Continuing Studies: Higher Ed Podcasting

By Jennifer-Lee Gunson & Neil McPhedran. HigherEdPods.com. Podium Podcast Co.Business Education Marketing

Continuing Studies: Higher Ed Podcasting episodes

September 22What Makes a University Podcast Studio Successful?
Build the studio, and they’ll come… right? Not necessarily. A successful podcast studio starts with solving a real need and giving people the support to actually use the space.
In this episode of Continuing Studies, Neil and Jen talk with Emily Sikora from Penn State about how she built the Podcast Lounge by starting with the user experience, not the technology. Emily shares how simple onboarding, hands-on support, and thoughtful planning help students and faculty feel confident creating, keeps them coming back, and is building podcasting culture across Penn State.

Episode Links:
Learn more about the Podcast Lounge
Connect with Emily
Connect with Us:
Share Feedback & Ask Questions: [email protected]
Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast
Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page
Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network
Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco
Youtube
HigherEdPods

Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction
(03:32) - Empowering students to record
(04:34) - Inside Penn State’s Podcast Lounge
(08:41) - Building the studio around a problem
(11:25) - Getting people through the door
(12:21) - Why they keep coming back
(15:18) - Designing for confidence and independence
(19:35) - Supporting editing and production
(21:21) - Building a campus podcasting ecosystem
(23:15) - A Podcast Lounge success story
(25:58) - Conclusion
30 min
September 08MIT's One Billion Learners: Where Podcasting Fits In
How does podcasting fit into MIT’s goal of reaching one billion learners?
In this episode of Continuing Studies, Neil and Jen talk with Mary Ellen Wiltrout from MIT about MIT Learn, open learning, and how podcasts can make world-class expertise feel more accessible and human. Mary Ellen shares how MIT is experimenting with podcasts, short videos, and other formats to reach learners beyond traditional courses, and why audio can help audiences connect with the people behind the research. They also discuss Beyond Biology, storytelling in science, measuring impact beyond downloads, and how podcasting can spark curiosity, open doors, and remind listeners that even MIT experts are real people with unexpected paths.

Episode Links:
Learn more about MIT DELTA
Connect with Mary Ellen Wiltrout
Listen to Beyond Biology
Listen to our episode with Brett Paci of MIT OpenCourseWare
Connect with Us:
Share Feedback & Ask Questions: [email protected]
Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast
Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page
Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network
Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco
Youtube
HigherEdPods

Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:35) - Meet Mary Ellen Wiltrout
(02:58) - From biology to online learning
(08:21) - What is MIT DELTA?
(10:12) - MIT’s one billion learners goal
(12:39) - Where podcasting fits in
(14:04) - Making MIT feel more human
(16:20) - Building the MIT Learn Podcast Network
(18:51) - Beyond Biology
(21:23) - Measuring impact beyond downloads
(24:41) - Conclusion
28 min
August 24How Podcast Spaces Support Research, Teaching, and Community
How do you build a podcasting culture in higher ed? Don’t start with the equipment.
In this episode of Continuing Studies, Neil records live from Helix at the University of Leeds with Abigail Harrison Moore, Krissie Glover, and Kerr Hunter for the final conversation in our three-part series on research podcasting. After exploring participatory research with Abigail and production support with Krissie, in this episode they share how Helix supported and helped shape the Whose Power? project, and what makes a university podcast studio truly welcoming, useful, and accessible. The big takeaway: the best podcast spaces aren’t defined by the gear. They’re built through trust, safety, support, and people who help others feel like they belong

Episode Links:
Learn more about Helix at the University of Leeds
Connect with Kerr, Abigail or Krissie
Listen to Part 1 with Abigail Harrison Moore
Listen to Part 2 with Krissie Brighty-Glover
Listen to the Whose Power Podcast

Connect with Us:
Share Feedback & Ask Questions: [email protected]
Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast
Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page
Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network
Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco
Youtube
HigherEdPods

