Higher education’s reputation is being shaped by a familiar set of headlines: rising costs, political pressure, campus conflict, layoffs, and closures. It’s the story we keep hearing, and it’s loud.

But in this episode, we ask: is that the story most people actually believe?

In the first episode of this five-part Pulse Check series, host Day Kibilds is joined by Doug Edwards, Chief Strategy Officer at Ologie, and Dr. Cassie Dutton, Research Director at Ologie, to introduce The Reputation Rethink, Ologie’s national study on public perception of higher education.

Together, they define what “reputation” really means in this research, explain who was included and why, and share the study’s most encouraging (and challenging) insight: people believe colleges and universities contribute real value to society beyond educating students, but they struggle to see that impact in their everyday lives. This episode sets the foundation for the five specific areas institutions can address to close that gap and reconnect with the public.

Host - Dayana Kibilds (LinkedIn)
With 15 years of experience, Dayana Kibilds has led award-winning work with universities around the world. An international keynote speaker and one of London, Ontario’s 20 Under 40, she is known for making complex ideas clear, practical, and possible. She loves to teach and share what she knows through her email book Mailed It!, as well as through her workshops, courses, her work with young professionals at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Summer Institutes, and her weekly newsletter. A lifelong immigrant who grew up in six countries, Day is now happily Canadian and lives with her husband, Bruno, and son, Romeo.

Guest - Doug Edwards (LinkedIn)
Doug is a seasoned professional who’s dedicated his career to helping brands do more good for the world. With 20 years of experience across healthcare, education, cultural institutions, and non-profits, Doug helps senior leaders and marketing teams navigate their toughest brand related challenges. He thrives at the intersection of strategy, creativity, and design and currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at Ologie where he leads the research and strategy team. 

Guest - Cassie Dutton, PhD (LinkedIn)
Cassie brings a unique perspective to her work, combining 10+ years of academic research and consumer insights experience. She’s conducted academic research on the immigrant experience, veterans perspectives on social issues, and public policy and worked with strategists and consumers at some of the world's largest brands. What ties this all together? A real passion for utilizing data to tell stories and get to the “so what.” As a qualitative and quantitative researcher, Cassie loves finding just the right methods and approach to get at the heart of a question. When she’s not drafting research design, analyzing data, or moderating, you can find Cassie at her local independent bookstore or stamping her passport on an international adventure.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mallory Willsea sits down with Ardis Kadiu, co-founder of AI Idea Lab and former CEO of Element451, to explore why 2026 is poised to be the breakout year for agentic AI in higher education. Unlike traditional AI tools that assist with tasks, agentic AI can now plan, execute, and deliver outcomes autonomously. They unpack how this shift will impact student communication, operational workflows, and the very structure of work across campuses. Tune in to hear real-world applications, insights into Ardis’s new venture Andy.AI, and how enrollment leaders can start leveraging these tools today.

Register for AI Engage Summit for FREE: https://element451.com/february-ai-engage-summit

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the final part of this Pulse Check series, Carrie Phillips sits down with Jeff Ebbing for a practical, no-nonsense conversation about AI from a community college perspective. Jeff shares what it really looks like to think about AI when “doing more with less” is the daily reality, including what’s worth trying, what’s not, and how to bring skeptical colleagues along without overselling the technology. They talk about where community colleges are getting AI right and how to take smart, low-risk steps forward.

Guest Name: Jeff Ebbing, Director of Marketing and Communications, Southeastern Community College in Iowa 

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffebbing/

Guest Bio: Jeff Ebbing is currently Director of Marketing and Communications at the Southeastern Community College in Iowa, a position he’s held since 2005. In that time, he tripled the size of his department to three people, survived a handful of website relaunches, and has outlived the meteoric rise and spectacular flame out of more than his share of social media platforms.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mallory Willsea sits down with Jaime Hunt — founder of Solve Higher Ed and former cabinet-level CMO — to discuss why more institutions are turning to fractional marketing leadership instead of hiring full-time CMOs. As the role of marketing in higher ed has evolved rapidly, many campuses are struggling to keep up with growing demands. This episode explores the tension between expectations and reality and unpacks how fractional CMOs can fill leadership gaps during key inflection points. Whether you're restructuring your MarCom office or navigating leadership turnover, this episode delivers a clear-eyed look at a fast-emerging trend.

Apply by Feb 10 for Let’s Go Upstate

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Carrie Phillips chats with Alice Maxwell to discuss how AI intersects with student-centered work. As someone who leads a marketing and communications team within student affairs, Alice shares how she’s thinking about AI through the lens of trust, communication, and bringing people along through change. They talk honestly about skepticism, what’s working, and how to use AI without losing the human connection that matters so much in Student Affairs. If you’re navigating AI in roles where people come first, this conversation will feel familiar, in a good way.

