Texas A&M University Advisors and Counselors recently awarded Chris Cantrell, Senior Academic Advisor for general engineering program students, the New Advisor Award.
The award recognizes novice professional advising staff who embody the spirit of caring, compassionate, skillful advisement and genuine concern for the welfare of individual students. Cantrell fulfills each of these qualifications.
Cantrell, who graduated from Texas A&M in 1992, began working as a general engineering adviser in June 2015. He previously served as an instructor and adviser for the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) Detachment at the university.
“I wanted to continue working with college students after I completed my assignment as an AFROTC instructor and adviser,” Cantrell said.
As a general engineering adviser for Engineering Academic and Student
Affairs (EASA), Cantrell helps recent high school graduates navigate their first year of college while also assisting them during the Entry-to-a-Major process.
“The academic advising job with EASA was a perfect fit to enable me to continue pursuing my passion of helping students,” he said.
Brittaney Bartley, sophomore engineering student, said Cantrell helped her exponentially.
“Mr. Cantrell is always there to help answer questions and give advice,” she said. “From day one, he has always expressed interest in knowing me as a person rather than just by my UIN. This has helped him to advise me in the best way possible instead of giving me a generic answer.”
Dr. Valerie Taylor, senior associate dean for academic affairs, said Cantrell has been a great asset to EASA.
“Mr. Cantrell demonstrates his dedication to helping engineering students daily,” Taylor said. “He goes out of his way to make sure recent high school graduates transition effectively to the rigors of the engineering program by helping them with the selection of courses, identifying needed resources, and getting engaged with the college of engineering.
“When it comes time for our students to select a major, he is very conscientious about informing engineering students about the Entry-to-a-Major process. Mr. Cantrell is an excellent adviser and very much deserving of this prestigious award.”
Cantrell said he is humbled and grateful to have been selected for the award.
“I could not have accomplished anything during the past year without the tremendous help and support from the remarkable team of EASA Academic Advisors,” he said.