Higher Ed Pulse

Mallory Willsea sits down with Erin Fields, Marketing Director at Ologie (and former Enrollify team member), to explore the shifting role of AI video in higher education marketing. Together, they dissect the creative possibilities, strategic risks, and trust considerations emerging from tools like Sora, while tackling how marketers should use AI video as an ideation engine—not a shortcut to storyt...

Welcome to our first Pulse Check of 2026. In this Part 1, Carrie Phillips sits down with Brian Berry, Vice Provost of Research and Dean of the Graduate School at UA Little Rock. Brian also chairs the university’s AI Council, where he's helping build responsible frameworks for AI governance, policy, and adoption. This isn’t a theoretical conversation—it’s a transparent and practical look at how ins...

Mallory sits down with Dan Sanchez—creator, storyteller, and founder of the AI-Driven Marketer—to explore the limits of AI in higher education. As we step into 2026, this conversation is a timely gut-check on what artificial intelligence can’t do for enrollment leaders. From human judgment to authentic storytelling and culture-building, Mallory and Dan make the case that AI is a powerful tool, but...

In the final 2025 episode of Higher Ed Pulse , host Mallory Willsea curates the most impactful AI-focused conversations of the year, featuring expert voices like Soup Campbell, Jeremy Tiers, Jason Smith, Mike Bell, Marina Cooper, and John Carrere. This mashup episode explores how AI reshaped the student journey, enrollment strategies, and campus operations. More than a tech trend, AI became a spot...

Jake Tolman sits down with senior data scientist and founder of Between the Data, Ben Burke, to explore what it truly means for higher ed project managers to become AI-fluent. This episode unpacks the growing role of artificial intelligence in campus operations and how PMs can harness AI to boost productivity, improve communication, and stay future-ready without fearing replacement. If you’re navi...

Mallory Willsea sits down with David Weil, SVP for Strategic Services and CIO at Ithaca College, to unpack a bold thesis from his recent EDUCAUSE article. The two dive deep into how AI’s most transformative potential in higher education isn’t found in flashy tools or automations — it’s in building a longitudinal view of the student experience. From data ethics and institutional silos to retention...

We’re closing out the 2025 Enrollify Hall of Fame series with a powerful and personal voice — Harrison Campbell, better known as Soup . A former dean of admissions, current VP of Campus Partnerships at Ardeo Education Solutions, and a parent who recently experienced the college search from the other side, Soup brings a rare blend of professional insight and personal empathy to the table. Across hi...

In Part 3 of this Pulse Check series, host Jake Tolman reveals the real prep work for effective project managment — the parts that never make it into the sales deck. You’ll learn how to identify your project manager, early risks to watch for, and effective change models to guide your people. You’ll walk away knowing exactly what to look for in an effective project leader, what to prepare them for,...

For our next inductee to the Enrollify Hall of Fame, we're celebrating the game-changing contributions of John Azoni, founder and executive producer at UNVEILD — a creative studio on a mission to help colleges and universities tell better stories through repeatable, student-centered video content. Across episodes of Talking Tactics, Mission Admissions, and Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO, John has...

- - - - 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...

Today we spotlight Marina Cooper, Senior Associate Vice President for Integrated Marketing and Brand at Johns Hopkins University. Known for her strategic boldness and deep empathy, Marina shares insights on navigating AI in higher ed marketing, overcoming imposter syndrome, and leading with intentionality. From dynamic creative optimization to building supportive professional networks, this episod...

In Part 2 of this Pulse Check series, Jake Tolman sits down with Kirsten Gallagher, founder of Kaizen Ninja and a process improvement expert, to explore how AI can be a powerful tool for refining operations and driving better student outcomes in higher ed. This episode dives deep into the messy middle of project implementation—where systems break down and process gaps become most apparent—and expl...

Meet the next inductee into Enrollify’s Hall of Fame: Sarah Russell, Vice President of Marketing at Education Dynamics. In this special edition episode, host Mallory Willsea explores Sarah’s most compelling insights pulled from her appearances on Higher Ed Pulse , EduData , and The Application . With 16+ years at the intersection of digital disruption and higher ed, Sarah dives deep into how AI is...

