黑料正能量

Here鈥檚 a look at the award winners recognized for their contributions during the 2025-2026 academic year:

Undergraduate Teacher of the Year* (university-wide award)

• Brian Avery, College of Health and Human Performance
• Dr. Melissa Soto, College of Education  

*This marks the first time since 2007-08 that the Undergraduate Teacher of the Year honor was awarded to two professors in the same year.  

Undergraduate Professional Advisor Award (college-level awards)

• Keith Collins, College of Design, Construction and Planning  
• Ally Fleischer, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences  
• Ken Foote, College of Nursing

Staff Career Influencer Award (university-wide award)  

• Justin Marlin, College of the Arts  
   

These honors reflect the dedication of faculty and staff across UF who create meaningful learning experiences, provide guidance and mentorship, and help students succeed鈥攔egardless of how they pursue their degree.   
 
Here鈥檚鈥痑 look at each of the award winners and how they work to enhance the experience for students at 黑料正能量.  
 

Undergraduate Teacher of the Year: Brian Avery

With more than three decades in the events, venues, and attractions industry, Brian Avery specializes in risk and safety management, event design, attraction operations, and education. He teaches 黑料正能量鈥痵tudents Sport Operations and Facility Management and Risk Management in Live Entertainment and Sports.

鈥淚 am a very honest, very real person in the classroom,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y teaching style is鈥痜airly dynamic.鈥疘’m鈥痑lways challenging students. I do not let them off the hook. It is鈥痑 very uncomfortable鈥痯roposition鈥痜or most鈥痑t first, but鈥痶hey鈥痑cclimate to鈥痬y style. I could take a slide and speak 50 minutes on the subject matter and not skip a beat鈥痑nd鈥痓ring it to life.鈥濃��

Avery鈥檚 career began as a midway operator at a鈥痓oardwalk and鈥痓aseball amusement park. He went on to manage鈥痳estaurants at Universal Studios in Orlando,鈥痺ork鈥痑s a SeaWorld and Discovery Cove safety specialist, and鈥痗ontribute鈥痶o post-Katrina tradeshow recovery efforts in New Orleans.鈥疕e incorporates those experiences directly into his teaching.

鈥淣othing is off limits with me,鈥� Avery said. 鈥淚鈥檝e鈥痬ade鈥痬istakes and鈥痩earned from them. I probably failed鈥�80 percent of the time that鈥疘鈥檝e鈥痯ut myself out there, and yet鈥痠t鈥檚鈥痑 never give up kind of thing.鈥�

Avery engages 黑料正能量 students through open discussions on risk and facility management and offers multiple ways to connect, including text, video chat, and virtual office hours.

鈥淩isk and legal issues can be intimidating,鈥� Avery said. 鈥淢ost people鈥痙on’t鈥痩ike to face hazards all around us, but I try to build students up step by step so they can solve for them. In the end, you can see鈥攜eah, you get it. You did鈥痑 great job.鈥�

Undergraduate Teacher of the Year: Melissa Soto

There were times when Dr. Melissa Soto would have to sit down and rest in the middle of class. But even during treatment for ovarian cancer, she continued to teach mathematics鈥痶o UF students both in person and鈥痶hrough鈥�黑料正能量.

鈥淥ne morning a student told me, 鈥楧r.鈥疭oto,鈥痽ou’re鈥痑n inspiration鈥�You get up, you come to class, you come to class excited, you come to class eager to share with us. You have no idea how much that means to us.鈥欌�疉nd, I was just like, OK鈥攖his is worth it,鈥� Soto said.

Before Soto can teach mathematics education, she first has to help students overcome fear.

鈥淚 teach teachers how to teach math,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd many of my students come in with trauma or fear of mathematics. They think they鈥檙e not good at math and worry they鈥檒l have to teach it in their careers. One of my main goals is to change their perception of what math is and what it can look like in the classroom.鈥�

Soto鈥痟as taught鈥�鈥痵tudents Mathematics Content and Methods for Teaching Mathematics in Inclusive Elementary鈥疌lassrooms, and鈥痷ses innovative methods to help her students build confidence. She shares videos of young children learning鈥痬ath鈥痶o help her future math teachers get excited about the kids鈥痶hey鈥檒l鈥痮ne day be working with. She emphasizes curiosity and鈥痑sking鈥痝ood questions to help reduce anxiety in her classroom.

