BOONE, N.C. — Congratulations to Amy Hudnall, senior lecturer in Appalachian State University's Department of History and Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and interim director of the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies (CJHPS), on receiving the 2022-2023 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, one administrator shared, "Amy is very organized and uses her administrative skills to make advising 'user friendly' for our students. An example of this is her creation of the Hudnall Advising site on ASULearn Projects. It is a model of how students can keep up with the many moving parts in today's world of college advising. Students frequently comment on Amy's compassion and care for them. She keeps up with the minutia and looks for the best scenario and solution for each student. These programs are among the most advisor-intensive in the history department with specific career concentration sheets that need constant upgrading and rethinking as curriculum across the university changes."
A faculty member wrote, "Amy shows her care for advisees in her interactions with them, but also she spends time thinking about ways she can help them develop. Her training is not in applied and public history but in the last few years, she has taken it upon herself to learn more about the field so that she can help advisees...Amy takes care to be up-to-date on university policies as well as exploring methods of teaching and mentoring. She takes optional training, and also has made time in her position with CJHPS to share resources and arrange webinars with speakers who work in both JHPS and public history to reach a maximum of students with special opportunities to hear from folks in the field."
The faculty member also shared a recent encounter with a history student during advising: "Otherwise unprompted by me, the student interjected to gush about how much they appreciated Ms. Hudnall and love having her as an advisor. There's no higher praise than that from our students, and this is one example of the many times students have shared with me how helpful Amy has been to them."
Hudnall is an alumna of the Appalachian State College of Arts and Sciences, earning a bachelor's degree in German studies and bachelor's and master's degrees in history. The recipient of the 2015 Wayne D. Duncan Faculty Enrichment and Teaching Fellowship for Outstanding Teaching in General Education, Amy holds a dual appointment as a senior lecturer in the Department of History and the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies (Global Studies). Hudnall has been affiliated with CJHPS since its inception more than two decades ago and has served as interim director since July 2022.
Hudnall's work focuses on key aspects of genocide, in particular trauma theory, perpetrators and cross-cultural conflict. She is a member of the Global Advisory Board for Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies and has written numerous articles and book chapters, as well as presented at multiple venues around the world. Additionally, Hudnall has served on numerous nonprofit boards and was the executive director of the nonprofit horse rescue, Horse Helpers of the High Country, for 17 years.
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.
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About the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies
Appalachian State University’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies was founded in 2002 to develop new educational opportunities for students, teachers and the community. Located administratively within the College of Arts and Sciences, the center seeks to strengthen tolerance, understanding and remembrance by increasing the knowledge of Jewish culture and history, teaching the history and meaning of the Holocaust, and utilizing these experiences to explore peaceful avenues for human improvement and the prevention of further genocides. The Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies is an associate institutional member of the Association of Jewish Studies, a member of the Association of Holocaust Organizations and a member of the North Carolina Consortium of Jewish Studies. Learn more at https://holocaust.appstate.edu.
About the Department of History
The Department of History offers a broad curriculum in local, national, regional and world history at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, which encourages history majors to develop a comprehensive approach to human problems. The study of history is an essential part of a liberal arts education and offers valuable preparation for many careers, such as law, journalism, public history, public service and business, as well as in teaching and the advanced discipline of history. Learn more at https://history.appstate.edu.
About the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in four program areas: Appalachian studies; gender, women’s and sexuality studies; global studies; and interdisciplinary studies. The department is also home to Watauga Residential College, an interdisciplinary, alternative general education program. The department promotes creative and imaginative engagement through a cross-disciplinary investigation of complex systems and problems. Learn more at https://interdisciplinary.appstate.edu.
About University College
Formed in 2007, University College consists of the university’s general education program, faculty and student support, and co-curricular programming and support – all designed to support the work of students both inside and outside the classroom. All students at Appalachian begin their education in University College and benefit from its programs until they graduate. Learn more at https://universitycollege.appstate.edu.
By Lauren Andersen
November 13, 2023
BOONE, N.C.
Amy Hudnall, senior lecturer in Appalachian State University's Department of History and Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and interim director of the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies
Amy Hudnall, senior lecturer in Appalachian State University's Department of History and Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and interim director of the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies