In this episode, longtime University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) president Dr. Freeman Hrabowski reflects on three decades of transformational leadership and the lessons that shaped one of the nation’s most innovative public universities. He shares how a relentless focus on student success, equity in STEM, research excellence, and community impact helped UMBC become a national model for inclusive achievement. Drawing from his experiences in the Civil Rights Movement and his tenure leading through change, Dr. Hrabowski offers candid insights on moral leadership, shared governance, resilience, and the responsibility higher education holds in preparing students to lead with purpose in a complex and evolving world.

This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education

About Viv Higher Education

Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.

Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/

In this episode, former UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ reflects on her unexpected path to university leadership and the realities of guiding a major public institution through a period of intense disruption. From free speech controversies and financial pressures to the COVID-19 pandemic and shifting public perceptions of higher education, Christ shares how entrepreneurial thinking, clear communication, and strong institutional values shaped her leadership approach. Drawing on decades as a faculty member, president of Smith College, and chancellor at Berkeley, she explores the evolving role of higher education, the importance of access and affordability, and why universities must balance innovation with stability. Throughout the conversation, Christ emphasizes storytelling, transparency, and a strong moral compass as essential tools for leading institutions and preparing students for uncertain, rapidly changing careers.

This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education

About Viv Higher Education

Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.

Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/

In this episode, Bard College President Leon Botstein reflects on a remarkable five decades in higher education leadership. He shares how he unexpectedly became a college president in his twenties, the lessons learned from leading through financial and cultural change, and how higher education has evolved over time. 

The conversation explores the tension between excellence and access, the growing challenges facing college leaders, and the enduring value of a rigorous liberal arts education. Leon offers a candid, long-view perspective on the role colleges and universities play in shaping thoughtful citizens and strengthening society. 

This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education

About Viv Higher Education

Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.

Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/

In this episode, Greg Karzhevsky, founder of Jersey College, shares how a real workforce need led him to create a nursing school built for adult learners. What began as a way to support medically fragile children and the families who care for them grew into a multi-campus institution focused on student support, access, and outcomes. Greg walks through the challenges of building and scaling a highly regulated institution, the importance of mission-driven leadership, and how Jersey College continues to respond to the ongoing nursing shortage by meeting students where they are.

This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education

About Viv Higher Education

Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.

Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/

Welcome to Higher Ed Leaders, the podcast for higher education professionals who believe colleges and universities are strongest when they are bold, adaptive, and built to last. This season, we’re again focused on entrepreneurial leadership, this time through founding and legacy stories;  exploring how institutions, schools, programs, and major initiatives were first imagined, launched, and sustained. Through conversations with presidents, vice presidents, and senior leaders, the podcast digs into decision-making with imperfect information, prioritization, and knowing when to move forward or say no, all with an eye toward long-term impact in higher education.

This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education

About Viv Higher Education

Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.

Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/

In this episode, Carlow University President Kathy W. Humphrey shares her leadership story, shaped by her experience as a first-generation college student, her faith, and her lifelong comfort with navigating uncertainty. She reflects on Carlow’s founding mission to meet “the next great need” and how that legacy continues to guide the University’s growth today. Dr. Humphrey discusses entrepreneurial leadership in higher education, the importance of meeting students and employers where they are, and how staying grounded in purpose helps leaders navigate constant change, criticism, and challenge.

This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education

About Viv Higher Education

Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.

Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/

In this episode of Higher Ed Leaders, Thom D. Chesney, President of Southwestern College, offers an in-depth look at his 40-year journey through higher education and the leadership lessons he has learned along the way. Now in his third presidency, Thom reflects on his path from faculty roles to executive leadership, the influence of his humanities background, and the value of servant leadership and curiosity in building a strong campus culture. He explains how Southwestern College's mission to transform consciousness through education shapes every part of its graduate programs, including art therapy, counseling, and visionary leadership.

Thom also discusses the college’s strategic focus on sustainable growth, the expansion of its continuing education offerings, and the ways it supports students and staff through a values-driven model centered on partnership, empowerment, mindfulness, and love. With a clear commitment to maintaining a sense of belonging while managing growth, Thom shares what it means to lead a purpose-driven institution in today’s higher education environment. This episode is filled with insights for anyone interested in leadership, campus culture, and creating meaningful impact in higher education.

This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education

About Viv Higher Education

Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.

Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/

In this episode, President Michael Hammond of Gordon College shares his unconventional path into higher education leadership. His journey was not the result of a set career plan, but rather a desire to combine intellectual inquiry with meaningful community engagement.

He reflects on Gordon’s founding mission to provide education to marginalized individuals and to integrate Christian service with rigorous academic and professional preparation. As he discusses the current challenges facing Christian higher education, including the demographic cliff and evolving job markets, President Hammond emphasizes the importance of innovation, adaptability, and a clear Christian identity. He also highlights the value of giving faculty and deans greater autonomy to lead program development.

Throughout the conversation, he speaks to the importance of trust, collaborative leadership, and in-person connection in building a strong campus culture. He closes with optimism, believing institutions that offer both moral grounding and professional excellence will continue to be relevant. He also shares how the principle of “Unreasonable Hospitality” shapes his leadership, encouraging a culture of empathy, generosity, and care.

This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education

About Viv Higher Education

Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.

Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/

In this episode, we delve into the transformative journey of Karlyn Crowley, Provost of Ohio Wesleyan University, exploring her profound impact on higher education. From her early experiences that solidified her belief in the liberal arts to her innovative leadership during the challenging times of the pandemic and beyond, Karlyn shares insights into fostering inclusive environments, navigating difficult conversations, and leading with empathy. We discuss her pivotal role in establishing the Cassandra Voss Center, her strategies for program prioritization, and her philosophy of "administrative joy," revealing how she effectively drives change while maintaining a deep commitment to student and faculty well-being. This conversation highlights the power of liberal arts education and the importance of creating spaces where meaningful dialogue and learning can thrive.

This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education

About Viv Higher Education

Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.

Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/

This podcast episode features an in-depth conversation with Jeff, a seasoned leader in higher education, currently serving as the president of Caldwell University. Jeff shares his unique and extensive career journey, moving from a faculty role to various administrative positions across diverse institutions, including large public universities, liberal arts colleges, and professional-focused schools. He details his approach to leadership, emphasizing transformation, strategic growth, and responsiveness to market demands. The discussion highlights Caldwell University's strategic priorities, including expanding professional programs in healthcare and technology, enhancing online learning, and increasing international student enrollment. Jeff also discusses the importance of building community partnerships, alternative revenue streams, and fostering a culture of action and engagement. 

This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education

About Viv Higher Education

Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.

Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/