Brittany was awarded the 2026 Outstanding Fraternity/Sorority Advisor Award by Alpha Chi Omega National Headquarters.
Staff Accolades
Employee of the Month
January 2026
Emily Porter
Department of Student Engagement
Emily excels in all areas of her position description. Working with three of our major philanthropy groups on-campus, she provides direct support and advising to The Big Event, Dance Marathon, and Relay for Life. Through this work, Emily positively impacts the co-curricular experience of 100's if not 1000's of students each semester. In working with Dance Marathon and Relay for Life, Emily is also responsible for developing partnerships with representatives from the national philanthropies. Throughout her time in this role, Emily has created deeper connections with the national organizations resulting in a more fulfilling leadership experience for her students.
Emily has taken on advising The Big Event and bring them back to their pre-pandemic size and strength. She has share her passion for community service with the students and it has shown brightly in the work the group has accomplished. This month, with Emily's guidance, TBE hosted The Little Event with over 600 registered student and more than 45 service sites across Tallahassee. While the students played a tremendous role in the event's success, Emily worked in the background, helping them develop as leaders, connecting with staff members at FAMU and TSC, and advocating for the funding and needs for an event of this size.
Emily continues to provide outstanding direction and support in her role, all while enrolled in the Higher Education Masters program and completing a required internship with the Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life. What better nomination for Careers in Student Affairs Month than a dedicated staff member who is working to advance the profession though her academics and practical experience."
Florida State University’s Division of Student Affairs recognizes the advocacy, support and encouragement you offer students and staff in the Division, and celebrates you, Emily! Thank you for all you do!
DSA Team, we want to celebrate your success!
Honor and Awards
Alexandra was recognized as Advisor of the Year for the Southern Region by the Order of Omega.
Shannon Staten, Ph.D. (University Housing) was recognized by the ACC Housing Directors for her 12 years of service and dedication to the athletes of the ACC while at the University of Louisville and Florida State University.
Shannon Staten, Ph.D. (University Housing) was awarded the 2025 Florida Housing Officers Impact Award by the Florida Housing Officers association. This is the first year this award has been given and Staten received it for her outstanding impact in Student Affairs, Housing, and Residence Life across the State of Florida and the Southeastern Region.
Presentations and Conferences
Amy, Nell, and Zabe presented a concurrent session "From Listening to Leading: Using Qualitative Data to Re-Envision Campus Health and Wellness" at the 2026 NASPA Strategies Conference in January in Chicago.
Nell presented "REACH Beyond the Office: Expanding Prevention Through Collaborative Partnerships" at the 2026 NASPA Strategies Conference in January in Chicago.
Christy Mantzanas, Samantha Hightower and Tiffany Leung (Career Center, Employer Relations) presented “The Career Services Power Pack: Smart-data Integration, Bold Frameworks, and UX Design for Sustainable Partnerships” at the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers conference in Nashville, Tennessee, where they shared methods to develop story-telling data, formulas and AI techniques to predict career fair outcomes, and how to integrate UX design principles for program sustainability.
Katelyn Bittinger (University Housing), Sarah Butler (University Housing) and Stormy McGivern (Student Engagement) presented "Curriculum in a Crunch" at the Institute on the Curricular Approach. The presentation spotlighted how University Housing and affiliated campus partners foster student learning over the short six-week Summer B semester.
Hannah Cronic, Sarah Lull (Department of Student Support & Transitions) and Amy Haggard (Student Conduct and Community Standards) presented a session at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Strategies Conference in January: "We're All In This Together: A Case Study in Collaboration". Hannah Cronic and Sarah Lull also presented "Lessons Learned: Providing Support for Sexual Violence Victims That Are Minors."
Service
Erin Gallivan, Ph.D., (Counseling & Psychological Services) was invited by the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) to serve on a panel of experts for the AGPA College Counseling and Other Educational Settings Special Interest Group to share her expertise on group training for senior staff in university counseling centers.
Alice Maxwell (Division of Student Affairs Communications and Marketing) is serving as the Region III Representative in the Knowledge Community leadership team for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Fundraising and Communications Knowledge Community.