On Balance

In this episode of #OnBalance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Dr. TJ Logan, Ohio State University’s Associate Vice President for the Residential Experience.

They discuss the higher education experience and ways education leaders can adapt to recent changes in that experience to provide students with the holistic support they need for success.

Learn more about Dr. Logan.

On Balance with Page Keller, Head of Academic Relations at Knack, stops by to talk about the current needs of college students across the country. Prior to Knack, Keller spent over 25 years at the College of Charleston. Keller served as the Director for the Center for Excellence in Education, Director of Peer Education and Student Support Programs, and also Adjunct Faculty and Academic Advisor over the course of her work for the institution. 

George D. Kuh is the Founding Director, Senior Scholar, and Co-principal Investigator at the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois and the Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus at Indiana University. The founding director of the widely used National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), Kuh received a BA from Luther College, an MS from St. Cloud State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. He has written extensively about student engagement, assessment, institutional improvement, and college and university cultures and consulted with about three hundred fifty colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. In addition to High-Impact Practices (2008) and Ensuring Quality & Taking High-Impact Practices to Scale (2013) produced as part of the AAC&U LEAP initiative, his two most recent books are Student Success in College: Creating Conditions That Matter (2005, 2010) and Piecing Together the Student Success Puzzle: Research, Propositions, and Recommendations (2007). In 2001, he received Indiana University’s prestigious Tracy Sonneborn Award for a distinguished career in teaching and research. He has received seven honorary degrees.

In this episode of On Balance, Rod Berger sat down with entrepreneur Samyr Qureshi, co-founder and CEO of Knack, an innovative online tutoring platform that matches college students with tutors in relevant subjects. They discuss the evolution of flexible learning and how higher education is experiencing a shift toward a more individualized approach to students’ learning needs.

Samyr struggled in school. As a 7-year-old immigrant from the United Arab Emirates, he had to adapt to a new culture and integrate into a foreign school system. Samyr attributes his will to persevere to the one-on-one help he received from his first tutor—his mother.

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Dr. Kate Ziemer, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of New Hampshire.

Before her current role, Kate was a professor of chemical engineering at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. She earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1989. Kate had seven years of industrial experience as a chemical engineer with DuPont prior to earning her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from West Virginia University in 2001.

She joined Northeastern University in April 2001. In addition to maintaining an active research program and teaching both undergraduate courses, Kate has served her department and college as Undergraduate Program Chair, ABET Coordinator, Graduate Program Chair, and, most recently, as Vice-Chair of the Chemical Engineering Department.

In this On Balance episode, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Innocent Mugenga, co-founder of Aline, an EdTech platform with the mission of helping individuals improve their ability to learn, grow and adapt. Aline’s founders believe the development of Artificial Intelligence, Voice Technology, Wearables, and future technologies will provide greater flexibility and accessibility of learning and collaboration.

Learn more about Aline here!

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger and Dr. Mona Davenport, Dean of Student Success at Eastern Illinois University, discuss ways higher education has adapted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Davenport also talks about the importance of education and what success means to college students as they pursue comfortable and rewarding futures after graduation.

Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Marty Callahan, CEO of DigitalEd. DigitalEd offers online education solutions designed especially for STEM courses. DigitalEd products are uniquely positioned to provide effective tools for online math-based education. Offer frictionless education by innovating ahead of the curve, embracing belonging, meeting learners where they are, celebrating differences, and using data insights.

Rod and Marty discuss fresh, inspiring ways education leaders can leverage technology to engage students, professors, and teachers in conversation.

Learn more about DigitalEd!

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with The Band of Sisters, which includes six executive-level women who have seen it all—from the bottom rung to the boardroom. They have operating experience across 20+ industries—from large corporations to small start-ups, in many male-dominated industries, and they bring unparalleled insight into inclusive leadership and work culture.

Learn more about the Band of Sisters!

Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Dora Palfi, co-founder & CEO of imagi, an award-winning startup based in Sweden, offering a fresh take on EdTech, gaming, and social impact. It empowers all kids to reimagine the future with technology. imagi’s inclusive coding education tools are designed to increase engagement among girls and help close the gender gap in Tech. Dora is listed as one of Forbes #30under30, and she’s a 2022 One Young World Delegate Speaker. During their conversation, Dora and Rod discuss closing the interest gap between boys and girls in computer science after the age 14, as well as imagi's creative strategies to keep students engaged while learning. 

Learn more about imagi!