Previous Outstanding Faculty Advisor Awardees

Dr. Leslie Nelson, 2023-2024 Award Winner

Associate Professor, Communications Studies

Dr. Leslie Nelson is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she has been a faculty member since 2018. Dr. Nelson earned her B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Interpersonal and Family Communication from the University of Missouri-Columbia. 

Dr. Nelson's commitment to student growth and success is clearly articulated in her advising philosophy. According to Dr. Nelson, her approach to advising focuses on three commitments: to meet students where they are and enthusiastically support their personal and professional goals, to balance high expectations with warmth and compassion, and to empower students to be creative and critical thinkers who are passionate about using their communication skills for positive social change. 

These principles are also clearly reflected in the comments provided by her student nominators. One of her past senior project students recalled: "She was committed, supportive, attentive to details, and guided me through every step of the way. I appreciated her advising style; the first time I had a few questions, she said, 'Just give me a call!' Our conversation felt easy-going and low-stakes, and she gave me plenty of autonomy throughout my project, yet it was clear that she had high expectations."

Another current senior project advisee shared: "Dr. Nelson made me feel like a person whose work she was genuinely interested in being a part of throughout this process, instead of just another student whose work she signed off on as acceptable." Her compassionate and warm approach was also captured in students' nominations: "Dr. Nelson has helped me tremendously with not only my academic work but with helping me feel supported personally and feel hopeful for my future. I have a lot of anxiety about what my next step will be after college, and Dr. Nelson has always been such a great person to talk to as she reassures me and helps me think about career paths... She is incredibly committed to my success. I look up to her and aspire to be like her because she is truly amazing at what she does and is such a great person."

Another student shared: "She is an incredibly supportive person and takes mental health issues incredibly seriously. Her Dark Side of Communication class helped me rethink seriously negative things in my life and framed them in a new way that made me stop feeling sorry for myself and instead look at what I can learn from these things. She always answers my questions and gets back to me in an extremely timely manner, even on weekends. She truly does care about her students and that is extremely cool to see."

Finally, one of her students praised her commitment to DEI in her advising efforts: "Dr. Nelson has been so supportive of not only me but amplifying marginalized voices. She never wants to speak for a particular group, and instead gives people like me a place to be heard."

Since coming to Cal Poly, Dr. Nelson has received many awards for student success, teaching, and mentoring. In 2019 Dr. Nelson was named the COMS Outstanding Educator in GE Courses and COMS Faculty Role Model of the Year. In 2020, she received two Terrance Harris Mentorship awards at Cal Poly and the COMS Student Success Award. In 2023, Dr. Nelson was awarded the College of Liberal Arts Early Career Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2024, Dr. Nelson was recognized with the Western States Communication Association Distinguished Teaching Award and a Terrance Harris Mentorship award. She can now add the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award recipient for 2023-2024 to this list!

Congratulations, Dr. Nelson!

Dr. Aubrie Adams, 2022-2023 Award Winner

Assistant Professor, Communications Studies

Aubrie Adams is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she has taught since 2017. As a Cal State system alumna, Dr. Adams earned her B.A. from Sonoma State University, her M.A. from Sacramento State, and her Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dr. Adams’ personal statement highlights her commitment to student success:

It’s a great honor to advise and mentor students. To facilitate student growth and help them harness their potential, I take a three-pronged approach to my advising philosophy: (1) opportunities, (2) adaptation, and (3) lowering barriers.

First, I provide opportunities to students. Although students have tremendous drive and creativity, they are not always aware of opportunities and sometimes they have information overload from too many available! My job is to guide them toward opportunities like awards, funding, graduate school, conferences, internships, careers, and events that best help them develop their skills and resumes while at the same time offering positive encouragement, so they feel confident to participate.

Second, I adapt advising experiences based on each student’s individual needs and goals to build in scaffolding in appropriate ways. This adaptation takes place considering the whole human-being, keeping in mind the importance of mental health and empathy, so that students can grow and learn not just in their career path, but into the person that they want to be.

