Louis Scivally, student development specialist at UA Little Rock, has been named the 2021-22 Outstanding Academic Advisor of the Year by the Arkansas Academic Advising Network (ArkAAN).

“I am very excited to win the award,” Scivally said. “I really want to say that advising and student support intertwines. It’s not just me. I make sure the students know about all the helpful resources on campus. I work with a team of great individuals who are devoted to student success!”

Scivally was selected from a wide array of nominees from different institutions across the state. To honor his commitment to the profession, the ArkAAN Executive Board awarded Scivally with a free professional membership to the organization for the 2022-23 year.

“I’ve been able to keep in touch with Louis for different things over the years, through email or visiting at conferences, or sharing ideas on best practices,” said Danielle Jolie, president of ArkAAN. “He has always been an amazing colleague for me to bounce ideas off of, and I truly value the skills, personability, and advocacy he brings to the advising profession. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award than Louis.”

Scivally earned a Bachelor of Science in printing management and a Master of Science in college student personnel services from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He is currently an advisor in the Donaghey College of Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics, where he advises around 250 students at a time.

“The words that appear most often in his student evaluations are ‘helpful,’ ‘kind,’ and ‘informative,’ and I couldn’t agree more,” said Erin Flowers, director of student services for the Donaghey College of STEM. “Louis always goes above and beyond. He is incredibly knowledgeable and, if he doesn’t know an answer, he will find it! Because of this, he is always learning and he shares what he learns with the students he advises and his colleagues.”

He began his UA Little Rock career in 2012 and has worked as a recruitment coordinator in the Office of Admissions as well as an advisor for the former College of Business, the former College of Social Sciences and Communication, and the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education before joining the Donaghey College of STEM. In 2019, he was honored as the inaugural winner of the Trojan Outstanding Academic Advisor Award.

As an academic advisor, Scivally said his strengths come from working with each student to come up with an individualized plan for their college career and professional goals.

“When I started advising, my boss told me to really work and realize not everyone advises the same. Some students are completely different. You have to assess a student and figure out their needs,” Scivally said. “The most important thing I advise for my students is to have a plan and a backup plan because a lot of students change their majors during college. You can’t always plan for the future, but you can have backup plans ready.”