The UGA Career Center has presented Mark Huber, a senior lecturer in the Terry College of Business, with the 2019 Lee Anne Seawell Faculty Recognition Award for his efforts to enhance student career development on campus.
The award is presented annually to a faculty member who has had a significant influence on student career development based on student feedback. The award was endowed by the late Lee Anne Seawell, who joined UGA in 1947 as one of the university’s first female administrators. She worked in career services and student financial aid until her retirement in 1987.
Huber said listening is key to helping students identify their career opportunities and allows him to address students’ fears and biases surrounding certain career paths.
“I listen to what students are saying—their hopes, desires and fears,” Huber said. “I try to help them explore opportunities, provide them with resources and make sure they find the best fit.”
Huber’s 20 years at UGA in management information systems has exposed him to presentations from numerous companies and alumni, resulting in a network that lets him connect opportunities to students’ career interests. For example, he teaches a security class and invites companies to evaluate weekly student presentations. As a result, those companies have hired students directly from that class. Huber also said that he considers advising students as a part of leadership—something he values as a 21-year Air Force veteran and former director of Terry’s Institute for Leadership Advancement.
“Leadership development has always been important to me. I love teaching, and mentoring just seemed like a natural extension of it,” he said. “It’s not just me, however, it’s the whole MIS department. My colleagues are great resources, and it’s easy when the whole department supports that mission.”
The Seawell Award recipient is selected based on student feedback gathered in the university’s annual Career Outcomes Survey. The survey provides insight into the employment and continuing education status of UGA graduates within an average of six months of their graduation date. While completing the survey, recent graduates are given the opportunity to identify faculty members who have positively influenced their career paths.
This year, more than 1,195 staff and faculty members were nominated, showing the commitment of individuals across campus to support students during their career development journey.