Sharon Mueller, the assistant dean of advising in the College of Letters & Science, has announced her retirement after 35 years in the UC Berkeley advising community. Mueller first ventured into the world of undergraduate advising when she applied for a student position with the College of Chemistry Undergraduate Advising Office in 1991, and she sees her current position as \u201cthe culmination of [her] career,\u201d saying, \u201cIt seemed that every role I had on campus led me to this one,\u201d making her retirement from the position a fitting journey\u2019s end.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had worked in advising at Berkeley for 32 years, but never in L&S, which was where I earned my B.A. as a transfer, re-entry student more than three decades earlier,\u201d Mueller said of her decision to take on the role of the inaugural assistant dean of advising in 2023. \u201cWhen I was admitted to Berkeley L&S back in 1990, I was given the opportunity to turn my life around after living in a car for almost a year, and by pursuing this role I hoped that I could give back to the community that gave so much to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
A respected leader in the Berkeley advising community, Mueller\u2019s influence and contributions will continue to be felt long after her retirement this June.<\/p>\n
A new direction for L&S Advising<\/p>\n
\u201cSharon\u2019s leadership has had a meaningful impact on the L&S Office of Undergraduate Advising during a period of growth and transition,\u201d said Assistant Director of Advising and Student Success Isela Pe\u00f1a-Rager, Ed.D. \u201cAs the inaugural Assistant Dean of Advising, she brought a strong sense of structure, decisiveness, and accountability, while also remaining open to learning the culture and complexity of our organization, the largest academic advising office on campus. That combination helped move our work forward in important ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mueller\u2019s entry to the College of Letters & Science Office of Undergraduate Advising (L&S OUA) was an inflection point for L&S student services, and in her tenure, she has ushered in meaningful, structural change for both L&S advising professionals and the undergraduate students they serve.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the announcement of her appointment, L&S Executive Dean Jennifer Johnson-Hanks highlighted her commitment to student success at Berkeley and readiness to shape this new role, saying, \u201cSharon\u2019s deep understanding of the Berkeley advising ecosystem, her demonstrated success within her College and across campus, and her commitment and active implementation of equity-oriented advising with an ethos grounded in DEIBJ distinguished her among the applicants for the role which she will shape and inform in the coming years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shape the role for assistant dean of advising Mueller has, responding to the broad directive to support and advance the L&S undergraduate experience by setting a strategic vision for the College advising, managing resourcing and staffing, and advising the executive dean among other college and campus leaders on programmatic and policy development for undergraduate education at Berkeley.<\/p>\n
\u201cSharon is an exceptional, action-oriented leader with an unwavering commitment to both her advising team and our undergraduate students. As Assistant Dean, her hands-on approach has been instrumental in advancing our L&S mission,\u201d said Assistant Director of Frontline Services Phuong Tang. \u201cI have always valued her ability to ask the right questions, make decisive moves, and communicate with clarity\u2026 Her impact on L&S advising is profound, and while she will be deeply missed, the legacy she leaves behind will be felt for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile in her role, decision and policy transparency has increased, which not only makes our role as advisers easier, but increases students\u2019 understanding and trust in our office,\u201d said Senior College Adviser & Project Lead Joanna King. \u201cOur staffing has also increased, alleviating the burden of too heavy of a workload, reducing burn out, and providing students easier access to L&S advising support.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Monica Garcia, M.Ed., Assistant Director of the Academic Progress Team, put it simply, \u201cProcesses and policies have made more sense with Sharon leading the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leader, colleague, community member, and friend<\/p>\n
Mueller\u2019s fidelity to Berkeley throughout her career can in part be attributed to the dynamic community to which being a student then staff member has allowed her to belong.<\/p>\n
\u201cBerkeley has a community of staff who are committed to service, care deeply, think creatively, and do good work,\u201d said Mueller. \u201cIt is important to me to spend my time and energy doing something that aligns with my values, and being a lifelong learner at Berkeley, either through my formal education or through my work, has allowed me to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The value Mueller places on people has been widely felt in her roles across campus, where she\u2019s cultivated a reputation for empowering her staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cSharon has always been a role model for me\u2014when I grow up, I want to be like her!\u201d enthused former Engineering Student Services (ESS) colleague Mayra Rivera, Associate Director of Advising. \u201cShe is down-to-earth, supportive, and always puts the team first. She gave me opportunities to try new things and encouraged me to grow, both professionally and personally… I learned how to be a better adviser because of her guidance. I especially appreciated how she balanced giving me independence with offering support when I needed it. Her belief in me made a lasting impact, and she will always be an important part of my UC Berkeley experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not a remote leader, Mueller is a friend to many, known for her kindness and sense of humor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe laugh at the same things and with each other,\u201d said Director of Advising Roseanne Fong. \u201cWe even laugh at ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSharon is quick with a smile and a laugh, and she’s genuinely interested in others’ stories,\u201d said Assistant Director of Specialized Advising Greg Cera.<\/p>\n
