Mechanical Engineering undergraduate advisor, Star Sullivan, is one of the 2023 – 2024 recipients of the Jack E. Cermak Advising Award.
The award, endowed by civil engineering professor Jack E. Cermak, recognizes excellence in academic advising across CSU, and is the most prestigious award an academic advisor can receive. Sullivan joins the ranks of five CSU engineering staff and faculty to be honored with the award since 2002.
Engineering SOURCE sat down with Sullivan for a Q&A session after receiving her award to discuss her decade-long career working one-on-one with CSU students.
Q: How long have you been at CSU?
I first came to CSU in 2011 as a graduate student and received my Master of Education and Human Resource Studies, with a specialization in Counseling and Career Development. During that time, I interned in the Academic Advancement Center. After graduating in 2013, I started in the Department of Mechanical Engineering as an academic advisor.
Q: What drew you to advising, and what do you like most about it?
I think overall what drew me to advising was the opportunity to have a positive impact on students. As someone who was a first-generation student from an underrepresented population, my passion area is working with students from those groups because I can really relate to and understand the challenges and hardships that come with being one of those students.
Mechanical engineering is not an easy major, for these students especially. Often, they don’t have a lot of support at home because they’re the first in their families to go to college. My support of students takes a holistic approach, it goes beyond academics, to advocating, supporting and encouraging my students by providing them with the resources they need to be successful in our major, and ultimately, to see them through to graduation.
“That is what sets Star apart, not only her expertise but also her genuine concern for student success. Her approach to advising is student-centric, consistently prioritizing the individual needs and goals of each student. Her willingness to invest time in understanding our aspirations, challenges, and concerns has created a supportive and empowering environment. Star has been more than just an advisor; she has been a mentor and a source of inspiration” (Danelle Lazcano-Concelman, ‘20).
Q: Part of the reason you were selected for the award was for your impact on students outside of advising. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
At one point, our undergraduate students shared with our department leadership that they felt they lacked a sense of community within the department. I felt like I wanted to help create a student leadership team that would not only help cultivate community, but also help educate our students, and model, CSU’s principles of community – inclusion, integrity, respect, service, and social justice – so I created the Mechanical Engineering Executive Board.
The board hosts various events throughout the semester for students to connect with each other, as well as with department faculty and staff. They also serve as a liaison between the mechanical engineering student body and department leadership to provide feedback and input on what’s going well, what we can improve on, and what we can do to make things better for our mechanical engineering students.
Q: When you reflect back on your time in the mechanical engineering department, what are some of the highlights?
Some of the interactions I’ve had with students are some of my fondest memories from my time in the department.
I’ve had a few students who have written me letters after they’ve graduated and gotten their dream jobs at places like Lockheed Martin and NASA. They’ve shared with me that they felt so encouraged and supported because I believed in them and told them that they belonged here.
I guess at the time I didn’t realize the impact I had, but it warms my heart seeing these students going on and reaching their potential.
“As a person of color, I experienced culture shock, and I noticed that I looked different and came from different backgrounds as most of the other students in my engineering classes. My first advising meeting with Star gave me a sense of comfort, reassurance, and belonging. Star was one of the only staff members I could relate to. Every time I walked out of Star’s office, I felt more confident, empowered, and reassured that I did belong in the engineering program” (Erik Hernandez, ‘19).
Q: How does it feel to receive the Jack E. Cermak award?
The word that comes to mind is validating. This is a university-wide award, so it feels good to be recognized for the work I’ve been doing with students and the department over the past 11 years. I’m glad I’ve been able to have a positive impact on some on my students’ lives.
