Kelsey Powell, academic advisor in animal science, is the recipient of the staff 2025 Outstanding Achievement in Advising Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. She coordinates the department’s transfer program, is a vital member of the orientation team and contributes to research related to the transfer student experience at Iowa State. The animal science transfer program has flourished under her leadership.
Management of the transfer program consists of visiting community colleges to recruit students, creating transfer plans for a variety of majors and colleges, attending all transfer orientation registration sessions, and meeting with prospective students and their families. Powell has gained the trust of many community college advisors and produced countless resources for prospective and current transfer students. She has in-depth knowledge of course equivalencies and knows exactly how credits align within the animal science curriculum, making her an invaluable resource for both students and colleagues. Powell takes the time to get to know each advisee, helping her students feel like they have a home in the Department of Animal Science. The well-being of her students is her number one priority, and she approaches each situation with care and compassion. As one student stated, “She simply believes in me.”
In addition to serving transfer students, Powell is a vital member of the animal science orientation team, which serves more than 300 incoming first-year students each year. She organizes incoming student information, makes course recommendations and evaluates transfer credits. Her work allows the department to provide advising and registration to a large group of students at one time without sacrificing the individual attention each student deserves. A colleague stated, “Kelsey has been fundamental in the success of our summer orientation sessions.”
Outside of the classroom, Powell serves as club advisor for the Block and Bridle Goat Interest Group, served as chaperone for the Block and Bridle Beef Interest Group trip to Louisville, Kentucky, in 2022, and interacts with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Ambassadors.
Powell is also actively involved in research on student recruitment and retention. She participates in various committees and groups focused on improving the transfer student experience at Iowa State. She is a true advocate for transfer students, consistently considering their needs in advising and curriculum decisions. She is often the first to highlight how potential changes may impact transfer student success, ensuring their unique needs are always part of the conversation. She has developed numerous tools and resources that all advisors in the department rely on, as well as educational modules and assessments related to transfer shock and preparing a two-year plan.
A colleague stated, “Kelsey is widely recognized within our department as an authority in advising. Her dedication, expertise and advocacy for transfer students make her an outstanding asset to our department.”