Four Washington State University academic advisors—Robin Bond, Matthew Jeffries, Doug Juneau, and Kasey Schertenleib— have received “Outstanding Achievement in Academic Advising” awards from their local WSU Academic Advising Association (ACADA).
Awards were presented in all of the four possible categories: Bond in the organization’s faculty advisor category; Jeffries in “new advisor” for those with three or fewer years of advising experience; Juneau in “primary advising;” and Schertenleib in “administrator.”
Together these award winners advise more than 900 undergraduates each year. All have been known to show great investment in their students, going above and beyond their required duties, and working well with the faculty in their departments so that each student achieves their full potential.
Bond’s comprehensive advising
Bond was recently promoted to assistant dean of the Honors College, having taught courses and been an academic advisor there since 2007. She served as its coordinator for distinguished scholarships, identifying and recruiting applicants for nationally and internationally competitive awards. She has worked with the Honors’ thesis program and advised students on the requirement.
Bond chooses to be more than an advisor and truly mentor her students throughout their academic career. One advisee commented, “It’s people like you who make me ever more grateful for my education at WSU.” According to her nomination packet, Bond feels that being a mentor involves more than advising appointments. She seeks to be available to students at all times, even continuing to help students over breaks. Advising sometimes requires a team effort, she said, and doesn’t hesitate to refer her students to another expert when something falls outside of her expertise. According to a recommender, she is quick to recognize the potential of each and every student and gives them the support to achieve their full potential.
With a Ph.D. in classics from University of California-Los Angeles, Bond has taught numerous courses for Honors and other programs on Greek literature and culture. She has also taught Honors thesis proposal seminars and freshman introductory seminars. Since 2014, she has served as a student research mentor and judge for the Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA). She’s a member of the National Association of Fellowship Advisors (NAFA), the WSU Association of Faculty Women (AFW), and WSU ACADA, among others.
Jefferies builds students’ self-esteem
Jeffries has been an academic coordinator in the College of Education since 2014, and is an active member of WSU ACADA. He currently serves as its vice president.
Jefferies strives to learn the ins and outs of advising. According to a recommender, he’s a skilled listener who asks questions and really focuses on each student. If students are having problems, he knows how to encourage them to find a new path that’s right for them. Jeffries studies the structure of WSU and its regulations, polices, and procedures to reinforce his advising skills.
In his nomination packet, Jeffries said that he will always have more to learn, and sees professional development a key part of his job. He believes that students must be treated with respect, enthusiasm, and as young professionals. His main focus is building their self-esteem and helping them focus on career goals. He encourages students to advocate for themselves, which helps build self-confidence.
Jeffries graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Spanish; and pursued a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs at The Ohio State University. He’s currently a doctoral student at WSU.
Juneau is student centered
Juneau splits his time between two positions: academic technology coordinator in the dean’s office of the College of Arts and Sciences, and academic coordinator in the sociology department. He’s been an advisor for 10 years, a WSU ACADA member since 2008, and a member of the national advising organization, NACADA, since 2007.
He is described by a recommender as calm and deliberate. He doesn’t get overwhelmed or stressed but instead focuses in on a problem and works with students and faculty to solve it. He advocates for accurate student record keeping, which led him to be involved with the my.WSU computer system. He has helped other advisors understand the new system and worked to fix errors and processes with programmers.
As an advisor, Juneau is student centered. He encourages students even when they hit some major roadblocks. He feels his degree in comparative ethnic studies helps him as an advisor.
Schertenleib pushes students to find their passion.
Schertenleib is the student services manager for the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture. He’s served as an academic advisor for eight years and currently advises almost 80 students. A WSU alumna, he was a member of the Honors College and studied biological systems engineering. Schertenleib earned an MBA in 2001 and has worked at WSU ever since.
Engineering has influenced the way Schertenleib approaches advising. He identifies problems, barriers or obstacles that he and other advisers face and finds creative solutions. According to his nomination packet, he also identifies and solves problems that affects his students.
Schertenleib encourages them to be involved in a variety of undertakings, such as undergraduate research, study abroad, and student clubs, and to use support services such as mentoring and tutoring. Being the advisor assigned to undecided engineering students makes these activities especially important because they can help students to find their passion, according to his nomination packet. Schertenleib advocates for “flex” advisors who are trained across disciplines to work with students.
All of the awardees will be recognized at WSU Undergraduate Education award ceremony in April. WSU ACADA will support its local winners as they move their applications forward for consideration at the regional and global association levels. For more information on these and previous WSU ACADA award winners, visit: http://wsuacada.wsu.edu

MEDIA CONTACT: Brooke Whiting, WSU ACADA Awards Committee, 509-335-1219, bwhiting@wsu.edu