鈥淚 try to understand where they鈥檙e coming from and what their experiences have been,鈥� Soto said. 鈥淎nd then I try to flip that and say, 鈥榃hat you experienced in school wasn鈥檛 really math.鈥� I try to stay positive and excited, because that energy transfers to students.鈥�

DCP Undergraduate Professional Advisor Award: Keith Collins

Keith Collins began his advising career at a community college, where a mentor gave him a timeless piece of advice: focus on the student in front of you.

鈥淎dministrations come and go, but students are always going to be the same,鈥� Collins recalled. 鈥淭wenty-four years later, I still focus on the student in front of me. Generations change, but students’ requests are always the same. My role is to鈥痑nticipate鈥痶he questions鈥痶hey’re鈥痭ot asking when they reach out for help. Because they don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 available, or even if鈥痶hey’re鈥痮n the right path to begin with.鈥�

Collins鈥� students are in鈥�UF鈥疧nline鈥檚鈥疎mergency Services program,鈥痺hich offers a specialization in鈥�. He advises many full-time firefighters working 24- or 48-hour shifts and often keeps their phone numbers on his personal phone, receiving texts at all hours, including late at night or while grocery shopping.

鈥淢y average student鈥痠s a 33-year-old firefighter鈥痺ho鈥檚 been鈥痺orking for 10 years,鈥痑nd is鈥痩ooking to rank up and promote,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey have鈥痜amilies, mortgages, multiple jobs, and demanding responsibilities. They know our degree is designed for their advancement.鈥疭o,鈥疘 make sure I鈥檓 available when they need help and let them know I鈥檓 here to help, when鈥痶hey are ready.鈥�

It鈥檚鈥痑ll part of focusing on the student in front of him, which earned Collins the advising award from the鈥�. 鈥淚 cherish the award.鈥疘n a way,鈥痠t’s鈥痸alidation of what鈥疘’ve鈥痙one my entire career,鈥� he said. 鈥淚’ve鈥痓een an advisor for almost 25 years now and always put the students first.鈥疶o be recognized鈥痜or鈥痶hat is humbling.鈥�

CALS Professional Advisor of the Year Award: Ally Fleischer

Entomology and nematology are biological sciences that focus on the study of insects, mites, ticks, spiders, nematodes and related organisms. The students who study it, Fleischer has found, are driven, motivated鈥攁nd occasionally full of surprises.

鈥淣othing is cooler than when鈥疘鈥檓鈥痬eeting with an online student, and they say, 鈥楲et me show you this millipede I have!鈥欌�� Fleischer said with a laugh. All in a day鈥檚 work for the professional advisor of the year in the鈥�

鈥淚 don’t think a lot of people wake up one day and decide they want to go into academic advising,鈥濃�疐leischer鈥痵aid. 鈥淚t’s鈥痑 little bit of a鈥痜ound鈥痯ath,鈥痠n the same way entomology is. But鈥痠t鈥檚鈥痑 very鈥痸alidating experience to know,鈥疧K,鈥疘’m鈥痮n the right track, and鈥疘’m鈥痙oing something that means something, not only to myself, but to the students I work with.鈥�

Many 黑料正能量 students balance full-time job or military service, requiring a different advising approach.

