Josie and the Podcast

Dr. Raychelle Burks stumbled into her love for chemistry through Agatha Christie novels and Murder She Wrote episodes with her grandma. Now she's a Twitter verified chemistry Blackademic that loves to connect one thing to another through pop culture references. In this conversation, we talk about the ways that pop culture and social media increase access to the science world and the visibility of...

The creation process is a wild ride, and in this shorty episode, I'm giving you an insight into my blogging, podcasting, and book writing journeys. A significant discovery is just how much confidence and courage is wrapped up into the process, and I share tactics that I hope will aid you as a current or future digital content creator. For all show notes, head to  www.josieahlquist.com/podcast/ con...

  This week I sat down with President of Owens Community College Steve Robinson, who we discovery may have a new title of Punk Rock President, as he's the still ultimate 80's fan and one of the most prominent advocates for community college by creating a vow to #EndCCStigma. Steve waves his community college flag high and isn't ashamed of it. Through his podcast, Teachable Moment, and his Presiden...

This week I've cooked up a guest that knows the recipe for a successful social media strategy. You'll learn why my guest Jon-Stephen Stansel, digital media specialist at the University of Central Arkansas, is the Gordon Ramsey of social media in higher education. Don't worry, it's not because he yells during the episode - but he is very passionate about quality. We cover why campuses need to keep...

Why do we log on, day after day, to social media platforms? Who do you connect with and why? In this episode, I discuss the basic needs of humans and how social media community-based platforms play into those. I also call out how digital communication platforms have been overrun with busywork, from email to Instagram. To get back to our core needs as people, we need to prioritize belonging over bu...

Titles of First-generation college student, former college-athlete, recovering college coach, and full-time higher education change agent (AKA enrollment manager) are just a few ways to describe our guest this week, Jennielle Strother, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Services at Concordia University. But listen in, and you'll hear how her humble, heart and hard work comes out in the most au...

Hello 2019! The podcast is back, with your very own host sharing some life, work, and living updates. Learn how I've given up bread, started reading tarot cards and nearly moved to the mountains (which still may happen someday). You'll get lots of news about the future of the podcast, but also plenty of reflections of 2018 and plans for 2019 in what I've termed "Simple but Significant." For all sh...

College students today have a radically different experience growing up with social media. We explore this topic with this week's guest, Sarah Aguilar. Sarah is currently a Junior Psychology major at Illinois State University, where she holds several student leader roles on campus including serving as the ISU Student Trustee and is part of the division of student affairs digital influence student...

Hope has a strategy when you have someone like Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab involved. Sara is the founder of the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice and is passionately advocating for it on social media. You can consistently find her amplifying the #RealCollege movement on Twitter. With her active online presence, Sara speaks about the benefits, struggles, and responsibilities this digital in...

How do you work with intention when it comes to marketing your campus? We go deep on this topic with this week's guest, Stephen App. Stephen is an Account Director at eCity Interactive, where he works to help higher ed institutions market themselves and bring in the right students. Stephen is big on bringing strategy to all he does, whether it is in his personal or professional life. He is also so...

In this shorty episode, I'm taking a deep dive into LinkedIn and exactly why you should love the platform. I'm sharing why it's such a powerful platform and my suggestions for updating and enhancing your LinkedIn presence. Don't miss the final heartwaves segment, where I share how even the smallest actions made a serious impact on achieving some of my biggest of goals. Shorty episodes are sponsore...

Nerd alert! Dr. Jason L. Meriwether is the Vice President for Student Success at Rhode Island College and he brings with him many years of higher ed experience working to support student persistence and enrollment management. Jason is big on digital engagement and nerds out on using the best tools for getting actionable data insights to support his campus community. Authenticity comes up a lot as...

In this shorty episode, I'm digging into the streaming/gaming platform Twitch, University eSports and answering a listener question if departments should close social media accounts due to lack of engagement. However, the meat and potatoes of the episode is about how to be follow-worthy campus leader on Instagram. Don't miss the final heartwaves segment, where I open up a bit about how I overcome...

This episode was such a joy, chatting with the incomparable Dr. Mary K. Boyd, current provost at Berry College. She has an esteemed background with the academy and is someone who role models how to be an engaging higher ed leader online and on campus. She has a unique position as an executive - but she makes sure to keep herself grounded and accessible. From creating Facebook groups to better conn...

In the first of its' kind on the podcast, this shorty episode is part of a series throughout the season that will fill your earbuds with even more learning and laughter with me, Dr. Josie Ahlquist. This episode digs into what to expect in these episodes including tech updates like IGTV, digital insights into this freshman class, f you should delete old tweets and a little heartwave message about #...

In the season three premiere, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Ajay Nair, the 22nd President of Arcadia University about his recent journey into the presidency, as well as his thoughts on integrating family into his professional life and even his social media feed. This 2.0 President brings authenticity, diversity, personalization and a genuine approach to social media. While Ajay is a camp...

In this season three kick-off episode, I'm sharing what I've been up to since season two including the book, teaching, speaking engagements and family adventures. I'll also highlight what I have in store for the upcoming season of the podcast. Finally, I've got some pretty cool announcements, including a coaching program and a new Facebook community - so listen in for that! Notes from this Episode...

At the 2018 CASE Social Media and Community Conference in New Orleans, I got the opportunity to organize and speak on a panel all about podcasting in higher education. I was joined by fellow podcasters Tim Cigelske, Jackie Vetrano, Stephen App, Chris Barrows, where we share our podcasting journeys and perspectives. From figuring out how to start a podcast to how to promote it and grow your audienc...

This year I served on the faculty team of the 2018 CASE Social Media and Community Conference in New Orleans . I quickly reached out Dillard University President, Walter M. Kimbrough to invite him to be part of the conference for a coffee talk interview. In this episode, you'll catch the recording of this session, where we chat about how his presidency has grown up alongside social media, how to c...

The presidency in higher education can be personal, which is exactly why I invited on not only the president of Washington State Kirk Schulz but also the first lady Noel Schulz, who also serves as an engineering professor. This first family talks about how the role university president has drastically changed related to social media and public presence - which for them even include their grown chi...

He's been called a provocateur, top diversity scholar, accomplished author, international speaker, and even "fun-sized." But despite the various titles Terrell Lamont Strayhorn, focuses on the importance of belonging, especially in higher education spaces to meet his objective to #DoGoodWork. Terrell and I discuss the hidden curriculum of higher ed, Terrell's educational and speaking philosophy, a...

We've all got topics that are important to us, whether it's our furry friends or the events that are happening on our campuses. Social listening is one way to turn those topics into real opportunities, and this week's podcast guest is a social listening expert. Liz Gross is the director of Campus Sonar, and she explains what social listening is for higher ed, her intrepreneurial journey, and even...

Melissa Woo is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Vice President of Information Technology (IT) at Stony Brook University, and she's got an insider's perspective on life on the other side of the IT desk. And guess, what? It's not all about technology, it's actually about people. In this episode, Melissa and I discuss the ways that IT can and should be integrating with the entire campus, her a...

Calling all nerds, geeks, and fanboys/fangirls! This week's guest is Sabrina Cruz, the mastermind behind the epic YouTube channel Nerdy and Quirky (and a few others). Her channel combines nerd culture and comedy to keep her audience laughing and learning, and Sabrina brings the same energy to this week's episode. She'll be sharing what it's like to be a YouTuber and a university student, talking a...

Grab your guildies and get ready to learn how Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management at San Francisco State University Luoluo Hong creates connections with her campus community through innovative platforms like World of Warcraft. This episode features a discussion of how her approach to social has changed as an executive, the importance of advocacy in Luoluo's work and life, an...