ISE student services coordinator awarded Outstanding New Advisor

Published: Apr 4, 2022 2:15 PM

By Carla Nelson

Branden Farmer, student services coordinator for the Auburn University Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, was recently recognized with the Outstanding New Advisor award during the 2022 Provost Advising Awards Ceremony on March 24.

Farmer joined the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in 2020 and serves as the primary academic advisor for more than 300 students. During his time with the department, Farmer has worked to ensure the students have the best chance for academic success by creating a new Canvas site to help students navigate complicated curricular requirements and gain information about internship, co-op and study abroad opportunities. He also refined and updated the graduating senior survey to gather better feedback about the student experience and designed a new academic advising survey for all students.

“I went into higher education to work with students and help ensure their college experience puts them on the path to a better life while growing them into the person they want to be,” Farmer said. “This award lets me know I am headed in the right direction.”

Janet Moore, assistant dean and director of student services in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, nominated Farmer for the award.

“Branden’s contributions to the advising community can already be seen in his service both at the university and the college level, but if there were only one reason to nominate Branden for this award it would be his individual contributions to the success of his students and how he makes students feel,” Moore wrote in her nomination letter. “One consistent theme in student survey responses and conversations I have had with Branden’s students is that he is always positive, friendly and genuinely cares. There are many ways to improve advising tasks and processes, but there is nothing that can replace how an advisor makes a student feel.”

Layla Araiinejad, a senior studying industrial and systems engineering, is one of the many students Farmer has helped succeed.

“I have always valued and trusted his opinion because it is obvious that he cares about my success,” Araiinejad said. “He is a light in the industrial and systems engineering department, and the College of Engineering, as well as the ISE department, is lucky to have him.”

LuAnn Carpenter, director of student program assessment and administration for the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, said it would be hard for her to imagine how anyone else could win this award over Farmer.

“Branden quickly became an integral part of our administrative team in the Department of lndustrial and Systems Engineering,” she said. “He is a valued partner for me and others and is always supportive and willing to go the extra mile for whatever needs to be done.”

Media Contact: Carla Nelson, cmn0023@auburn.edu, 334-844-1404
Branden Farmer, student services coordinator for the Auburn University Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, was recently recognized with the Outstanding New Advisor award. He is pictured with Janet Moore, assistant dean and director of student services in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, who nominated Farmer for the award.

Branden Farmer, student services coordinator for the Auburn University Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, was recently recognized with the Outstanding New Advisor award. He is pictured with Janet Moore, assistant dean and director of student services in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, who nominated Farmer for the award.

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