Undergrad Advising Committee
If you’ve ever spent anytime near the Reitz Union, chances are you’ve walked by and seen students performing through the large glass windows of the Nadine McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion. Or maybe you’ve attended a performance at the Constans Theatre? Our next advisor interview highlights a person who has worked in the School of Theatre and Dance for ten years, and who has likely spent countless hours with the students you’ve seen perform in and around UF’s campus over the years. Meet the School of Theatre and Dance’s Academic Advisor – Kevin Austin!
Kevin is originally from Horsham, Pennsylvania, which is a suburb of Philadelphia. At the age of eight, Kevin and his family moved to the Orlando, Florida area where he graduated high school and began his college career at nearby Seminole State College before transferring to the University of Florida. Kevin graduated with both of his degrees from UF. The first, a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1989 and his second, a Masters of Education degree in Educational Leadership in 2005.
Kevin didn’t begin his career as an academic advisor, but did eventually make his way back to UF where he took a position working as a Senior Clerk in the Registrar’s Office in 1995. From there, he moved to the Office of Admissions before taking an undergraduate advising position in the CISE Department in the College of Engineering. Kevin then joined the School of Theatre and Dance in 2006 as the primary advisor for undergraduate students. His experiences in the Registrar, Office of Admissions, and as a non-traditional graduate student who was earning a Master’s degree while working have all helped him better advise his students. Additionally, his background as a History major and CLAS graduate have helped him relate to many of his students who are trying to make that transition from student to professional following graduation. One of the things he enjoys most is helping students figure out the opportunities available to students with degrees in Theatre and Dance or even a Humanities-based major like the one he earned. He wishes as a fresh History graduate someone would have helped him market himself more effectively, or in his own words, “I wish I would have known then what I know now.” As a result, those experiences have made him a more effective advocate for his students as they embark on their next steps in life.
This is probably why so many of his Theatre and Dance students have kept in touch with him over the years. When I asked him how he wanted his advisees and students to remember him, he responded, “As the advisor they want to come back to see!” As an example, he replayed a voicemail three of his former Theatre advisees left one day while he was out of the office to just say “Hello!” Think Broadway musical – definitely something only the advisor for Theatre and Dance might find on his voicemail!
Some other perks to being the advisor in Theatre and Dance include the small, tight-knit community of the department and its students. Unlike other departments at other schools across the US, Kevin explains that UF’s School of Theatre and Dance does a great job of facilitating a community environment where students support one another so it doesn’t seem cutthroat as they try out for various roles in productions. He really enjoys how working in a smaller major (there are approximately 220 undergraduates majoring in Theatre and Dance) makes the department feel like family where faculty and students know each other on a first-name basis. This helps a lot of students make that transition to UF easier, and I’m sure the Ice Cream Ritual between incoming freshmen and graduating seniors helps too!
As we wrapped up the interview, I asked Kevin to share some random fun facts with us, starting with his three favorite songs of all time. Admittedly hard, Kevin narrowed it down to “I am the Walrus” by The Beatles as number three; “A Day in the Life” by The Beatles (can you tell he’s a Beatles fan?) as number two; and “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin as number one.
Kevin’s dream vacation includes a trip to Europe – primarily England, France and Germany. He’d also love to visit Melbourne, Australia, which is where his girlfriend is from.
Lastly, I asked him if he could time travel, would he go to the past or future? This one was too easy for a History major – past! If possible, he’d take a trip to the Civil War era, and he’d love to study the presidents, particularly Lincoln and Jefferson.
Interviewed by Aime Imler, Academic Advisor in Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and UAC Communications Committee member.