MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — As a fan of formulas with a penchant for planning, some refer to Middle Tennessee State University College of Behavioral and Health Sciences advisor Bonnie McCarty as the “Excel Wizard.”

McCarty took that bit of magic she has with organizing data and turned it into a PowerPoint presentation, “Spreadsheet Sorcery,” that earned her top honors at the recent regional conference for NACADA, formerly known as the National Academic Advising Association, held in Memphis in early spring.

“I aimed to make the technical aspects of Microsoft Excel feel more approachable and exciting, helping attendees see the magic in the tools they use every day,” explained McCarty, a 20-year veteran staff member and CBHS advisor since 2015 at her alma mater, where she earned a master’s degree.

NACADA is a globally recognized organization that focuses on supporting academic advisors and student success professionals, with more than 10,000 members from 2,400 institutions worldwide.

The regional conference in Memphis brought together advisors from multiple states, including Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, with McCarty’s presentation rising to the top of the heap.

Although the award has been a feather in her cap, McCarty is proud her presentation helps others sort through mounds of data academic advisors must tackle.

“As advisors, we work with a lot of student data. Excel has been a game-changer for managing it efficiently,” McCarty said. “I wanted to share some practical tips that other advisors and higher ed professionals could use in their own roles to streamline their caseload management and make better use of their data.”

In addition to the PowerPoint, McCarty’s included accompanying handouts to aid audience members as she walked through the presentation.

“The handouts included items like a sample dataset and step-by-step instructions, so they could go back and practice on their own later,” McCarty said.

The spring conference wasn’t the first time McCarty has provided data management training. She has given different presentations for the on-campus Blue Raider Academic Advising Network. And the “Spreadsheet Sorcery” was presented at the Tennessee Association for Student Success and Retention Conference last fall.

McCarty’s fellow advisors are happy for the helpful tips as well.

“Bonnie is an absolute rockstar,” said Cassie Piggot, advisor in the MTSU College of Basic and Applied Sciences. “The best part about her teaching this sort of skill is that she has infinite patience and is able to really break down difficult concepts into easily understandable information.”

Earning “Best of Region 3” provides the opportunity for McCarty to give the presentation again at the national NACADA conference in Las Vegas in the fall.

“I’m excited to present to a larger audience and share my practical Excel tips for managing caseloads more efficiently with advisors from across the country,” McCarty said. “Also, I’ve been hearing from some of the regional conference attendees, and I look forward to continuing to hear how they’re using the tips from my session.”

— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)