Kylie Haseloff 2022 Issue

Karen Preiss: Meet the AEC Academic Advisor

Branching out into a new environment, Preiss now looks back at the wonderful opportunities she has had since coming into the states.

Having an interest in advertising, Karen Preiss, originally from Frankfurt, Germany, found herself in the West Texas plains as a Texas Tech University academic advisor. Preiss found her passion for advertising though her interest in traveling and working on global accounts while working at an advertising agency, Young and Rubicam Global Brand and Customer Experience Agency. As a young adult, Preiss soon found herself starting a whole new life by moving to the United States in the year of 1993.

Starting off her college career in the year of 2000 at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, Preiss then transferred to Texas Tech University in Lubbock to study public relations within the College of Arts and Sciences.

Preiss began working as a faculty member at Texas Tech. In 2010, she started her advising career in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures.

In 2021, Preiss found herself applying and receiving another advising job within the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications in the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech. Having worked within advising already, Preiss felt confident in Davis College, even without prior agricultural industry experience.

“I am a pure city girl,” Preiss said. “But overall, I’ve really been loving my job here in [agricultural education and communications].”

Adjusting to her new job in AEC department has been fun for Preiss. She loves the small supportive atmosphere, endless accountable connections, and the feeling of a familiar job with the change of environment. Preiss’ job consists of advising AEC students in their coursework as well as making sure they graduate on time and not pay more than they are required.

From the very beginning, Preiss has earned the admiration of AEC faculty members.

“We couldn’t be happier that Mrs. Preiss has joined our team,” said Scott Burris Ph.D., AEC department chair. “She has done a fantastic job.”

Preiss continues to enjoy learning the ins-and-outs of AEC advising tactics, while making connections and learning about all things related to agriculture.

“Advising is a good environment for me,” Preiss said. “It has all been very new to me being in this department, but the parts of agriculture that I have experienced has been a great learning experience for me as well.