Academy welcomes new registrar

  • Published
  • By Amber Baillie
  • Academy Spirit staff writer
A 1980 graduate who served as a faculty member in the Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Department here for seven years and in the registrar's office for 16, officially began his position as the Academy's new registrar and Student Academic Affairs director Monday.

Tom Mabry, selected for the position in December, has worked at the Academy since 1991 as a T-43A staff instructor navigator, associate professor, deputy department head, and director of laboratories in the Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Department. In 2001, he was appointed as deputy registrar.

Originally from South Bend, Ind., Mabry said his goal as registrar is to continue to provide outstanding service to cadets, faculty and staff, Academy leadership, and the graduate community.

"I can't say enough good things about our faculty and staff in the Academy Registrar's Office," he said. "They are incredible professionals who are experts at what they do and who truly care about cadets and the mission. We regularly interact with all the mission partners and my goal is to bring 'value added' to everything we do."

As a cadet, Mabry majored in Behavioral Sciences. He earned his navigator wings and flew in several aircraft, including more than 1,200 flight hours in the KC-135A stratotanker.
In 1987 he earned a master's degree in human factors engineering from Purdue University and in 1994 received a Ph.D. in biopsychology from the University of Virginia.

"The cadets here are amazing young people," he said. "It is such a joy to interact with them. The faculty and staff here get to do that in a variety of settings such as in the classroom, as advisors, at squadron and athletic events, or as sponsors."

The Academy Registrar's Office includes 39 personnel assigned across five divisions. The registrar oversees first year advising, assists the dean of the faculty with curriculum implementation and management, and develops and maintains the primary student information system interfaces for faculty and staff, Mabry said.

"The Academy's Strategies for Academic Success program, Writing Center, Reading Enhancement Program, Graduate Studies Office and Quantitative Reasoning Center are also a part of our organization," he said.

Prior to Mabry, retired Lt. Col. Dean H. Wilson served as the Academy's Registrar for 28 years.

"He truly defined the position and I'm honored to follow in his footsteps," Mabry said.

Mabry said great mentors and supervisors throughout his career have helped motivate him to get to where he is today.

"I've learned valuable lessons from all of them, but each had the ability to ensure the mission was accomplished while also taking care of their people," he said. "That's a delicate balance sometimes, but you have to do both. I remind myself of that every day."

Mabry was the Academy's nominee and national semi-finalist for the 2000 Outstanding First-Year Advocate award. In 2012, he was elected by his peers to serve as the chair for the Rocky Mountain Region of the National Academic Advising Association, a position he still maintains.

Editor's note: The T-43A is the Air Force version of the Boeing 737-200 passenger airliner.