Chapters:
(00:00) - Opening the door to the university
(00:58) - Introduction
(04:24) - Recording live from Helix
(04:49) - What is Helix?
(05:46) - Building a programmed podcasting space
(06:39) - Podcasting as assessment and experiential learning
(07:57) - Making campus feel welcoming
(10:35) - Helix as a gateway to the university
(12:04) - Co-creation, flexibility, and shared ownership
(14:51) - Podcasting, access, and institutional trust
(16:46) - Podcasting as research output
(19:04) - Bringing participant voices to the front
(21:56) - Building trust, safety, and community
(25:57) - Transcripts, reflection, and the limits of the written word
(28:36) - Start with people, not equipment
(33:46) - Closing reflections
(35:19) - Conclusion
37 min
August 11How Podcasting Can Change the Classroom Dynamic: Live from Higher Ed PodCon 2026
Can podcasting make teaching more human, more connected, and more effective?
In the second live episode from Higher Ed PodCon, Neil and Jen sit down with Rudy Salo, a lawyer, law professor, public transportation geek, and co-host of Good Is in the Details. Rudy explains how a philosophy podcast about everyday life, dialogue, and critical thinking found its way into the syllabus and how it's helping students see the person behind the professor, and why that human connection changes what happens in the classroom. They also get into Socrates, student trust, law school, and why Rudy says, Better Call Saul is the most accurate legal show.
Episode Links:
Connect with Rudy
Good is in the Details

Connect with Us:
Share Feedback & Ask Questions: [email protected]
Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast
Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page
Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network
Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco
Youtube
HigherEdPods

Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction
(01:43) - Meet Rudy Salo
(01:50) - A philosophy podcast about everyday life
(03:34) - Using dialogue to think better
(06:44) - Curiosity, humility, and critical thinking
(07:50) - What “podcasting as pedagogy” means
(08:31) - Turning conversations into course material
(10:30) - Bringing audio into law school
(13:45) - How podcasts humanize professors
(17:15) - Building connection beyond the classroom
(19:30) - Using episodes to clarify hard concepts
(21:03) - Letting teaching uses emerge organically
(22:15) - When a podcast becomes a course idea
(24:12) - What legal dramas get wrong
(26:30) - Conclusion
29 min
July 28The Art of Hosting: Live from Higher Ed PodCon 2026
How do great hosts create conversations that feel purposeful, natural, and worth staying with?
In this episode of Continuing Studies, Neil and Jen sit down with Sophie White from EDUCAUSE live at Higher Ed PodCon to talk about the art of hosting. Drawing from her work on EDUCAUSE Shop Talk, Sophie shares how purpose can shape everything from guest selection to audience focus, and how hosts can create the conditions for more thoughtful, candid conversations. They also discuss co-host chemistry, managing multiple guests, balancing rigor with fun, helping nervous guests feel at ease, and why podcasts can be a powerful way for higher education organizations to add context, personality, and connection to their work.

Episode Links:
Listen to EDUCAUSE ShopTalk
Connect with Sophie White

Connect with Us:
Share Feedback, Suggestions, & Ask Questions: [email protected]
Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast
Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page
Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network
Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco
Youtube
HigherEdPods

Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:13) - Meet Sophie White
(02:34) - EDUCAUSE Shop Talk
(04:24) - Topics and guests
(07:30) - Purposeful hosting
(10:18) - Co-host chemistry
(14:21) - Trust and communication
(16:34) - Rigor and fun
(19:05) - Managing multiple guests
(23:18) - Tricky guest dynamics
(24:21) - Helping guests relax
(26:40) - Being human on mic
(27:32) - Podcasts as engagement
(30:42) - Conclusion
33 min
July 13Helping Academics Bring Research Podcasts to Life: Funding, Training, and Production Support
How do you turn a research idea into a podcast that is clear, credible, and actually doable?
In part two of our three-part series on how collaborative research podcasts get made, Neil and Jen talk with Krissie Brighty-Glover from Research Podcasts about the process they use to bring academic audio to life. Part one explored a real research podcast from the academic’s perspective; this episode looks at the production side, from shaping the initial idea to supporting funding applications, training researchers, booking guests, editing, distribution, and accessibility. They also get into the “beauty and the beast” of podcasting, why good support can help researchers focus on their expertise, and how collaborative podcasting can elevate voices, create impact, and make research more accessible beyond traditional academic outputs.