Lastly, I work to remove barriers. To help students break down their goals into actionable steps so that even when setting out on big tasks (like applying to graduate school or presenting research at professional conferences), that they feel supported in tackling each step along the way in smaller and more manageable pieces of the puzzle. Ultimately, I hope that through this approach, I can help to activate students to accomplish their goals as they each travel along their own unique academic journeys.

Over her career she has received many awards for student success, service, and mentoring. She can now add the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award recipient for 2022-23!

Congratulations, Dr. Aubrie Adams!

Dr. Anahid Behrouzi, 2021-2022 Award Winner

Associate Professor, Architectural Engineering

Anahid Behrouzi is an Associate Professor of Architectural Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she has taught since 2016. She earned her B.A. in Spanish Language & Literature, and her B.S. in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University. Additionally, she earned both her M.S.and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The recipient of numerous teaching and service related awards throughout her career, she can now add the honor of 21-22 Outstanding Faculty Advisor to her impressive list!

Dr. Behrouzi empowers students to lead the evolution of engineering curriculum through mentoring them in projects to create physical and digital demonstration tools, hands-on experiments, and content showcasing the contributions of underrepresented engineers. These efforts have culminated in numerous student co-authored engineering conference papers and integration into the undergraduate and graduate courses she teaches.

At the core of all these efforts is her desire to cultivate future professionals who are equipped and committed to balancing the technical rigor of addressing structural design challenges with empathy for diverse stakeholders who will inhabit the spaces they have created. To engineer with heart is her motto, and one that is most certainly evident in her work with students.

Congratulations, Dr. Anahid Behrouzi!

Dr. Silvia Marijuan, 2020-2021 Award Winner

Associate Professor, World Languages & Culture, Spanish & Applied Linguistics

Dr. Silvia Marijuan is an Associate Professor of Spanish and Applied Linguistics. She earned her Licenciatura en Letras from the University of Buenos Aires, and her M.S. and Ph.D in Spanish Applied Linguistics from Georgetown University.

Dr. Marijuan’s commitment to student success is clearly articulated in her advising statement: As a first-generation university student, I needed to adapt not only to the university in my country of origin, Argentina, but to the university system in the United States where I later went to graduate school. On many occasions, I learned – and re-learned – that I needed all the help and support I could get. Mentors and advisors were crucial in helping me achieve my goals. As a professor, I strive to give back and help students like me – underrepresented and first-generation students – navigate a system that might seem scary and stressful, especially at the beginning, reaching out to them when I see them struggle and consistently communicating my support. As an advisor, I encourage all students not to feel defeated when something doesn’t go their way and to develop and strengthen networks of support. Being a mentor and advisor, for me, means cultivating both a growth mindset and a sense of belonging. Having a growth mindset entails being resilient, and we have all learned a lot about resilience during the pandemic. A sense of belonging has to do with knowing that our feelings and perspectives are heard, listened to, and valued, and that we are recognized in decision-making processes. As a faculty mentor, working with students on research has been especially rewarding for me because students and I get to collaborate and make discoveries together: I introduce them to different research methodologies and try to inspire in them the same love for science I have. I also encourage and help students to pursue career and professional goals, like going to graduate school. In my advising, I connect with students across campus including teacher candidates pursuing a career in education, bilingual students, Spanish major and minors, students who study abroad, and Cal Poly Scholars. In every case, I do everything I can to ensure that everyone I work with has the best educational experience possible

Dr. Marijuan also serves as a World Languages single subject credential advisor, and faculty leader for the Cal Poly Global Summer Program in Spain. The evidence of her dedication to students speaks to how deserving she is of the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award. Congratulations, Dr. Marijuan!

Dr. Nishi Rajakaruna, 2019-2020 Award Winner

Associate Professor, Botany in the Biological Sciences dept.

