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 a strong practitioner lens can transform advisor training and professional development. Along the way, the conversation explores mentoring, career pathways, system-level leadership, and bold ideas for the future of academic advising, with a few side trips into pickleball, skyscraper office views, and Montreal travel stories. It’s a thoughtful, energizing episode for anyone who cares about advising, leadership, and building better support for students.

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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 of mentorship, lifelong learning, adult learners, pre-health advising, professional growth, and why advisors should never become “dream crushers.”

Listeners will hear about Hofstra’s evolving identity in health professions education, the challenges of the enrollment cliff, the irreplaceable human side of advising in an AI age, and the magic that happens when students and professionals are given room to grow. 🧭✨

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

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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 the way, including turning down Prince. Yes, that Prince. 🎙️✨

Together, they explore when it might be time for a change, how identity shifts after retirement, why it is never too late to try something new, and how our talents can follow us into unexpected places.

Get your copy of Deborah's book, Miles Carter Can't Sleep So He Counts Sheep!

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.