Episode Links:
Research Podcasts
Connect with Krissie Brighty-Glover
Listen to Part 1 with Abigail Harrison Moore
Connect with Us:
Share Feedback & Ask Questions: [email protected]
Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast
Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page
Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network
Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco
Youtube
HigherEdPods

Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction
(03:37) - Research Podcasts’ model
(06:12) - Funding and impact
(08:00) - Training researchers
(10:23) - Production support
(12:10) - The Editing Process
(13:53) - Podcast literacy for researchers
(15:27) - Co-creation in research
(17:35) - Podcasts as research outputs
(18:26) - Rethinking impact
(20:14) - Centralizing university podcasts
(24:33) - Networks and discoverability
(25:38) - Advice for researchers
(27:49) - Conclusion
31 min
June 29Beyond the Interview: Using a Book Club Podcast to Bring Academic Expertise to the Public
How can academics make their ideas easier to find, more engaging, and harder to misrepresent?

In this episode of Continuing Studies, Neil and Jen dig into the podcast, Archaeology Books for Fun with hosts Tristan Harrenstein and Barbara Clark. Barbara and Tristan excavate the ways they've used their podcast to reach an audience segment they were missing in their other public education programs, using a book club format, non-academic texts, playful branding, and eye-catching artwork. Take a listen to unearth practical tips on building a niche podcast, making expert knowledge approachable, and giving academics a clearer voice in the public conversation.

Episode Links:
Listen to Archaeology Books Are Fun
Follow Archaeology Books Are Fun
Connect with Barbara
Connect with Tristan

Connect with Us:
Share Feedback & Ask Questions: [email protected]
Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast
Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page
Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network
Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco
Youtube
HigherEdPods

Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:35) - Meet Barbara Clark and Tristan Harrenstein
(03:04) - How Archaeology Books for Fun got started
(05:28) - Finding the audience public outreach often misses
(06:37) - Why archaeologists need a seat at the media table
(07:48) - Making a “dry” subject feel inviting
(08:51) - Turning non-academic books into podcast conversations
(11:00) - A different path beyond guest interviews
(13:30) - Reading with a critical archaeological lens
(14:08) - What strong branding does for a niche show
(18:13) - Small changes that helped the show grow
(21:01) - Letting audience data guide the next dig
(23:38) - Podcasting as long-term public education
(26:37) - Conclusion
29 min
June 15Why Great Interviews Start with Not Knowing Everything
After 300+ interviews with Stanford experts, Russ Altman knows how to turn complex ideas into conversations people actually want to follow.
In this episode of Continuing Studies, Neil and Jen talk with Russ, host of The Future of Everything, about the craft behind engaging expert interviews. Russ shares how he keeps highly technical conversations clear and fun, why he sees himself as the “jargon police,” and how curiosity can be more useful than trying to know everything in the room. They also get into his practical interview strategies, from preparing “emergency topics”, to using a mid-interview break to refocus, check in with the guest, and steer the episode toward a strong ending. A smart, fun, and practical listen for anyone trying to make expert knowledge more accessible.

Episode Links:
Connect with Russ
The Future of Everything
Connect with Us:
Share Feedback & Ask Questions: [email protected]
Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast
Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page
Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network
Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco
Youtube
HigherEdPods
Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction
(03:33) - From SiriusXM to podcasting
(05:02) - Returning to the show’s original purpose
(07:20) - Making science relatable
(08:47) - Interviewing beyond your expertise
(11:38) - Why not knowing everything can help
(14:17) - The no pre-interview rule
(17:43) - Emergency topics and interview prep
(19:21) - The mid-interview break
(24:59) - Video, shorts, and audience reach
(28:31) - Advice after 300+ episodes
(31:06) - Conclusion
34 min
June 01How to Use Podcasting for Participatory Research
How can podcasting become more than a way to share research—and actually become part of the research itself?
In this episode of Continuing Studies, Neil and Jen talk with Abigail Harrison Moore from the University of Leeds about Whose Power, a podcast project created with the Preservative Party, a group of young curators at Leeds City Museum. Abigail shares how the project uses podcasting as a participatory research space—one built around trust, consent, listening, and shared authorship.
The conversation explores how podcasting can help break down gatekeeping in museums and academia, why audio can capture things that written research often misses, and what it takes to create a safe space where young people can lead the conversation. Abigail also explains why the project is staying audio-only, how voice, accents, pauses, and emotion became part of the research, and why participatory work requires much more preparation than simply turning on the mics.
It’s a thoughtful look at how podcasting can open doors, shift power, and help researchers learn with communities—not just speak about them.

