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Rebecca Hapes' Profile

Academic Advising Office

 

 

Hapes Receives President's Award for Academic Advising

The advice you give to a person can be very invaluable -- especially if it involves someone's college career.

Ms. Rebecca Hapes knows all too well the value of her guidance and keeps the individual’s interests to heart as she advises her students.

Hapes received the distinguished President's Award for Academic Advising during the Texas A&M University Advisors and Counselors' Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony.

Since 2003, Hapes has helped increase the student enrollment by 71 percent and has been instrumental in the approval of the new Forensic and Investigative Sciences degree program.

In addition to advising, she has created and implemented attractive and interesting programs to recruit potential students to the Department. In her programs, she successfully captures the enthusiasm of both on-campus and off-campus faculty in bringing potential students to "Discover Entomology".

Hapes’ success has also been recognized through here receipt of several other awards, including the recent Department of Entomology Staff Meritorious Service Award and the 2005 President's Meritorious Service Award. In addition, she has been invited to speak at the Annual Conference of the National Academic Advising Association and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Annual Program meeting.

Department Head Dr. Kevin Heinz admired her hard work in working with the department's students and faculty members.

"On a daily basis, I marvel at the energy, ingenuity, and dedication Ms. Hapes brings to diversifying the student population within the Department, college and university," Heinz said.

Dr. Darrell Bay, a colleague, was excited to see her receive this award and congratulates her on all the hard work she has done for students.

"Rebecca has endeared herself to everyone—faculty, staff and students—to literally become the "academic heartbeat" of the Department," Bay said. "Her service to the Department, the University, and especially our students, has truly been meritorious. She is part of the proud tradition that makes Texas A&M the great university it has become, and it is what makes our students and former students so proud to be called 'Aggies'."

Students were also grateful of Hapes' advice on academics, including Andy Boswell, a grad student, and Patricia Mullins, a junior.

"Mrs. Hapes goes above and beyond for her students to advise them the best way possible," Boswell said.

"Rebecca is an outstanding advisor and mentor," Mullins said. "She is very passionate about her work and about her students. She was crucial to my smooth transition to Entomology, as well as all of my fellow classmates."

Congratulations to Rebecca for receipt of the 2008 President's Award for Academic Advising.