Lisa Byrd Named TCE Director of Advising
The Tickle College of Engineering’s Main Advising Office will welcome Lisa Byrd as its new director on June 1, 2025.
“I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to serve the TCE, and the university, in this new role,” said Byrd. “It is truly a privilege to work with the wonderful professionals on the TCE Advising team and I look forward to continuing to work with our amazing undergraduate students.”
Byrd will be replacing current Advising Director Margie Russell, who is retiring at the end of the academic year.
Byrd originally came to the University of Tennessee as a PhD student in English after earning her bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, and a master’s degree in English from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
However, she quickly found her true calling during a graduate assistantship in the Arts and Sciences Advising Office. She was one of the first employees at the TCE Advising Office, working as a graduate assistant shortly after the office was founded in 2007 by Russell.
Byrd became a full-time advisor in 2008 and rose to her current position of assistant director in 2012.
Over the last 17 years, Byrd has helped countless engineering students find their footing on campus, navigate their degrees, and find unique opportunities that match their interests and skills. She participates in student orientation, helps coordinate TCE recruiting activities and campus tours, and supervises the Engineering Student Ambassador program. She also trains new advisors, helping the Advising Office expand to match enrollment.
In 2023, Byrd earned the prestigious Outstanding Advising Administrator Award from NACADA, the nation’s premier professional association for academic advisors in higher education.
“Lisa brings a wealth of advising experience, deep institutional knowledge, and the strategic insight needed to guide our college through its next phase of growth in academic advising,” said TCE Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Michael Danquah. “Her student-centered approach and thoughtful leadership style make her an ideal fit for this role, and I’m confident she will have a meaningful impact on both our students and our advising culture.”
Contact
Izzie Gall (865-974-7203, [email protected])