Episode Links:
Listen to Whose Power?
Professor Abigail Harrison Moore
Learn more about The Preservative Party
Research Podcasts
Connect with Us:
Share Feedback & Ask Questions: [email protected]
Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast
Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page
Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network
Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco
Youtube
HigherEdPods

Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:01) - Abigail Harrison Moore and Whose Power
(03:04) - The origins of Whose Power
(06:14) - Gatekeeping, museums, and youth voice
(08:16) - Why podcasting became part of the project
(10:00) - Podcasting as participatory research
(10:58) - The podcast studio as a participatory space
(12:37) - Trust, safety, and preparing the space
(14:11) - Accents, pauses, and what audio reveals
(15:38) - The emotional work of participatory research
(17:05) - Why this project stays audio-only
(19:08) - Non-negotiables before recording
(21:49) - History, power, and who gets represented
(24:18) - Podcasting as a research method
(26:31) - What’s next: Research Podcasts and EPOD
(27:23) - Conclusion
31 min
May 18Using Academic Research to Make Sense of the News Cycle
How can a podcast use academic research to help us make sense of today’s news?
Neil and Jen talk with Gemma Ware, head of audio at The Conversation UK and host/co-producer of The Conversation Weekly, about how the show brings academic expertise into the news cycle through narrative-produced audio. Gemma shares how The Conversation pairs academic rigour with journalistic flair, helping researchers explain complex ideas in a way that’s clear, accessible, and useful for a general audience.
The conversation also digs into the craft behind the show: structuring episodes around the question “How did we get here?”, working with academics on mic, sustaining a weekly production schedule, and thinking strategically about multimedia, video, and discoverability. It’s a thoughtful look at how higher ed podcasters can translate expertise into stories that help listeners better understand the world around them.

Episode Links:
The Conversation Weekly
The Conversation
Gemma Ware Profile
Connect with Us:
Share Feedback & Ask Questions: [email protected]
Learn More: Continuing Studies Podcast
Follow: Continuing Studies LinkedIn Page
Join LinkedIn Group: University Podcasters Network
Connect w/ Jen: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Connect w/ Neil: LinkedIn or [email protected]
Twitter: @namcphedran / @podiumpodcastco
Youtube
HigherEdPods

Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:59) - What is The Conversation?
(04:45) - The Editing Process
(06:07) - From The Anthill to The Conversation Weekly
(10:08) - The “How did we get here?” structure
(12:21) - Turning current affairs into academic storytelling
(14:12) - Sustaining a weekly podcast
(15:37) - Helping academics communicate clearly
(18:58) - Building a global audio network
(21:12) - Podcasting, multimedia, and discoverability
(27:19) - Leaning into niche expertise
(29:56) - How long should the story be?
(30:45) - Closing reflections
(31:33) - Conclusion
33 min

About Continuing Studies: Higher Ed Podcasting

From the publisher's feed

We explore the intersection of higher education and podcasting. Each episode of Continuing Studies features insights from seasoned university podcasters who share tips, best practices, and stories from their podcasting journeys. Hosted by Jennifer-Lee Gunson and Neil McPhedran, this series covers everything from the technical aspects of podcasting to the art of storytelling and conducting interviews.

Share Continuing Studies: Higher Ed Podcasting

Sign up to save your podcasts

Continuing Studies: Higher Ed Podcasting

Continuing Studies: Higher Ed Podcasting episodes

About Continuing Studies: Higher Ed Podcasting