Madison Webb joined the School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering this fall as the school’s newest undergraduate academic advisor. Webb joins Lindsay Wills and head advisor Kimberly Compton, as part of the school’s newly configured, dynamic, and proactive advising team, dedicated to student success.
A native of Beaverton, Webb is a proud “Beaver Believer,” and an Oregon State alum herself. After graduating in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, Webb started working on campus with international students in the INTO partnership. She worked her way up from entry level, joining the ranks of the university’s professional faculty in 2016 as an undergraduate progression advisor.
The job of an advisor involves not only understanding complicated institutional policies and processes, but also being able to communicate them to students, in order to motivate them and keep them on track toward graduation. Webb says her experience has given her the ability to explain policies and processes to students in a variety of different ways.
“People have different learning styles,” she said. “I try to focus on that, and also the nuances of how our students got to where they are. They come from multiple different paths and backgrounds, and having additional layers of understanding helps us to be more effective in helping them.”
Webb says she derives great personal satisfaction from being able to watch students grow.
“We get to watch them as they go through these big life changes, making big decisions that can affect their entire futures,” she said. “Our role is to be a support network for them, giving them the correct information and letting them see the path they need to take to reach the finish line.”
In addition to her work advising students, Webb has become a student again herself. She is currently working on a Master of Science degree in educational leadership and policy from Portland State University, with an emphasis in higher education. A former competitive gymnast, Webb is also a coach and co-owner of PEAK Elite Gymnastics Academy, in Corvallis.
