Adventures in Advising

What happens when you put four Kansas State University faculty members, two curious cohosts, and a whole lot of passion for student success in the same podcast episode? You get a masterclass in what academic advising really looks like behind the scenes. Matt and Ryan chat with Drs. Ambyr Rios, Shabina Kavimandan, Vicki Sherbert, and Michael Lawson from Kansas State University about their approach...

The NASPA Undergraduate Student Conference isn’t just another conference—it’s a launchpad. Charlie Sloop from Michigan State University and Derrick Ball from Texas A&M University join us to break down what students can expect, how the conference creates space for leadership and belonging, and why this experience sticks long after the closing session. From professional development to meaningful...

🎒🌍 What happens when international student success meets academic advising, data, and a whole lot of heart? In this episode of Adventures in Advising , Matt and Ryan are joined by Dr. Ling LeBeau and Dr. Steven Schaffling from Syracuse University to unpack an award-winning framework that’s redefining how institutions support international students from day one to year one and beyond. Together, t...

Six years. Hundreds of conversations. Countless “aha” moments. In this special anniversary episode of, Matt and Ryan chat with Dana Zahorik , Kyle Ross , and Jennifer Rush about the NACADA Institutes . They break down how these immersive experiences turn big advising challenges into doable next steps. Think intimate cohorts, expert faculty, and real take-home impact. Then, Matt and Ryan are joined...

Matt and Ryan ring in the new year by blending reflection, realism, and a little sci-fi sparkle. Returning fan-favorite Melinda Anderson sets the tone with a powerful, compassionate conversation about navigating burnout, redefining expectations, building personal capacity, and leading through uncertainty. No fluffy resolutions here.  Matt and Ryan then go full Adventures in Advising by interviewin...

In this meta installment of Adventures in Advising , Matt and Ryan toss two wildly different previous podcast episodes into the digital cauldron of Google NotebookLM to see what kind of AI-brewed concoction bubbles up. Unpack the AI-generated “deep dive,” marvel at its narrative gymnastics, side-eye its dramatic metaphors, and wrestle with questions that higher ed is still learning to ask. Can adv...

In this experimental solo adventure, Ryan slips out of the usual interview cockpit and takes us on a narrative ride through meme history, advising philosophy, and the warp-speed culture tugging at all of us. What begins with Sweet Brown’s iconic “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” unfurls into a thoughtful exploration of how academic advisors navigate immediacy, burnout breezes, and the dream of tru...

Guest host Dr. Ann Bingham sits down with Dr. Josephine Gabi for a conversation that glows with insight and gentle challenge. Together, they explore Josie’s framework for encouraging individuals to look inward 🌱, outward 🌍, and forward 🎛️ through introspection, outrospection, reorientation. The episode hums with bright questions, brave reflections, and fresh possibilities for deepening student b...

In this globally focused installment of Adventures in Advising , Matt and Ryan sit down with Miriam Khalil and Sean Bridgen to learn about an exciting new international collaboration between the International Association of Student Affairs and Services (IASAS) and NACADA-The Global Community for Academic Advising! 🌍🤝✨ In this episode, our guests dive into:  💡 What meaningful collaboration real...

What happens when two advising pros say, “What the heck, let’s do this”? In this special episode of Adventures in Advising , Matt and Ryan turn the mics on themselves to share the story behind their newest project: Academic Advising Quarterly , a fresh online magazine designed by advising professionals, for advising professionals. Tune in as they dive into how a casual podcast chat turned into a f...

Get ready for a truly one-of-a-kind episode! Guest host Amanda Roberts Mather takes the mic to interview her boss Dr. Ryan McLawhon , Associate Dean for Academic and Student Services at Texas A&M University at Qatar as they share an inside look at what it’s like to guide students, staff, and faculty through one of higher ed’s biggest challenges: the planned closure of a university campus.  Joi...

This week on the Adventures in Advising podcast , Matt and Ryan sit down with Michael Zaborowski , Director of Academic Advising at Ferris State University! Michael shares how Ferris State is transforming advising through a $500,000 grant, a groundbreaking collaboration with NACADA, and launching the new Center for Advising Excellence and Advising Fellows Program, designed to strengthen profession...

