Contact: Maridith Geuder
Sylvia H. Byrd
Sylvia H. Byrd of Mississippi State, a faculty member in the university's School of Human Sciences, is among five advisers being honored nationally for the academic counseling of students.
She joins colleagues from California, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin in receiving a 2003 Outstanding Faculty Adviser Award from the National Academic Advising Association.
Based at Kansas State University, the nonprofit organization was formed in 1979 to promote quality academic advising and professional development of members, while ensuring the educational development of students.
Byrd is latest in a continuing string of MSU faculty members receiving NAAA's highest recognition. She and this year's other winners will formally accept their honors in October in Dallas, Texas.
At Mississippi State, Byrd teaches graduate level courses in dietetics while annually advising 24 student interns. She also manages the School of Human Sciences' graduate studies and internships in her area of specialization.
Her research interests include children's food consumption, Generation X and baby boomers, and dietetics education.
"During her MSU tenure, Dr. Byrd has successfully advised more than 100 students and works hard to bring out the very best from each student," said Gary B. Jackson, interim director of the School of Human Sciences. "She believes that academic advising, along with teaching and research, is a major responsibility of any faculty member."
Byrd holds a bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University in home economics education, a master's from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in nutrition and food service management, and a doctorate from Mississippi State in nutrition.
She is a member of the American and Mississippi dietetic associations, as well as the Institute of Food Technologists