Higher Ed Pulse

By Mallory WillseaBusiness Technology Education How To

Higher Ed Pulse episodes

November 10, 2025 Taste > AI Tools
In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse, host Mallory Willsea sits down with Tracey Halvorsen of Adeo and Yianni Mathioudakis of Deeo to explore how top creative agencies are baking artificial intelligence (AI) into their workflows—not as shortcuts, but as accelerators of curiosity, strategy, and creative clarity. From mood boards to brand worlds, these leaders share how AI is being woven into agency culture, not just tech stacks, to amplify good taste and push bold ideas forward.

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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.
44 min
November 06, 2025 Pulse Check: First Movers — Part 1
In the premiere episode of First Movers, a new Pulse Check series by Enrollify in partnership with Everspring, co-hosts Rhea Vitalis and Andrea Gilbert sit down with Dave Hunt, Director of Enrollment Marketing at the University of Kansas. The episode explores how the KU enrollment team is responding to the massive shifts in student behavior brought on by AI-driven search, stealth applicants, and the collapsing marketing funnel. Hunt shares practical strategies on content differentiation, leveraging AI for operational efficiency, and how to rethink SEO to stay discoverable and drive enrollment in a rapidly evolving landscape.

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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.
42 min
November 03, 2025 Featherstone University: The Campaign Higher Ed Can’t Stop Talking About
In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse, host Mallory Willsea sits down with David Ludlam, Vice President of Marketing Communications at Colorado Mesa University (CMU), and Maria Kuntz from the University of Colorado Boulder to unpack one of the boldest higher ed campaigns of the year — Featherstone University. Part satire, part strategy, this fictional “Ivy” school took aim at higher education’s elitism, and in doing so, CMU held a mirror up to the entire industry. We explore the campaign’s origin story, its creative risks, and how it’s redefining what higher education marketing can look like.
Related Links:
Featherstone University Campaign
Inside Higher Ed: One Industry, Two Playbooks
Chronicle: ‘Featherstone University’ Isn’t Real. But Its Message About Higher Ed Packs a Punch

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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.
29 min
October 30, 2025 Pulse Check: High School to Higher Ed III (2025) — Part 3
Episode Title: Emma’s First Open House
Kevin and Emma take a road trip to Emma’s first Open House. The two hosts talk about their observations, especially those of Emma.

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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.
38 min
October 29, 2025 Live at ASU's Agentic AI and the Student Experience: How AI Tools Are Powering More Accessible and Scalable Higher Education
Kemi Jona joins Ty Fujimura live at the ASU Agentic AI and the Student Experience event to explore the intersection of AI in higher education and workforce development. As the Vice Provost for Online Education and Digital Innovation at the University of Virginia, Jona shares real-world examples of how his team is deploying AI to boost access, streamline course production, and build stronger bridges between higher ed and employers. This candid conversation unpacks both the promise and pitfalls of generative AI and provides a blueprint for institutions eager to innovate responsibly.

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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.
22 min
October 27, 2025 Why an AI Critic Joined a Tech Company
In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse, host Mallory Willsea sits down with Joel Goodman, former founder of Bravery Media and now the new VP of Growth Strategy at Squiz. The conversation dives into Joel’s bold career transition from agency life to a global EdTech company, his evolving views on AI in higher education, and the future of digital strategy in a consolidating industry. With nearly two decades of experience in higher ed web strategy, Joel offers a critical — and refreshing — perspective on what's next for institutions looking to actually move the needle.

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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.
29 min
October 23, 2025 Pulse Check: High School to Higher Ed III (2025) — Part 2
Bridges, Squirrels, and Tank Tops: A Review of Virtual Info Sessions
Kevin and Emma Cavanagh dive deep into their experience attending virtual information sessions hosted by several highly-ranked colleges. This father-daughter duo shares what worked, what flopped, and how enrollment marketers can better connect with prospective students in a virtual setting. If you're in higher ed marketing or admissions, this is the behind-the-scenes feedback you need to hear.

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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.
31 min
October 20, 2025 A College Senior’s Hot Takes on AI + the Nonprofit He’s Building
Mallory Willsea sits down with Tyrone “T.Y.” Stone, a senior at Augustana College, to discuss how students are really using AI in and outside of the classroom. T.Y. isn’t just using AI to write essays — he’s leveraging tools like ChatGPT and Poe to structure his thinking, spark creativity, and streamline side projects, all while dreaming up a nonprofit called CoBlack to teach coding and design to at-risk youth. Tune in to learn how this student is challenging assumptions about generative AI in education and pushing for equity in tech literacy from the ground up.
T.Y’s LinkTree

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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.
30 min
October 16, 2025 Pulse Check: High School to Higher Ed III (2025) — Part 1
Welcome back to the third installment of High School to Higher Ed. Today's episode is Part 1 — The School of the New York Times and the Value of Pre-College Programs. Co-hosts Kevin and Emma Cavanagh dive into the value of pre-college programs through a personal lens. Emma shares her recent experience attending the prestigious School of The New York Times summer program, offering enrollment professionals a raw, first-person account of what students are really getting out of these experiences. This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about how these programs influence student perceptions of college—and what that means for enrollment strategy.

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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.
22 min
October 13, 2025 Best of Conference: The Red Stapler Session on AI Search & Zero-Click Discovery
In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse, host Mallory Willsea sits down with Adam Heidebrink-Bruno, Digital Content Specialist at Finger Lakes Community College and winner of Best in Conference at the 2025 Digital Collegium Annual Conference. Adam’s session — “Preparing for AI Search and the Generative College Discovery Process” — dove deep into how AI-powered search is transforming how prospective students discover and evaluate colleges. In this conversation, Mallory and Adam unpack what it really means to optimize for generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity, the rise of zero-click search behavior, and why your institution’s content strategy may need an urgent overhaul.
Check out Adam’s Red Stapler Presentation Deck

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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.
37 min

About Higher Ed Pulse

From the publisher's feed

Higher Ed Pulse is your weekly no-fluff guide to AI in higher ed. Higher ed leaders are expected to master AI overnight. But let’s be real — no one has time to sift through every headline, hot take, or research report.