BOONE, N.C. — Congratulations to Dr. Brooke Christian '05, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences, on receiving the 2021-2022 Excellence in Academic Advising Award!
The Excellence in Academic Advising Awards were established in 2019 by the Undergraduate Advising Council (URC), a group of App State advisors that recommends and promotes best practices for academic advising that are well organized, comprehensive and consistent across every college. The awards are presented annually to one faculty member and one staff member who exemplify excellence in academic advising. The awards are intended to be peer-nominated, but students are invited to submit supplemental nomination letters.
In their nomination letter, a colleague described Christian's eligibility for the Excellence in Academic Advising Award: "Brooke effectively, accurately, and often strategically helps her advisees navigate the Appalachian State curriculum while also helping them view their education as an essential part of their professional development...Brooke’s enthusiasm for helping students get the correct academic plan has also spilled over into her work in our department to develop new biochemistry courses so our majors, minors and students from other departments get the biochemical education most relevant to their academic plan. Her development of these courses grew out of her understanding of the limitations of our curriculum from her work as an advisor. Brooke does all of this work with a caring attitude for our students and represents how I think all of our advisors should support our students."
Christian is an alumna of the College of Arts and Sciences. After graduating with her B.S. in Chemistry from App State, Christian went on to earn her Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She returned to App State in 2015 as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences following a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine. Christian teaches courses in biochemistry and research methods, conducts research on cellular stress induced by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and advises chemistry and fermentation sciences majors.
In their nomination letter, one of Christian's advisees explained: "Every semester, Dr. Christian showed a great understanding of what each of her advisees needed at every step of their academic career. She is excellent at keeping students on track for graduation...She has always been in my corner and has pushed me to do my best each semester despite a rigorous but rewarding semester."
Another advisee said: "I changed my major at the end of my sophomore year and added another major my junior year, and her planning allowed me to graduate within a reasonable amount of time. She was always able to answer my questions easily and accurately, and I never worried about whether I was taking the right classes or if I had the right schedule. She is also the one that recommended I get involved in research, which has allowed me to get into some of the best graduate chemistry programs in the country."
Award recipients receive a plaque and $500 stipend and are eligible to receive the award again three years after winning. To learn more about the URC's Excellence in Academic Advising Awards, visit uac.appstate.edu/advising-awards.
###
About the A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences
The A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences offers a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry, a Bachelor of Science in chemistry with eight different concentrations and an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science degree in fermentation sciences. The department’s programs prepare students to attend graduate and professional schools, as well as for employment in the pharmaceutical and fermentation industries and other business sectors. Learn more at https://chemistry.appstate.edu.
By Lauren Andersen
November 14, 2022
BOONE, N.C.
Dr. Brooke Christian '05
Dr. Brooke Christian '05