Caption: David B. Spight (center) poses with NACADA Executive Director Kyle Ross (left) and 2023-2024 NACADA President Zoranna Jones (right).
We at the Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning (OVPTL) and Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) are pleased to announce that David B. Spight, Director of the UC Irvine Undergraduate/Undeclared Advising Program, has received the 2024 Bobbie Flaherty Service to NACADA Award. We invite the campus community to join us as we congratulate David on this incredible honor and thank him for his contributions to UC Irvine.
About NACADA and the Bobbie Flaherty Service to NACADA Award
NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising is the premier association for student success through academic advising in higher education. Since 1983, NACADA has honored the individuals and institutions making significant contributions to the improvement of academic advising. The goal of NACADA is to promote quality academic advising and the professional development of its membership to enhance student educational development. Today, NACADA’s membership has grown to over 14,000 faculty, professional advisors, administrators, counselors, and others in academic and student affairs concerned with the intellectual, personal, and vocational needs of students.
Presented at this year’s NACADA annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Bobbie Flaherty Service to NACADA Award recognizes a member for outstanding service to the organization. This award is fondly named after NACADA’s first Executive Director, Bobbie Flaherty, whose work still shines brightly within the organization. Nominees for this distinguished award often have a long history of involvement in the organization and have made a significant impact on aspects of NACADA’s development.
About David B. Spight
Caption: David (right) poses with fellow award winner Rebecca Hapes (left).
David’s receipt of this award recognizes his significant contributions to NACADA over the 23 years of his membership as well as his meaningful impact to the academic advising space through his professional leadership, scholarly research, and commitment to excellence. During his 25-year career, David has held leadership positions in academic advising at Colorado State University, the University of Texas at Austin, UC Davis, and Cal State Fullerton before landing at his current role at UC Irvine. David has and continues to proudly serve students, offering encouragement and guidance to support their success at the university level and beyond.
David is also dedicated to advancing scholarship in the field of academic advising. His extensive work has featured in numerous publications, including the NACADA Review: Academic Advising Praxis and Perspectives, the NACADA Journal, and Academic Advising Today, and more. Additionally, David lends his expertise as a reviewer for the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice and as an editorial board member for the Research in Brief section of the Journal of College Student Development.
When asked what receiving the Bobbie Flaherty Service to NACADA Award meant to him, David said:
“I have been blessed to work in advising for over 20 years, and I love that I get to come to work each day and work toward making the student experience better. I love serving our profession, supporting others in our collective work, and watching students go from being new students to graduates and changemakers. I don’t do this work to be recognized, but to be given this award named for such an important person to our field—one who served our profession without need for recognition herself—I am so deeply honored.”
Words of Support and Congratulations
As part of the award nomination process, David received several letters of support written by his colleagues, including one from Michelle Khine, UC Irvine Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education and Professor of Biomedical Engineering. In her letter, she wrote:
“As Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at UC Irvine, it is a privilege to work closely with David. I regularly witness David’s leadership, his unwavering dedication to students and advisors alike, and his tirelessness to improve upon student advising continually. Dr. David Spight’s exceptional record of service, scholarship, and leadership exemplifies the values and goals of NACADA. His dedication to advancing the field of academic advising and supporting the professional development of advisors makes him a deserving candidate for the NACADA Service Award.”
Michael Dennin, Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, Dean of Undergraduate Education, and Professor of Physics and Astronomy, was happy to congratulate David:
“I’m thrilled that David has been recognized by an organization that he has devoted so much to throughout his career. Anyone who has had the privilege of working with David knows how passionate he is about the field of advising, and I’m happy he’s being celebrated for his commitment. I’d like to congratulate David for this incredible accomplishment and thank him for his contributions that undoubtedly make UC Irvine a better place to learn and grow.”
Once again, we invite the OVPTL, DUE, and wider UC Irvine community to congratulate David on his much-deserved honor. To learn more about David and the UC Irvine Undergraduate/Undeclared Advising Program, visit the program website.