Departmental News
Waks Receives Advisor of the Year Award
Director of Undergraduate Studies and Senior Lecturer Leah Waks has been named the recipient of the 2007-08 Provost's Faculty Academic Advisor of the Year Award.
Recipients of this prestigious award must possess several attributes: availability; communication skills; mastery of university policies and procedures; ability to engage in, promote, and
support developmental advising; student advocacy; dependability; collaboration; innovation; and
dedication. The award, which includes a $1,000 prize, will be presented by UM Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Nariman Farvardin at the annual advising conference in August.
Waks has taught in the Department of Communication since 1995 and has directed the undergraduate studies program since 1998. In addition to her many responsibilities as the undergraduate program director, Waks maintains an active research program, as she studies the interplay of cognitions, attitudes, and emotions in conflict creation and conflict management in organizations and groups. Her current research includes studying the influence of media messages on individuals' attitudes and political decisions and her publications have appeared in the Journal of Communication, the Howard Journal of Communications, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, and elsewhere. Waks holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
