Smith wins 2025 Transfer Advocate Award

The UGA Office of Transfer Services announced the winners of the 2025 Transfer Advocate Awards. Each year students nominate advisors, staff, and faculty who have made an incredible impact on the transfer student experience at UGA. The 2025 first place winner is Ryan Smith of the Franklin College Office of Student Academic Services.

The winners were chosen based on student nominations that detailed how these individuals went above and beyond to ensure the transfer process was as smooth and welcoming as possible. Students highlighted that these individuals offered compassion, creative problem solving, and extensive resources to help them succeed at UGA.

Smith, an advisor for students in the Lamar Dodd School of Art and the department of Geography, is part of the upper-division advising team in the Franklin College.

"In every transfer student’s first advising appointment, I share with them that I also transferred to UGA," Smith said. "I try to connect with the student by telling them I felt just as overwhelmed, excited, and nervous as they do. I want to put them at ease, letting them know someone at their new school has their back." 

Smith said he relies heavily on his exceptional staff in Franklin’s Office of Transfer Academic Services to help make the logistics of each student’s transition to UGA as smooth as possible. 

Congratulations to one of our best.

Image: Ryan Smith with NACADA award