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 professional development, enhance student support, and build a unified advising community across Ferris State.

Plus: Back to the Future, family adventures, and an on campus wedding!

Tune in to hear how strategic partnerships and innovative leadership are shaping the future of academic advising, as well as a dash of pop culture nostalgia!

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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 syndrome to take the stage, and how Cal Poly Pomona’s Billy Chat (an AI-powered chatbot) is transforming student support.

🧠 Alexander Bowie: Talks about his research on predictive analytics and the ethical questions behind using machine-learning models in advising.

💬 Dr. Sara Stein Koch: Reflects on her 14-year journey with the Gardner Institute and explains how purpose-driven advising and symposium-style learning are reshaping professional development.

🎓 Dr. John N. Gardner: Shares the origin story of the Gardner Institute and the importance of innovation and intentional design in student success.

🌈 Dr. Quentin Alexander: Discusses his NACADA pre-conference workshop on supporting inclusive leadership, transforming advising practice through new perspectives, and his college connection to Michael Jordan!

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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, thought-provoking panel.

From tackling the enrollment cliff and advisor burnout to the promise (and pitfalls) of AI in higher ed, this conversation dives deep into the challenges shaping our field—and the innovations lighting the way forward. Whether you’re a seasoned advisor, an administrator, or just curious about the future of student success, you won’t want to miss this dynamic exchange of ideas, stories, and inspiration.

👉 Tune in and discover how advising isn’t just student support—it’s a driver of institutional transformation.

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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 advising, to launching NACADA’s Summer Institute, to shaping how generations of advisors think about conceptual, informational, and relational skills—Wes shares the stories, turning points, and even a few behind-the-scenes moments that defined his career.

This conversation is part history lesson, part masterclass, and all heart —celebrating the relationships and legacies that continue to shape the profession today.

Tune in to hear how passion, mentorship, and a little bit of serendipity can change not only one career—but an entire field!

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The Instagram, and Facebook handle for the podcast is @AdvisingPodcast

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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 research across Europe.

From redefining what “scholarly” means to creating a more inclusive, dialogue-driven peer review process, Oscar and David share how Waypoint is breaking barriers and building bridges between theory and practice. Whether you’re an advisor, researcher, or simply curious about how ideas become action in higher education, this conversation will inspire you to find your own waypoint in the evolving landscape of academic advising.

Check out the inaugural edition of Waypoint!

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The Instagram, and Facebook handle for the podcast is @AdvisingPodcast

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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 teaching and student organizations, the role of compassion in effective advising, and how advisor well-being directly impacts student success. Jordan also discusses her research interests around advisor satisfaction and retention, as well as her leadership in NACADA’s Region 10 and Sustainable Leadership Committee. This conversation is packed with energy, insight, and a little bit of wanderlust (Japan, anyone?).

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The Instagram, and Facebook handle for the podcast is @AdvisingPodcast

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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 connections across institutions, and keeping curiosity at the center of advising. It’s a lively mix of storytelling, practical takeaways, and even a debate over pineapple on pizza!

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The Instagram, and Facebook handle for the podcast is @AdvisingPodcast

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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, you’ll hear:

• How a conference session and Simon Sinek’s framework sparked Ashley’s purpose journey.
• Why narrative inquiry reveals the themes that really drive you.
• Concrete steps to craft your purpose
• The hidden costs of advisor turnover and how purpose helps people stay.
• Simple ways supervisors can build purpose check-ins

If you’re an advisor, a supervisor, or just someone who wants work to feel more you, hit play and get inspired to live and advise on purpose.

Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast platform!

The Instagram, and Facebook handle for the podcast is @AdvisingPodcast

Also, subscribe to our Adventures in Advising YouTube Channel!

Connect with Matt and Ryan on LinkedIn.