Adventures in Advising

As a new academic year kicks off, how do advisors support students without setting themselves on fire in the process? 🔥

In Episode 191 of Adventures in Advising, returning guest host Imani Hill sits down with Brandon Jones and Melissa Cumbia from the Well-being and Advisor Retention Community for a timely conversation about work-life balance, advisor well-being, and staying grounded in a changing higher education landscape.

From act...

What happens when the advisor becomes the one navigating a major transition?

In Ep. 190 of Adventures in Advising, Matt Markin welcomes back Matt Plescia from Hamilton College for a conversation about career moves, starting over, and discovering how our professional identities change along the way. Inspired by Matt Plescia’s Academic Advising Quarterly article, “Two Suitcases, a Backpack, and a Duffel Bag: Finding Adviso...

Dr. Xiao Yuan returns to Adventures in Advising for a conversation that goes far beyond academic advising. Since her last appearance in 2022, Xiao’s journey has taken some unexpected turns—from higher education and recruiting to investing in the last-mile delivery industry, where she discovered powerful connections between her research on belonging and the invisible human stories behind every doorstep delivery.

Xiao and ...

What does it take to turn great advising ideas into published scholarship? In this episode of The Adventures in Advising, Ryan is joined by Melissa Cumbia, Sarah Bechtel, and Alanna Bitzel —members of NACADA's Publications Advisory Board—for an honest conversation about their journeys as writers, collaborators, and contributors to the academic advising profession. Together, they explore how publishing can be more approa...

Guest host Margaret Mbindyo from Millersville University chats with Gugu Khanye, University of the Free State; Jonathan Muema Mwania, Makueni University College; and Oyebimpe Olusanya, Federal University of Technology Akure to explore how culture, community, and compassion shape student success. From the power of "it takes a village" to mentorship and holistic support, the panel also discuss the realities of student funding and how...

What can one conversation change? In this inspiring episode of Adventures in Advising, guest host Dr. Melinda Anderson sits down with newly minted Dr. Erika Nixon-Lambert to explore how a chance encounter, the guidance of caring academic advisors, and the power of community transformed her path from the cosmetics industry to earning her Doctor of Pharmacy.

Together, they discuss resilience, mentorship, nontraditional student success...

What happens when a passion for mathematics evolves into a passion for student success? In this episode, Giancarlo Labruna from Penn State shares his unique journey from mathematics faculty member to academic advisor, reflecting on the mentors, experiences, and opportunities that inspired him to pursue a career dedicated to helping students thrive.

We also dive into the growing role of scholarship in academic advising, exploring gra...

In this thought-provoking episode of Adventures in Advising, guest host Dr. Gerron Scott sits down with Brandi Byers, academic advisor at the University of South Carolina and chair of NACADA’s Advising Students with Disabilities Community. Together, they explore disability identity, accommodations, accessibility, and the critical role advisors play in supporting students through their educational journeys.

This conversation hi...

In this episode of Adventures in Advising, Ryan heads north for a lively conversation with Canadian advising leaders Aysha Haq, Elizabeth Venton-Parnell, Jing Yao, and Shoshana Kalfon. Together, they explore what makes academic advising in Canada distinct, from provincial policies and immigration changes to holistic student support, institutional pressures, and the magic of those “light bulb” student moments.

The panel a...

Guest host Dr. Margaret Mbindyo welcomes Ben Walker from Oxford Brookes University in the UK, and Chiara Bertolini and Dr. Alessandra Landini from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy, for a rich discussion on academic advising, student success, belonging, mental health, disability support, and the changing needs of today’s college students.

From the UK’s “personal tutoring” model to Italy&rsqu...

In this episode of Adventures in Advising, Matt and Ryan chat with returning guest, Dr. Janet Schulenberg, about NACADA’s newly unveiled definition of academic advising and framework. Janet reflects on how the task force’s work moved from development to a formal resource for the profession. This conversation explores the definition’s central message, its implications for advisor identity and institutional res...

In this episode, Matt and Ryan welcome Dr. Hilleary Himes from Penn State for a lively conversation about advising scholarship, professional development, and why the history of academic advising matters more than we might think. Hilleary shares her unexpected journey from anthropology and archaeological digs to academic advising, reflects on how advising structures shape student experiences, and offers practical encouragement for a...

In this episode of Adventures in Advising, Matt talks with Arjun Arora, founder of Advisor AI, about where artificial intelligence fits into the future of academic advising, and where it absolutely does not. From chatbots and career pathways to implementation headaches, ethical guardrails, and the myth that AI can replace advisors, this conversation dives into the real people, processes, and possibilities behind emerging technology...

In this episode of Adventures in Advising, Matt and Ryan sit down with Weston Rose, Senior Program Manager in the UT System Office of Academic Affairs, for a lively conversation about advising, innovation, and what it really takes to support student success at scale. From his journey as a first-generation college student from a tiny Texas town to leading systemwide advising initiatives, Weston shares how creativity, technology, and...

In this episode of Adventures in Advising, guest host Dr. Brendan Caputo welcomes his longtime mentor, Dr. Ellen C. Miller, Senior Associate Dean for Pre-Health Advising at Hofstra University, for a wisdom-packed conversation about advising as both a profession and a calling. From her own nontraditional path as a first-generation student to nearly four decades of supporting future health professionals, Ellen reflects on the power o...

Retirement is not the end of the story. It is the plot twist. In this episode, Matt and Ryan sit down with the unforgettable Dr. Deborah Parsons to talk about career pivots, retirement realities, reinvention, and what it means to keep creating in every chapter of life. From police work to higher education leadership to children’s book author and illustrator, Deb shares a jam packed journey packed and a few wild stories along ...

In this milestone episode of Adventures in Advising, Matt and Ryan welcome Maureen “Mo” Schafer, Assistant Provost for Academic Advising and Director of the Academic Advising Center at the University of Iowa, for a conversation packed with insight, honesty, and a few beautifully relatable metaphors. From her journey as a first-generation student and former campus tour guide to her leadership in a campus-wide advising se...

On this special global edition of Adventures in Advising, Dr. Margaret Mbindyo brings together Yoshinobu Onishi, Megumi Yamasaki, Jushan Cheng, and Chiahuan Chen for a rich, eye-opening conversation about how academic advising is taking shape in Japan and Taiwan. From helping students navigate major choice, family expectations, and mental health, to exploring the role of technology, study abroad, and holistic student support, this ...

In this episode of Adventures in Advising, Matt chats with Chad Cain from Texas Tech University for a conversation filled with insight, warmth, and authentic reflections on the work of supporting students. From Chad’s higher ed origin story and the mentors who shaped his path, to the many hats he wears in the Honors College, this episode explores what it means to lead with care, curiosity, and a deep commitment to student suc...