2013 Dean's Office Award for Advising Excellence

The Dean's Office Award for Advising Excellence was established in 1994 to recognize a faculty member who has achieved distinction as an effective, caring mentor for students progressing through one of our programs. The award consists of a plaque and a cash award. When students file to graduate, they are asked to complete an evaluation of the advising they have received during their academic career, and to nominate their advisor for this award, if they so wish.

This year's recipient of the Dean's Award for Advising Excellence has consistently received the highest of praise from advisees. Those who submitted nominations for this award were unanimous in commenting on this advisor's helpfulness and knowledge.

This year's recipient of the Dean's Office Award for Advising Excellence is Dr. Anna Bess Sorin of the Department of Biological Sciences.

After completing her Ph.D. in Biology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2002, Dr. Sorin came to the University of Memphis for a Post-Doctoral Position in the Department of Biology. She then was appointed as Visiting Assistant Professor and now holds the title of Instructor /Coordinator.

During her 10 years at the University, Dr. Sorin has been awarded for both her Teaching and Advising; receiving the Thomas W. Briggs Excellence in Teaching Award, the Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award, the Alumni Association Distinguished Advising Award, and now the College of Arts & Sciences Dean's Award for Advising.

She continues to teach highly popular non-majors Biology courses while also serving as Director of the Biology Advising and Resource Center (BARC), which she helped create as a year round location where future and current students have access to degree information, advising, and career planning.