Quantum Leap

John Katzman, CEO of Noodle, joins Kiran Kodithala on this episode of Illuminate Higher Education . Noodle helps universities use technology to raise capacity and engagement while lowering costs. Before Noodle, John founded The Princeton Review and 2U. John reflects on his experience teaching SAT test prep. His subsequent founding of The Princeton Review is a small anecdote that reveals the indust...

In this episode of Illuminate Higher Education , Kiran Kodithala, CEO of N2N Services , conducts a fascinating conversation with Dr. Emad Rahim, genocide survivor and refugee, about educating with empathy and grit, and what that entails, including technology for a hands-on approach. The end goal: Creating a more meaningful and rich learning experience.  Dr. Emad Rahim is one to talk! Not only is h...

Dr. Eloy Oakley, Chancellor at California Community Colleges, joins this episode of Illuminate Higher Education to discuss how community colleges are different from traditional institutions. They are uniquely suited to create equitable access to education for students of all backgrounds. In this episode, Eloy contrasts the selective nature of traditional four-year institutions with broad access co...

Scott Marshall, President and CEO of the Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE), joins podcast host Kiran Kodithala on this episode of Illuminate Higher Education. ISE is the nonprofit organization that administers the Semester at Sea program. Scott has visited, worked, and taught in more than 80 countries during his extensive career in education. Scott outlines three primary benefits of study ab...

Raj Kaji, CEO at Akademos, Inc., joins this episode of Illuminate Higher Education to talk about changing the way students obtain and interact with textbooks and resources during their higher education journeys. Akademos provides colleges and universities with a full-service online bookstore and course materials platform. Raj talks about how course materials are a significant expense for students...

Matt Alex, Co-Founder and Partner of Beyond Academics, joins this episode of Illuminate Higher Education to talk about transforming higher education. Matt oversees Beyond Academics’ Future of Work and Digital Transformation practices. Matt begins by discussing the difference between “repaving” digitized processes and effecting true transformation. He shares his goal with Beyond Academics: finding...

Dr. Ramon Goings, assistant professor in the Language, Literacy, and Culture interdisciplinary doctoral program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, joins this episode of Illuminate Higher Education to discuss his research and publications on the academic and social experiences of high-achieving Black men, from pre-K through Ph. D. Ramon begins by discussing the unique challenges docto...

Eric Gibbs, President, Americas of Ouriginal, joins this episode of Illuminate Higher Education to talk about how his company supports students, instructors, and educational institutions to maintain academic integrity and create original, innovative content through text-matching and writing style analysis. Eric begins by offering a brief history of plagiarism-detection software, but notes that “pl...

Jordan Shapiro, a globally celebrated thought leader, brings his expertise in education and parenting to this episode of the Illuminate Higher Education podcast. Jordan is the author of The New Childhood: Raising Kids to Thrive in a Connected World and the upcoming book Father Figure: How to be a Feminist Dad. In this episode, Jordan and Kiran take a deep dive into several topics from Jordan’s pub...

Karthik Venkatesh, CIO at Walden University, joins this episode of Illuminate Higher Education to talk about his commitment to creating technological ecosystems of learning and support to enhance the student experience. Walden University is a leader in online education, having specialized in distance learning for more than 50 years. As CIO, Karthik is responsible for managing technologies as they...

Mark Salisbury, Co-Founder and CEO of TuitionFit, joins this episode of Illuminate Higher Education to discuss rising tuition costs for higher education. TuitionFit’s mission is to educate the public on the real price of college based on open, transparent data. Mark begins by sharing a brief history of the college tuition system. He shares how substantial marketing efforts helped cultivate a sense...

Gabrielle Kristofich, Account Executive for Technology Integration Group, joins this episode of Illuminate Higher Education to talk about how emotional safety in elementary education can build a foundation for resilience and growth throughout a student’s life. Learning is an emotional process; even young students who struggle with certain subjects may start to believe that they are “bad” at them....

