Congratulations to Senior Academic Advisor Ann Pool as she received the President’s Award for Academic Advising during the University Advisors and Counselors awards breakfast meeting on May 2 at the MSC.
The award is given to the advisor that goes above and beyond their usual duties to help with the mission of academic advising at the university.
Since joining the Department in 2013, Pool has been advising undergrads in the Entomology and Forensic and Investigative Sciences programs and those pursuing double majors and minors in the Department.
Pool is in charge of the various outreach programs that the department holds and has conducted information sessions every semester for parents, current and prospective students looking to either join the Department or to change their majors. “Ann is honest, hard-working, enthusiastic, and engaging with others and is an encouragement to all whom she interacts,” Rebecca Hapes, co-worker and fellow departmental advisor, said.
Pool also oversees the Entomology Scholars Society, which is a select group of students that helps with departmental outreach and recruiting events, and New Student Conferences, and helped coordinate several of the 4-H and FFA contests and clinics that are held in the spring and summer months.
She is an active member of the Texas A&M University Advisors and Counselors since 2008 and the National Academic Advising Association since 2005. She has served as the UAC’s Immediate Past President from 2017-2018, President from 2016-2017, and President-Elect from 2015-2016 and currently serves as a member of the Academic Advising Professional Development Committee, in which she co-developed the New Advisor Orientation. This orientation has provided advisors new to Texas A&M University’s advising community or those new to the advising profession completely for hundreds of advisors.
“This speaks volumes not only of her dedication and service to the advising profession but also to the students attending and those who will attend Texas A&M University,” Hapes said. “She has spent countless hours creating an orientation program for advisors who will interact with thousands upon thousands of students in an effort to ensure that accurate and consistent messaging is taking place across campus.”
Professor and Interim Department Head Dr. Pete Teel also was proud of Pool and her award.
“Ann is an outstanding advisor who far exceeds expectations in all aspects of her job,” Dr. Pete Teel said. “On a daily basis, I marvel at the energy, ingenuity, dedication and commitment she brings to working closely working with students in the various programs within this department in achieving academic and personal successes.”