It’s a milestone moment for Adventures in Advising ! Matt and Ryan celebrate 150 episodes by taking you on a two-city advising adventure—first to Las Vegas for the NACADA Annual Conference, then straight to Chicago for the Gardner Institute Symposium. In this jam-packed episode, you’ll hear in order: 🌟 Dr. Cecilia Santiago-González: The NACADA keynote speaker shares how she overcame imposter synd...

What does the future of academic advising look like as we approach NACADA’s 50th anniversary? In this special edition of Adventures in Advising , hosts Matt Markin and Ryan Scheckel take a stroll down memory lane with Dr. Charlie Nutt about NACADA and where the organization has led. Then, Matt and guest co-host Dr. Cheri Souza sit down with Dr. Melinda Anderson and Dr. Kyle Ross for a lively, thou...

Adventures in Advising takes a trip down memory lane with two legends of the field! In this special episode, guest host Dr. Jenny Bloom from Florida Atlantic University sits down with her longtime mentor and friend, Dr. Wes Habley , to explore his incredible journey from music major to one of the foundational voices in academic advising. 🌟 From developing the seven organizational models of advisi...

What happens when advising professionals reimagine scholarship—not as something locked behind paywalls and jargon, but as a living, collaborative practice? In this episode of Adventures in Advising , hosts Matt and Ryan sit down with Dr. David Grey (UKAT) and Oscar van den Wijngaard (Maastricht University) to discuss Waypoint , a new open-access journal dedicated to student advising practice and r...

From teaching elementary orchestra, to editing books for bestselling authors, to leading student organizations and pursuing a PhD... Jordan Truex does it all! As a Senior Academic Advisor at Utah State University and current PhD student in Counseling and Student Development at Kansas State University, Matt and Ryan chat with Jordan to explore strategies for fostering student belonging through teac...

Get ready for an energetic episode of Adventures in Advising with Temple Carter , Director of Advising Programming and Development for the Texas A&M University System. Temple shares how lessons from theater and the corporate world bring fresh ideas to advisor training, professional development, and organizational growth. You’ll hear creative strategies for supporting advisor wellness, building...

Ready to swap burnout for a brighter why? Matt and Ryan welcome back Dr. Ashley Thomas from the NACADA Executive Office. Ashley opens up about discovering your purpose, using stories to find your “why,” and how aligning it with your advising work can boost wellness, deepen student relationships, and even curb turnover. Expect goosebumps, practical tips, and a whole lot of heart.  In this episode,...

Do you wish you had a more comprehensive, evidence-based guide for delivering coaching and mentoring interventions with your students? Enya-Marie Clay , Jennifer Hillman , and Dave Lochtie , the editors behind the brand-new book Coaching and Mentoring Students in Higher Education: A Practitioner Guide to Developing Independent Learners , have just that! From equity-driven frameworks to real studen...

Do you know what reverse mentoring is and its benefits? In this episode, Matt and Ryan sit down with Rachael O’Connor from University of Leeds to explore how reverse mentoring and relationship-centered advising can transform campus culture, especially for working class and first-gen students. From her journey from tax law to teaching, to building staff/student partnerships that actually change pol...

In this special episode of Adventures in Advising , we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Terry O’Banion—visionary leader, prolific author, and one of the most influential voices in the history of academic advising and the community college movement. Known for challenging higher education to place student learning at the center, Dr. O’Banion’s work continues to inspire generations of educators....

Ever wondered what happens when advising professionals trade their campus offices for classrooms to lead students across the globe ? In this special panel episode, guest host Gavin Farber brings together Dr. Sarah Imam , The Citadel; Brittany Hoover , University of Florida; Chris Kirchhof , University of Pittsburgh; and Jill Paulson , University of South Dakota. These incredible advising professio...

In this edition of Adventures in Advising , Matt and Ryan are joined by Jaime Ortiz , Director of Academic Advising at Saint Louis University’s Madrid campus. From his early days as a scholarship student to becoming a leader shaping the evolution of advising at SLU-Madrid, Jaime shares a powerful story of growth, resilience, and cross-cultural connection. Tune in to hear how Jaime helped transform...

What is academic advising and who gets to define it? Kyle Ross , NACADA Executive Director; Janet Schulenberg , Penn State; and Patrick Cate , Lakes Region Community College, explore NACADA’s bold initiative: creating an official definition and scope of practice for academic advising. From institutional leadership to frontline advising, they explore how this effort could reshape professional devel...