2025-2026
Advising Workshop
Purpose: The Advisor Workshop Committee meets several times per semester to consider content and logistics for the spring Advisor Workshop. We determine dates, times, locations, meal options, guest speakers, activities, etc. that will be most convenient, useful, and appealing to the UGA advising community.
Time Commitment: Year-long – begins before the fall semester and ends before the summer of the following year.
- Chair: Beth Kozinksy
- Litashia Carter
- Misha Boyd
- Amber Fetner
- Katherine Field
- Michele Johnson
- Laurie Zielinski
- Dina Canup
- Zach Thrift
- Wanda Johnson
- Mike Merva
- Ashley King
- Matt Jordan
Other Information: This committee has to be very proactive at the beginning of each academic year, because things like room reservations for 150+ people, requests for money, and coordination of programming and other logistics must be secured in advance.
Assessment Committee
Purpose: This committee’s goal is to assess advising services at UGA. We will do this using multiple forms of assessment, including but not limited to student surveys, advisors surveys, data collection and synthesis, and informal discussion. The committee aims to identify gaps in advising services in order for AACC (and partners / subcommittees / etc…) to find ways to bridge these gaps.
Time Commitment: Academic year.
- Chair: Kalli Drake
- Jessica Couch
- Susan Kinnaird
- Erik Donofrio
- Matthew Orsag
- Casie McClellan
- Mike Merva
- Melissa Garber
- Gabriel Lopez-Gutierrez
- Victoria Williams
Advisor Awards
Purpose: To examine the existing structure of the advisor awards and propose any needed updates and changes.
Time Commitment: Committee meets from early fall to early spring (probably 2-3 meetings).
- Chair: Brennen Salmon
- Katherine Field
- Laurie Zielinski
- Mike Merva
- Emily Robinson
- Litashia Carter
- Teresa McClure
- Kalli Drake
- Melissa Garber
- Yadira Castillo
- Zach Thrift
Other Information: Note that this committee is separate from the selection committee. This committee is focused on the advisor awards process, not who wins the award.
Certificates
Purpose: The Academic Advising Certificate Committee oversees the general and advanced certificates in academic advising. This includes: recruiting instructors for certificate courses, assessing the certificate program and courses, and overseeing the capstone proposal process for the Advanced Certificate in Academic Advising.
Time Commitment: Year-long.
- Co-Chairs: Litashia Carter and Aimee Dowd
- Crystal Cooper
- Michele Johnson
- Lauren Corvino
- Matt Head
Communication
Purpose: The mission of the Communications Committee is to streamline communication across Advising departments within the University of Georgia by providing forums for disseminating information and suggesting changes to improve communication when appropriate.
Time Commitment: Once a month during Fall and Spring semesters.
- Co-Chairs: Whitney Jones and Matthew Gustafson
- Ashley Roseberry
- Nance Maiorino
- Kelsey Witherington
- Matthew Orsag
- Ali Gerlach
- Marilena Congi
- Heather Smith
- Cate Crowe
- Natasha Laballe
Advisor Networking
Purpose: This committee is charged with scheduling and promoting a variety of opportunities for advisors to meet, network, and socialize with other advisors throughout the year.
Time Commitment: Academic year.
- Chair: Lauren Corvino and Audrey Grigg
- Aimee Dowd
- Crystal Cooper
- Michele Johnson
- Lauren Corvino
- Jennifer Letchuk
- Emily Shirley
- Lise Kalla
- Gabriel Lopez-Gutierrez
- Morgan Mahaffey
Lunch and Learn
Purpose: This committee meets to discuss topics relevant to staff development, information on new and current programs, and other matters pertinent to the advising community at UGA, and is charged with developing and presenting Lunch and Learn Sessions throughout the year.
Time Commitment: This is a year-round committee which meets regularly in fall and spring to discuss topics and designate assigned roles for the upcoming semesters.
- Co-Chairs: Jill Hopkins and Antanay Goode
- Jessica Couch
- Kate Daley-Bailey
- Zach Thrift
- Lise Kalla
- Wanda Johnson
- Zach Thrift
- Drew Craver
- Sage Kincaid
- Kathryn Veale
- Michelle Robinson
Mentoring Advising Professionals
Purpose: The purpose of the Mentoring Advising Professionals (MAP) committee is to plan and manage the program, which includes organizing the orientations, events, applications, website & email.
Time Commitment: This has been a continuous program with a yearly program cycle – members may join at any time.
- Chair: Yadira Castillo
- Elizabeth Fuller
- Samantha Patillo
- Zach Thrift
- Matt Head
- Gabriel Lopez-Gutierrez
- Debbie Hargrave
- Krysten Lewis
Training
Purpose: The purpose of the Training Committee is to develop and maintain modules to be used in training new advisors across the university with basic advising knowledge applicable across all schools and colleges.
Time Commitment: Typically twice a year to review the modules and take into consideration if anything needs changing.
- Co-Chairs: Nance Maiorino and Mike Merva
- Danielle Bostick
- Laurie Zielinski
- Aimee Dowd
- Crystal Cooper
- Susan Kinnaird
- Casie McClellan
- Emily Robinson
- Melissa Garber
- Jennifer Eberhart
Transfer
Purpose: The Transfer Committee’s goal is to create and implement meaningful strategies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure transfer students are receiving top-level advising, resources, and connections regardless of their entry point or major at UGA. This committee works to examine the implementation of USG’s core-to-core commitment, core and general transfer advising, as well as identify meaningful transfer resources across advising units and departments on campus.
Time Commitment: Once a month during Fall and Spring semesters.
- Chair: Emily Crossett Schwarz
- Katherine Field
- Aimee Dowd
- Crystal Cooper
- Nance Maiorino
- Susan Kinnaird
- Natassja Hatcher
- Zach Thrift
- Erik Donofrio
- Mary Formo
- Matt Head
- Morgan Mahaffey
- Debbie Hargrave
- Emily Robinson
- Anna Hemmati