I completed my undergraduate degree at IU in Journalism and then attended Bowling Green State University for a Master’s in Popular Culture. I’m currently completing my PhD in Communication & Culture here at IU. I’m originally from Hartford City, Indiana, a small town in the East-Central part of the state. As a true Hoosier, I spend most of my free time watching basketball, and now increasingly coaching youth basketball. My favorite thing about advising is helping students discover new interests and take advantage of all IU has to offer.
I am a southwest native, born in Flagstaff and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. I have a B.I.S. in Communication and International Studies with a Spanish minor from Arizona State University and a M.Ed. in Counseling and Student Affairs from Northern Arizona University. I enjoy travelling to new places, spending time with family and friends, bar trivia, and cuddling with my super cute golden retriever, Desmond. My goal as University Division academic advisor is to be the advisor I wish I had as an undergraduate student by providing thorough, detailed, and accurate information in a sincere and supportive manner.
My name is Wojciech Bełtkiewicz (pronounced: VOY-chek Belt-KIEV-itch). I was born in Białogard, Poland, but grew up in Boston, where I attended Northeastern University, earning a BA in history. Thereafter, I completed a PhD in history from the University of Michigan. After I graduated, I taught courses in Medieval and Early Modern history at Kenyon College.
Entering college is a bit like arriving in a foreign country: a place full of unusual customs, new rules, where people often speak in a strange, barely understandable language. I aspire to ease the transition of Indiana University students by making this new and incomprehensible world comprehensible. There are many avenues toward academic and career success here, and it is my goal to help you decide which path is right for you.
My name is Matt and I’m from Indiana but have lived all over the US and the world. I have an AA in Korean, a BA in Asian Studies, and a MSEd and PhD in Language Education. My office has a bit of a global fair and I love talking to my students about traveling, their education, and future plans.
MBA-Webster University; BBA (Marketing)-University of Iowa
The rolling rural Iowan hills that painter Grant Wood famously depicted.
Professional–corporate trainer, marketing strategist, customer service/sales manager, call center director - Hallmark Cards (Kansas City) 19 years. Taught business/marketing/selling courses at the Kelley School of Business (7 years) and Ivy Tech Community College (8 years). Faves—visiting family, nature, farm land, quiet time, reading, waves on the beach
I am honored to work in higher education as an academic advisor because there can be no better business than helping people achieve their hopes and dreams. Appreciative advising–challenge and support students.
I have been an academic advisor in University Division since 2007. Prior to moving to Bloomington, I have lived in various places: Switzerland, London, New York, New Jersey. Apart from traveling and learning about other cultures, I enjoy helping students explore their academic goals and find out about opportunities to make the best of their time at IU.
I was born and raised in Galesburg, Illinois. I always wanted to attend a Big Ten school and after viewing the majority of the campuses, I chose Indiana. I knew the minute I got out of the car that this was the place. I graduated with a BS in Education majoring in American History, Economics and a minor in math. I taught high school math for 33 years in Kenosha, Wisconsin. While on campus I was a cheerleader and captain of the squad the year IU went to the Rose Bowl. After retiring from teaching, I moved to Bloomington and I have been an academic advisor since. I believe going to class and staying organized are two of the most important habits a successful student can have. In my spare time I like to go to IU football and basketball games, walk and try to get 10,000 steps a day, sew, mow my lawn, travel, golf, play with my cat April and the list goes on. My favorite thing about advising is getting to speak with students one at a time and encouraging them. I guess old cheerleaders never die, they just become academic advisors.
I grew up in South Bend, Indiana and have two IU degrees: a Masters in Library Science from IU Bloomington and a BA in Philosophy from IU South Bend. Before becoming an academic advisor, I worked for the IU Libraries for over ten years. I love working with college students and helping them make the most of their college experience. When I’m not working at IUB, you’ll find me shopping at estate sales and thrift stores for vintage items to sell in my Etsy shop.
Asbury Theological Seminary—M.A. Theology (emphasis in Philosophy)
Indiana University—Ph.D. Student in Religious Studies
Where you're originally from / where you grew up
I grew up just outside of Peru, IN and attended North Miami High School. That means I grew with the corn and soy beans of the rural Midwest.
Something unique about yourself / interests
I love reading ANYTHING that has to do with philosophy or religion. I can’t get enough of those ever-important topics!
Your favorite thing about advising / Your approach to advising
I love watching students grow into self-aware persons who make mature decisions related to their academics. It really is a privilege to be a conversation partner with any student in these pivotal moments. I do my best to press my students for better answers and/or then back away and let them take the reins when the time is right. The test for me is often about timing—finding the best moments to challenge students in making academic decisions that fit their own goals and personalities.
I view advising as helping students find a good fit between their interests and the curriculum. It is my privilege to work with students as they engage in discovery – of IU, of others, of the world – but most of all themselves.
I have advised since 1983 and am a proud recipient of UD, campus and national advising awards.
I was raised in Minnesota, where my family still has a summer cabin. I have a B.A. from Vassar College, and an M.A. from the University of Minnesota. I enjoy word games, jigsaw puzzles, travel, reading contemporary fiction and studying foreign languages.
