Higher Ed Pulse

In Part 3 of Funnel Vision , host Rishab Malhotra welcomes Anna Esaki Smith, author and co-founder of Education Rethink, to examine the critical state of higher education. Moving past the usual focus on demographic cliffs, they discuss the systemic health of colleges, framing the industry's condition as a need for urgent care rather than a simple checkup. Anna and Rishab explore the root causes of...

Howard Heevner, co-founder of the National Alumni Survey, argues the core problem with institutional giving isn’t debt, apathy, or generations rejecting philanthropy—82% of alumni gave or volunteered last year—but a “30-point cliff” between 87% who love their education and only 17% satisfied with the post-graduation relationship. Alumni who feel their priorities are extremely well known give about...

The higher education sector is facing a quiet talent crisis: a staggering 74% of higher ed marketers are actively considering an exit from the industry. Mallory sits down with Shane Baglini , Executive Director of Marketing and Branding at William & Mary , to uncover the systemic issues fueling this exhaustion and explore how institutions can reverse the trend. Drawing from his own journey climbin...

In Part 2 of this Pulse Check series, host Rishab Malhotra sits down with Clay Harmon, executive director of the Association of International Enrollment Management (AIRC), and Clare Overmann, CEO of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA), to discuss the vital intersection of domestic and international enrollment strategy. The conversation highlights how higher education i...

Carrie Phillips chats with Brian Piper, host of AI for U, live at Engage Summit 2026 in Charlotte, NC. - - - - Connect With Our Host: Mallory Willsea  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/ https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea About The Enrollify Podcast Network: The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network . If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrolli...

The financial pressures squeezing higher education are real, but when it comes to the complex world of mergers and acquisitions, focusing solely on the spreadsheet is a critical mistake. In this episode of The Higher Ed Pulse , Mallory sits down with Dr. Morgan Johnson , VP of Academic Experience at The University of Arizona Global Campus , to discuss the human layer of higher ed M&A. Having recen...

Welcome to this brand new Pulse Check Series, hosted by Rishab Malhotra, Founder and CEO of AIDO. Higher ed has been running two separate plays for too long. Domestic over here, international over there, and strategy getting lost in the middle. We're going to laugh. We're going to cry. We're going to question why they gave me a microphone — but we've got university and enrollment leaders, associat...

On this special episode of Higher Ed Pulse, Mallory Willsea sits down with former co-host and higher ed marketing leader Seth Odell at the inaugural Let's Go Upstate Retreat in Saratoga Springs, New York. Together, they reflect on friendship, leadership, wellness, and what the higher education community needs most right now. Seth shares updates on life and business, including the growth of Kanahom...

Engage Summit 2026 is almost here, and the excitement is building. In this special episode of Pulse Check, Engage emcees Brendan Henkel, AVP of Solutions Engineering at Element451, and Cecily Street, VP of People at Element451, sit down to preview what's in store for this year's conference in Charlotte. From reflecting on the remarkable growth of Engage—from a small gathering in a Raleigh hotel co...

Artificial intelligence is moving faster than most institutions can govern it. For the 64 campuses within the State University of New York (SUNY) system, that challenge became very real when a new system-wide AI policy required every campus to adopt or update AI guidelines by the end of 2026. While many institutions are just beginning the work, SUNY Westchester Community College was already a year...

On this episode of Higher Ed Pulse, host Mallory Willsea sits down with Katy Campbell, newly named CEO of VisionPoint Marketing, for an urgent conversation about the future of search in higher education. Following Google’s announcement that AI-powered search is now the default experience for more than a billion users, Katy breaks down what this shift means for enrollment marketers, institutional w...

Welcome to the next chapter of this Pulse Check Series, Part 3: The Impact of AI on Regional Businesses. On this episode, host Adam HedeBrink-Bruno explores what AI adoption really looks like for small businesses, regional organizations, and community partners navigating rapid technological change. Joined by Marisa Enzinna, Director of Member Relations and Communications at the Ontario County Cham...

