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Mathew Chetnik
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First Year Experience is honored to announce the recipients of the 2025-2026 Outstanding First Year Advocate Award.
The Outstanding First Year Advocate Award recognizes faculty, staff, and student leaders who have made significant contributions to the academic and/or personal lives of first year students. The award allows the community to recognize individuals who have demonstrated a specific commitment to and impact on first year student learning, development and success.
This year’s recipients are faculty members Esme Allen (Theatre and speech communication) and Christopher Collins (School of Social Work); staff members Suzanne Yakes (College of Arts and Sciences) and Samantha Knox (veterans’ affairs) and student leaders Prabh Dalla (First Year Experience) and Lizzie Moccia (residence life).
This is the 14th year that First Year Experience has recognized members of the campus community for their exceptional contributions to student transition and persistence. Recipients are recognized at Convocation in the fall, and have their names engraved in a plaque outside of the First Year Experience office.
A special thank you to past recipients, Maura Murray (mathematics), Christine MacTaylor (chemistry and physics), Ashleyne Alexis and Mackenzie Cook (Center for Academic Excellence), Anne Collins (marketing), and Susan Berube (student wellness CARE) who served as members of the selection committee this year. Exceptional nominations were submitted, primarily from students themselves, which made the decision extremely challenging.
First Year Experience is committed to supporting first-year students and laying the foundation for student success in academic, intellectual, social, and civic endeavors.