Dr. Nishi Rajakaruna joined Cal Poly in 2017 after teaching botany at College of the Atlantic (ME) and San José State University for 12 years. He is currently an Associate Professor in Botany in the Biological Sciences Department. He earned his B.A. in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic (ME) and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Botany from the University of British Columbia, Canada. Rajakaruna conducted research in plant ecology at Stanford University as a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellow. He was a Fulbright Scholar in his homeland Sri Lanka and in India (2016-2017) where he had the pleasure of working with thousands of secondary school and university students, sharing his life experiences as a foreign student in the United States and Canada and giving advice on how best to prepare for higher education opportunities in North America.

Rajakaruna has been the Faculty-in-Residence in the yakʔitʸutʸu residential community since 2018 and is often the first faculty member freshmen and their families meet when they arrive on campus.  With his campus residents he created Plants, Peaks, and Pals Club, for hiking, botany, and natural history enthusiasts, and Camellia Club, a community for tea enthusiasts; both clubs have continued to provide settings for students, now scattered across the country, to interact with each other via regular virtual gatherings and stay connected to the Cal Poly community, even from afar.

He takes great pleasure in getting to know his residents and their families, helping students find their way, and connecting students with other faculty and resources on and off campus. Campus living is nothing new to Rajakaruna—he grew up on university campuses in Sri Lanka and Japan and lived on or near a campus ever since. Rajakaruna notes that campus communities, wherever he has been, have shaped his life. “That is why I live with students and help them shape those communities where they can also thrive.”

Rajakaruna is grateful for all the careful mentoring he has received throughout his academic life and is determined to be there for students who will need guidance along the way, whether it is on classes to take, summer internships, or what to do after Cal Poly. “I wouldn’t be here if not for the caring mentors I’ve had throughout my life. That’s why having a cup of tea with a student will always be a priority of mine.”

Dr. Lauren Kolodziejski, 2018-19 Award winner

Assistant Professor, Communication studies

Dr. Lauren Kolodziejski is an Assistant Professor in Communication Studies. She earned her B.A. and B.S. from Winthrop University, her M.A. from the University of Colorado-Boulder, and her Ph.D. from the University of Washington.

Dr. Kolodziejski’s commitment to student success is clearly articulated in her advising philosophy and in the nominations submitted on her behalf for the faculty advisor award.  According to Dr. Kolodziejski’s advising philosophy, her approach to advising focuses on three guidelines: listen more than talk, don’t wait for a question to be asked, and share the struggle. These three guidelines are also reflected in the comments provided by her student nominators. One stated that she is “the only professor that has made a profound impact on my experience at Cal Poly”. In addition, another student nominator wrote “she deeply cares for each and every one of her students.” She has served as an advisor for students’ senior projects, encouraged and mentored students through the law school application process, and provided support for students during times of stress. There are only a few of many examples students shared highlighting her caring and supportive nature.

Dr. Kolodziejski has also served as a volunteer academic coach for the First Year Success program for students on academic probation.  She worked with students from a variety of majors to help them establish goals for success and followed up to see if they are meeting their goals. The evidence of her dedication to students speaks to how deserving she is of the Outstanding Faculty Advising Award. Congratulations, Dr. Lauren Kolodziejski!

Dr. Kim Sprayberry, 2017-18 Award winner

Associate Professor, Animal Science

Dr. Kim Sprayberry is an Associate Professor in Animal Science. She earned her B.S. in Physiology and her D.V.M. from University of California, Davis. She is a Board-certified equine internal medicine specialist.

In her own advising philosophy, Dr. Sprayberry discusses her approach to advising. She states, “I try hard to initially put down my pencil and just listen to a student. From that I can begin to understand and appreciate where they’re coming from.” In addition, she states she works together with students “to determine the trajectory they’ll take … not only with regard to the sheer curricular requirements they need to graduate, but also with all the extra- and co-curricular undertakings that will eventually enable them to enter veterinary school or the workforce.” She goes on to state that ”one of the most valuable assets I provide to students is connecting them with my colleagues in private practice all over the world, in the form of internships or shadowing opportunities.”

