Shows / The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
The Higher Ed Geek Podcast explores the impact of edtech on the student experience by speaking with diverse leaders from institutions, companies, and nonprofit organizations. Each week we aim to provide an engaging, fun, and relevant dose of professional development that honors the wide range of work happening all across the higher ed ecosystem. Come geek out with us! The Higher Ed Geek Podcast is hosted by Dustin Ramsdell and is a proud member of the Enrollify Podcast Network.
Episodes
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #293: How Institutions Can Turn Parents into Advocates, Donors, and Mentors
Amy Swank, Executive Director of Parent and Family Programs at the University of Oregon, joins Dustin to unpack the transformative potential of family…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #292: Redefining Tech Support for the Modern Higher Ed Institution
Tech support isn’t sexy—but it might be the most important thing your institution isn’t thinking enough about. In this episode, Dustin welcomes Christopher…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #291: Evolving from a Map to GPS - Building Seamless Student Journeys
What does it actually look like to run a truly digital-first institution? In this episode, Dustin sits down with Erika Orris, Senior Vice President of…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #290: Creating Connection, Not Chaos, with Your Enrollment Tech Stack
What makes a tech stack work for people, not just processes? In this energizing episode, Dustin chats with Sarah Kotlinski, Director of Enrollment Systems and…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at eduWeb: Why Getting Smart with Website Personalization Pays Off
In this bonus episode recorded live from the eduWeb Summit, Dustin sits down with Eric Butler from Modern Campus about how today’s content management systems…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at eduWeb: Why Data Integration Is Higher Ed’s Secret Superpower
In this bonus episode recorded live from the eduWeb Summit, Dustin speaks with Thomas Steinman from Halda about how AI is reshaping the future of admissions…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #289: From Access to Impact - How Opportunity Universities Change Lives
What does it take to design an institution around students who work full-time, raise kids, serve in the military, or all of the above? In this conversation…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at eduWeb: Can AI SEO Give Small Schools a Big Advantage?
In this bonus episode recorded live from the eduWeb Summit, Dustin sits down with Sean Fitzpatrick, CMO at Overit and former higher ed marketing leader, to…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at eduWeb: Enabling Project Management for Higher Ed Without the Headache
In this bonus episode recorded live from the eduWeb Summit, Dustin chats with Destinee Mack from Workzone about how project management is evolving to meet the…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #288: A CIO’s Guide to Surviving (and Thriving) in EdTech
In this final episode recorded live from Transact 360, Dustin chats with Derek Bierman, CIO at Doane University, for a candid, future-focused, and wide-ranging…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #287: What Higher Ed Can Learn from College Possible’s 25 Years of Impact
In this inspiring conversation, Dustin welcomes Dr. Siva Kumari, CEO of College Possible, to unpack how her team is rewriting the narrative for first-gen and…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at Engage Summit 2025: Exploring South Carolina’s Bold Digital Shift for Scaling Scholarship Access
In this final episode recorded live from the Engage 2025 Summit, Dustin spoke with Tanya Weigold and Kathryn Harris from the South Carolina Commission on…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at Engage Summit 2025: Driving Higher Ed Transformation with Urgency and Empathy
In this bonus episode recorded live from the Engage 2025 Summit, Dustin chats with Dan Roberts, Special Projects Manager at San Diego Miramar College. Dan has…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at Engage Summit 2025: How Digital Transformation is Enabling Seamless Study Abroad Experiences
Live from the Engage 2025 Summit, Dustin sits down with team members from DIS-Study Abroad to unpack how digital transformation is reshaping the student…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #286: Leveraging Digital Infrastructure to Make Sustainability Frictionless
In this episode recorded live from Transact 360, Dustin sat down with Alison Cove, Founder and CEO at USEFULL, to discuss her company’s mission to make…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at Engage Summit 2025: Why AI in Higher Ed Is a Change Management Mission
Live from the Engage 2025 Summit, Dustin sits down with Brian Piper—AI integration consultant, host of the AI for U podcast, and author of Epic Content…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at Engage Summit 2025: How Curiosity Can Power Your AI Journey
Live from the Engage 2025 Summit, Dustin chats with Carrie Phillips, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at Engage Summit 2025: Why Starting with the Student Still Wins in the Age of AI
Live from the Engage 2025 Summit, Dustin sits down with Devin Purgason, Associate VP of Student Experience, Marketing, and Outreach at Forsyth Technical…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #285: Creating the Connected College Blueprint
