The TechEd Podcast

With technical education under pressure to deliver skilled talent faster, Lakeshore College is flipping the model—measuring learning by competency, meeting students where they are (even in high school), and using grants + national advocacy to scale the impact. This week, Matt Kirchner talks with Dr. Paul Carlsen, President of Lakeshore College, about the different methods to rapidly upskill a tech...

What if audit wasn’t just a watchdog—but a catalyst for innovation, trust, and long-term growth? And what can education learn from it? In this episode of The TechEd Podcast , Matt Kirchner sits down with Abim Kolawole, Chief Audit Executive at Northwestern Mutual, to explore how risk management, when done right, becomes a strategic advantage. Abim shares his remarkable journey—from growing up in N...

In this episode of The TechEd Podcast , Duncan Kane, Senior Vice President at Toshiba America, shares insights from nearly two decades of working at the intersection of industry and education. Drawing from his leadership in STEM outreach, Duncan explains why Toshiba sees early STEM engagement not just as a good cause—but as a strategic investment in the future of innovation and the workforce. One...

In a world of digital overload, short-form media, and AI-powered personalization, staying focused has never been harder. Today, the average attention span on any screen is just 47 seconds. What's causing this decline in focus, and what should educators do about it? Those are some of the questions we discuss with Dr. Gloria Mark, UC Irvine informatics professor and author of Attention Span: A...

What does the Tour de France have to do with STEM education? More than you might think. This week, host Matt Kirchner is joined by Wall Street Journal columnist and cycling expert Jason Gay to unpack the world’s most demanding sporting event: the Tour de France. They break down everything from team tactics to jersey competitions to the breathtaking drama expected in this year’s race—highlighting t...

Submit your question for Ask Us Anything! Networking can be the best way to land your first (or next) big job, but are you going about it the wrong way? Too often, networking conversations end the same way: the other person says, “I’ll keep an eye out and let you know if I hear of anything that fits.” You nod, thank them… and never hear from them again. So what went wrong—and more importantly, wha...

A new era is emerging where engineering drives AI—and AI transforms engineering This week Matt Kirchner is joined by Dr. Pramod Khargonekar—Vice Chancellor for Research at UC Irvine and lead author of the ERVA report AI Engineering: A Strategic Research Framework to Benefit Society . Dr. Khargonekar unpacks the emerging discipline of AI Engineering, where engineering principles make AI better, and...

What do all high-impact, disruptive—and sustainable —K-12 programs have in common? In this episode of The TechEd Podcast , host Matt Kirchner sits down with Dr. Annalies Corbin, founder and CEO of the PAST Foundation and author of Hacking School: Five Strategies to Link Learning to Life . With more than 25 years of experience transforming how students learn, Dr. Corbin offers a bold, research-back...

After 20 years in automation and controls engineering, Danny Murphy received a call from a local community college that would bring his journey full circle—back to the kind of impact his own high school electronics teacher once had on him. Today, he’s a nationally recognized educator, named A3’s 2024 Educator of the Year, and he’s redefining what hands-on learning can look like in a modern mechatr...

What happens when a university rethinks the whole higher ed model rebuilds it around hands-on, project-based learning? Matt Kirchner dives into the bold model pioneered by Worcester Polytechnic Institute with Dr. Kristin Wobbe, Director of the Center for Project-Based Learning. A biochemist turned curriculum innovator, Kris has spent nearly two decades helping WPI embed real-world projects into ev...

Host Matt Kirchner sits down with Maroun Nehme, Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics teacher at Buena Park High School in California. Maroun has built one of the most impressive high school mechatronics & robotics programs in the country—complete with a structured 3-year pathway, hands-on labs, and SACA and FANUC certifications that prepare students directly for today’s workforce. But the learni...

How do we build bipartisan momentum to support the future of CTE? In this episode of The TechEd Podcast , host Matt Kirchner sits down with U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a national leader and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus. Drawing from her personal upbringing in a STEM-focused household and her decades of public service, Senator Baldwin shares why CTE...

