May 10, 2016
Wendy Troxel named director of Center for Excellence and Research
Charlie Nutt, executive director of NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising, announced Wendy Troxel as the inaugural director of the Center for Excellence and Research in Academic Advising and Student Success.
Troxel will join the association staff in June and also will have a faculty appointment in the College of Education. She is currently an associate professor in the educational administration and foundations department at Illinois State University where she focuses on research methods, program evaluation and assessment at the graduate level. She has previously served as interim department chair and director of the University Assessment Office at Illinois State, as well as director for research and assessment in the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, where she earned a doctorate in educational leadership. As a NACADA member, Troxel is the incoming co-editor of the NACADA Journal, a research committee member and past chair of the research committee.
"We are elated that Dr. Troxel will be joining the association as research center director," Nutt said. "She has been an active and committed member of the association for years, and we are delighted that her many talents and expertise will now be a global asset."
Debbie Mercer, dean of the College of Education, believes Troxel's scholarly achievements and proven leadership skills will be of immediate benefit.
"As NACADA and the college intensify their commitment to producing high-quality research related to academic advising and student success, Dr. Troxel's prowess will be a tremendous resource for our research agenda. We welcome her as a member of the faculty and look forward to a productive future together."
The Center for Excellence and Research in Academic Advising and Student Success will unite theorists, scholars and practitioners seeking to advance scholarly practice and applied research related to academic advising. The center is expected to be in full operation in early 2017, partnering with relevant entities and organizations, promoting research-based practices in academic advising, and securing funding and professional development opportunities related to academic advising research. Because academic advising is so closely partnered with student success, the center will examine a broad range of issues.
Nutt praised J.P. Regalado, past NACADA president, and Ken Hughey, professor and chair of the special education, counseling and student development department in the College of Education, for their leadership in co-chairing the search committee. In addition, he thanked the NACADA board of directors for its support in creating the center and approval of the necessary funding, and thanked Mercer for her vision and continued support.