I graduated from Penn State with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, and then went on to graduate school to earn a master’s in Social Work from University of Michigan. I spent my childhood in northern New Jersey and my high school years in Pennsylvania. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, running, hiking, and traveling. My favorite thing about advising is finding out about what students are excited and passionate about, and connecting them with an academic course of study that relates to their interests.
Right after high school, I went to Cal State-LA for a year, and quickly realized a big state school wasn’t for me, I ended up transferring to the University of Redlands. As I traveled East (an hour away from home) to the UofR- I knew transitioning wasn’t going to be easy and it wasn’t. Luckily, because of all the support I had that initial year at Redlands, I was able to adjust and establish myself successfully in a setting I would essentially call home.
At the UofR I was able to earn both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree. Prior to moving (farther East) to Bloomington, I was a mental health therapist working with individuals ranging in ages from youth to adults.
As a UD advisor, I am looking forward to working with exploratory students as they begin their transitional journey within IU. I emphasize transitional, because you will be going through many new experiences and achieving new milestones (e.g. exploratory to intended major(s)/ parents housing to dorm living/ Undergraduate to Graduate/ IU to real world etc). My goal is to provide you with constant resources and lasting information so that you become an assertive, informed and successful young adult.
I grew up in the dark forests of the Adirondacks and have lived in Chicago, LA, Phoenix and the Mediterranean, and though trained as a Cultural Anthropologist, my career includes Chef, Archaeologist, Sea Turtle Egg Relocater, Eagle Blood Tester, Summer Camp Director, Business Manager for a World-Class Cinema, and other odd jobs and former lives of high and low adventure. I live with books, science fiction magazines from the 1940's, an assortment of dinosaurs and spaceships, a labrador retriever and a '65 Mustang. Best part about advising: Meeting students from around the world and helping them achieve their goals.
I grew up on the East Coast—born and raised in Connecticut about an hour outside of New York City. Before moving to Indiana for Graduate School, I also lived in Boston for about 10 years. I earned a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts-Boston and a MA in English from right here at IU. During my undergraduate years, I also took a brief detour from English to study photography at Massachusetts College of Art. I love to cook, to travel and to be immersed in good stories of all kinds (movies, books, tv, podcasts—I enjoy them all). My favorite thing about being an academic advisor is getting to be part of a hugely transformative time in people’s lives. I hope to be a consistent resource and a guide for students as they create short-term and long-term plans that reflect their experiences, goals and aptitudes. My ultimate goal as an advisor is to help students see their education as a varied but integrated whole that continues beyond their four years of college.
I have wide-ranging interests and have earned degrees in Geography (an academic discipline focused on the physical features of the earth/atmosphere and human activity as it affects and is affected by these) and in Nursing (a profession focused on health/wellness, quality of life and care for others).
I was born and raised in Wisconsin but have lived in Indiana my entire adult life. At this point, I am a Hoosier.
I view my advisees as individuals with varying interests, strengths, personalities and definitions of “success”. At the same time, I encourage all students to explore major and career options, make strategic/informed choices based on information/research, and develop grit and a growth mindset to help manage the challenges that life presents.
I grew up on a farm in central Iowa. I attended William Penn University for two years before transferring to Iowa State University where I earned my B.A. and later my M.A. I received my Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. I previously taught music on the Hopi and Tohono O’Odham Indian Reservations in Arizona, at an inner-city school in Phoenix, choral music in Tucson, and was an Educational Consultant for G.I.A, Publications, Inc. As an advisor, I enjoy assisting students as they make the transition from high school to college and then into their major of choice as they begin their academic journey here at IU.
I earned a BFA in Painting at Rhode Island School of Design, a Master of Education at Lesley College and an MFA in Painting here at Indiana University. I grew up in Cambridge MA and have spent time living in New England, Chicago, Berkeley and Italy. I love to do oil paintings and I exhibit my work frequently here in my adopted home of Bloomington. There is never a dull moment advising college students! I love helping students to come up with meaningful choices for college that will enrich their own lives and their communities.
For my undergraduate and graduate degrees, I studied what makes humans ‘tick’ and thrive. My subjects were anthropology, language evolution, philosophy of social sciences, teaching, and educational and applied psychology. My goal in advising is to support students in feeling empowered. We talk through tough decisions and find the perfect combination of opportunities for their individual interests. I’m good at helping students design their unique, perfect “academic home” at IU. I care about equity, power and making sure higher education stays a public good. I’ve lived many places: the Midwest, Washington, Mexico, Scotland, Belgium and New Zealand.
I attended Indiana University Bloomington for both my degrees: a M.S. in Counseling and Counseling Education in 2002 and a B.A. in Journalism in 1995. As an undergraduate, I also completed secondary education certification in the areas of journalism and psychology. I grew up in Noblesville, IN.
My first job out of undergrad was teaching high school journalism and language arts. Because I love to run, it wasn’t long before I was coaching girls cross country as well.
I have been a University Division advisor since 2014, and the best thing is seeing my advisees be admitted into their degree programs.