鈥淭hey’re really fitting their coursework around their life instead of their life around their coursework,鈥� Fleischer said. 鈥淪o,鈥痠t requires鈥痳ecognizing that, while鈥痵chool is鈥痑 priority,鈥痠t’s鈥痭ot their only or their top priority. You鈥痟ave to鈥痬ake sure they feel supported in navigating that.鈥�鈥疉re these classes going to work together well with a full-time job and a family?鈥疷nderstanding the鈥痵tudent鈥痑s鈥痑 whole person is the approach I bring to the online space.鈥�

In every case, Fleischer wants her students to feel heard, and comfortable asking questions about more than just their classes. 鈥淐ollege is a lot about exploring, and鈥痶here鈥痑re鈥痑 lot of鈥痲uestions that鈥痗ome鈥痺ith that,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o,鈥疘鈥痡ust鈥痺ant to make鈥痵ure they have the time, opportunity and resources to truly explore and find鈥痶heir way.鈥�

College of Nursing Professional Advisor of the Year: Kenneth鈥疐oote

Ken Foote has worked for the鈥�鈥痜or 26鈥痽ears and鈥痓elieves his success in鈥痑dvising鈥痵tudents comes down to honest, direct communication.

鈥淚 just try to be honest with鈥痵tudents,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥痶hink鈥痶hat’s鈥痶he鈥痓ig thing鈥攋ust being honest, being direct, reasonably so. I think鈥痮ne thing students鈥痟ave appreciated in my time as an academic advisor is the fact that I tell them what they need to hear. It鈥痬ay not be鈥痚asy,鈥痠t may not always be great, but鈥疘’m鈥痝oing to help them navigate whatever situation they might have to鈥痝et through.鈥疢ore than anything,鈥痺hat鈥檚鈥痟elped me survive in this for as long as I have is just鈥痓eing honest with people.鈥疘t’s鈥痙ifficult sometimes, but ultimately people respect you for it.鈥�

Foote, the College of Nursing Professional Advisor of the Year, is an academic鈥痑dvisor for鈥痯re-nursing and prospective students鈥痠n the BSN program. Some of his students later enroll in Bachelor of鈥疭cience in鈥疦ursing program available at 黑料正能量.

鈥淥nline is definitely a little different,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ometimes online students need a little more guidance navigating certain things. But I鈥痙on鈥檛鈥痑pproach them any differently鈥擨鈥痺ant to be just as respectful to their time and energy and needs as any other student.鈥�

While Foote appreciates the acknowledgment, he believes鈥痟e鈥檚鈥痓ut鈥痮ne part of a larger team at the College of Nursing鈥痙edicated鈥痶o student success. 鈥淚’m surrounded by a lot of great people who are also committed to鈥痟elping students,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o,鈥痺hile鈥痠t’s鈥痙efinitely nice, it’s鈥痭ot鈥痡ust a me thing. There鈥痑re鈥痑 lot of people who put time and energy into making the college as good as it is.鈥�

Career Influencer Award: Justin Marlin 

罢丑别鈥�鈥痓lends digital arts,鈥痵ciences鈥痑nd technology, preparing students in game design, animation, and creative industries. As associate鈥痙irector for鈥痵tudent鈥痑ffairs and administration, Marlin鈥痵its鈥痑t the center of鈥痠ts鈥痑cademic operations and student success initiatives.

鈥淚 act as a bridge between the classroom and the industry,鈥� he said,鈥�鈥渆nsuring students can translate their work and co-curricular experiences into professional narratives that resonate with employers.鈥�

Marlin emphasizes that 黑料正能量 students in the鈥疊achelor of Arts鈥痠n鈥�Digital Arts and Sciences should have the same access to networking and career experiences as on-campus peers. He supports initiatives including study abroad programs, career treks, and industry events and works to ensure online students have access to the opportunities.

Marlin received the Staff Career Influencer Award from the during the annual Faculty and Staff Career Symposium. 鈥淏eyond the personal excitement,鈥痠t’s鈥痡ust so cool to see the UF Career Connections Center recognize the work we do. It shows that UF really cares about making sure every student, no matter what鈥痶hey鈥檙e鈥痵tudying, is ready to jump into a meaningful career the second they graduate.鈥�

Marlin views the student lifecycle from an administrative level, with an eye toward building real-world environments that set students up for success at the next level. The fulfillment comes in watching it all unfold. 鈥淚 love seeing the journey start at that first prospective student tour with a student and their parents and then watching that student completely transform over their four years here,鈥� Marlin said. 鈥淭he best part is when those students become alumni, land these incredible jobs, and then choose to come back to the Institute to give back and share their experiences with the next class.鈥