By day, Justin Mondeik applies his technical skills in engineering; by night and weekend, he races Super Late Model cars. From racing snowmobiles at age four to competing just one level below NASCAR, Justin has built a career on technical skill, hands-on passion, and relentless drive. In this episode, he shares how a technical education prepared him for success on and off the track—and how motorsp...

What do tariffs have to do with technical education? A lot more than you might think. As U.S. trade policy shifts, it’s not just manufacturers who will feel the effects—STEM and technical education programs will too. From rising equipment costs to a surge in demand for skilled talent, today’s tariff decisions could reshape how we train tomorrow’s workforce. In this episode, Matt Kirchner explores...

State Senator Julian Bradley joins Matt Kirchner for a wide-ranging conversation on how policymakers should be thinking about AI, energy, and education. Bradley explains why his committee chose not to recommend regulation of AI, how this move differs from other states, and how artificial intelligence could help solve workforce shortages in critical sectors like healthcare, public safety, and manuf...

Is the traditional university model failing today’s students—and the industries that depend on them? Dr. Robert McMahan, President of Kettering University, shares a bold, workforce-driven vision for higher education. From co-op rotations that give students 2.5 years of paid, professional experience before graduation, to integrating trends like artificial intelligence and sustainability across all...

What happens when a legendary NFL team partners with a tech giant to fuel regional innovation? In this episode of The TechEd Podcast , host Matt Kirchner sits down with Jill Enos, Managing Partner at TitletownTech — the one-of-a-kind venture firm backed by the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft. Jill unpacks how TitletownTech is redefining early-stage investing by embedding startups directly into ind...

The right mentor can totally change the college and career trajectory of a student. Today, we're exploring the power of mentorships through the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. Join former NASA astronaut Joe Tanner and current Astronaut Scholar Curtis Althaus as they dive into the powerful, and often overlooked, role mentorship plays in building tomorrow’s innovators. Through their personal...

With tariffs back in the spotlight, what’s their real impact on trade, business, and jobs? Are they a necessary tool for protecting American industry, or do they do more harm than good? This week, host Matt Kirchner sits down with John Murphy, Senior Vice President, Head of International for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to break down the complex world of tariffs and trade policy. With decades of...

Why do so many students (and adults) believe they “just aren’t good at math”? How can educators shift that mindset and build confidence in STEM learning? In this episode of The TechEd Podcast , host Matt Kirchner sits down with Kathy Meyers, a veteran high school teacher who blends sports psychology with math instruction to help students overcome self-doubt, develop resilience, and master problem-...

With sign-stealing scandals shaking Major League Baseball, the game needed a solution. Enter PitchCom, the cutting-edge communication technology that’s changing the way baseball is played. In this episode of The TechEd Podcast , host Matt Kirchner sits down with John Hankins, co-inventor and owner of PitchCom, to unpack the surprising origins of the technology (it was inspired by John's stage...

Venture capital is the engine behind many of the world’s most innovative startups—but only 2% of VC funding goes to women-led businesses. Why does this gap exist, and how do we fix it? This week Matt sits down with Jennifer Abele and Raquel Filmanowicz, Founders and Managing Partners of VC 414, a firm dedicated to funding women, minority, veteran, and LGBTQ entrepreneurs. They break down how ventu...

How does the U.S. stay competitive in manufacturing, EVs, and AI while protecting innovation and growing the workforce? Manufacturing has always been the backbone of Michigan’s economy, and few people understand this better than Congresswoman Haley Stevens. Representing Michigan’s 11th District, she has spent her career championing industrial policy, workforce development, and technological innova...

What does it take to be a true pioneer in artificial intelligence education? The Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) didn’t just see AI coming—they got out in front of it. Dr. John Walz, President of MSOE, joins The TechEd Podcast to discuss how his institution became one of the first in the nation to offer a baccalaureate degree in AI and how it continues to lead in engineering, computing, and...

With coffee fueling the shop floor, can it also fuel the future of manufacturing? This week, Matt Kirchner is joined by ShopFloor Coffee Co-Founder Mike Franz as they explore the intersection of coffee, manufacturing, and workforce development. What started as a side project quickly became a nationwide movement to support technical education and career awareness in manufacturing—all through a prod...