I have a B.S. in Biology and a Master’s in Education. I have worked as a microbiologist (bioremediation), a teacher (all ages: toddlers through college, including public Montessori), and a Registered Nurse. I’m from Brazil, Indiana. In my spare time, I like to read, knit, hike, and play the piano. The thing I enjoy most about my work is meeting with students. When advising, I use a student-centered approach and like to show students what IU has to offer.
I hold an MFA in Creative Writing and MA in English Literature from IUB, and spent my undergrad years at Depauw University studying English and Media. I grew up in Madison, Indiana, on the banks of the Ohio River. I enjoy singing and learned to play guitar from Youtube. As an advisor, I’m passionate about helping my advisees imagine and work toward different possible futures. I aspire to learn each student’s story, and to connect each student with the IUB classes, resources and opportunities that can help them develop their singular aptitudes and interests.
M.A. in Arts Administration; Individualized Major B.A. I studied Native American Textiles, focusing on the Chilkat blanket.
A lifetime of interest in environmental sciences sprouted in me by my organic gardening Ukrainian parents in Gary, Indiana. I once protested the building of a nuclear power plant in southern Indiana and participated in Elinor Ostrom’s Nobel-prize winning study of the shared use of natural resources.
My 1 ½-acre urban yard is an official Monarch Waystation and is certified as a Wildlife Habitat (National Wildlife Federation).
I love participating in the time of discovery with undergrad students. They bring me much joy!
I'm originally from Philadelphia and have lived in Bloomington for ten years. I have an undergraduate degree in Anthropology and a doctorate in Women's Studies. I enjoy helping students discover their interests and connecting them with campus resources.
I hold an M.A. in Spanish literature and an M.F.A in creative writing from Indiana University Bloomington. I am originally from Bosnia but have spent part of my adolescence in Spain due to the Bosnian war. In my own time, I write and publish fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. My approach to advising centers on helping students find balance among the many components of their lives, as well as helping them widen their education in order to become more creative/innovative within their chosen fields.
I approach advising in a fluid manner that changes from student to student and meeting to meeting, varying depending on the needs of the student as I understand them in that setting.
Advising Administration
Alice Dobie-Galuska
Associate Director of AdvisingUniversity Division: Advising Administration
After studying biochemistry and science education, I became Assistant Coordinator of General Chemistry at IUB in 1993. I began academic advising for the Chemistry Department in 2003. When I became an advisor for UD in 2007, I was asked to assist with UD's Exploratory Resources. Since 2011, I have been a coordinator for the Cox Exploratory Scholars and was promoted to Associate Director of Advising and Coordinator of the IU Peer Coach program in 2015. Throughout my career as an educator and advisor, my goal has been to support students in learning how to learn.
I studied Film & Media throughout my education, earning a BA from University of Oklahoma, an MFA from Boston University, and a PhD from Indiana University. I grew up in west Texas (where there’s a lot of sun) and Oklahoma (where there’s a lot of wind). Some of my favorite things are tacos, the IU Cinema, and experimental movies. In my advising, I strive to listen openly to students’ goals for their education and help them create a strategy to meet those goals. I believe that students are most successful when they lead their educational trajectory.
Daniel Lersch
Associate Director of AdvisingUniversity Division: Advising Administration
I received a BS in Crime, Law, and Justice and a BA in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University. I earned my MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs from The Ohio State University. I grew up in Pennsylvania before moving to the Midwest. In my free time, I enjoy reading, watching movies, listening to music, and travel. When advising students, I view each one as a unique individual. I want to provide the tailored support necessary to help students achieve their own goals both inside and outside of the classroom.
Mary O'Shea
Director of Advising 1st YearUniversity Division: Advising Administration
I graduated with an English degree from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio in 1993, and came to Bloomington to do graduate work in Comparative Literature and Film, completing an MA in 1995. I was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois. In recent years I've indulged my taste for travel, taking trips all over the US. I especially enjoy any chance I have to see the ocean. My favorite thing about advising is the people I get to work with; my co-workers are enormously talented and dedicated, and it's richly rewarding to see them help students every day.
Adrienne Sewell
Director of Advising RetentionUniversity Division: Advising Administration
After studying biochemistry and science education, I became Assistant Coordinator of General Chemistry at IUB in 1993. I began academic advising for the Chemistry Department in 2003. When I became an advisor for UD in 2007, I was asked to assist with UD's Exploratory Resources. Since 2011, I have been a coordinator for the Cox Exploratory Scholars and was promoted to Associate Director of Advising and Coordinator of the IU Peer Coach program in 2015. Throughout my career as an educator and advisor, my goal has been to support students in learning how to learn.
I received a BS in Crime, Law, and Justice and a BA in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University. I earned my MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs from The Ohio State University. I grew up in Pennsylvania before moving to the Midwest. In my free time, I enjoy reading, watching movies, listening to music, and travel. When advising students, I view each one as a unique individual. I want to provide the tailored support necessary to help students achieve their own goals both inside and outside of the classroom.
University Division Leadership
Elizabeth Guertin
Executive Director of AdvisingUniversity Division: University Division Leadership
