Cailín M. Cordon-Waldman has been named Private University Advisor of the Year by the Health Professional Student Association (HPSA) Student Advisory Council. Cordon-Waldman is director of health professions advising at Muhlenberg College, where she is instrumental in maintaining Muhlenberg’s 90% medical and dental school placement. The award was presented at the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions, Inc. 2026 Conference, June 27.
Cordon-Waldman has advised students at Muhlenberg College since 1999, holding roles including director of the Career Center and director of pre-professional advising. As the college’s health professions advisor, she also serves as the faculty advisor for Muhlenberg’s chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED), the national pre-health honor society, and as a regional director for the AED national office.
Holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Lehigh University and a Master of Arts in counseling from Eastern Kentucky University, Cordon-Waldman is a doctoral candidate in the University of North Georgia’s Higher Education Leadership and Practice program, for which her dissertation research focuses on the experiences of at-promise students at a private liberal arts college. She is currently treasurer of the Northeast Association of Advisors for the Health Professions and has served as a member at-large and conference co-chair for the 2021 and 2023 regional conferences.
Cordon-Waldman received four nominations — the most of any advisor this year. One Muhlenberg advisee, now a third-year medical student, described how her guidance shaped a path to medicine as a first-generation college student: “From my very first semester, Cailín provided clarity, structure, and direction. She did far more than review course schedules. She thoughtfully advised me on which classes would not only fulfill prerequisites but also genuinely prepare me for the rigor of medical training. Cailín ensured that students like me were not disadvantaged by a lack of access to insider knowledge.”
Another nominator, now in medical school, credited her with pushing students toward leadership: “As AED elections approached, she pulled me aside after our biweekly general meeting and personally challenged me to step into a leadership role I had not previously envisioned for myself. She treated the organization’s successes as her own; my mission became her mission.” A third student, now enrolled in dental school, added that “Cailin made this transition seamless. I know that I speak for many pre-health students at Muhlenberg College when I say that she was extremely helpful in navigating the path to attending a post-graduate health professional program.”
HPSA is an academic nonprofit providing free advising, research, and educational support for students pursuing careers in healthcare. The Advisor of the Year recognition was created by the HPSA Student Advisory Council in 2022 to recognize outstanding advisors. Previous recipients include leaders of pre-health advising offices, physicians in the community, and professors, joined by the common desire to make a difference in students’ lives.
