DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Lanna Miller
Lanna Miller
Lanna Miller has been advising students for 24 years, having discovered her passion as a student.
During her junior year of college, she worked in the academic advising office for the MSU Athletic Department. She realized that working with students on a college campus was something she wanted to do as a career.
“I decided to complete a graduate program in counselor education, and I have been advising ever since,” Lanna said.
As the Student Services Coordinator in the MSU College of Forest Resources for the past 6 years, she coordinates academic advising for undergraduate students, academic sessions and registration during orientation, class scheduling with the registrar’s office, the college scholarship program, and activities of the college living and learning community.
“I love working directly with students and watching how each student progresses from our first contact until graduation,” Lanna said. “I always enjoy the CFR graduation reception each semester.”
Advising is more than approving a student’s class schedule each semester. Advising plays a role in promoting student success and retaining students. Advisors who are able to connect with students help those students become engaged and the students are then more likely to make good choices that move them toward graduation and careers or graduate school.
“You have to care about students, but you also have to care about the department, college and university which you are representing,” she explained. “Part of being a good advisor is making sure that university standards are upheld and applied consistently.
Lanna has two children. Maggie is a senior and will attend MSU in the fall. Whitten is in fourth grade and currently plays recreational baseball. Her family enjoys Mississippi State sports, especially tailgating for football games and grilling in the Left Field Lounge during baseball games.
Editor's note: The Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Spotlight Employee profiles are provided by the Office of Agricultural Communications at Mississippi State. For more information, please click here.
