Thriving Together: Dr. Webb & Temi on Optimizing Student-Advisor Interactions - Professional Development Series | Going Coastal

October 10, 2023

Nurturing growth in graduate relationships.

In this episode of Going Coastal, Marissa and Jon talk with Dr. Bret Webb, professor and current Director of the Center for Applied Coastal Engineering and Science at the University of South Alabama, and Temitope (Temi) Ezekiel Idowu a PhD student at the University of Delaware. Dr. Webb and Temi share their experiences and insights about the dynamics of the student-advisor relationship at the graduate level (MS, PhD). Join us as they discuss their perspectives on how to cultivate strong relationships that are equally rewarding for both the faculty and the students and what a good versus great advisor may look like. As a student, learn what to look for in an advisor and how to advocate for yourself in difficult situations. As an advisor, take notes on how to foster a positive learning environment for your students to help them thrive personally and professionally.  

To learn more about the ASBPA Student and New Professionals Chapter, follow ASBPA SNP on X (formerly Twitter): @asbpa_snp, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asbpa-snp, or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ASBPA.SNP/

To join our mentoring program, email us at asbpa.snp@gmail.com.

Follow Jon on Instagram and X: @StevensCoastal or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-miller-291a921a


Follow Marissa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtorres480/

Show Transcription
This transcription was generated by a computer. Please excuse any errors.
Jon Miller, Marissa Torres, Deb Fernandes

Jon Miller developed his love of all things coastal during summers spent vacationing at the Jersey Shore. He was fortunate enough to get turned on to a career in coastal engineering during his time as an undergrad at Stevens Institute of Technology. When he was offered an opportunity to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Florida under Bob Dean, he jumped at the opportunity. After completing his PhD (and a brief detour in Australia), Jon was offered the opportunity to return to Stevens. Now a Research Associate Professor, Jon leads Stevens Coastal Engineering Research Group and serves as the NJ Sea Grant Coastal Processes Specialist. In his time at Stevens, Jon has mentored over 75 graduate and undergraduate students, and currently serves as the faculty advisor to both the ASBPA and ASCE COPRI student chapters. Jon serves on the Board of Directors of ASBPA, and has been involved with the Student and New Professional Group (now chapter) since its inception. In his spare time, Jon enjoys spending time at the beach with his family and coaching both of his kids in basketball. Heather B. Wade - is a coastal planner and policy specialist with the Oregon Coastal Management Program and a current Ph.D. student at Texas A&M University studying urban and regional science, coastal resiliency and management. Heather received her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and master’s degree in urban and regional planning with an emphasis on environmental hazards management. Heather’s research focuses on the interconnections between planning, coastal management, and hazards reduction with an emphasis on local coastal planning implementation. In her free time, she likes to work in the garden, go camping with her family, and paint with her kids Isaac and Isabel. Marissa J. Torres is a Research Engineer with the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. At the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) - one of seven research labs within the ERDC - she has worked on a variety of research topics, including tidal dynamics, nearshore tide and wave modeling, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) post-processing methods, and snow hydrology. Prior to starting with CRREL, Marissa received her BS and MS in Ocean Engineering from the University of Rhode Island, where she focused on coastal flood and storm surge modeling. Outside of work, she enjoys backpacking, biking, kayaking, snowboarding, and snow-shoeing around New Hampshire and Vermont.