Please join us to say farewell to Meagon Clarkson-Guyll and celebrate her nearly 12 years of service to the U of A and Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

The campus community is invited to celebrate Clarkson-Guyll's achievements and to wish her well during a drop-in reception from 2:30-4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, in the Fulbright College Office of Academic Services in the Cordia Harrington Center for Excellence (CORD) 324.

"It is with excitement and sadness that we look forward to celebrating Meagon," said Jill Geisler Wheeler, the college's director of Honors and Experiential Learning. "The best person is leaving the U of A after so many years of service to the best college on campus. Meagon has been snatched away from us by the amazing folks at Georgia Southern, and we are incredibly proud of her and happy for her, though we will miss her terribly, too."

Clarkson-Guyll started her career at the U of A in 2012 in the Fulbright College Advising Center, where Wheeler said she has worked tirelessly to help better the lives of countless U of A students.

In addition to being Fulbright College's director of academic programs, where she advises students and helps them reach their full academic potential, Clarkson-Guyll has served as an instructor in the Department of English for several years and most recently taught honors business communication in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

She also holds four degrees as a U of A alumna, earning B.A.s in both psychology and English, her M.Ed. in higher education and her Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition.

"But few know that I am a third generation Razorback and how much comfort and motivation I found in crossing my mother's and grandfather's names on the sidewalks in front of Old Main over the years," Clarkson-Guyll said.

"As a former student and current employee, I have benefited from the expertise and mentorship of our faculty and staff, and I have had the privilege of working with incredibly talented, creative and engaged students in the arts and sciences. I am excited to begin my new role, but it is hard to say goodbye to my home on the Hill," she added.

Clarkson-Guyll's next steps are taking her to Georgia Southern University, where she has been named director of advising and will oversee advising services across three of its campuses that are designed to facilitate student success from admission to graduation by promoting "academic excellence and empower[ing] students to develop and implement sound educational plans that are consistent with their personal values, goals, and career plans."

Karen Hodges, lecturer in the Graduate School and International Education and long-time colleague of Clarkson-Guyll, said she was both happy and sad to hear about Clarkson-Guyll's new opportunity.

"And then since I am fond of Meagon, I pulled up a map of Georgia to see where the three campuses are in relation to each other, and I was astonished to see that two are separated by 50 miles," Hodges said. "Fortunately, Meagon is efficient and makes good use of her time and, of course, is computer-savvy. More importantly, perhaps, for her new staff and students, she is always people focused. 'How can I help?' she would often ask me."

"There is a line from the Georgia Southern alma mater that reads 'on Eagle's Wings you soar,'" Hodges added. "Meagon will soar in her new position!"

Likewise, Professor Emeritus David Jolliffe, who directed Clarkson-Guyll's dissertation, said, "Meagon has a strong sense of how universities work and how different units in the university can collaborate to improve student success. She'll be a valuable colleague in her new position."

Associate Professor Emeritus Joel S. Freund agreed, adding that "it was a pleasure to work with her and watch as she developed and honed her skills in both advising and administration. I wish her the best in her new position, but I will really miss our lunches together." 

"Saying goodbye to a valued colleague is hard; saying goodbye to a dear friend is even harder. Meagon is both to many people, me included," said Teresa Scott, Fulbright College's director of advising. "Meagon has been an integral part of the Fulbright Advising Center, and we are a much better and stronger office because of her 12-year tenure with us."

“Meagon leaves an indelible mark on each individual she works with because they know she genuinely cares about them and their success,” Scott added. “She is a brilliant colleague who will be missed immensely; however, I am wholly confident she will flourish and have great success in the next chapter of her journey, and I wish her all the best.”

Shane Barker, Fulbright College’s assistant dean for academics, echoed those sentiments and said that “Meagon has been a central leader in our office for over a decade and has influenced every part of our day-to-day operations. We are all so excited for her to take on this new challenge, but she will be greatly missed!”

Clarkson-Guyll’s last day at the U of A will be Thursday, Feb. 29.