Meet the Advisors
Advisors:
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Kate Emblom: Advising Lead Kate describes herself as a “generic Midwesterner,” having lived in Missouri, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and now Bloomington, Indiana. After attending secondary school in England, she went on to earn undergraduate degrees in English and Music, and a graduate degree in English. Kate started out her advising career in the Biology department, had a stint in advising administration, and recently returned to direct advising as the Team Lead for Psychological and Brain Sciences. She has participated in Coaching Conversations and Mental Health First Aid training. Kate has a broad range of advising interests but specializes in long term planning, pre-health professions advising, and academic difficulty advising. In her spare time, she is active with the Flying Paws Agility Club, where she trains her own dogs and teaches classes.
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Chrissy Brown Chrissy is originally from Northwest Indiana and graduated from IU-Bloomington with a Spanish B.A. in 2005. From there, she worked full-time in Alumni Relations at the Maurer School of Law while pursuing a Master’s Degree from IU-Bloomington in Higher Education and Student Affairs. She was a first generation college student and 21st Century Scholar. Chrissy joined the Psychological and Brain Sciences (PBS) advising office in 2013 and has since been promoted to Advisor, Advanced. Her specialty areas of advising include: long-term planning, transfer student concerns, first generation student concerns, and pre-med planning. She also serves as the Clinical Psychological Science liaison for the Department and serves on the Undergraduate Program Committee for the Department. Chrissy has completed the Intercultural Competence Certificate, Mental Health First Aid training, Coaching Conversations training, and has been nominated for the “College Advisor of the Year” award three times. On a personal note, Chrissy keeps busy with travel, 3 kids (including 4 year old twins!), and enjoys writing and attending live music events.
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AC Carlson AC is originally from California and has a BA in English (with certificates in Literature and Creative writing), a BA in Theatre, and an MA in English Literature from Northern Arizona University. Between degrees, they spent two years teaching high school English in Japan as part of the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Program. In addition to advising for Psychological and Brain Sciences (PBS), AC is currently a PhD candidate in the English department studying Rhetoric and Composition. They enjoy traveling, concerts, Dungeons and Dragons, gaming, and spending time with their cat, Geoff. |
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Rachel Crabtree Rachel is a Bloomington townie with a lifelong connection to Indiana University. She graduated from IU in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Criminal Justice. Rachel continued her education and earned a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from The University of Alabama in May 2024. In December of 2024, she joined the Psychological and Brain Sciences advising team. Outside of work, Rachel stays active by running, playing volleyball and pickleball, and enjoys kayaking during the warmer months. She also enjoys attending concerts and watching sporting events; especially football and gymnastics. In her free time, she enjoys playing guitar and spending time with her cat Gus. |
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Sara Gibson Sara is a Bloomington townie and has worked for Indiana University-Bloomington for almost 25 years. She pursued an undergraduate degree in General Studies and a Master's in Human Resources. Sara brings with her a multitude of scheduling knowledge and works to coordinate the Department's course offerings each semester. Additionally, she processes the research agreement forms and minor requests for the department. Sara started in the advising office over 10 years ago and has since been promoted to Advisor, Advanced. Her specialty areas of advising include: long-term planning, transfer student concerns, study abroad interests, and those considering a double major or dual degree. Sara has participated in Bloomington Academic Advising Council professional development events, Mental Health First Aid training, Coaching Conversations training, and has been nominated by the faculty for the Department's staff recognition award, having gone above and beyond in her job description and service to the department. On a personal note, Sara has two teenagers at home, 1 adult child who lives in Greenwood, she owns a travel planning business, and has been on 30 cruises! On a side note, if you schedule a Zoom advising appointment with her on a remote day, you might catch one of her four cats on camera or hear her English Bulldog, Azzy, snoring away in the background!
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Matthew O'Donnell Matt is a new advisor with PBS, an IU PhD grad, and an animal parent to a lovable chocolate lab named Maggie and a cute menace of a cat named Rhubarb. Matt has published in medieval publications, taught English Literature and Composition, and is a longtime video game and tabletop roleplaying game enthusiast. He and his wife are active in local volunteering and he looks forward to serving the IU Psychological and Brain Sciences community. |
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Serena Ostrander-Ronan Serena is an avid nerd, loves to discuss board games, science, gaming and D&D. She is a parent to 3 children, 2 cats, 1 dog, and will gush over them if given the chance. About me:
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