Smarter Campus Podcast

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Forrest Close, data scientist and recent University of New Hampshire graduate, to explore what it’s really like entering the workforce in the age of AI. From navigating college during the rise of generative AI to competing in today’s challenging job market, Forrest offers an honest perspective from the student side of this technol...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Kevin Stump, Chief Program Officer at the Education Design Lab, to explore how higher education can better prepare learners for a rapidly evolving workforce shaped by AI and emerging technologies. Kevin shares why the conversation can no longer be limited to degrees alone. Instead, he advocates for a future built around stackable...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Dr. Nancy Richmond, professor at Florida International University, co-chair of the College of Business AI Teaching Forum, author, and speaker, for a conversation about one of the most important questions facing education today: how do we embrace AI while preserving what makes us human? Drawing from her background in digital market...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Dr. Sunaina Sharma, Assistant Professor at Brock University and longtime English educator, to explore one of the most pressing questions facing schools today: What happens when educators feel caught between the promise of AI and the realities of classroom life? Drawing on more than two decades of experience and recent research inv...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Dr. Maritza Concha and Ketty Dones from the University of Central Florida’s Applied AI Innovation Initiative to explore how artificial intelligence is empowering students, nonprofits, and professionals who don’t come from technical backgrounds. The conversation highlights a powerful shift happening across higher education: AI is n...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Brett Hinson, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Lipscomb University, to discuss what it takes to lead technology transformation in higher education. With decades of experience across multiple industries, Brett brings a practical and refreshing perspective on balancing innovation, security, a...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Tawnya Means, founding partner of Inspire Higher Ed, for a conversation about one of the biggest shifts happening across campuses: moving from talking about AI to actually using it. As institutions navigate uncertainty, Tawnya offers a practical and human-centered perspective on what meaningful adoption really looks like. The disc...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Daniel R. Kazakos—US Army veteran, strategist, system thinker, and CEO—to explore how AI is reshaping workforce development and changing the way we think about human value in an AI-driven world. Daniel argues that AI is no longer just another productivity tool. Instead, he frames it as a skill—one that requires continuous practice...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Dr. Marina Aminy, Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Director of the California Virtual Campus, to explore how AI and system-level thinking can expand access and improve outcomes for millions of students. At the heart of the conversation is a simple but powerful idea: keep the student as the “north star.” Marina shares how th...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Adam Davis, Senior Director of Global Career Services at the American College of Financial Services, to explore how AI is reshaping the connection between education and the workforce. As career services evolves, Adam offers a clear perspective on how institutions can better prepare students for a rapidly changing professional land...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Matthew Ignash, science educator and department head at the American International School of Chennai, to explore a practical and grounded approach to integrating AI into teaching and school systems. Rather than focusing on expertise, Matthew emphasizes experimentation—showing how small, intentional projects can unlock meaningful c...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Pearsall, Assistant Provost for Teaching and Learning at the American College of Financial Services, to explore how institutions can move from uncertainty to intentional AI adoption. Drawing on her background in biochemistry and computational modeling, Elizabeth offers a thoughtful perspective on how AI is reshaping...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Mike Evans, senior lecturer in Political Science at Georgia State University, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping civic education, classroom dynamics, and the skills students need to navigate an increasingly complex world. Drawing from his background studying technological disruption, Mike brings a balanced perspec...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Ann Aust—MD program director, professor, and AI literacy advocate—to explore what should remain at the center of education as AI becomes more integrated into teaching and learning. Ann shares her journey from skepticism to advocacy, offering a grounded perspective on how educators can thoughtfully adopt AI without losing sight of...

In this episode of The Smarter Campus Podcast , Zach sits down with Adam Pryor—AI strategist and former senior administrator—to explore how artificial intelligence is challenging not just how we teach, but how we define learning, intelligence, and even what it means to be human. Rather than viewing AI as a simple tool, Adam introduces a more complex idea: AI as an extension of human capability. Th...

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...