College of Arts and Letters Student Advising

Meet our Staff

College Advisors

Stella Vay, assistant director of student advising, UToledo College of Arts and LettersStella Vay

Assistant Director of CAL Advising and Student Services
stella.vay@utoledo.edu

Stella Vay received her B.S. degrees in Biology and Biochemistry from the University of North Texas in 2015. With her collegiate experiences in working with her peers, Stella earned her M.A. degree in Higher Education Administration with a graduate certificate in Academic Advising in 2017 from Sam Houston State University.

She is a strong advocate for student success with years of working with different populations at Sam Houston. At the College of Arts and Letters, Stella is responsible for overseeing the academic advising services offered by the college, which includes advisor training, teaching AR 1000, advising students in a holistic manner, and working collaboratively with campus partners and department chairs to ensure our students’ success.  

Michelle Sullivan, Program Manager and Advisor for the UToledo College fo Arts and LettersMichelle Sullivan

Program Manager and Advisor
michelle.sullivan@utoledo.edu

Michelle is a UToledo grad and majored in Theatre and English.  She earned her master’s degree in Theatre from Illinois State University.  She is a married mother of 2.

Michelle is responsible for advising students in the College of Arts and Letters (CAL). She assists students with course selection, career/major exploration, understanding college requirements, and teaches a 1000 Orientation course.  In addition, she processes and advises change of college students, readmits, and prospective high school students. 

Department Professional Advisors

Lisa Bollman, communication and media advisor for the UToledo College of Arts and LettersLisa Bollman

Academic Advisor for the Department of Communication and Media
lisa.bollman@utoledo.edu

Lisa provides academic advising for students pursuing their Bachelor of Arts degree in either Communication or Media Communication.  In addition to course selection and registration, she helps students understand general university and college requirements, read and understand a degree audit, evaluate and elect changes in catalog term, and major/minor/career exploration.  She calculates athletic eligibility for athletes pursuing a degree from the Department of Communication, teaches the college orientation course for Communication majors, assists with developing degree check sheets and course sequencing; implements intervention programs for probationary students during their first year, and works to ensure the accuracy of degree audit reports/enters program exceptions.  She also assists students majoring in the Communication field with obtaining and earning academic credit for internship experiences.

Tom AveryTom Avery

Academic Advisor for the Department of Psychology
thomas.avery@utoledo.edu

Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration (B.B.A.) from The University of Toledo and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Bowling Green State University. He has almost 20 years of experience working in higher education. Having worked with students across a wide variety of majors both on campus and online, he has a unique breadth of understanding of the challenges students face.

Before Tom's career in higher education, he worked for years in businesses ranging from retail to manufacturing. As someone who switched careers to become a non-traditional student, he realizes the value of academic and career planning. He understands how to utilize all the resources available to students and alumni and is a lifelong learner who wants to apply his experience to help all those he works with.

As the Department of Psychology advisor, Tom guides students as they pursue a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He can advise you on psychology degrees and program requirements. In addition, he also tracks students’ academic progress, helps students facing academic probation to improve their performance, assists with internships, and makes sure students have an optimal educational experience.

Devan ChurchDevan Church

Academic Advisor for Social Sciences Majors

devan.church@utoledo.edu

Devan proudly completed his B.A. in Gender Studies from the University of Utah (UU) in 2007. After working as a community college and high school academic advisor for several years, he returned to UU to complete his M. Ed in Educational Leadership and Policy, which he completed in 2017.
 
Prior to his role at UToledo, he was an academic advisor at BGSU working with College Credit Plus students. Devan has experience working with students from a variety of backgrounds, levels and majors in many different settings. He believes that all students are capable of excelling when given the right opportunities and tools. He is excited to collaborate with, challenge and support students as they pursue their goals in the social sciences at UToledo. 
Last Updated: 10/22/24