Launching a More Meaningful Model for Undergraduate Advising

When Sophia Santillan met with her undergraduate advisor Josiah Knight during her time as a mechanical engineering major at Duke, their interactions were always brief and to the point. They met once a semester, and for one purpose: for Santillan to get Knight’s required signature allowing her to register for classes. “(Knight) was friendly,” Santillan recalled, “but our relationship was really limited to that transaction.”  

Years later, as an associate professor of the practice in Duke’s Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science (MEMS), Santillan reconnected with Knight as a colleague. “He has so much neat life experience…I wish I could have gotten to know him more as an undergrad,” she reflected. 

Now, as MEM’s associate director of undergraduate studies, Santillan is helping ensure today’s students have those deeper connections with faculty that she feels she missed out on. She’s working as part of an effort to redesign the advising experience launched by Christine Payne, who was appointed the Donald M. Alstadt Chair of MEMS earlier this year.   

“Student advising is one of the most important responsibilities that faculty have, but it has historically faced many structural challenges,” Payne said. “Prof. Santillan and Prof. Hotz’s new system allows faculty and students to focus on the more meaningful part of advising: talking about the students’ larger goals at Duke and beyond.” 

With Payne’s endorsement, Santillan and Nico Hotz, the MEMS director of undergraduate studies, created a new system that reduces the former transactional nature of the advising relationship by removing faculty responsibility for lifting registration holds. This allows advising meetings to focus more on mentorship rather than checklists.  

“I have students come to me all the time asking, ‘How do I find a job in my field?’ or ‘How did you figure out what you wanted to do with your life?’” Santillan said. “So many faculty in MEMS have amazing life experiences that make them uniquely qualified to answer these kinds of questions.” 

The new model also matches students with faculty based on shared interests. The MEMS department is broad, spanning robotics, materials science, energy systems, aerospace and more. The new model allows advising relationships to start from common ground. 

“Matching makes it easier for students to open up about things they’re passionate about,” said Santillan. “Your time in undergrad is not just about which courses to take — it’s about what excites you and how you want to shape your path.”  

Payne agrees. “I’ve enjoyed learning about my own advisees’ career aspirations as well as their interests outside of engineering,” she said. 

The new advising model also ensures that students have a baseline knowledge about why the MEMS curriculum is structured in the way it is. Santillan and Hotz hosted curriculum orientations for sophomores to explain how coursework progresses, why prerequisites exist, and how opportunities like study abroad or independent study fit into an academic plan. The sessions aim to give students a clearer understanding of their options when planning their degree, which frees advising meetings for deeper discussions beyond scheduling questions.  

The department is also beta-testing an AI‑driven chatbot, developed by MEMS Professor of the Practice Becky Simmons in partnership with Duke’s Office of Information Technology and the Innovation Co‑Lab. The chatbot draws on reliable departmental data — such as course sequences and study abroad options — to answer logistical questions and even generate agendas that students can bring to their advisors for more complex concerns. 

Beyond these new tools, MEMS also wants to build a culture of mentorship and approachability. Students and faculty are encouraged to meet informally — over coffee, lunch, or through Duke’s FLUNCH program — to break down the formality that often separates them in the classroom. These settings help dissolve the sense of hierarchy that can make undergraduates hesitant to reach out. 

Santillan is especially interested in strengthening mentorship development for junior faculty, encouraging the newer generation of advisors to see mentoring as an integral part of their work rather than an extra obligation. This is part of a larger aspiration that MEMS has with the new advising model: to shift departmental culture toward valuing advising as a core educational mission. 

“We’re building something I wish had existed when I was a student,” Santillan said. “I hope this model helps undergrads feel more supported by someone who understands their interests, and helps faculty better see the value in fostering the younger generations.”