Marissa Holst, assistant professor of psychology, is a 2026 recipient of the University of Minnesota John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising.
The John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising is named in honor of John Tate, professor of physics and first dean of University College (1930-41). The Tate Award serves to recognize and reward high-quality advising at the University of Minnesota. It calls attention to the contributions that academic advising and career services make in helping students formulate and achieve their intellectual, career, and personal goals. By recognizing professionals for their outstanding commitment to students, the Tate Award celebrates the role that academic advising and career services play in the University’s educational mission.
As a former TRIO student and McNair Scholar, and as a low-income, first-generation college student who was the first in her family to earn a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D., Holst understands firsthand that the transition to college can be challenging even for students who are well prepared.
“My advising is influenced by the phrase, ‘In a world full of critics, be an encourager.’ This approach is important to me because as a developmental psychologist, I see our students not only as young adults in a tumultuous developmental period, but I understand the trajectory of their lives as they age, and how their educational experiences can positively affect them.”
According to Social Science Division Chair Heather Peters, Holst received this prestigious award because her advising effectiveness comes from caring deeply about individual student wellbeing, helping make implicit university policies and expectations explicit for first-generation students and students from communities who experience marginalization, effectively collaborating with staff around campus, developing student internship and shadowing experiences off campus, and ensuring students have access to the resources they need and deserve.
A former student of Holst’s, Laura Pester, wrote, “She helps students understand higher education, leverage institutional resources, clarify goals, and transition successfully into careers and life paths beyond the University.”
Holst is one of only four recipients across the University of Minnesota. The award will be presented during the Tate Advising Conference on Thursday, March 5, 2026.