The Signal

What happens when a sitting vice president of enrollment management—who evaluates and buys ed tech every day—decides to build his own solution to a problem he's lived for 15 years? You get a conversation that cuts through the hype and gets real about what actually works in higher ed technology. In this episode, host Jeff Dillon welcomes Grant Greenwood, VP for Enrollment Management and COO at McMu...

What happens when a data scientist who built over 100 enterprise AI solutions for Fortune 500 companies decides to walk away from the money and prestige to tackle student success in higher ed? You get a founder who understands both the power and the limits of AI—and who isn't afraid to say that most chatbots are solving the wrong problem. In this episode, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Arjun Aror...

What happens when a former gubernatorial candidate, healthcare CEO, and state budget director steps into the college president's office? You get a leader who doesn't accept "that's how higher ed has always done it" as an answer. In this episode, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Jay Gonzalez, the 15th president of Curry College—a leader whose resume looks nothing like a traditional academic career....

Is higher education using AI to simply do the same things faster, or are we on the cusp of a genuine transformation in how students learn, access support, and build opportunity? In this episode, host Jeff Dillon welcomes Dr. Betheny Gross, Research Director at WGU Labs, for a candid, research-grounded conversation about where AI is actually moving the needle for students—and where it's falling sho...

In an era where students trust a peer on Instagram more than a university's official website, how can enrollment marketers cut through the noise and build genuine connections? This week on The Signal: On Air, Jeff Dillon sits down with Mitchell Borges, Director of Marketing for ASUCD at UC Davis and a researcher who has spent years studying how social media actually influences student enrollment d...

Jaime Hunt is the founder of Solve Higher Ed and host of the popular “Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO” podcast. She unpacks the evolving landscape of higher education marketing. Jamie shares decades of experience – from her time as a Chief Marketing Officer at institutions like Old Dominion University, Miami University, and Winston-Salem State – offering brutally honest insights into the challenges...

Join Jeff Dillon as he sits down with Devin Pergason, AVP for Student Experience, Marketing & Outreach at Forsyth Technical Community College, to dissect the evolving landscape of higher education. This episode tackles a critical question: why are community colleges currently best positioned to drive student success? Pergason argues that their inherent “student-first” mission – unlike research...

“The Signal” is launching with a vital mission: to cut through the overwhelming noise surrounding technology in higher education and deliver honest conversations about what truly matters. Hosted by Jeff Dillon, this show originates from a thriving community – a decade-long email listserv (now boasting nearly 70,000 members) of web directors, digital marketers, and leaders across higher ed who were...

In a higher ed landscape crowded with sameness, how can institutions truly stand out and drive enrollment growth, especially for graduate and professional programs? This week on The Signal: On Air, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Val Fox, a strategic advisor at EAB with decades of experience leading marketing at both major universities and consumer brands like Bose. Val argues that the biggest mis...

Jeff Dillon sits down with Shannon Vander Meulen, Co-Founder and CMO of WaitWell, a tech platform transforming how students access campus services—from advising to financial aid. A former public service office manager turned tech founder, Shannon brings a rare blend of frontline operational experience and educator empathy to the problem of waiting. She shares how her decade running a busy registry...

Stephen Laster is the CEO of Panopto and a veteran leader in digital education whose career spans Harvard Business School, McGraw-Hill, D2L, and Ellucian. Stephen shares how his own experience as a dyslexic learner—and an early adopter of the Apple II—shaped his lifelong mission to use technology to make learning more accessible and human. He unpacks what it truly means to be a “human-centered AI-...

Fiona’s journey is anything but conventional: from clinical audiologist and university instructor to scaling a global edtech startup used by over 30,000 students at institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and UC Berkeley. She serves as the CEO and co-founder of Viewpoint Simulations. She shares how teaching during the pandemic revealed a gap in experiential learning—and how she and her co-founder tur...

Tawnya Means, Founding Partner and Principal at Inspire Higher Ed, talks about how institutions can navigate the rapid shifts in technology without losing the human heart of education. With over two decades of experience guiding colleges through digital transformation—from the early LMS days to today’s AI revolution—Tawnya brings a rare, grounded perspective on what it takes to innovate with purpo...

