Assistant Teaching Professor Laura Cutler stared at her email in confusion. “Is this spam?” she wondered. But the email from the Association of Information Systems informing Cutler that she won the Faculty Advisor of the Year Award wasn’t a scam. Unlike Cutler, information systems students from the BYU Marriott School of Business find it easy to believe that she earned the recognition.
Cutler became a faculty advisor in fall 2024, just a year after joining BYU Marriott, to assist a coworker on parental leave. As a faculty advisor, Cutler mentors student association officers by offering feedback on their leadership, attending events the officers plan, and helping them develop as a team. “She came in and made an immediate, very positive impact on our organization,” explains Bryson Lindsey, a senior in the IS program from Castle Rock, Colorado, and copresident of BYU’s AIS chapter.
Even after Cutler’s coworker returned the next semester, Cutler continued on as an advisor so students could receive more support. Whether shared in the AIS weekly meetings or planning events, Cutler’s thoughtful contributions were appreciated by the students. “Professor Cutler is a very kind and genuine person, and she brought that same intentionality and care into our organization,” Lindsey says.
Students also appreciated how considerate Cutler was in the classroom. Brendan Bundy, a student from Kuna, Idaho, and officer in BYU’s AIS chapter, took Cutler’s product management course the first semester she taught it. Bundy explains how Cutler sought feedback from the students to improve the learning experience for everyone. “When she asked for feedback, I saw instantaneous adaptation within the class,” Bundy says. “She made some great changes to the class to help make it more practical and engaging for me as a student.”
For Cutler, being a faculty mentor isn’t just about improving the classes she’s teaching; it’s also about building better relationships. She shares how the examples of coworkers, such as Teaching Professor Spencer Hilton, influence how she leads. “Spencer has done a really good job of knowing everyone by name and their back stories,” Cutler says. “Developing those relationships with people is something I aspire to.”
But Bundy already sees how Cutler works to know and help students. “Whenever she talks to me, I can tell that she cares, and she wants to get to know me,” Bundy says “I know I could talk to her about anything”
Even though Cutler is surprised by the award, she feels motivated to live up to the title. “I want to live like the faculty advisor of the year and be worthy of that,” Cutler says. “I want to develop relationships with my students, show up for events, and make meaningful contributions for them.”