A national student veterans group has named Tamara Thacker, director of UC Riverside’s Veterans Resource Center, as one of its advisers of the year.

Student Veterans of America, or SVA, a Washington DC-based nonprofit, selected Thacker as one of five honorees for the Chapter Adviser of the Year. The group describes the award as acknowledging “the exceptional mentorship, service, and advocacy provided by a campus staff or faculty member to an SVA chapter as an advisor.”

Thacker was presented with the award at a luncheon during the group’s conference in Colorado Springs on Jan. 3.

During the nomination period last year, Thacker said she was looking to find students to nominate but students also encouraged her to put her name forward although she never imagined she’d be a finalist.

“Hearing all of my colleagues from across the US cheering for me made me feel like I had been recognized,” Thacker said. “Overall, it is a great feeling knowing what you are doing counts."

A U.S. Navy Veteran, Thacker is a first-generation and transfer student who graduated from UC Santa Barbara and received her master’s degree in higher education, administration, and policy at UCR. She has been with the Veterans Resource Center since 2017.

The Veterans Resource Center has increased its services, programs, and support for military veterans significantly over the years.

Its recent programs include Black History Month celebrations, an upcoming female veterans event, and outreach to local community colleges and military bases to introduce UCR to veterans.