Nicole Young, a beloved advisor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), has won the Undergraduate Professional Advisor of the Year for the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.
The manager for ECE’s Academic Support Services, Young was nominated because of her dedication to holistic, student‑centered advising and her innovative initiatives, including rebooting the sophomore town‑hall meetings after the pandemic, creating a welcoming venue for first‑ and second‑year students to connect with advisors and peers, noted ECE Chair Mark Tehranipoor.
Among other things, she organized open-group advising sessions for Spring 2025 advance registration, partnered with a CISE advisor to run pop-up Career Connections sessions at the UF Career Showcase and collaborated on a video overview of the Electrical Engineering major that is now embedded in the EEL3000 introductory course.
“Nicole consistently delivers innovative programs, demonstrates measurable improvements in student retention and satisfaction, and operates exclusively in a professional advising,” Tehranipoor said.
Students agree.
“Ms. Young has been a crucial source of guidance, not only academically — through schedule planning, course selection and long-term academic strategy — but also in addressing the mental and emotional aspects of student life. She understands that success in college extends beyond the classroom, and she always makes herself available to offer support, encouragement and perspective,” noted student Joseph Tebou in a letter of support.