Student Success

and Workforce Development

I approach talent development as an interconnected process rather than a collection of individual responsibilities. To this end, I developed integrated student success initiatives spanning recruitment, advising, career readiness, experiential learning, professional credentialing, undergraduate research, and graduate mentorship to strengthen academic achievement and workforce preparedness.

Advising and Student Success

• Advised undergraduate students throughout the pre-major and professional major, supporting academic planning, career development, and timely progression toward degree completion.
• Developed advising pathways that clarified expectations for selective admission into the professional program, contributing to improved student preparation and program progression.
• Integrated academic advising with curriculum redesign, assessment, and enrollment management to improve student retention, graduation, and workforce readiness.

Recruitment and Enrollment

• Led recruitment initiatives supporting undergraduate and graduate enrollment through strategic communications, prospective student engagement, program marketing, and outreach activities.
• Co-developed recruitment materials, websites, and marketing strategies that strengthened program visibility and student recruitment.
• Represented the Interior Design program during recruiting events, campus visits, industry outreach, and statewide educational programs.

Career Readiness and Professional Development

• Developed portfolio curricula that prepared students for employment, graduate education, and professional practice.
• Integrated professional communication, project management, leadership, and interdisciplinary collaboration throughout the curriculum.
• Coordinated internships that connected students with industry partners and applied professional experiences.
• Directed graduate teaching experiences that prepared future faculty members for careers in higher education.

Professional Credential Preparation

• Prepared students for the NCIDQ and EDAC credentialing examinations through curriculum design, portfolio development, mentoring, and individualized coaching.
• Contributed to the Interior Design program achieving Alabama’s highest first-time NCIDQ and EDAC examination pass rates.
• Served as an NCIDQ Ambassador, strengthening connections between professional credentialing and academic preparation.

Research Mentorship

• Mentored undergraduate honors students, independent research projects, graduate directed studies, internships, master’s theses, doctoral dissertations, and supervised teaching experiences.
• Guided graduate students in research design, scholarly writing, teaching, and professional development.
• Supported student participation in research, conference presentations, and interdisciplinary scholarship.

These initiatives established an integrated student development model that connected recruitment, advising, curriculum, experiential learning, professional credentialing, and career preparation to improve student success from entry through workforce transition.

Selected Refereed Works from Graduate and Undergraduate Researchers

Brown, C. & Wuebker, M. (April 21, 2023). The Scope of and Dynamic Interrelationship Between Universal Design Applications for a Park Renovation Project [Poster presentation]. L. Tan (Faculty Advisor). American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Conference, Kansas City, MO, United States.

Brown, C. & Wuebker, M. (May 24, 2023). More than a park: A universal and inclusive experience. National ADA Symposium 2023 [Symposium]. L. Tan (Faculty Advisor).  Kansas City, MO, United States.

Martin, K., Albert, T.W. & Tan L. (March 28, 2023) A new perspective for the maternal mortality crisis: The potential impact of home interior design on maternal mental health in the postpartum year. Presented at Auburn Research: Student Symposium, Auburn University, AL.

Shealey, A. (2021) #BlackRepresentationsMatter: Viewing digital activism through symbology. (L. Tan, Co-Major Professor) Fashion, Style & Popular Culture (8)1 83-96. https://doi.org/10.1386/fspc_00067_1

Terry, H. & Tan, L. (2021) Optimizing the Restorative Potential of the Italian Renaissance Garden: A Pattern Library. Auburn University Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship.

Selected Awards for Graduate and Undergraduate Researchers

Kravet Design of Distinction, United States

• Winner – Vietnam, Douglass, A. – and six Finalist entries (2021)

Interior Design Educators Council Student Design Competition, United States

• 1st Place – Looney, K., Merlino, S. & Sokienah, Y. (2016)
• 1st Place – Mercer, L., Roberts, S. & Saul, S. (2012)
• Winner, Graduate South Region – Looney, K., Merlino, S. & Sokienah, Y. (2016)
• Winner, Undergrad South Region – Heapy, M., Kennedy, J. & Mitchell, S. (2016)
• 2nd Place, South Region – Mercer, L., Roberts, S. & Saul, S. (2012)

Daisy Bond Student Design Awards, American Society of Interior Designers, Birmingham, AL

• 1st Place – Hand Rendering, Harvey, M. (2019)
• 2nd Place – Hand Rendering, Tran, T. (2022)
• 2nd Place – Digital Rendering, Hix, S.K. (2019)
• 2nd Place – Residential Design, Harvey, M. (2019)
• 3rd Place – Residential Design, Hix, S.K. (2019)

This is Research [Symposium], Auburn University, Auburn, AL

• 1st Place – Belt, V. [Presentation] (2014)
• 1st Place – Brock, W. & Rahn, K. [Poster] (2022)
• 1st Place – Kirksey, B., Burchill, S. & Killen, M. [Poster] (2019)
• 2nd Place – Dessert, A.J., Miller, A., Poellnitz, H., & Rolf, C., [Poster] (2016)
• 3rd Place – Thomas, L., Douglass, C., Foster, A., & Grabinski, A. [Poster] (2016)