Alyssa Brigham, academic advisor III in the Department of Statistics at Texas A&M University, has been selected as one of five campus-wide recipients of the 2020 President’s Award for Academic Advising.
Established in 2004, the awards recognize outstanding individuals who exemplify the qualities and practices of exceptional academic advising and service to students. Brigham and her fellow recipients each were recognized with a $2,000 award and a plaque, jointly presented earlier this week by Texas A&M Office of Student Success and University Advisors and Counselors leadership via a doorstep ceremony complete with honking car parade as a replacement for the traditional University Advisors and Counselors Awards Breakfast that was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brigham has served the past three years as the full-time advisor for the undergraduate program in Texas A&M Statistics and since January 2020 as the director of student retention in the College of Science. In addition to assisting statistics majors in planning their academic direction and developing career and educational goals, she coordinates both the Statistics Scholars learning community and Texas A&M’s Hullabaloo U first year experience course for all students across Texas A&M Science. Brigham also manages the college’s peer mentoring program, creating related curriculum for training and development as well as Hullabaloo U content for the broader university, and is a member of multiple college and university committees focused on student success.
“It is evident that advising is more than a job for Alyssa; it’s a passion,” said Dr. Alan Dabney, associate professor and associate head for teaching excellence in Texas A&M Statistics, as well as one of the co-founders of the statistics undergraduate program. “She genuinely wants to make a difference in the lives of her advisees, and she is persistent in the care and dedication that she offers them. Students frequently visit her with both professional and personal questions, and she never appears to tire of dealing with her students. We in Statistics are lucky to have Alyssa on our team.”
Brigham earned a bachelor of science in business administration from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, her middle grades teaching licensure in mathematics and science from East Carolina University and a master’s of education in higher education administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She currently is pursuing a master’s in educational human resource development with an emphasis in adult education at Texas A&M, along with a certificate in college teaching.
“As a Teach for America alum and an academic advisor in Texas A&M Statistics, Alyssa has worked in multiple educational environments with diverse populations and historically underserved student groups,” said Dr. Valen E. Johnson, distinguished professor of statistics and dean of the College of Science. “She is a first-generation student and incredibly passionate about lifelong learning. This is a great honor for her and for Texas A&M Statistics and the College of Science. We are fortunate indeed to have her expertise, energy and enthusiasm here at Texas A&M University.”
Brigham is the seventh individual from Texas A&M Science to earn the prestigious accolade, joining Dr. Timothy P. Scott, associate provost for academic affairs and student success and former associate dean for undergraduate programs in the College of Science (2005), the Department of Biology’s Christine Farris (2009) and Vanessa Nordell (2014), the Department of Physics and Astronomy’s Sandi Smith (2009) and Sherree Kessler ’99 (2016) and the Department of Chemistry’s Holly C. Gaede (2013).
“Alyssa not only has the experience as a first-generation student and the training with an education master’s degree with specialization in enhancing student success, she also is personally passionate about every student she works with,” said Dr. Daren B.H. Cline, professor and interim head of Texas A&M Statistics. “Her positive and motivating interactions with students of all backgrounds and abilities are what sets her apart as an outstanding advisor.”
To learn more about the President’s Award for Academic Advising and additional advising award recipients for both 2020 and past years, visit the University Advisors and Counselors website.
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Contact: Shana K. Hutchins, (979) 862-1237 or shutchins@science.tamu.edu
