SIU Carbondale advisor Laura Morgan spotlights student-centered leadership

Laura Morgan, chief academic advisor for STEM at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is being highlighted for a career built on mentoring students, improving advising systems and supporting staff. Her approach reflects a broader push in higher education to pair technology and process changes with human guidance.

Why it matters: - Laura Morgan’s work affects how engineering, computing, technology and math students move from first contact with advising to graduation. - Her role touches a wide mix of students, including international students, veterans, honors students and student-athletes. - Her approach reflects a broader challenge in higher education: improving efficiency without losing the human support students often need.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Laura Morgan, chief academic advisor for the College of Engineering, Computing, Technology, and Mathematics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. - Morgan has worked in academic advising since 2011 and has served as chief advisor since 2019. - She oversees a small advising team while remaining student-facing in day-to-day work. - Her profile highlights her focus on mentorship, student advocacy, innovation and continuous improvement. - More information is available through Laura Morgan’s Influential Women profile.

The details: - Morgan holds a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction. - Her background in teaching shapes a student-centered, solution-oriented leadership style. - She pilots new programs, redesigns workflows and looks for ways to improve clarity, consistency and efficiency in advising. - She focuses on identifying gaps before they become barriers for students or advisors. - Morgan emphasizes professional development and practical skill-building for her staff. - She sees effective advising as dependent on well-trained, confident advisors. - Her work includes sharing best practices across campus and creating processes that support consistent student guidance. - Morgan credits former supervisor Jenise Wilson with giving her room to test ideas and grow into leadership. - She also credits her husband, Justin, with helping her complete both her undergraduate and graduate degrees by delaying his own education. - Morgan says those experiences shaped her views on mentorship, partnership and paying opportunity forward. - Her advice to young women in advising is to seek leadership training early, build confidence and trust their instincts sooner. - She also encourages setting boundaries between work and home and staying present in both roles. - Morgan says integrity, empathy, accountability and balance are the values she relies on most. - Outside work, she enjoys hiking, camping, visiting national parks, solving Sudoku puzzles and supporting her two children as a baseball mom. - She remains active in NACADA and other advising associations and continues taking leadership and transformational development courses.

Between the lines: - Morgan’s comments point to a common pressure in student services: technology can speed up answers, but it cannot replace conversations that uncover financial stress, mental health concerns or other personal obstacles. - Her focus on staff development suggests advising quality improves when institutions invest in the people delivering the service, not just the systems around them. - The profile also frames leadership as a balance between ambition and personal values, especially for women navigating high-demand careers.

What's next: - Morgan is expected to keep refining advising processes and mentoring staff at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. - Her profile suggests she will continue pushing for practical, people-centered changes that make advising more responsive to student needs. - Her ongoing involvement in professional associations and development courses points to continued engagement with the broader advising field.

The bottom line: - Laura Morgan’s leadership model is simple: improve the system, support the staff and keep the student at the center.