Upper Level Advising
How does advising work?
All upper-level students (including transfer students) -- i.e., students in their sophomore, junior, or senior year -- will be assigned to an upper-level professional advisor who will stay with them until they graduate. Professional advisors can provide student with support for:
- Major/college/gen-ed degree requirements
- Creating an academic plan to stay on track for graduation
- Exploring and declaring Double majors/Dual Degrees/Minors
- Navigating Campus Resources
- Adjusting to College/Establishing a sense of belongingness
- Major Exploration
- Academic Success & Planning
Who is my upper-level Advisor (ULA)?
You'll be assigned to an ULA based on your primary major - and your assigned ULA may change if your major changes. To view your assigned advisor, log in to SPIRE. Your advisor will be listed in the bottom right-hand side of the Student Center in the Primary Advisor box.
How can I schedule an advising appointment?
Schedule an in person or virtual appointment through Navigate.
- Click the blue "Make an Appointment" button.
- Under what type of appointment would you like to schedule? select Advising.
- Choose the reason for the appointment. When in doubt, choose Academic Advising.
- Select a date then click "Find Available Time" to see your assigned advisor's calendar.
How do I know what course requirements I need to complete?
- Students can use the Academic Requirements Report (ARR) in SPIRE to view course requirements and progress towards satisfying degree requirements. The ARR can be found in the drop down menu of the Student Center in SPIRE.
- For a list of degree requirements by majors, see CNS Degree Requirements Checklists.
Contact Upper-Level Advising: Please email any questions to cnsuladvising [at] umass [dot] edu (cnsuladvising[at]umass[dot]edu).
CNS Upper Level Advising Directory
Kari Taylor
Kari Taylor is the director for upper level advising.
Logan Dunnigan
Logan Dunnigan is an associate director for upper level advising supporting students majoring in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Psychology, and Neuroscience.
Emily Fleming
Emily Fleming is an associate director for upper level advising supporting students majoring in Geography, Geology, and Earth Systems, and Biology.
Meghan Gerson
Meghan Gerson is an associate director for upper level advising supporting students majoring in Biology and Microbiology.
Kaitlyn O’Konis
Kaitlyn O’Konis is an associate director for upper level advising supporting students majoring in Chemistry, Mathematics, and Statistics.
Rebecca Schneider
Rebecca Schneider is an associate director for upper level advising supporting students majoring in Psychology and Biology.
Lynn Butkovsky
Lynn Butkovsky is a senior academic advisor for upper level students majoring in Natural Resource Cons (NRC), Building & Construction Tech (BCT), and Biology.
Emelia Cooper
Emelia Cooper is a senior academic advisor supporting upper level students majoring in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BMB), Food Science, and Psychology.
Katharine Daube
Katharine Daube is a senior academic advisor supporting upper level students majoring in Psychology and Biology.
Vanessa Doyle
Vanessa Doyle is a senior academic advisor supporting upper level students majoring in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biology.
Reggie Lamothe
Reggie Lamothe is a senior academic advisor supporting upper level students majoring in Biology, Animal Science, and Pre-Veterinary Science.
Valerie Miller
Valerie Miller is a senior academic advisor supporting upper level students majoring in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BMB), Food Science, and Psychology.
Jennifer Staab
Jennifer Staab is a senior academic advisor for upper level students majoring in Environmental Science, Building & Construction Technology (BCT), and Biology.
Adva Waranyuwat
Adva Waranyuwat is a senior academic advisor supporting upper level students majoring in Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy.
Pedro Badillo
Pedro Badillo is an academic advisor supporting upper level students majoring in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biology.
Anna Barry
Anna Barry is an academic advisor supporting upper level students majoring in Biology, Animal Science, and Pre-Veterinary Science.
Samina Mian
Samina Mian is an academic advisor supporting upper level students majoring in Biology, Microbiology, and Veterinary Technology.
Xiaojing Shi
Xiaojing (Jing) Shi is an academic advisor supporting upper level students majoring in Mathematics and Stockbridge School of Agriculture.
