In this bonus episode recorded live at the Collegis Education DisruptED summit in Phoenix, we spoke with Nathan Grawe from Carleton College about the realities behind higher education’s enrollment decline and the looming demographic “cliff.” They explore how shifting birth rates and declining enrollment trends are creating real challenges—especially for tuition-dependent institutions—while also highlighting how retention, student experience, and institutional strategy play a critical role in long-term sustainability. 

The conversation emphasizes that there’s no single solution, but institutions that listen to students, adapt their culture, and stay aligned with their mission are better positioned to navigate change. Ultimately, it’s a call for leaders to approach this moment with urgency, empathy, and a renewed focus on serving students effectively.

Guest Name: Nathan Grawe - Professor of Economics at Carleton College

Guest Social: LinkedIn

Guest Bio: Nathan Grawe is a labor economist whose work studies connections between family background and education acquisition.  In addition to serving on Carleton's faculty since 1999, Nathan served as Associate Dean of the College from 2009 to 2012.  His recent book, Demographics and the Demand for Higher Education (Johns Hopkins University Press) explores the coming effects of recent demographic changes, adjusting headcount data for the probability of attending institutions of various types.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dustin Ramsdell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Geek 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 this bonus episode recorded live at the Collegis Education DisruptED summit in Phoenix, we spoke with Michael Koskinen from St. John’s University about the evolving strategy behind online education and institutional growth. They discuss the challenges of expanding online programs in a competitive market, including shifting away from traditional OPM models toward more flexible, fee-for-service partnerships that allow institutions to stay agile. 

The conversation highlights the need for higher ed leaders to rethink long-standing structures—like the four-year model and classroom-based learning—while staying grounded in their mission and focused on student needs. Ultimately, it’s a call for institutions to move faster, embrace experimentation, and adapt to changing expectations around flexibility, technology, and the value of a degree.

Guest Name: Dr. Michael Koskinen - Chief Online Learning Officer at St. John’s University

Guest Social: LinkedIn

Guest Bio: Dr. Michael Koskinen is an educator with over 20 years of experience adapting traditional collegiate course material into cutting-edge electronic teaching tools for delivery in traditional, hybrid, and online settings. He has demonstrated success managing multi-million-dollar technology budgets, high-profile software deployments, and staff development.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dustin Ramsdell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Geek 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 this kickoff episode recorded live at the Collegis Education DisruptED summit in Phoenix, we spoke with Dan Antonson and Jeff Certain from the Collegis team about the growing need for better data integration in higher education. They introduce “Connected Core,” a data platform designed to unify siloed systems and create a more complete, actionable view of the student journey. 

The conversation explores how tools like the “student digital twin” and AI-powered workflows can transform everything from recruitment to student success by enabling more personalized, efficient, and data-informed experiences. Ultimately, it’s a call for institutions to treat data as a strategic asset—investing in governance, integration, and long-term strategy to meet rising student expectations and stay competitive.

Guest Names: 

Guest Socials: 
Dan on LinkedIn 
Jeff on LinkedIn

Guest Bios: 

Jeff Certain leads marketing strategy and solution architecture at Collegis, helping colleges and universities translate institutional ambition into measurable growth across the student lifecycle. In his role as Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Solutions, Jeff oversees cross-functional teams responsible for B2B marketing, sales enablement, partnership solution design, and data-informed program research. Prior to Collegis, Jeff held multiple marketing leadership roles at Rasmussen University, where he led regional marketing strategy and enterprise digital advertising initiatives across paid search, display, affiliate marketing, and emerging digital channels. Jeff holds an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Indiana University Bloomington.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dustin Ramsdell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Geek 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 this special bonus episode recorded at the recent Illumia Momentum conference, we spoke with several attendees to get their immediate reflections and experiences from the event as it happened. They shared a variety of interesting perspectives on the work being done right now at institutions as they navigate ongoing digital transformation journeys. 

Many thanks to everyone who spoke with us: 

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Connect With Our Host:
Dustin Ramsdell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Geek 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 this final bonus episode recorded at the recent Illumia Momentum conference, we talked with Jennifer Chellew from Illumia about their rebrand, how they managed the transition, and the detailed process that went into to everything from choosing a name, choosing colors, to building consensus in a large community of stakeholders.

Guest Name: Jennifer Chellew - SVP of Marketing at Illumia

Guest Social: LinkedIn

Guest Bio: Jennifer Chellew is SVP of Marketing at Illumia, where she leads brand, demand generation, analytics, and marketing operations for a high-growth B2B SaaS company. With more than 25 years of experience across healthcare technology, financial services, and B2B SaaS, Jennifer is known for building marketing organizations that drive pipeline growth and earn executive buy-in through a data centered and operationally sound approach. Her career includes senior marketing leadership roles at Sallie Mae and JP Morgan Chase. Jennifer holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Delaware and is an active community leader in the Delaware area.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dustin Ramsdell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Geek 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 this special bonus episode recorded at the recent Illumia Momentum conference, we chatted with Jeff Koziol from Allegion about the digital evolutions necessary for institutions to better manage campus security as well as align with current student preferences.

