Erica Byrnes named UF Advisor of the Year

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Erica Byrnes, the Associate Director for Academic Advising & Career Coaching at the School of Business, was named University of Florida Advisor of the Year.

Erica Byrnes

Byrnes

“Erica is truly an outstanding academic advisor/career coach, and has had a tremendous impact on the hundreds of students with whom she’s interacted during the past year,” said Dr. Brian Ray, Associate Dean and Director of the School of Business. “In addition to her outstanding work with students, she has also served as an extremely effective mentor of new advising professionals.”

Byrnes is tasked with ensuring the academic advising at the School of Business is highly effective, efficient and meets the needs of students. She supervises seven academic advisors and a program assistant counseling the School of Business’ 2,500 undergraduate students on academic and professional development issues. She is also an instructor for Warrington Welcome, a course for incoming freshmen, and is a mentor for Warrington Welcome Peer Leaders. Byrnes has been recognized by NACADA (National Academic Advising Association) with its Region 4 Excellence in Advising Administration award (2012) and as an Emerging Leader (2007-09). She was named the Warrington College of Business Administration’s Advisor of the Year in 2012.

“Erica’s impact as a student services professional goes far beyond the traditional role of academic advisor,” Dr. Ray said. “When serving as an advisor for a student organization, without exception that group prospers. Additionally, the students she has trained for leadership positions in student organizations have been ‘game changers’ for the College in terms of student outreach and motivation.”

Byrnes is the third advisor from the School of Business to be named UF Advisor of the Year in the past five years and fourth in the past 10 years Academic Advisor and Career Coach Derek Guffin earned the honor last year, Kari Ward, now an Assistant Director for the School of Business’ Online Business Program, received the award in 2008 and former advisor Megan Silbert garnered the award in 2003.

At the School of Business, Byrnes has held the positions of Graduate Assistant and Academic Advisor before becoming the Associate Director for Academic Advising & Career Coaching in 2006. She earned a BS in Psychology and a BA in Philosophy from the University of Florida in 2002, and a Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.) and Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degrees from UF in 2005.