The Advising Council of U-M (ACUM) has recognized Becca Pickus, lecturer, general advisor, and Social Theory and Practice (STP) Major Program Head in the Residential College (RC), with the 2025 Outstanding Advising Award. She is celebrated alongside severl other colleages for their exceptional contributions to student advising.
Recognizing Excellence in Advising
Established in 2022, the ACUM Outstanding Advising Award honors staff and faculty advisers from across the Ann Arbor campus who demonstrate extraordinary dedication to student success. The award celebrates advisers who provide consistent, positive support to undergraduates, and who model leadership within their departments and beyond. Each recipient receives a $1,500 award and is recognized at the first faculty meeting of the fall term.
Becca’s Impact in the RC
In her dual role as Major Program Head for STP and the RC’s Living-Learning Advisor, Becca plays an integral role in the Residential College advising community. Known for her holistic approach, she deftly guides students through academic requirements alongside the complexities of personal growth, identity, and life transitions.
Student nominations spoke to Becca’s unparalleled care and attentiveness. One LSA undergraduate reflected:
Becca sees education as a commitment to students’ personhood as a whole. She is committed to taking necessary steps into the space between personal and academic life that few other advisors are willing to.
Scholar, Advisor, Alumna
An alumna of the Residential College STP and Creative Writing majors, Becca went on to earn her MSW from the University of Michigan School of Social Work. Her teaching explores restorative and transformative justice, abolitionist theory, decarceration activism, arts-based and trauma-responsive practices, and critical pedagogy.
Beyond the classroom, Becca supports RC students through her Living/Learning Advisor role, helping them navigate non-academic challenges that affect their college experience. She also mentors graduate student social workers as a Field Instructor for MSW student interns.
A Lasting Legacy
Through her advising, teaching, and mentorship, Becca has curated a culture of care, justice, and community in the RC. Her recognition with the ACUM Outstanding Advising Award reflects her dedication to her students and the RC community as a whole.