Charity Stutzman, Senior Director of Higher Education Strategy at Vector Solutions, unpacks the groundbreaking findings from the latest Campus Prevention Network National Insights Report. With over 15 years in student affairs—including as Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Texas at Arlington—Charity brings a frontline perspective to a dramatic cultural shift: students are increasingly...

Ben Tasker, an expert in AI, workforce readiness  and skills-based learning, shares his unique journey from higher education to industry, exploring how AI is reshaping learning and work during what he calls the "AI between times"—a transitional era of rapid change and "uh-oh moments." They dive into why AI amplifies human capability rather than replacing it, how institutions can ethically integrat...

Jeff Dillon sits down with Michelle Craig, Director of Marketing and Commercial Operations at AppsAnywhere, to explore the seismic shifts happening in higher education as Generation Alpha prepares to enter college. With two decades of experience at companies like Blackboard, QS Unisolution, and Job Teaser, Michelle shares insights from her groundbreaking research into Gen Alpha—students born betwe...

Jen Jenkins, Director of Digital Experience at Western Governors University, brings a unique background that spans theater arts, healthcare content strategy, and higher ed—all centered on understanding user needs. She shares how her work at University of Utah Health shaped her approach to empathy-driven content, and how she now applies those lessons to WGU’s student-obsessed, competency-based mode...

In this episode of EdTech Connect, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Sharon Harrison, CMO at Gravyty, to explore the dramatic evolution of AI in higher education. Sharon, who played a key role in unifying the leading platforms Ivy.ai and Ocelot under the Gravyty brand, traces the journey from the early days of simple "chat boxes" to today's sophisticated conversational AI agents. They discuss how th...

In this episode of EdTech Connect, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Gerry White, an award-winning educator and Dean of Academic Technology at ECPI University whose career defies easy categorization. Gerry’s journey spans from English literature and music to AI development and robotics, and he brings this interdisciplinary passion to every project. They discuss his AI-powered tutoring platform, MyTu...

France Hoang, a former White House Counsel, Army Special Forces veteran, and now the co-founder and CEO of Boodlebox, brings a unique perspective forged by a lifetime of service and leadership, now focused on one of education's most urgent questions: How do we get the human-AI relationship right? They dive into why the traditional educational model—information, struggle, assessment—is fundamentall...

This week on EdTech Connect, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Erin Callihan, AVP of Strategic Marketing at NYU and a powerhouse who blends law, design, and deep tech strategy. They dive into the ever-expanding AI toolbox that's reshaping how higher ed professionals work. Erin shares her latest favorite tools—from Google Gemini's surprising slide design capabilities and Napkin AI for instant data vi...

Jeff Dillon sits down with Dr. Christy Heid, a Nursing Simulation Specialist at UbiSim. They tackle a critical issue revealed by UbiSim’s recent report: 65% of hospital leaders feel new nursing graduates aren't fully prepared for day-one patient care. Christy explains how this "readiness gap" is being closed through immersive VR simulation and AI-powered tools. She delves into how UbiSim’s nurse-b...

In this episode of EdTech Connect, host Jeff Dillon sits down with digital marketing pioneer Jim Sterne, a professional explainer who has been at the forefront of every major tech shift since the 1980s. Jim reframes Generative AI not as just another tool, but as a fundamental metamorphosis—a shift from computational power to intellectual prowess. They explore how this changes the very nature of ou...

Jeff Dillon and Mariah Tang dive deep into the philosophy that content marketing is more about people than platforms. Mariah explains the critical mindset shift marketers need to make—from creating generic "AI slop" to crafting content that uniquely answers people's questions. They explore the concept of "Search Everywhere Optimization" (SEO), the importance of niching down, and how to effectively...

From her roots as a struggling student and president of the Cal State Student Association to her current role as a Higher Education Consultant at Canva, Mia Healy shares her unique journey and passion for making education more approachable and equitable. They dive into how her student leadership experience shaped her approach to EdTech, the importance of meeting students and institutions where the...