Dr. Eloy Oakley, Chancellor at California Community Colleges, joins this episode of Illuminate Higher Education to discuss how community colleges are different from traditional institutions. They are uniquely suited to create equitable access to education for students of all backgrounds. In this episode, Eloy contrasts the selective nature of traditional four-year institutions with broad access co...

Laurie Heacock, Senior Advisor at Achieving the Dream (ATD), joins this episode of Illuminate Higher Education to talk about how Achieving the Dream, a nonprofit organization, helps community colleges serve diverse student populations and achieve equitable student outcomes at scale. Laurie’s work with ATD focuses on community colleges with highly diverse student populations. In this episode, she d...

In this episode of Illuminate Higher Education , your host and CEO at N2N Services , Kiran Kodithala, interviews Mary Beth Marks, Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment Services at The University of New Orleans. In her senior position within enrollment management — and one of the leading voices in higher education — we wanted to know her thoughts around some of the leading trends for admissi...

In this episode of Illuminate Higher Education , Kiran Kodithala, CEO of N2N Services , conducts a fascinating conversation with Dr. Emad Rahim, genocide survivor and refugee, about educating with empathy and grit, and what that entails, including technology for a hands-on approach. The end goal: Creating a more meaningful and rich learning experience.  Dr. Emad Rahim is one to talk! Not only is h...

In this episode, Brent explains why he believes technology companies will be at the forefront of educational transformation, especially as we look ahead to a post-pandemic world. This shift goes beyond the adoption of new learning platforms. Colleges and universities are investing in their IT departments to better leverage technology throughout the institution. Brent also discusses educational tre...

In this episode, Adam discusses the growing demand for a “contactless campus.” Many of TouchNet’s clients are actively looking to implement contactless systems, and they have devised a three-step strategic approach to going contactless: (1) widespread implementation of NFC technologies; (2) more reliable access to information on mobile devices; and (3) moving business processes and platforms to th...

John reflects on his experience teaching SAT test prep. His subsequent founding of The Princeton Review is a small anecdote that reveals the industry-wide problem of measuring and assessing learning across a wide spectrum of opportunities. He also shares how Noodle helps higher education institutions build more agile, flexible tech ecosystems; the importance of shared governance and balancing stak...

Linda and Kiran focus their discussion on why data integration and systems interoperability are critical to moving higher education into the 21st century. Seamless technological experiences allow for alignment between instructors, students, and administrators to support better learning experiences for all. You’ll also hear how Linda built her career in the education space, why teachers are still m...

In this episode. Mark and Kiran discuss the transition from an educator-centric learning model to a student-centric learning experience. They also discuss how IMS Global shapes the future of higher education technologies by creating integrated ecosystems with plug-and-play elements that help break down data silos and allow institutions to keep up with the pace of change. Mark also explores two of...

In this podcast, Rick and Kiran explore the entire continuum of higher education in the US. Rick argues that as a society, we have not yet defined the purpose of education. What are we preparing students for? Can the lack of clear learning objectives be a root cause of skills gaps? They also discuss how partnerships with employers can help clarify learning objectives, how technology will drive per...

Kevin believes that the educational sector is least transformed by technology. Rather than disrupting old processes and ideas, technology is used only to enhance traditional methods. This is problematic for graduates who earn degrees that don’t prepare them for a career in a connected world. Kevin and Kiran also touch on why it is important to build IT initiatives around desired outcomes, how to b...

In this episode, Jordan and Kiran take a deep dive into several topics from Jordan’s publications. Regarding education, Jordan believes that learning is the process of building a shared language. To this end, schools need to improve at fostering collaboration and communication, skills that will serve students throughout their lives. They also discuss the role technology plays in education, and how...

In this episode, Dr. Ulmer explains why Walden and other online institutions are critical to the future of higher education--they provide alternative pathways to a college degree for older working students, individuals with some college but no degree, and others with limited access to the traditional four-year college experience. Dr. Ulmer pinpoints the COVID-19 pandemic as the major turning point...