Adventures in Advising

Dr. Lisa Rubin, professor in the College of Education at Kansas State University and Dr. Ashley Thomas, assistant director of resources and managing editor at NACADA discuss Rubin’s upcoming book, Ethical Issues in Academic Advising, a new guidebook shaped by her journey from athletic advisor to professor at Kansas State University. This conversation dives into the ethical challenges advisors face every day with clarity, compassion...

In this episode, Matt and Ryan dive into the California State University system's landmark rollout of ChatGPT to over half a million students, faculty, and staff. The CSU’s bold AI initiative is meant to reshape higher education by tackling equitable access, responsible use, and workforce readiness. We also explore tough questions about AI’s impact on jobs and sustainability, as well as how CSU leaders are responding. Panelist...

Dan Wienecke, academic advisor and instructor at Arapahoe Community College, shares his journey from Colorado State University to various international roles, including Peace Corps service in Kazakhstan. At ACC, Dan focuses on retention, particularly for students on academic recovery. Wienecke discusses ACC's performance support workshops, which help students understand and improve their academic standing. He also discusses th...

Brendan Caputo, director of student affairs at Long Island University, shares his inspiring path through higher education and his mission to support student success. From living on campus to leading LIU’s innovative Center for Student Success and Coaching, Caputo offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build a responsive, student-centered support system. He dives into his research on academic procrastination—uncovering ...

In this episode, Ryan Scheckel from Texas Tech University officially joins the podcast! 

03:53 - Ann Bingham with University of Southampton interviews UK Advising and Tutoring CEO David Grey, looking back at the 10-year anniversary of the UKAT conference, honoring a decade of impact, innovation, and inspiration. 

16:21 - Matt Markin facilitates a panel discussion with Ryan Scheckel, Texas Tech University; Iris Burks, Maastricht Unive...

Guest host Raezheen Pascua, academic advisor at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa teams up with program director Pearlena (Lena) Sarono Stone for an inspiring episode recorded fresh off their presentation at the 2025 NASPA Annual Conference in New Orleans.

Together, they dive into how First Year Experience courses can be powerful tools for promoting holistic student well-being, easing the college transition, and creating inclusive spac...

Thomas Beckwith with University of Florida leads a lively conversation with panelists: Tim Cox, Lafayette College; Kris Valentine, University of Florida and Shaura Thomas, University of Florida. Panelists break down what makes advising at two-year and four-year colleges so different—and why it matters. From centralized vs. faculty-driven models to the pace and scope of student interactions, panelists share real-world insights on ho...

Matt Markin from CSU San Bernardino and Ryan Scheckel from Texas Tech University dive into the exciting world of AI-powered tools reshaping the experiences of both students and advisors. They explore Google's NotebookLM, an AI assistant that digests your documents, delivers smart summaries, and even creates personalized audio overviews. They also check out Thea Study, a beta-stage platform offering AI-crafted study guides, fla...

In this inspiring episode, David Smith, Advising Specialist at Jefferson College, shares his remarkable 30+ year journey through higher education—from community college student to music professor to mentor and administrator. David dives into his work with the Region VII Mentoring Program and the power of academic coaching. Discover how tools like the action brainstorming worksheet help students turn goals into reality, and why seek...

Gavin Farber from The College of New Jersey guest hosts this episode focusing on sustainability in higher education and academic advising. Jessica Staten from Indiana University and Dr. Rebecca Hapes from Texas A&M University discuss the importance of identities beyond your roles and the necessity of change for sustainability, underscoring the resilience and adaptability required in higher education roles. Hapes and Staten high...

In this higher education administrators panel, Barbara Smith from The University of Texas at San Antonio and Jill Geisler Wheeler from the University of Arkansas highlight the need for professional development and support for advisors, while advocating for student and staff well-being. Both discuss the challenges of balancing technology's benefits with maintaining personal connections. Dr. Todd Chambers and Ryan Scheckel from ...

In Ep. 120, host Matt Markin uses the Mozart AI app to generate songs in various music genres and lyrics related to academic advising and higher education. Why? Just to see how fast artificial intelligence is evolving. What unique songs will the AI app create? Will it be creative, cringe, or a little bit of both? You decide!

Songs:

• 4:00 - Theme song for Adventures in Advising Podcast
• 6:37 - Loving What I Do
• 9:08 - Everyth...

In Ep. 119, guest host, Matt Plescia interviews Dr. Peter Howe, Associate Dean for Academics at Utah State University's Quinney College of Natural Resources, discusses his journey from Yale to USU, focusing on climate change perceptions and environmental risks. He emphasizes the importance of geography, GIS, and the role of faculty advisors in student success. Dr. Howe highlights the decentralized advising model at USU, which ...

In Ep. 118 of the Adventures in Advising podcast, Leander Yazzie, tribal relations liaison at the University of Washington Tacoma, facilitates a discussion with Devon Williams, Green River College; Alexis Perez, University of Washington Tacoma; and Cynthia DePoe, Pierce College Puyallup.

Panelists share their experiences and roles in supporting Native and Indigenous students, the challenges of advising non-traditional students, and ...

Dr. Duan Jackson from the California State University Office of the Chancellor discusses the evolution of her role as director of student advising initiatives in which she oversees advising and career services, new student orientation, and learning support. Duan highlights the importance of collaboration among California's higher education institutions, including the University of California, California State University, commu...

In this episode, Ben Hopper from the NACADA Executive Office shares information about the upcoming NACADA Region Conferences and why you should attend. Then, Dr. Tom Grites, a founding member of NACADA and retired provost from Stockton University, discusses his journey from a high school athlete to a higher education professional, highlighting his roles in academic advising, residence life, and his contributions to the NACADA organ...

Celebrating the 5th anniversary of the Adventures in Advising podcast, Megumi Makino-Kanehiro from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa interviews podcast co-creator Matt Markin about the history and continued relevance of the podcast, NACADA Involvement, and what’s next. Melinda Anderson from Achieving the Dream interviews Kyle Ross from the NACADA Executive Office about the direction of academic advising, his vision and goals, and his ...

In the first episode of 2025, we're continuing the conversation about artificial intelligence, by interviewing ChatGPT's AI about all things higher ed and academic advising! Matt Markin is joined by Ryan Scheckel from Texas Tech University on this episode.

3:52 - Matt interviews ChatGPT about how it differs from other AI platforms, in what ways other universities have already used AI, challenges AI faces when wor...

A short, fun 7-minute episode to close out 2024! Matt Markin is joined by Ryan Scheckel from Texas Tech University in interviewing Santa (or really the Santa voice mode in ChatGPT). What is Santa-GPT's message to academic advisors? Did advisors make the naughty or nice list this year? Let's find out. 

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