Melinda Dunlap, academic advisor for the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, was awarded the Academic Advising Council's New Academic Advisor of the Year award. Applicants are nominated by their department and selections are made by AAC from a pool of nominees for overwhelming evidence of qualities and practices that include availability to students, interpersonal skills, mastery of institutional policies and procedures, appropriate referrals to resources, monitoring of student progress and goals, and ongoing partnership with colleagues and students.

Dunlap began her professional advising role in Fall 2019, coming out of her training phase just as the COVID-19 pandemic began. In addition to advising over 200 students, Dunlap assists with freshman and transfer orientation, teaching multiple sections UNIV 1001 University Perspectives and PGNL 2663, and has taken the lead of the online onboarding of the Human Development and Family Sciences program.

Dunlap's nomination packet noted that she is "a valuable asset to our college and her background combines the values of advising and teaching, which reflects her personal desire to continuously improve her methods of interaction with students." Dunlap is committed to the university's diversity, equity and inclusion values, and in "the 2020 and 2021 academic years Dunlap immersed herself in professional development that involved making our campus a more inclusive community, completing the Diversity Certificate Program at the University of Arkansas." Dunlap demonstrates a commitment to making the campus community a welcoming environment for all.

About the AAC: The Academic Advising Council serves as the advisory group for undergraduate academic advising and reports to the provost regarding all matters related to its charge. The Academic Advising Council is charged with assisting the institution to increase the academic success and retention of undergraduate students by highlighting and providing additional support to the academic advising processes.