Ben Wiley

Ben has been an academic advisor in the College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences since 2023. Prior to joining the CLAHS advising team, he worked as a Latin Teacher, mental health counselor, and graduate coordinator. His experiences working in the fields of education and mental health brought him to his interest in academic advising. Ben earned a B.A. in Classical Studies and an M.A.Ed. in Counseling from Virginia Tech.

Ben views advising as teaching and enjoys learning alongside his students: how to navigate complex institutions, the non-linear ways we move through education and career, and the importance of our lived experiences. His practice is rooted in humanistic, narrative, and liberation-focused theories of education, influenced by the works of Carl Rogers, Michael White, bell hooks, and Paolo Freire. Ben particularly enjoys observing students build their sense of agency, resilience, and enjoyment of lifelong learning.

Ben’s hobbies include cooking, walking, traveling to Rome, pottery, gossiping about the Great British Bake Off, and ukulele. He dotes on his pet chihuahua (Hershey) and loves to read about nature, history, pilgrimage, political movements, and futurism.