Three Pitt staff members have been honored with the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising.
The award annually recognizes advisors at PItt who have engaged students in a collaborative and holistic process of advising by preparing students for lives of impact through educational experiences tailored to their specific goals and needs.
For the purposes of this award, an academic advisor is defined as a staff or faculty member who formally serves as a student’s designated advisor. Each award consists of a cash prize of $1,000 and a grant of $1,500 to support the advisor’s professional development activities. Up to three awardees may be chosen in each award period.
2023 award recipients
Kearsten Adams, Pitt–Greensburg: Adams has been an academic advisor at the Greensburg cmpus since 2010. She earned her master of teaching degree from the Virginia Commonwealth University and bachelor of arts in music performance from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Va. At Pitt-Greensburg, Adams also serves as the coordinator for the Summer Bridge Program and teaches college success and cornerstone courses to assist first-year students with the transition to college. She is also a part of the campus wellness team and helped to implement Greensburg’s version of the “wellness and resiliency” course to increase outreach and support on the campus. As an advisor, she partners with campus resources like financial aid, career services, learning center, counseling center and professors to ensure students have what they need to succeed. Adams’ supervisor, Director of Advising Beth Tiedemann, said, “Kearsten cares deeply about her students and places her students at the center of her work. I see evidence of this in her day-to-day work and in our conversations about particular student situations. Kearsten adapts her advising approach to work with each student in a way that is meaningful, authentic, and supportive.”
Kevin Riley, College of Business Administration: Riley has been an academic advisor at the College of Business Administration since 1995. He earned a B.S. in geology from Pitt. He has served on many committees, taught several courses, and even helped to develop the first iteration of the CBA website. He is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and incorporates this philosophy into his advising interactions. Riley says that advisors are “touchpoints” for students with the University, and he strives to be an empathetic advocate and a clearinghouse for information and referrals. One of his current students said, “I have had a wonderful experience at Pitt, and that all began with Kevin. Now, as my time here comes to a close, he is playing a pivotal role in my next chapter. To me, advising excellence is personal, compassionate, and transformative. My experience with Kevin has been all that and more. He believed in my ambitious dual degree dream four years ago, for which I will be forever grateful. He has guided me every step of the way and is the epitome of excellent advising at Pitt.”
Kaitlyn Washko, Swanson School of Engineering: Washko earned her M.S. in professional counseling from Carlow University and B.S. in psychology from Penn State. On the first-year advising team in Swanson, Washko helped to implement a strengths-based advising model for the unit, taught first-year seminars, recruited and trained tutors, and served on various committees to support the school’s mission. She is also part of the Mental Health Task Force and is trained in mental health first aid. One of Washko’s greatest strengths is in working with students facing academic difficulty. Jill Harvey, director of advising and her supervisor, said, “Kaitlyn works so effectively in this coaching role and she is an ideal fit to work with our students who are struggling because her own Top 5 CliftonStrengths are rooted in relationship-building and connecting with others. ... Kaitlyn’s ability to relate to and empathize with this group of students comes naturally to her! She is able to use her strengths to cheer students on, find their own strengths, and adapt to new and altered academic plans from what they originally laid out. Kaitlyn is a compassionate helper, a trusted resource, and empathetic presence for students implementing a Plan B.”