Persephone Braham, associate professor of Spanish in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, has received this year's College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) award for excellence in advisement.
She is among eight CAS faculty members to be honored in 2019-20 for outstanding achievement in a variety of categories.
Over the past few weeks, CAS Dean John A. Pelesko surprised each of the honorees with a virtual visit during an online class or event to announce and present the award.
Following are more details about Braham and the tribute Pelesko offered:
Chair of undergraduate studies and of Latin American and Iberian studies, Braham was previously adviser for the three languages minor.
In all these capacities, Braham – a highly respected and prolific scholar and an outstanding teacher – has consistently demonstrated the greatest dedication to her students and their success through her thoughtful and tireless advisement and mentoring activities.
As adviser for the popular three languages minor, Braham regularly advised between 40 and 60 students per semester, about 100-120 per year. She put enormous time into this task, making sure to establish contact with each advisee at the start of the semester and checking in with them as it progressed. Her attention to each student and their needs, as well as her dependability and availability to them, put students at ease and set the high standard of advising to which we at UD all aspire.
Student letters speak to Braham's commitment to advisement extending beyond matters of academic performance and curricular questions and include decisions regarding career paths, graduate school and other future endeavors. In a related role, undergraduate studies chair, Braham has played a crucial part in introducing innovative new initiatives that focus on enhancing academic support and career readiness for students in the department.
She is a generous and fiercely dedicated adviser and mentor whose active contributions to supporting students in the department and across the University are invaluable.
"Students don't always feel valued until we recognize them and their talent," Braham said. "I think it's our job to reach out and help them make the most of their time at UD and have someone to discuss their ideas with … Faculty support is the most important extrinsic factor in our students' success, both at UD and in their postgraduate endeavors."
