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academic advising

Advisor of the Year

The award, developed by the Academic Advising Committee, recognizes a faculty member from each college and a graduate faculty member who has had a positive influence on undergraduate students through academic advising.

2​026 Advisor of the Year Award Winners​

The University of Findlay is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Advisor of the Year award. The award, developed by the Academic Advising Committee, recognizes a faculty member from each college and a graduate faculty member who has had a positive influence on undergraduate students through academic advising.

This year, the University received 330 nominations from students, and a winner was selected from each of the University’s six colleges and the newly added Graduate category after careful review by a committee.

2026 Advisor of the Year are:

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences: 

Todd Beitzel, M.S.
Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Chair of Justice Sciences

College of Business: 


Brandon Miller, M.A.
Assistant Professor of Teaching in Finance and Economics

College of Education: 


Kerry Teeple, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor of Education

College of Health
Professions: 

Susan Watters, D.H. Sc.
Associate Professor of Teaching in Sonography, Director of Sonography Programs, and Chair of Diagnostic Services Department 

College of Pharmacy: 


Lauren Forsythe, Pharm.D.
Assistant Professor of Social and Administrative Pharmacy and Assistant Director of Camps

College of Sciences: 


Alexis Siomka, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Teaching in Animal Science

Graduate:

Jennifer Theriault, Ed.D., Assistant Professor of Education and Chair of the Doctor of Education Program

​​The winners receive a one-year NACADA membership and will now go on to compete for the University’s Faculty Advisor of the Year award, which will be announced later this fall.

“Each of the faculty have been awarded this high honor because of the relationship building that they have done with their advisees. I have said for many years that when this relationship building is done correctly it is one of the most rewarding and unique bonds that an advisor and their advisee will have.  Advising can have such a great impact on students when they are here, but also when they graduate and enter the workforce as alumni.” 

-Glenn Miehls, director of academic advising

2026 Advisor of the Year Nominations

See below for a complete list of this year’s nominees. * College Winner

Rie Aoki

Todd Beitzel*

Leah Brant

Elizabeth Buchanan

Jacob Burmeister

Valerie Escobedo

Beverly Fanning

Hiroaki Kawamura

Allison Kiefner Burmeister

Kathy Mason

Greg Mott

Paul Pape

Cynthia Stroud

Patti Abels

Scott Freehafer

Maria Gamba

Tuan Le

Brandon Miller*

Kirby Overton

Ekpen Owie

Jaclyn Schalk

Andrea Simmons

Eric Stoller

Carla Treadway

Amy Kochendoerfer

Mary Heather Munger

Melissa Recker

Kerry Teeple*

Mark Willeke

Carrie Wysocki

Stephanie Born

Daniel Carter

Debra Copas

Cara Davies

Troy DeLamatre

Jessica Ellerbrock

Tina Fournier

Megan Gonyer

Mackenzie Hug

Alexandra Korsog

David Pettigrew

Kimberly Shern

Jessica Siebeneck

Robin Walters-Powell

Susan Watters*

Bart Welte

Sandra Earle

Lauren Forsythe*

Jason Guy

Nicole Horstman

Michael Isei

Rachel Kahle

Julie Oestreich

Shantanu Rao

Ryan Schneider

Erin Alava

Steve Aranyosi

Daniel Baczkowski

Victor Flores

Brittany Friesner

Craig Gunnett

Bethany Henderson-Dean

Jill Jewett

Brad Johnson

Kim Lichtveld

Alex Lovins

Meri Marsh

Brandon Morin

Art O’Brien

David Orosz

John Payton

Lauren Sandhu

Helen Schneider

Alexis Siomka*

Mark Smith

Carol Stitt

Nate Tice

Lauren Vaccaro

Brian Whitaker

Chris White

Blake Winter

Patti Abels

Abigail Allen

Stephanie Anderson

Kadee Anstadt

Mario Baker

Stephanie Born

Timothy Burkart

Debra Copas

Mark Drnach

Sandra Earle

Jennifer Fennema-Bloom

Mary Jo Geise

Nabarun Ghose

John Gillham

Scott Grant

Jason Guy

Rebecca Herr

Nicole Horstman

Angie Huber

Sandra Kleman

Kim Lichtveld

Julie McIntosh

Megan McLaughlin

Chris Moser

Mary Heather Munger

Ekpen Owie

Laura Perry

Amy Phillips

Lori Prusnek

Kelli Recker

Jaclyn Schalk

Nichole Schroeder

Joon-Young Song

Jennifer Theriault*

Melanie Thurmond

Kyle Wagner

Ryan Waldschmidt

Nicolle Wheeler

Robyn Wilhelm Carrie Wysocki