Guest Name: Jeff Koziol, Business Development Manager, Allegion

Guest Social: LinkedIn

Guest Bio: Jeff Koziol works for Allegion as the Vertical Market Leader & Business Development Manager for Higher Education.  He has worked with Allegion (Ingersoll Rand) for 33 years in three different separate businesses with various assignments in Project Management, Product Management, Marketing, Sales, and Business Development.  

Jeff is a member of NACCU – the National Association of Campus Card Users – and is a CWNP Certified Wireless Sales Specialist.  He has a passion for working with Higher Education clients and partners to improve campus security while improving the student experience in this area.

He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from WPI in Worcester (MA) and an MBA from RPI in Troy (NY).  He resides in Westfield, Massachusetts with his family.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dustin Ramsdell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Geek 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 this special bonus episode recorded at the recent Illumia Momentum conference, we spoke with Maydee Ehster from Florida State University about how her and her team have been navigating regulatory changes as well as continued challenges balancing security and convenience for students.

Guest Name: Maydee Ehster - Associate Director of Financial Systems at Florida State University

Guest Social: LinkedIn

Guest Bio: Maydee Ehster is Associate Director of Financial Systems in the Controller’s Office at Florida State University. She leads a team that is responsible for administering and supporting enterprise financial systems, including Transact, Concur, Jaggaer, Transcepta, and PaymentWorks. Maydee’s responsibilities include oversight of systems integrations, compliance requirements, audit support, and process improvements.  She works closely with campus stakeholders and external vendors to support and enhance efficiencies across our systems.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Dustin Ramsdell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Geek 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.

For this episode, Dustin speaks with Kristen McMullen to explore how the “Designing Your Life” framework is being embedded at the College of Charleston to help students navigate uncertainty, make intentional decisions, and align their education with their goals and values. Kristen explains how the design thinking approach—centered on curiosity, experimentation, and action—empowers students to prototype career paths, build confidence, and reduce anxiety about the future.

Guest Name: Kristen McMullen, Executive Director of Student Success, the College of Charleston School of Business

Guest Social: LinkedIn

Guest Bio: Kristen McMullen has dedicated nearly 20 years of her life to higher education, spearheading career service initiatives, creating programs that connect students with the resources they need to succeed, and bolstering various universities’ alumni relations at the likes of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn State University and Duke University. She has earned her masters in Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology from the University of East London with the goal of extending Success Center services related to our students’ wellbeing. Kristen’s presidential leadership has elevated organizations including the Junior League, the Jaycees, Penn State’s Commission for Women, the Volunteer Center’s Community Volunteer in Action organization, and the Penn State Charleston Alumni Chapter. She also founded the Delaware Women’s Leadership Summit and the Volunteer Leadership Organization Council of Southwestern Connecticut.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dustin Ramsdell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Geek 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 this special bonus episode recorded at the recent Illumia Momentum conference, we spoke with returning guest Alison Cove from USEFULL about her ever evolving (and award winning!) work enabling tech enabled sustainability efforts at institutions all over the country.

Guest Name: Alison Cove, Founder and CEO, USEFULL

Guest Social: LinkedIn

Guest Bio: Alison Cove is the founder and CEO of USEFULL, the only tech-enabled, plastic-free takeout container solution for college and university campuses. USEFULL provides the tracking technology and durable containers that schools need to operate a successful zero-waste takeout program that eliminates waste, saves water, and reduces emissions to meet sustainability goals. Alison is committed to eliminating plastic and single-use packaging from the takeout stream at college dining operations, protecting students from microplastics, and driving lasting behavior change around reuse.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Dustin Ramsdell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Geek 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 this special bonus episode recorded at the recent Illumia Momentum conference, we chatted with returning guest Don Smith from Illumia about his work with institutions as they modernize their campus payment systems. He shares his experiences with the movement toward digital wallets and how this cultural shift for institutions is well worth the effort.

Guest Name: Don Smith -  Senior Vice President, General Manager of Integrated Payments at Illumia

Guest Social: LinkedIn

Guest Bio: Don Smith, is Senior Vice President, General Manager of Integrated Payments for Illumia. With over 15 years of experience driving innovation in software and financial services, Don is a seasoned product leader specializing in building high-performing teams. Skilled in talent development and cross-functional collaboration, Don creates cultures of excellence in both startups and established corporations across diverse industries, including education, financial services, nonprofits, and commercial real estate.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dustin Ramsdell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Geek 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.