This week, Dustin is pleased to welcome back higher ed design strategist and author Elliot Felix to discuss his forthcoming book, The Connected College…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #284: What Your Bursar Wishes You Knew About Digital Payments
In this episode recorded live from Transact 360, Dustin gets insights from Patrick Beirne who serves as Senior Director of Student Financial Services at Wayne…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #283: The Future of Student Services Is in Your Pocket
In this episode recorded live from Transact 360, Dustin chats with Read Winkelman from Transact about his unique dual lens of personal experience as a parent…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #282: Rethinking Your Enrollment Marketing Strategy with Performance TV Ads
In this week’s episode, Dustin chats with Jennifer Lonchar, co-founder of AmbioEDU and higher ed marketing veteran, about the future of enrollment…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #281: How Digital Credentials Are Reshaping Campus Security
In this episode recorded live from Transact 360, Dustin sits down with Mike Maxsenti, SVP of Product at Genea, to explore how higher ed is embracing digital…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #280: The Experience-First College Model Every Leader Should Know
In this week’s episode, Dustin sits down with Kathleen deLaski — author of Who Needs College Anymore? — to explore why the traditional four-year degree is no…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
BONUS: Anticipating the eduWeb Summit & How Strategic Storytelling Can Move the Enrollment Needle
In this special bonus episode, Dustin sits down with Dr. Chris Lewis, Director of Graduate Programs at the University of Michigan-Flint, to unpack how creating…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #279: The Secret to Student Success - Why Executive Functioning Skills Matter
In this special episode recorded on site at SXSW EDU, Dustin speaks with Ana Homayoun, executive functioning expert, author, and founder of Green Ivy…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #278: Open Source, Global Access, and the Power of the Moodle Community
In this episode, Dustin Ramsdell sits down with Scott Anderberg, CEO at Moodle, for a deep conversation on why open source matters more than ever in higher…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #277: The Road to 100% College Completion - A Bold Vision for Higher Ed
In this special episode recorded on site at SXSW EDU, Dustin speaks with Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, President of Complete College America (CCA), a national…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #276: The Next 50 Years of Higher Ed - What Leaders Need to Know
In this special episode recorded on site at SXSW EDU, Dustin speaks with Diego Arambula, Vice President of Educational Transformation at the Carnegie…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #275: The Power of Pre-College Programs - Why Summer Learning Matters
In this special episode recorded on site at SXSW EDU, Dustin speaks with Halley Hoot from Summer Discovery. Halley shares how her team partners with top…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at the AI Show: Building the Next-Gen AI-Enhanced College Textbook at UCLA
What does it look like when faculty lead the charge in building AI-powered learning tools—without losing their human-centered roots? In this live episode from…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at The AI Show: Building a Smarter Skills-Based Ecosystem with AI
In this special live episode recorded live at the AI Show at ASU+GSV, Dustin and guest Tara Gilboa unpack how her work at Zal.AI is helping higher ed…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at The AI Show: Rethinking the Role of Universities in an AI-Powered World
In this special live episode recorded live from the AI Show at ASU+GSV, Dustin sits down with Dr. Shalini Gopalkrishnan—AI strategist at San Francisco Bay…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at The AI Show: Helping Students Tell Their Story in the Age of AI
Julia Dixon, Forbes 30 Under 30 and founder of ESAI, joins Dustin live from the AI Show at ASU+GSV to unpack how her AI-powered platform is helping students…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #274: How Semester at Sea is Redefining Experiential Learning
In this episode, Scott Marshall, President & CEO of Semester at Sea, joins the show to discuss the transformative power of study abroad. Scott shares his…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at The AI Show: The Future of Education, Work, and AI Are Colliding—Here’s What That Means
In this episode, Dustin sits down with Drs. LeeAnn Lindsey and Chad Geston of the Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy for a powerful conversation…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at The AI Show: Designing the Future of Education with Empathy and AI
In this energizing live episode, Dustin chats with Brian LeDuc—consultant, design strategist, and founder of Learning, Designed—about what it really takes to…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at The AI Show: Why Higher Ed Still Needs Heart in the Age of AI
In this special live episode from the AI Show at the ASU+GSV Summit, Dustin sits down with Alejandra Acosta—Chief of Staff at JK K-12 and a longtime higher ed…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #273: The Next Chapter in AI Literacy - What Educators Need to Know
In this special episode recorded on site at SXSW EDU, Dustin chats with Annie Chechitelli, Chief Product Officer at Turnitin. Annie shares the exciting launch…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at Transact 360: How Unified Payments Are Transforming Higher Ed