These attributes have long shone through and reflected in her work and approach to management.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Sharon joined Engineering Student Services (ESS), she brought with her a lightness and humor to the team as well as professionalism,\u201d said former ESS colleague, Academic Adviser Olivia Chan. \u201cHer role as our colleague turned supervisor was one that had a strong bond of trust from the beginning. We always knew Sharon would look out for our best interests.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSharon led our advising team with her full heart,\u201d said former ESS colleague Shareena Samson, Director of Advising and Policy. \u201cShe didn\u2019t just manage an office; she ensured that her door was always open and that every one of us felt welcomed and heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
“It was truly an honor to work under Sharon\u2019s leadership at the COE,” said former ESS colleague Academic Advisor Andrea Cobar. “She was the kind of supervisor you knew you could go to with any question, knowing you\u2019d receive expert guidance and a supportive ear. I\u2019ve always admired how she stood firmly by policy without ever losing sight of the human element, she always put our students first.”<\/p>\n
\u201cI appreciate Sharon\u2019s humor, her directness, and the confidence she has shown in me as a thought partner,\u201d said Pe\u00f1a-Rager. \u201cOur working relationship has been one of mutual respect, giving credit where credit is due, and I am grateful for the ways she has both supported and challenged me as a leader.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mueller\u2019s attitude and leadership are magnetic, and for one member of her senior staff, the prospect of working with Mueller more closely is part of what enticed her to work in L&S OUA.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I had the opportunity to come to OUA, Sharon was a huge pull factor,\u201d said Associate Director of Communication & Training Meaghan DeRespini, who worked with Mueller on cross-college advising projects before her current appointment in L&S OUA. \u201cIt has been such a gift to work alongside her. She remains an advocate for advisers and the work of our dedicated student services staff, demonstrating consistent dedication, care, humor, curiosity, and a willingness to listen, learn, and try new things. I am so grateful for our work together, and for all that she has done for our advising community!\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking back and looking ahead<\/p>\n
Mueller greatly appreciates everyone who has played a role in her Berkeley journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to thank all of the advisers and staff who have trusted me and welcomed me into their orbits, and I want to thank all of the leaders who have supported me along the way,\u201d said Mueller. \u201cThere are too many to name, but I hope you know who you are. I am filled with gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n
She especially notes the impact of a key leader in her life, the late Mary Slakey Howell, who was Mueller\u2019s supervisor in ESS.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was brilliant, kind, measured, curious, and powerful. Mary was my champion,\u201d said Mueller. \u201cShe believed in me more than I believed in myself, and she encouraged me to take on leadership roles I didn’t think I could do. If it weren’t for Mary, I would not be in the position I am today\u2026 I can still hear her voice when I am struggling.”<\/p>\n
Mueller took on the role of her mentor in ESS when she became the director of advising and policy, and she was one of the first recipients of an award named in Howell\u2019s honor, the Mary Slakey Howell award for advising excellence, UC Berkeley’s highest advising award, in 2017.<\/p>\n
\u201cSharon followed in the footsteps of our supervisor Mary Howell, who had been known campus-wide for keeping ESS on the cutting edge and knowing the history of all things engineering,\u201d said Chan. \u201cSharon had enormous shoes to fill, and as her colleague turned employee, [I] couldn\u2019t help but commend how Sharon took the challenge head on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of Mueller\u2019s many accomplishments and contributions in her career include participating in the development of the campus-wide BOA online student tracking system for academic advising, co-chairing the Golden Bear Experience Academic Advising Committee, and her recognition through a number of awards, including the Excellence in Management Award, a Distinguished Service Award, and multiple STAR and SPOT awards.<\/p>\n
Now in the final months of her Berkeley career, Mueller is anticipating new personal journeys to come. She looks forward to \u201creading the stack of books that have accumulated on [her] shelf, spending time in nature and away from screens, running errands in the middle of the workday, traveling and exploring, and volunteering for causes dear to [her] heart.\u201d Most of all though, Mueller is excited to care for her 3-month-old granddaughter Bridget and start \u201cseeing the world through her eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before taking on this new perspective, however, Mueller looks back, with eyes marked by a career\u2019s worth of wisdom, with a spirit of gratitude.<\/p>\n
\u201cBerkeley is a great place to work,\u201d said Mueller. \u201cIt’s dynamic, challenging, rewarding, and never boring. I continue to learn every day. I feel so lucky to have worked with so many brilliant staff, faculty, and students. I am incredibly grateful for the past 35 years.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sharon Mueller, the assistant dean of advising in the College of Letters & Science, has announced her retirement…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":238350,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[143,145,144],"class_list":["post-238349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238349"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238349\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/238350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}