Bob Lindblom on Twenty+ Years as a Pre-Major Advisor

Advisor Spotlight

On April 26, 2014, Pre-Major Advisor Bob Lindblom attended the J.E. Wallace Sterling Awards for Academic Achievement, hosted by Dean Richard P. Saller of the School of Humanities and Sciences. The Sterling Award is one of the highest academic awards given to graduating seniors in Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences. Lindblom accompanied Suthinand (Pao) Jirakulpattana, who earned an undergraduate degree in Math and Computational Science, and an MS in Management Science and Engineering.

Robert Lindblom has been a PMA for over 20 years, and he says “it has been a sincere pleasure and privilege to have worked with incoming freshmen on a variety of issues during this time.” Pao was his pre-major advisee in autumn of 2010, and Bob shares that he was immediately impressed with Pao, who was friendly, articulate, mature and goal-oriented.

Bob first came to Stanford when he was still working as a staff development geologist at Chevron, and he confides that what initially drew him here was the golf course. He began his teaching career in the School of Earth Sciences as a guest lecturer, and currently serves as a Consulting Professor of Energy Resources Engineering.

It was through his teaching that Bob became interested in advising. When asked what he likes best about teaching and advising he says, “I just enjoy people!” When asked what he thinks are the important things a good Pre-Major Advisor brings to the table, he replies, “Being available…the ability to communicate with students, to listen to them, to hope that they will express themselves and to ask questions.” He also says that he works to put students at ease, and makes a point of matching names with faces early, so students feel recognized and known right from the start. On the importance of reviewing the student files, he shares “really study that second page, and listen, listen, listen!”

Bob likes using his Faculty Club membership. He mentiones that from 4:30-7:30 pm it’s easy to get a table for a small group. The club serves a bit of food, and the students can enjoy a snack and a coke. It’s a great meeting spot. Stressing the importance of communication and connection, he tells his advisees that there are three things you will learn in college: your discipline, the vocabulary of your discipline, and it will be your first real opportunity- for most people- to interface with a wide variety of people from all over the world. “To be successful you have to be able to communicate, to get along with people.”