On this episode of Higher Ed Pulse, host Mallory Willsea sits down with Ed Cabellon, Interim Vice President for Student Experience at Frederick Community College, for a behind-the-scenes conversation about what it actually takes to build an enterprise AI strategy in higher education. Rather than rushing into flashy AI pilots or chasing trends, Ed shares how FCC spent months laying the groundwork f...

If your campus has plenty of AI activity but remains a little light on the strategy, you’re not alone. Many higher education institutions are running lots of experiments without a clear path to scale the right ideas responsibly. This leaves faculty and staff reinventing the wheel rather than moving forward together. In this episode, we go behind the scenes to explore the supports that shift indivi...

Related Links: Mastering the Art of Visual Storytelling in Higher Education Marketing Think before you ink: The Three Principles Behind Every Digital Transformation that Actually Work “Beyond the Facelift: Navigating the Website Redesign Journey” “Engaging with ‘First Generation’ Prospects: The Power of Visual Storytelling” “The Enormity of Inclusion: The Importance of Authenticity over Aspiration...

Mastering AI tools and techniques takes time. In this episode, we share how community colleges can become the region’s trusted AI onramp by offering accessible, mission-aligned AI literacy programming for students, employees, and community members. We’ll break down how to approach AI as a critical mindset rather than a technical skill set.  Learn about the values behind our AI model and the practi...

Mallory Willsea sits down with Dr. Nick Ladany, President of San Francisco Bay University, to unpack one of the boldest experiments in AI in higher education and student success strategies happening today. Together, they explore how SFBU is designing a human-centered, AI-integrated learning model that prioritizes capability development, workforce readiness, affordability, and access over outdated...

- - - - Connect With Our Host: Mallory Willsea  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/ https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea About The Enrollify Podcast Network: The Higher Ed Pulse 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...

Mallory sits down with Meredith Rosenberg, co-founder and partner at NU Advisory Partners, to unpack what’s really happening behind the scenes in higher education leadership hiring. Drawing from her vantage point at the intersection of higher ed and edtech, Meredith reveals how institutions are approaching executive search—and where they’re getting it wrong. The conversation explores leadership tu...

In this episode, we’re taking a field trip into New York City for a sugar rush and some serious higher-ed talk. We recap our night at the 92nd Street Y, where legendary anchor David Muir interviewed higher-ed expert Jeff Selingo about his new book, Dream School . We dive into the surprising college connection between these two media icons (hint: it all started in a dorm room at Ithaca!) and tackle...

In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse hosted by Mallory Willsea, the team from Kettering University shares how they transformed a custom GPT from a simple experiment into a trusted, embedded part of their marketing workflow. Featuring Jennifer Umberger (VP & CMO), Lee Madaus (Content & Communications), and Dottie Gouine (Digital Storytelling), the conversation dives into how disciplined processes—not...

- - - - Connect With Our Host: Mallory Willsea  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/ https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea About The Enrollify Podcast Network: The Higher Ed Pulse 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...

Mallory sits down with Rachel Bowser, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College at Agnes Scott College, to unpack one of the most ambitious examples of AI in higher education today.  Rather than treating AI as a supplemental skill, Agnes Scott is embedding AI literacy into the core first-year experience for every student. The conversation explores what it means to redesign curric...

Welcome back to a new addition of our pulse Check Series "High School to Higher Ed", which has returned for 2026. In today's Part 1, Emma shares her firsthand experience visiting six colleges in Boston, providing insights into campus visits, student interactions, and how these experiences influence college choices. - - - - Connect With Our Host: Mallory Willsea  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ma...

Mallory sits down with Dr. Nathan Pritts, Faculty Fellow for AI Strategy at the University of Arizona Global Campus, to unpack what real AI adoption looks like inside higher education. Moving beyond tools and policies, the conversation dives into the messy, human side of institutional change. Dr. Pritts shares how faculty-led experimentation, shared frameworks, and trust-building are essential to...