Advisor Profile: Meredith V. Parker

Being able to assist students in their own learning journey brings me joy. Seeing students accomplish their goals and take the final steps toward graduation is very fulfilling.

  
Meredith V. Parker joined the College of Information Science in April 2021 after working as a K-12 counselor and instructional designer. She advises all of the college’s online undergraduate students from her connected home office in Alabama, though she travels across the country and around the world when she can.

Learn more about Meredith's work with InfoSci students at the University of Arizona, as well as her passions (and travels) outside of work:

What brought you to the College of Information Science, and where did you work before joining the college?

The Information Science and eSociety major aligned with my background in educational technology. I worked as a school counselor in a K-12 grade setting as well as an instructional designer in a previous life.

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Tell us about your current work as an undergraduate advisor.

I work with Arizona Online students providing advising for the Bachelor of Arts in Information Science and eSociety. I also work with the college advising team to provide professional development opportunities to all InfoSci undergraduate students.

What do you find most rewarding about advising students?

Students come to the college with a variety of differing needs and challenges, and being able to assist students in their own learning journey brings me joy. Seeing students accomplish their goals and take the final steps toward graduation is very fulfilling.

Can you share a favorite story about working with students?

I had a student who returned to the U of A after many years working to finish their degree. When the student had originally come to school, the college didn’t exist, so helping this student overcome GPA obstacles and finding a major that fit their growing needs for learning new technology, social media and content creation was amazing! I cannot wait to see where they end up after graduation.

What professional organizations are you a member of?

I am the technology chair for Region 10 of NACADA, a national organization for academic advisors. I am the host of the Region 10 podcast The Art of Advising to help advisors grow professionally.
 

Beyond your job, what are your passions?

I am passionate about art and use a variety of mediums to create art. (Attached are two pictures of my artwork; all freehand.) My art is displayed in a few homes and businesses in Alabama in the town where I live. I also enjoy hiking and recently finished a 26-mile hike around Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It is my favorite hike and I have completed it three times so far. If you ever get the chance to visit Wisconsin, I highly recommend the hike. I also enjoy horseback riding and competitions. I recently went to a karaoke party which we had a great time. 

I love to travel; my family plans trips every year. I have traveled to Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Haiti, as well as various places in the United States. I plan to travel to additional islands this year, including Dominica and Puerto Rico.

What is your advice for students to find success at the college and U of A?

Think about where you really want to be in 10 years and work backwards to plan out how you are going to conquer today.

And, age alone should never be a factor as, to quote Karen Lamb, “a year from now, you will wish you had started today.”
 

What does the InfoSci experience mean to you?

At the University of Arizona’s College of Information Science, I get to work with top leaders in the field to bring innovative, creative and inspiring projects to today’s student body.

Anything else you’d like to add?

The College of Information Science is starting a podcast and we hope you will tune in!
 

Learn more about College of Information Science advisors, or explore ways you can support the dynamic, student-invested staff of the College of Information Science.