February 16, 2012
Undergraduate Coordinator and Advisor Sarah Kitten is a 2012 recipient of the Texas Exes James W. Vick Award for Academic Advising. The award seeks to recognize individuals who improve students’ overall experience at The University of Texas at Austin through superior advising.
Kitten received notice of the award when Associate Undergraduate Advisor Jessica Kramm told her that she needed to go to a meeting with prospective donors. She walked to the entry way of the WRW administrative offices and was greeted by students from Texes Exes with balloons and a certificate.
“Everyone in the office was in on the secret except me,” Kitten said. “It was the first class day so it was a great way to start the semester.”
Kitten has a strong track record as an academic advisor. During the course of her ten-year academic advising career, six of which have been in the Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Department, Kitten has won an array of awards.
During her time in the College of Liberal Arts, she was a recipient of the 2005 Outstanding New Advisor Award from the National Academic Advising Association. In addition, she won the ASE/EM Department Staff Excellence award in 2007 and received the Cockrell School of Engineering Staff Excellence Award in 2010.
However, receiving the Texas Exes award was a different feeling for Kitten. Unlike other awards that were faculty or staff nominated, this award was solely student nominated. Kitten was not just nominated by one student, but many.
“They wouldn’t tell me who nominated me,” Kitten said. “But each student that nominated me will be invited to the award ceremony so I’m hoping to see who they are!”
Kitten is a jack of all trades in the department. In addition to advising, she creates both the undergraduate and graduate course schedules, is a member of the curriculum committee, handles undergraduate scholarships and major sequence applications, promotes and recruits for study abroad programs, facilitates a first-year interest group (FIG) and leads the LUNAR Advisory Council.
Her trick to getting all of her administrative duties completed and still meeting the needs of all her students is simple.
“It’s all about time management,” Kitten said. “I do most of my administrative work in the morning while students are still asleep. I advise in the afternoon when they wake up. That’s the secret to getting it done – working before people wake up.”
After advising for ten years, Kitten is still extremely passionate about her job.
“I like helping people and I enjoy my job,” Kitten said. “It’s almost like a motherly position… they’re like my children. It’s awesome to see progression and completion – just being able to see someone grow from the first day of orientation all the way through graduation. I didn’t have that connection in Liberal Arts since there were 13,000 students. Here, it’s relatively small and I get to build relationships. I’m so proud of my students.”
Kitten will be honored at an awards ceremony this March and receive a $500 award.
