Professional News

UK Advisor Wins 'Triple Crown' of Advising Awards

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 4, 2015)  Mike Farrell has been awarded both the Kentucky award for Region Three Outstanding Advising Award in a Faculty Role and a national Outstanding Advising Award for Faculty Academic Advising from the National Academic Advising Association.

Farrell, an associate professor in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications, also won the 2015 Ken Freedman Outstanding Advisor Award from the University of Kentucky Advising Network.

UK has never had a faculty member win all three awards in the same year. 

"It is no surprise to me that Dr. Farrell has won every advising award possible," said Dan O'Hair, dean of the College of Communication and Information.  "If they gave inter-galatical advising awards Mike would be the first recipient."

Farrell said he is humbled to receive the NACADA awards this year.

“I learned to appreciate students from my own college professors who were so important to my academic and career success,” Farrell said.  “As passionate as I am about journalism and the courses I teach, the reason I want to keep teaching is the exciting opportunity to keep working with students."

Farrell notes that he shares the success with his colleagues. 

“I am privileged to work in a school that is all about the students,” Farrell said.  “And I have been supported by outstanding professional advisors and the leaders of our school, who always have been ready to answer questions and share their insight.  This is really an award I share with them.”

Students and staff alike appreciate Farrell’s dedication to the college.

"I'm delighted, but not surprised, that Dr. Farrell was selected for this award,” Beth Barnes, director of the School of Journalism and Telecommunications, said.  “I had the chance to see the nominating letters from some of his students, and they were very strong in their praise for his advising abilities.”

NACADA annually awards advisors who go above and beyond for their students.

“I think the most important thing about Dr. Farrell as an advisor is that he truly cares about the student as a person living his or her life, not just as someone taking classes,” Barnes said.  “He's very good on the nuts and bolts of academic advising, but he goes well beyond that in his support for his advisees."

Farrell was honored at the NACADA Region 3 Conference  April 14 at the Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter in Covington, Kentucky.

The Mid-South Region 3 includes Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.  Farrell was chosen as the outstanding faculty advisor in Kentucky.

Farrell will be one of 12 honored for the Outstanding Advising Award for Faculty Academic Advising at the NACADA national conference in Las Vegas in October.

The NACADA Annual Awards Program for Academic Advising was established in 1983.  Since then, the award categories have expanded to honor outstanding research, advisors and institutional advising programs.  The awards honor those who contribute to the improvement of academic advising

NACADA evolved from the first National Conference on Academic Advising in 1977, was chartered in 1979 and now has more than 10,000 members representing all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and several other international countries.

Farrell received his bachelor's degree from Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, and his master's and doctorate at UK in the College of Communication and Information.  He has been teaching and advising students at UK full time for 14 years.

MEDIA CONTACT: Rebecca Stratton and Blair Hoover, (859) 323-2395; rebecca.stratton@uky.edu, blair.hoover@uky.edu