Marsha Wissink

College of Human Sciences
Established to recognize outstanding performance as an undergraduate academic advisor.

 

Marsha Wissink

Academic Advisor

Kinesiology

 

Outstanding Advisor Award

 

Marsha Wissink has made students’ success – academic and otherwise – her mission. As one nominator remarked, “She not only offers sound advice, but serves students with dedication, compassion, and respect.” 

The responsibilities of Wissink, who received both her master’s degree and an academic advising position from the Department of Kinesiology in 2002, are as numerous as they are diverse. She provides career and scholastic guidance to the 250 to 300 transfer and physical education licensure students she advises each year, and helps them expand their Iowa State experience through study abroad opportunities, club involvement, and internships.

Wissink also reviews transfer credit evaluations, attends University Teacher Education Committee meetings, and implements State of Iowa teacher education curriculum requirement changes. In addition, she teaches a kinesiology orientation course – a web-delivered version of which she is currently developing – to transfer and change-of-major students.

The personal attention she gives to students is what truly sets Wissink apart. As one past advisee observed, “I see Marsha’s ability to connect with her students as truly superior. She shows a sincere interest in, and concern for, her students beyond their academic careers.” Recalling a very difficult time in her undergraduate career, she remarked that “Marsha took me under her wing and offered me the support I needed to persevere.”

Such a comment should come as no surprise given Wissink’s personal philosophy of advising. As she once wrote, “It is absolutely vital to keep students at the center and not forget why we are advising.”