Guest Name: Alice Maxwell, Senior Director of Marketing & Communication, Division of Student Affairs, Florida State University

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-maxwell-2159154/

Guest Bio: Alice Maxwell serves as the Florida State University Senior Director of Marketing and Communications in the Division of Student Affairs. She is skilled in leading an award-winning creative team, managing multiple mission-focused marketing projects, developing and executing integrated marketing and communications campaigns, helping constituents adapt through change management, keeping colleagues informed and inspired through internal communications and growing awareness through public relations. Prior to arriving at Florida State in 2021, Alice worked as a director in community college strategic communications, integrated marketing and change management. She has also worked in communications at private university, Drury University, where she earned a master's degree in Integrated Marketing Communications.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mallory Willsea sits down with Dr. Claire Brady, President of Glass Half-Full Consulting and author of the upcoming book AI with Intention: The Leadership Guide for Higher Education. Together, they unpack how artificial intelligence is quietly but rapidly becoming default infrastructure across college campuses — not through flashy rollouts, but through everyday, often invisible workflows. If you’re tired of AI hype and wondering whether you’re already behind, this episode is your wake-up call. Learn how the institutions that treat AI as a strategic lever — not a pressure valve — will come out ahead in 2026 and beyond.

How Will AI Actually Show Up in Higher Ed in 2026?

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Carrie Phillips sits down with Irene Borys from Augustana College to explore the emotional and cultural dynamics of AI adoption in higher education. Rather than focusing on the tech itself, they delve into the deeper fears, questions, and resistance that AI stirs up — and how higher ed leaders can guide their institutions through this change with empathy, intentionality, and strategy. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone navigating digital transformation in academia.

Guest Name: Irene Borys, Assistant Vice President of Marketing & Brand Communication, Augustanna College

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irenekaredisborys/

Guest Bio: Irene Karedis Borys leads Augustana's Office of Communication and Marketing, a multi-talented team of 12 staff members who serve enrollment marketing, brand strategy, campus and alumni communications, media engagement and event management. As assistant vice president, Borys oversees the planning, development and execution of the college's marketing and brand initiatives with primary responsibility to shape the college's brand and promotion strategy. 

Borys previously held roles at the Childress Agency, the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce and UnityPoint Health. Before coming to the Quad Cities, she held roles in marketing for more than six years after nearly four years in government relations in Washington, D.C.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the 100th episode of Higher Ed Pulse, host Mallory Willsea reunites with Seth Odell, CEO of Kanahoma, and Zach Busekrus, Founder of Enrollify, for a reunion-style retrospective packed with spicy takes, hard truths, and actionable wisdom. This milestone conversation explores what aged well, what flopped, and how higher ed marketers should be thinking about strategy, AI, and student trust in 2026. From brand refresh fatigue to the death of attribution, this is a must-listen for any enrollment marketer navigating today’s digital chaos.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Carrie Phillips is joined by Janelle Holmboe, Chief Enrollment and Marketing Officer at McDaniel College, for a powerful conversation at the intersection of AI, innovation, and organizational leadership. This episode goes beyond the tools and tactics—it’s a masterclass in how to restructure teams, rethink priorities, and redefine innovation in higher ed. If you're a leader trying to manage change without burning out your people, this episode is essential listening.

Guest Name: Janelle Holmboe, Executive Vice President for Constituent Engagement, McDaniel College

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janelle-holmboe-31b61427/

Guest Bio: Enrollment professional with experience leading enrollment and communication teams in advancing the strategic goals of an institution. Professional experience includes enrollment, communications and marketing experience at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Currently serving as the chief enrollment officer and chief communications officer at McDaniel College, overseeing admissions, financial aid, and communications and marketing to further the institutional mission. Currently leading the development of the college's new constituent engagement model which includes institutional advancement and enrollment management. Previous position at Warren Wilson College and American International College included overseeing all aspects of undergraduate and graduate outreach, recruiting and admission, leading to record undergraduate and graduate applications and enrollment.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mallory Willsea sits down with Erin Fields, Marketing Director at Ologie (and former Enrollify team member), to explore the shifting role of AI video in higher education marketing. Together, they dissect the creative possibilities, strategic risks, and trust considerations emerging from tools like Sora, while tackling how marketers should use AI video as an ideation engine—not a shortcut to storytelling. This conversation offers a grounded, forward-looking take on how higher ed marketers can responsibly and creatively integrate AI video into their workflows.

#NotJustaCadburyAd with Shah Rukh Khan

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.