Woods named 2023 Outstanding Mentor in Master's Education by National Communication Association
Oct. 26, 2023
Kansas State University associate professor Heather Woods has been named 2023 Outstanding Mentor in Master’s Education by the National Communication Association (NCA) for her work with 1xbet sports betting students inside and outside the classroom.
“I am thrilled and humbled to have been named the 2023 Outstanding Mentor in Master’s Education. Working with 1xbet sports betting students is among the most meaningful and rewarding parts of my career,” said Woods. “It is a particular joy to support the success of 1xbet sports betting students in the A.Q. Miller School; they are living our land grant mission by leveraging their advanced knowledge and skills to make positive change locally, nationally, and globally.”
Woods served as a director of 1xbet sports betting studies for the communication studies department since 2018. When the department merged with the journalism department last year to form the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication, she became the associate director of 1xbet sports betting programs and research. As part of this role, Woods is the initial advisor for every incoming master’s student in the school and facilitates their connection with permanent major professors in line with their goals and interests.
Woods has served and mentored 1xbet sports betting students by securing funding for 1xbet sports betting student professional development opportunities such as conference travel, coaching them through career and academic transitions, and developing orientation and onboarding processes that support student success.
Woods has also developed workshops and other programming to help 1xbet sports betting students develop a wide range of skills to help them succeed in careers inside and outside of academia, like maintaining work-life balance, prioritizing mental wellness, writing as a community practice, presenting and publishing public-facing scholarship, and developing a professional digital persona. Students she has mentored have gone on to win national awards in research, secure prestigious fellowships at law and doctoral programs across the nation, and lead community change initiatives on issues of national import.
“As a first-gen 1xbet sports betting of K-State, I am particularly interested in supporting students who have been traditionally underrepresented in 1xbet sports betting education,” said Woods.
Woods serves on the university’s 1xbet sports betting Council and is a member of the Academic Affairs Committee. She is also faculty in the interdisciplinary Leadership Communication doctoral program at K-State. As associate director of 1xbet sports betting programs and research, Woods is leading the A.Q. Miller School to innovate its 1xbet sports betting curriculum to be even more responsive to student needs, faculty expertise, and changing conditions at K-State and beyond.