Health Educator Receives National Advising Award

Richard Narad, Department of Health and Community Services, California State University, Chico, has been selected to receive an Outstanding Advising Award at the 2004 National Academic Advising Association meeting.

Narad received the Outstanding Adviser Award from CSU, Chico and was nominated for the national award by Spence Bolich, director of the Academic Advising Programs.

The award is given in recognition of demonstrated abilities as an outstanding adviser in nationwide competition. Narad received the award in the Faculty Academic Advising category, which includes professors whose primary responsibility is teaching who spend a portion of their time providing academic advising services to students.

Narad has been at CSU, Chico since 1990. In 1991, he was chosen as coordinator of the Health Services Administration Option within Health Science. With that role came the advising of students in the option and minor. In addition to his advising duties, Narad also supervises students in their internships and keeps contact with alumni. He initiated the student chapter of American College of Health Executives on campus and has been its adviser since its inception.

Over and above the advising he has given to countless students in the last 12 years, the last three without release time, Narad developed two- and four-year plans for the department long before it was initiated at the university level. He also developed a personalized grid that he uses in his advising sessions for individuals who do not fit the four-year plan. He calls it the "automated advising system," and it is an individualized plan for graduation.

Narad developed the department's Web page to provide easy access to advising materials, including a page on Web links for health career searches, legislation, documents, and professional organizations.

Narad will receive the award at the NACADA conference in Cincinnati, Ohio next October. In addition to being honored at a special awards reception, the recipients will be recognized during the plenary sessions of the conference.

Contact:
Kathleen McPartland, 530-898-4260; Spence Bolich, Academic Advising, 530-898-5712