Mallory sits down with one of the youngest AI creators to grace the show—eight-year-old Cora Budd, a third grader at Division Street Elementary. Together, they explore how Gen Alpha is already using AI not just for learning, but for bold, imaginative storytelling. From building entire fictional universes to designing merch and comics, Cora shows how her generation is blending creativity and techno...

Welcome back to the Enrollify Hall of Fame series, where we spotlight some of the most compelling voices and visionary thinkers in higher education marketing and enrollment. Today, we're featuring Carrie Pitts-Densmore, Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing at Johnston Community College. Carrie’s fearless leadership style, her candor around AI and culture shifts, and her relentless focus on s...

Jake Tolman, CEO of MainForm Consulting , kicks off a four-part pulse check series from Enrollify with guest John Connolly of PMO Delivery Partners. Together, they explore how the traditional Project Management Office (PMO) in higher education is evolving amidst digital transformation and the rise of AI. With deep insights on project governance, organizational learning, and AI's growing role in pr...

Welcome to Enrollify’s 2026 Hall of Fame series, where we resurface the most transformative conversations ever featured across the Enrollify Podcast Network. We’re kicking things off with none other than Faton Sopa, Co-Founder and CEO of Manaferra, whose groundbreaking insights have reshaped how enrollment marketers think about the college decision journey. In this highlight reel episode, pulled f...

Mallory Willsea brings the Enrollify panel back together for a no-holds-barred reunion following their viral AMA session. Featuring Enrollify creator trio Jaime Hunt, Safaniya Stevenson, and Carrie Phillips, this episode revisits the spicy, unfiltered energy that turned heads at the 2025 AMA Symposium. From roasting overused marketing jargon to unpacking the real implications of AI hallucinations...

In this energizing episode of Higher Ed Pulse , host Mallory dives into the world of Broadway with creative strategist Toni Marie Perilli, exploring how higher ed can learn from the theater district’s masterful storytelling. Drawing inspiration from the cultural resurgence of Wicked , Sesame Street, and even Duolingo, the episode uncovers how colleges can deliver educational content that actually...

In this final episode of First Movers , a pulse check series brought to you by Enrollify and Everspring, we explore how DePaul University's Driehaus College of Business is pioneering the integration of AI across its curriculum. Host Rhea Vitalis is joined by James Moore, Director of Online Learning, and Jim Mourey, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, along with Andrea Gilbert of Everspring, to un...

In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse , host Mallory Willsea sits down with two-time Red Stapler winner Melanie Lindahl, Senior UX and Web Designer at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. Together, they unpack why so many college websites fail usability tests — and what higher ed marketers can do about it. Melanie reveals her four-part user testing framework and explains why even beautifu...

In Part 2 of First Movers , a Pulse Check series, hosts Rhea Vitalis and Andrea Gilbert, of Everspring, sit down with Dr. Suzanne Zivnuska, Dean of the College of Business at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSU-MB). The conversation explores how CSU-MB is navigating the dual disruption of AI-driven student discovery and rapid workforce transformation. From rethinking SEO for AI to align...

Live from the AMA Higher Ed Symposium, Carrie Phillips sits down with Jen Brock, newly minted Vice President at Mount Holyoke, to talk about what it’s like stepping into leadership, finding your people in the industry, and the importance of peer learning. Jen shares how AMA has shaped her journey, why she’s leaning into AI despite a learning curve, and how in-person conferences can double as team...

In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse , Mallory Willsea sits down with Harrison “Soup” Campbell, newly minted VP of Campus Partnerships at Ardeo, for a candid conversation recorded live at the American Marketing Association's Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education. The two unpack the realities of career transitions, the evolving landscape of enrollment leadership, and the pressures facing to...

In this special live episode from AMA, Mallory sits down with Jason Smith, Managing Director at OHO Interactive, to unpack a crucial — and often overlooked — aspect of AI and higher ed marketing: how generative AI tools describe your institution online. Jason introduces OHO’s new AI Visibility Scorecard and reveals some surprising findings from their early research. You’ll learn what content AI is...