Professor Marta Colón, SPHR, has been named the 2010 SHRM Advisor of the Year for her work with the students of the SHRM-Mayaguez chapter of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez.
Colón started the student chapter 25 years ago and has been its advisor ever since. She founded the Annual Puerto Rico Student Chapter Conferences, a weekend devoted to conferences for HR students and networking among student chapters. She also invited local HR managers to student chapter meetings to help the students develop prospective internships and job opportunities.
“Initially, the students received Merit Awards as they developed the chapter,” wrote Robert J. Rollman Sr., retired professor, in his nomination letter. “However, throughout 1991-92, [Colón] guided and coached the chapter into receiving a Superior Merit Award. Since then, they never looked back and won 14 consecutive [Superior Merit Awards] and recently the prestigious HR Outstanding Student Chapter Award for 2008-09.”
Colón has taught the PHR course at the College of Business Administration at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, for 15 years. For the past six years, she led the university’s four campuses through a special accreditation process from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Appointed to this task by the dean of the business school, Colón continued to administer the school’s internship and assessment programs.
She served as director of the West Region of SHRM Puerto Rico during 2006-07 and serves as a member of the board of directors of SHRM Puerto Rico.
“Definitely, professionals like her are what make the difference and help bring our profession to its next level,” wrote Angie E. Lugo-Muñoz, 2010 president of SHRM Puerto Rico, in her nomination letter. “Her commitment and selfless dedication gives students the strength to continue forward and become the future leaders of the Puerto Rico Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management.”
Beth Mirza is senior editor for SHRM Online.