Cofrancesco
Dr. Naegeli and Ms. Cofrancesco have always been great resources for the Grand Canyon University NSCS Chapter. They both supported the chapter through their in-person Induction Ceremony and facilitated the chapter’s Integrity Week.
Advisors Spotlight:
New Advisor of the Year: Ms. Nicole Bathke
Ms. Bathke has been an amazing support for the Full Sail University chapter. She dedicates so much time to make sure things are running smoothly, that the chapter officers feel supported and valued in their roles, and that communication is effective between all members of the team.
New Advisor of the Year: Dr. Ching-Yu Huang
From the moment the Virginia Commonwealth University chapter’s executive board approached Dr. Huang to serve as their advisor, she presented them with countless ideas that they have implemented into their chapter. She is consistently looking for ways to help our team flourish and works diligently to ensure that each moving part of our chapter is in its best possible shape
New Advisor of the Year: Ms. Mallory Metz
Since Ms. Metz started serving as the Texas Woman’s University advisor, she has been nothing but supportive. She meets periodically with the national office staff to discuss chapter activity and growth efforts. She is quick to communicate and always makes herself available for the leadership team.
Founding Chapter Advisor of the Year: Ms. DéJeuné Green, University of New Orleans
Ms. Green, an NSCS Alumna from Louisiana State University, has led continuous communication and support for the NSCS chapter University of New Orleans. Through difficulty establishing regular communications and a solid team structure, Ms. Green has always worked to follow up and make sure everyone is on the same page with the mission of NSCS
Congratulations to all of our winners! We appreciate all that you do for your local NSCS chapters, and for our national honors society as a whole.
