The Board of Regents is pleased to present a KUDOS award to Sarah Frankel-Russell, Director of Student Advocacy and Support at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Joining UNL in January 2023, Sarah has made a remarkable impact on our students and the campus community. She leads a dedicated team of four professionals who work every day to support student success and retention.
During the 2024–2025 academic year, Sarah and her team supported 942 different students. These students experienced food or housing insecurity, medical withdrawals or extended absences, and others had unexpected life events. The compassion and care that the team brings to each situation truly embodies the spirit of our university.
Last spring, Fulbright Scholars were abruptly told that their funding would be cut. Sarah brought together many campus partners to ensure those scholars had the support they needed to stay enrolled and pursue their goals.
Through collaboration, she has developed strong partnerships with the Graduate Studies and the International Student and Scholar Offices to better support their students. When many faced VISA or financial challenges, she and her team stepped up, connecting them with resources and emergency funding to help them stay on track.
Vice Chancellor Anderson says, “Sarah and the Student Advocacy and Support group; through their empathy, teamwork, and caring responses, live out our university’s belief that, ‘every person and every interaction matters.’ She makes the University of Nebraska–Lincoln a more compassionate, supportive, and student-centered place.”
Joining Sarah today are her parents, Drs. Harris Frankel and Janice Peterson Frankel; Vice Chancellor of Student Life Dee Dee Anderson, T.J. McDowell, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Life and Jodi Bergstrom, Assistant Director of Student Advocacy and Support.
Please help me thank Sarah for her dedication to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.