The nominations from students and fellow faculty highlight Dr. Sprayberry’s commitment to student success, through both academic and professional development. One fellow colleague stated, “Her colleagues appreciate her selfless dedication to student success and the students have repeatedly recognized her as an Outstanding Faculty member in our program. She is very deserving of this award because she invests the time to be sure that she provides accurate, credible and timely advice to her student advisees that not only helps them toward their career goals but also assists them in timely graduation after a very rigorous course of study.” Further, one student nomination noted that Dr. Sprayberry “embodies the Learn by Doing spirit of Cal Poly, and she is an inspiration for all of her students.”

Dr. Elena Keeling, 2016-17 Award winner

Professor, Biological Sciences

Dr. Elena Keeling is a Professor in Biological Sciences. She received her B.S. from Yale University and her Ph.D. from University of California, San Francisco. She joined the College of Science and Mathematics at Cal Poly in Fall 1996.

Dr. Keeling’s passion for helping students succeed both academically and personally is reflected in the nomination comments and her personal advising philosophy statement. In her personal statement, Dr. Keeling stated “College is an exciting and pivotal time for students, but is also a time of potential vulnerability; I believe in the importance of personal interactions and a sense of community.” Dr. Keeling also participates in various trainings on campus to better support the diverse needs of Cal Poly students. She currently serves as a BEACoN mentor, LSAMP faculty ally, and as a coach for success programs for students on academic probation.

Students and staff alike commented on her approachability, compassion, and strong commitment to student success. One student commented that “Dr. Keeling is one of the best professors that I've had in college. Not only does she want one to succeed academically, but she also wants to get to know each of her students personally.” In addition, another student commented that “she is compassionate and understanding that student's lives are more than just biology, and she always has good advice for us when we don't know what to do. She inspires her students to work hard, be organized, and achieve success.”

Dr. Jenell Navarro, 2015–2016 Award winner

Assistant Professor, Ethnic studies

Dr. Jenell Navarro is an Assistant Professor in Ethnic Studies. She received her Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from Claremont Graduate University in 2011. She joined the Ethnic Studies department in 2012.

To highlight her commitment to student success, she sees her role as a faculty advisor to “provide guidance and resources to students who are oftentimes rendered invisible by institutions of higher education. It is my goal to not only assist these students in navigating the university and their courses, but also to affirm for these students that they are scholars in their own right with significant contributions to bring to the campus.”  She fosters students’ professional growth through the Cal Poly Learn by Doing motto. The last couple of years Dr. Navarro has encouraged her students to attend the National Association of Chicana/o Studies Annual Conference, mentoring students to write their own research papers and present at future conferences.

Students commented that she has helped them “get into graduate school, encouraging us to strive for higher learning and changing the face of what our education system looks like.” In addition, another student nominator stated that a “significant number of students would not be at this institution if it was not for her work. We at this institution are privileged to have her here.”

Dr. Kristen Cardinal, 2014–2015 Award winner

Associate Professor, Biomedical & General Engineering

Dr. Kristen Cardinal is an Associate Professor in Biomedical and General Engineering. As an undergraduate alum of Cal Poly, she completed her B.S. degree in General Engineering with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering in 2003 and completed her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering in 2007 from the University of Arizona. She joined the Biomedical Engineering department at Cal Poly that same year.

Through helping her students build “real world” skills, she offers many opportunities for them through research and industrial collaboration. Her advising philosophy includes involving students with a range of backgrounds and experience levels, and recognizing students’ achievements and contributions. Dr. Cardinal has also advised Allan Hancock students in her labs over the summers.

Students commented that “she is extremely accessible, hosting ample office hours and responding promptly to each and every email.” In addition, “she is very personable and seems to really know every student she has taught.” Dr. Cardinal states that “it is a great privilege for me to get to work with so many great students through different capacities!”