Every month, the Administrative/Professional (A/P) Council highlights an A/P staff member through a series of questions as another way for the Illinois State University community to connect. This month, readers can get to know Mandy Webster, academic science advisor for the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Physics.
Job title/Position: Academic Science Advisor
Job duties: Academic advisor for chemistry and physics students
How long have you been an employee at Illinois State? I will have been at ISU for nine years in August but have only been an academic advisor for two years.
What do you love most about working at Illinois State? My co-workers in the chemistry department office are the best. We work really well together and make coming to work every day as much fun as going to work every day can be. I also enjoy being part of the advising community here on campus. Everyone is really supportive and committed to making sure we all have the resources we need to be effective at our jobs.
Another favorite aspect of working at ISU is being able to take advantage of opportunities I wouldn’t find working in the private sector, such as volunteering as an advisor on alternative breaks trips. Earlier this year, I traveled with a group of students to Salina, Kansas, to work with Ashby House. I am excited to have been asked to act as trip advisor on spring break next year.
What is one fact about yourself that might surprise people? I’m a published author. My most recent novel, One Bad Cat, was published in 2022. One of my two master’s degrees is in English with a concentration in creative writing. Writing and books have been an integral part of my life since I was a kid.
When you’re not working, what are you most likely doing? Reading, gardening, or looking for excuses to travel to new places. In May, I took a road trip to go “glamping” near Moab, Utah, and ended up hitting four national parks plus a couple of state parks and recreational areas along the way. I even did a little bit of rock climbing and off-roading. I am always up for an adventure!
What is your favorite spot on campus? The Quad
What quote most inspires you? Why? “Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.” —Nathaniel Hawthorne.
I like this quote because I find the greatest happiness comes when I’m just being me and doing the things I like to do. You can’t force happiness. You have to just relax and let it be.
