Julia Butler-Mayes named interim director of UGA Academic Advising

Seasoned academic advising administrator Julia Butler-Mayes has been named interim director of Academic Advising Services in the University of Georgia Office of Instruction, effective today, July 9. As head of the Office of Student Services in the College of Education, Butler-Mayes leads a team of 13 who support the college in various areas of student success and development. Butler-Mayes is filling in until a permanent director of Academic Advising Services is named, replacing Judith Iakovou who retired June 30.

In her current position, Butler-Mayes is responsible for managing the advisement of more than 2,000 students, coordinating undergraduate recruitment efforts, implementing more than 80 enriching educational events and programs for students, coordinating scholarship applications and allocations, and facilitating undergraduate academic appeals. She previously served as associate director of academic advising and advisor in the College of Education in the areas of kinesiology and early childhood education. Prior to her work at UGA, Butler-Mayes served as an advisor at The Georgia Washington University and oversaw student organizations as part of her graduate assistantship at Vanderbilt University.

She now serves on the Transfer Student Working Group to implement a recommendation from the President’s Task Force on Student Learning and Success and as chair of the Academic Advising Coordinating Council. Through her service on various committees, she has been involved in a number of projects, including the implementation of the SAGE online advising portal and improving the academic advising professional development process.

Butler-Mayes has a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in higher education administration from Vanderbilt University. She is pursuing a doctorate in higher education at UGA.

“We are profoundly grateful to Julia for stepping in to lead the Office of Academic Advising Services,” said Naomi J. Norman, associate vice president for instruction. “Her depth of advising and administrative experience ensures that efforts to coordinate academic advising services for students and to highlight the great work of advisors across campus will continue without interruption.”

Justin Burnley, the associate director of academic advising in the College of Education’s Office of Student Services, will serve as the interim director in Julia’s absence. Burnley has extensive experience supporting the college’s eight academic advisors, chaired the Academic Advising Coordinating Council’s Transfer Committee, presents frequently at the National Academic Advising Association annual conference, and served as the Tau Sigma advisor. The college welcomes Burnley’s leadership during this time of transition.