Higher Ed Pulse

By Mallory WillseaBusiness Technology Education How To

Higher Ed Pulse episodes

September 03 Pulse Check: The Value of Higher Ed: Spoiler Alert, It's More than ROI — Pt 2
In Part 2 of this Pulse Check series, Michele Ehrhart talks with Merianne Roth, Vice Chancellor, Marketing & Communication at Texas Christian University, to explore why a college education offers value far beyond financial ROI, highlighting the development of essential "success skills" like leadership, critical thinking, and identity formation. Merianne outlines how TCU is navigating AI through its AI Squared initiative and ethical use policies, and they also explore the importance of workforce readiness, alumni networks, and why choosing a path is a deeply personal decision.

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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.
27 min
August 31 What Comes After CMO?
Mallory is joined by Rob Zinkan, founder of Navigate Gray, to discuss the career trajectories of higher education chief marketing officers. While corporate CMOs often advance to executive roles like COO or CEO, higher ed CMOs frequently face limited upward pathways, often moving laterally to other campuses or exiting the sector entirely. Rob shares insights from analyzing nearly 100 organizational charts, highlighting the need for institutions to intentionally integrate marketing leaders into core strategic planning and build leadership capacity to develop true enterprise leaders.
What Comes After the CMO?

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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
August 27 Pulse Check: The Value of Higher Ed: Spoiler Alert, It's More than ROI — Pt 1
In the debut episode of this new Pulse Check Series hosted by Michele Ehrhart, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for the University of Memphis, we are joined by Dave Martel from the University of Virginia to discuss the true impact of college. Both first-generation graduates reflect on higher education as a fundamental pathway to a better life beyond simple financial ROI. Together, they explore how higher education fosters essential success skills, navigates the integration of AI tools, and addresses growing national affordability challenges. Tune in to discover why educating citizen leaders and protecting the transformative personal journey of college remains essential today.

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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.
27 min
August 24 How AI Decides Which University Has the Best Alumni Network
Mallory interviews Kim Infanti, Executive Director of Alumni and Constituent Engagement at Syracuse University. Kim discusses launching Ask Orange Alumni, an AI-powered platform that connects students with alumni mentors while keeping human relationships central, and they explore how AI tools frequently pull alumni network information from public sites like Reddit instead of institutional websites.
AI Visibility in Higher Education Recommendations

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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
August 17 Video Without a Plan Is Wasted Money
Mallory welcomes Phil DiMartino and Marisa Uluski from 5 Tool Productions to explore how higher education institutions can transform video from a simple production line item into an effective marketing 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.
42 min
August 10 Is Higher Ed Deploying AI Backwards?
Mallory is joined by Amy Still from ZeeMee and Paul Garner from Western Carolina University to dissect new data regarding student perceptions of AI in the admissions process. With insights drawn from over 12,000 students, the discussion highlights a critical boundary: while students embrace AI for personal research and low-stakes reminders, they remain deeply skeptical of its role in high-stakes interactions. As students move deeper into the enrollment funnel, the demand for human connection increases significantly, with four out of five students preferring human guidance when making their final college choice.

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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.
32 min
August 06 Pulse Check: Understanding The Modern Student Journey — Pt. 3
In Part 3 of this Pulse Check series, host Faton Sopa sits down with Stephanie Geyer, associate vice president for marketing and brand strategy at the University of Montana, to explore the evolving student journey. The conversation challenges the common practice of organizing university websites around institutional bureaucracy rather than student decision-making, emphasizing that digital strategies must prioritize the user's perspective.
Guest Name: Stephanie Geyer, AVP of Marketing and Brand Strategy, the University of Montana
Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-geyer-553a862/
Guest Bio: Stephanie Geyer has spent more than thirty years in higher ed marketing. She spent nearly two decades scaling higher education digital services at Ruffalo Noel Levitz, then advised campuses as a consultant and acting chief marketing officer at Modern Campus. She now runs it herself as Associate Vice President for Marketing and Brand Strategy at the University of Montana. She holds an MBA certificate from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

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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.
35 min
August 03 What Your Chief of Staff Knows That You Don't
Lindsay Nyquist, Chief of Staff at Occidental College, and Dr. Miriam Merrill, Chief of Staff at Hamilton College, join Mallory to discuss the inaugural Chief of Staff Summit, where 50 higher-ed chiefs of staff met at Colorado College in Colorado Springs for closed-door, case-based peer problem solving. They explain the chief of staff role varies widely by president and institution, often centering on supporting decision-making, execution, and human impacts. Summit topics included cabinet politics, crisis leadership, managing up without formal authority, board relations, burnout, career trajectories, strategic planning, and AI.
Register for Next Year’s Chief of Staff Summit: www.chiefofstaffsummit.org

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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.
34 min
July 30 Pulse Check: Understanding The Modern Student Journey — Pt. 2
In Part 2 of this Pulse Check, Understanding the Modern Student Journey, host Faton Sopa is joined by guest Robert Kadar to dismantle the outdated reliance on traditional marketing funnels in higher education and highlight a critical industry misalignment.
Guest Name: Robert M. Kadar, Senior Director of Marketing, Yeshiva University
Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkadar
Guest Bio: Robert Kadar is a higher education marketing leader with more than fifteen years of experience across marketing strategy, communications, enrollment, fundraising, media relations, and organizational leadership. He combines strategic thinking, data-driven analysis, and hands-on marketing expertise to strengthen institutional brands, drive enrollment growth, and improve return on investment. Throughout his career, Robert has managed complex marketing initiatives, large-scale teams, and significant budgets across higher education institutions and advertising environments, including one of the largest universities in the United States. His work focuses on using research, data, and insights into student behavior to develop more effective and meaningful approaches to higher education marketing.

- - - -

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.
40 min
July 27 Higher Ed's Hero Cycle
Mallory hosts Higher Ed Pulse with guest Jenn Hayes, Associate Dean for Marketing & Communications at Cardozo School of Law in New York, to discuss higher ed’s recurring “hero” cycle: hiring passionate leaders to rebuild broken systems, celebrating visible wins, and then losing them to burnout.
Related Links:
New CUPA-HR Survey Results Shed Light on Employee Retention in Higher Education
CMOs Are Staying in the Job (Slightly) Longer
Knowledge loss induced by organizational member turnover: a review of empirical literature, synthesis and future research directions
Tribal knowledge - Wikipedia
Breaking the Cycle of Hero Culture in Organizations
Hero cultures: what they are and how they are created

- - - -

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.
32 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.