In this live episode from Transact 360, we talk with Don Smith, General Manager of Integrated Payments at Transact, about the rapid evolution of student…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #272: Why More Colleges Are Forgoing Revenue-Share OPMs
In this episode, Brady Colby, a market research expert at Validated Insights, joins the podcast to break down their latest report on the Online Program…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at Transact 360: The Future of EdTech - Biometrics, AI, and the Cloud
In this special live episode from Transact 360, we sit down with Taran Lent, SVP of Product Development and Technology at Transact. Taran shares insights on…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #271 - How Augusta University Built an Internal OPM and Scaled Online Enrollment
What if you could get the benefits of an OPM (Online Program Management) model without fully outsourcing control? That’s exactly what Augusta University Online…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live at Transact 360: Reflections from Event Attendees
In this bonus episode recorded at Transact 360, we’re hearing from a variety of individuals who attended the conference about what they were seeing, hearing…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #270: How to Build Higher Ed’s Hybrid, Experiential Future
Higher ed is at a crossroads, and Christine Looser is here to challenge institutions to rethink everything—from curriculum design to digital transformation. As…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Live from SXSW EDU 2025: AI, Talent Gaps, and the Urgency of Higher Ed Innovation
Dr. Bridget Burns, CEO of the University Innovation Alliance, joins Dustin for a candid conversation about the urgent need for higher ed to take a proactive…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #269: Why Transformational Leadership Is No Longer Optional in Higher Ed
This week, Dustin sits down with Dr. Keith Edwards, a speaker, author, coach, and co-host of Student Affairs Now, to discuss the urgent need for…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #268: How Res Life Pros Can Use Tech Without Losing the Human Touch
Dustin chats with Dr. Paul Gordon Brown for this week’s episode, an expert in residence life technology and thought leadership, to explore how digital tools…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #267: How Leaders Can Fix The Biggest Gaps in College Admissions
This week, Dustin sits down with Dr. Pamela Ellis to discuss how students and families can navigate the complex college admissions process with confidence…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #266: Exploring Current Trends in Digital Alumni Engagement
How do you get alumni to actually engage? It’s the million-dollar question for higher ed advancement teams—and today, we’ve got answers. In this week’s…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #265: Small Steps, Big Impact: How to Build a Digitally Accessible Campus
In this episode, Dustin chats with Kate DeForest, Web and Digital Content Coordinator at SUNY Oswego, about the importance of digital accessibility in higher…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #264: How Ghost Students Are Threatening Higher Ed Enrollment Goals
In this eye-opening episode, Dustin chats with Brian Suponcic, Senior Vice President of Sales and Client Operations at BMTX, about the growing issue of…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #263: How Higher Ed Leaders Can Revolutionize Workforce Development
This week, Dustin is joined by Julian Alssid and Kaitlin LeMoine, founders of Work Forces, about the evolving landscape of workforce development and higher…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #262: How Institutional Collaboration is the Future of Higher Ed
In this episode, Dustin sits down with Dr. Michael Horowitz, Founder and Chancellor of The Community Solution Education System, to discuss the transformative…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #261: Empowering Change Amidst Turmoil in Higher Education
For our kickoff episode of 2025, Dustin sits down with Rob Buelow, General Manager of Education at Vector Solutions, to unpack the seismic shifts in higher…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #260: Why Higher Ed Needs to Understand the Creator Economy
This week, Dustin welcomes back Bill Zimmerman, a communications professor at Penn State and author of the new book, Understanding the Creator Economy, to…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #259: Navigating Ambiguity and Innovation in Higher Education
We’re pleased to feature this conversation with podcasting veteran and seasoned educator Bonnie Stachowiak, host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, about…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #258: Unlocking Seamless Student Experiences with Digital IDs
Got a story to tell? An innovative idea to share? Fill out our guest nomination form, and let's chat! This week, Dustin chats with Rasheed Behrooznia, Senior…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #257: Redefining Asynchronous Learning for the Digital Age
Dustin sat down with Joel Podolny, CEO of Honor Education, to discuss his journey from founding Apple University to pioneering a new approach to digital…
- The Higher Ed Geek Podcast
Episode #256: Why Upskilling Working Professionals is the Focus for Tech-Adjacent Career Growth
This week, we’re featuring a conversation with Sara Leoni, CEO of Ziplines Education, about how her company partners with universities to offer…