Smarter Campus Podcast

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Ronan Shultz, a finance student at the University of Utah, to explore how students are actually using AI to learn, build, and move faster than traditional systems allow. This conversation offers a grounded, student-first perspective on what AI adoption really looks like on the ground. Ronan shares how AI has become a personalized...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Orly Fuhrman—adjunct professor at NYU, cognitive scientist, and learning experience designer—to explore how artificial intelligence can enhance learning without diminishing the human element at the center of education. Orly shares why the arrival of generative AI felt like a milestone moment for educators who have long struggled t...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Tawnya Means, Founding Partner of Inspire Higher Ed, to explore what it really takes to move AI adoption from conversation to classroom practice. As more institutions experiment with generative AI, Tawnya focuses on the real work of helping faculty build confidence, experiment safely, and integrate these tools into teaching and le...

For our 50th episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , we’re stepping back to ask a bigger question: What is school actually for in an age of AI? Zia Hassan—educator, professional coach, and PhD researcher at Johns Hopkins University—joins Zach for a thoughtful conversation about how generative AI is reshaping student motivation, classroom dynamics, and the very purpose of learning. Rather than focu...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Kyle Atkins—AI strategist, ethical innovation leader, and PhD candidate in Higher Education Administration—to explore what it really means to bring generative AI into academic environments with intention. Rather than focusing on tools or tactics, the conversation centers on governance, ethics, and the deeper questions institutions...

This special episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast features a conversation from inside the BoodleBox team. Zach sits down with Reilly Stanton, Lead Data Scientist at Boodle AI, to unpack how the platform’s philosophy around safety, clarity, and human-centered design shows up at the technical level. Reilly offers a rare, engineer-first look at how large language models actually work—moving past hyp...

In this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Christian Carmody , a doctoral researcher at the University of New Hampshire, to explore one of the most under-discussed questions in AI and education: What is AI doing to our intellectual character? Christian draws a powerful distinction between moral character (how we behave) and intellectual character (how we pursue truth, know...

In this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach is joined by Peter Harris to unpack a hard truth about AI in education: tools don’t replace mastery—practice does. Peter introduces the idea of “reps” as the foundation of real expertise. Whether it’s building 100 financial models by hand or defending an investment thesis out loud, deep understanding only comes from repeated, manual engagement....

In this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Michelle Kassorla to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping pedagogy, assessment, and what it truly means to learn. Dr. Kassorla introduces a powerful reframing of Bloom’s Taxonomy for the AI era. If AI can now create first , then the real intellectual work for students begins afterward—through evaluation, analysis, appl...

In this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Jose Bowen , author of Teaching with AI and longtime higher-education leader, to explore one of the most important shifts education has ever faced. Dr. Bowen argues that while the internet changed our relationship with knowledge , AI is changing our relationship with thinking itself . As information becomes abundant—but increasing...

In this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Judith Cardenas , a higher-education leader and consultant who has been working on AI strategy long before generative AI went mainstream. Judith shares what she’s learned from more than a decade of consulting with institutions and leadership teams—and why AI leadership today has far less to do with being technical and far more to...

In this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , host Zach Kinzler is joined by Matt Newlin , a higher education consultant with over 20 years of experience in financial aid, equity, and student success. Matt brings a powerful rural perspective to the AI conversation, framing artificial intelligence as a democratizing force —one that has the potential to level the playing field for rural, first-gen...

In this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , host Zach Kinzler sits down with Pravin Kaipa to explore creativity, artificial intelligence, and what it truly means to support learning in modern classrooms. Grounded in the idea that “creativity is just intelligence having fun,” this conversation challenges traditional grading models and reframes AI as a guide on the side —not a replacement for ed...

This week, I sat down with Dr. Betty Chandy , Director of AI & Technology Enhanced Learning Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education — and this conversation is a masterclass in what real AI integration should look like. Betty’s journey is incredible.  She grew up in classrooms without even chalkboards… and now leads AI literacy and professional development i...

In this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , host Zach Kinzler is joined by Austin Levinson , an award-winning international educator with over two decades of teaching experience and a deep commitment to rethinking how we teach critical thinking in the age of AI. From dissecting a Gulf War headline to launching programs that merge design thinking, ethics, and artificial intelligence, Austin’s a...

n this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , host Zach Kinzler talks with Luca Caniato , an 18-year-old freshman at CU Boulder studying finance and management information systems — and already an AI consultant and fly-fishing guide. Luca’s story is a perfect example of what happens when curiosity meets opportunity. From using AI to study, to teaching peers, to landing early consulting work, he s...

In this Smarter Campus Podcast episode, host Zach Kinzler sits down with Scott Carr , a veteran educator with over 30 years of experience transforming classrooms for students who’ve often been left behind by traditional systems. Scott shares his journey from being a disengaged student himself to spending two decades teaching special education in Milwaukee’s inner city—and now helping districts rei...

In this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Galen Ziegler , Assistant Professor of Nursing at Harford Community College, to explore how AI is quietly revolutionizing the world of nursing education. From limited clinical access to overworked faculty, Galen paints a clear picture of the challenges today’s nursing programs face—and how thoughtfully implemented AI tools can bri...

In this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , host Zach Kinzler talks with Mike Kentz , founder of Zentex Educational Advisors and former middle and high school teacher. Mike’s story is one that every educator should hear: he went from actively avoiding AI to building an entire company around helping teachers not just adopt AI—but thrive with it. This isn’t just a conversation about tools—it’s a...

In this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , host Zach Kinzler sits down with Michael Curtin , Innovation Coordinator and Adjunct Faculty in Informatics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Michael’s path is anything but ordinary — moving between the worlds of video game development and academia , he’s built a rare perspective on how to bridge creativity, technology, and education. T...

What happens when you hand powerful AI tools to a curious 7th grader?  You get insights that most adults overlook. In this special episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , host Zach Kinzler sits down with Dawson Brown , a 7th-grade student from Sacajawea Middle School in Bozeman, Montana. Dawson shares his unique perspective on AI in education—and trust us, he’s got a lot to teach us. Topics covere...

In this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach Kinzler sits down with Matt Biggins , Managing Director of the Wolverine Fund at Utah Valley University and a dynamic force in student-run venture capital. From decathlete to venture capitalist, Matt’s unorthodox journey shapes a unique perspective on AI, education, and the future of work. Together, Zach and Matt explore: How Matt uses ChatGPT a...

This special edition of the Smarter Campus Podcast flips the mic. In this crossover episode, Sean Amaso—student creative, AI skeptic, and host of the brand-new podcast The Other Side —takes the interviewer seat for his show’s very first episode... and his first guest is none other than Smarter Campus host, Zach Kinzler. Together, Sean and Zach dive deep into: Why balance—not blind adoption—matters...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , host Zach Kinzler sits down with Austin French , Director of Career Pathways and Employer Engagement at the University of Maine Farmington and co-host of the More Than the Outdoors podcast. Austin brings a fresh and relatable perspective to AI integration—not as an expert, but as a “casual user” who had to master AI tools out of necessity. Drawing fr...

In this episode of the Smarter Campus Podcast , I sit down with Chris Agnew — ed-tech entrepreneur, experiential learning evangelist, and the driving force behind Stanford’s Generative AI for Education Hub . Chris shares his unconventional journey into AI, from wilderness expeditions and lab schools to leading Teton Science Schools and working in venture-backed edtech during the release of ChatGPT...