Uncharted State

In this episode of UnchartED State , host Susan Seal is joined by Dr. Tracey Baham, Associate Vice President for Institutional Strategy and Effectiveness at Mississippi State University, to unpack the shifting landscape of accreditation, data, and institutional effectiveness in higher education. As external pressures and evolving standards reshape the field, Dr. Baham offers an inside look at how...

In this episode of UnchartED State, host Susan Seal sits down with Dr. Angi Bourgeois, Senior Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School at Mississippi State University, to explore the evolving role of general and graduate education in today’s rapidly changing landscape. From the value of general education courses to the growing complexity of graduate pathways, Dr. Bourgeois shares insights on h...

In this episode of UnchartED State , co-hosts Susan Seal and Maddie Ludt are joined by Scott Waller of the Mississippi Business Alliance to explore the critical connection between education and workforce development in Mississippi. From shifting perceptions of higher education to the growing importance of career pathways and stackable credentials, Scott shares insights on how students, institution...

In this episode of UnchartED State , co-hosts Susan Seal and Maddie Ludt are joined by Stacy Snow, Principal at Kennedy & Company, to explore the evolving pressures shaping online education today.  From shifting federal and state policies to increased scrutiny of the vendor marketplace, institutions are being pushed to rethink how they build and sustain online programs. Stacy shares insights f...

No new episode of UnchartED State this week! We’re pausing to celebrate our graduates and this milestone season. Catch up on past episodes, share your favorites, and stay tuned. New conversations are coming this summer! 🎓

In this episode of UnchartED State, co-hosts Susan Seal and Maddie Ludt are joined by Dr. Julie Jordan, Mississippi State University's first Senior Advisor for Artificial Intelligence and Data Governance. Dr. Jordan shares how AI has evolved from a niche technology into something more like electricity: embedded in everything and impossible to ignore. The conversation examines how universities...

In this episode of UnchartED State, co-hosts Susan Seal and Maddie Ludt are joined by Dr. Ryan Walker, associate professor at Mississippi State University and director of the VR certificate program. From virtual rainforests to AI-powered teaching assistants, Dr. Walker shares how immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (XR) are reshaping how s...

How are universities rethinking fundraising and alumni engagement in today’s rapidly evolving landscape? In this episode of UnchartED State , hosts Susan Seal and Maddie Ludt welcome John Rush, Vice President for Development and Alumni and CEO of the MSU Foundation at Mississippi State University. With over three decades of experience at MSU, John offers a behind-the-scenes look at how institution...

What does it mean to market a university in a time of rapid change? In this episode of UnchartED State, hosts Susan Seal and Maddie Ludt are joined by Thomas Broadus, Chief Marketing Officer at Mississippi State University. With more than two decades of experience in marketing, digital strategy, and communications, Thomas shares how universities are rethinking storytelling, brand strategy, and aud...

What if the future belongs not to specialists, but to those with range? In this episode of UnchartED State, co-hosts Sean Owen and Maddie Ludt are joined by Dr. Jonathan Woodward, Vice President of Teaching & Learning and Community Campus at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, to explore how higher education can build long-term adaptability into its very foundation. Grounded in the ideas...

How does faculty leadership evolve when higher education itself is changing faster than ever? In this episode of Uncharted State, Susan Seal and Maddie Ludt sit down with Dr. Stacy Haynes, professor of sociology and president of Mississippi State University’s Robert Holland Faculty Senate, to explore how faculty governance operates behind the scenes and why it matters more than ever. Drawing on he...

Careers aren’t linear and learning shouldn’t be either.  Justin Samuels has lived that reality, from working in higher ed to senior engineering at Mailchimp to founding RenderATL. Along the way, he's learned one truth: the skills you need tomorrow don't exist in today's textbooks. In this episode of UnchartED State , Sean Owen and Maddie Ludt sit down with Justin for a candid conver...

Who needs college anymore? What should higher education look like in an era of rapid change, AI, and evolving workforce demands? In this episode of Uncharted State , Susan Seal, Sean Owen, and Maddie Ludt sit down with Kathleen deLaski, founder of Education Design Lab and author of Who Needs College Anymore? Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter . Together, they explore why degrees still m...

As 2026 begins, what changes will define higher education? And how do we prepare learners for a world where the jobs, technologies, and challenges of tomorrow don't yet exist? In Episode 8 of Uncharted State, Susan Seal, Sean Owen, and Maddie Ludt are joined by special guest Dr. Asim Ali, Executive Director of the Biggio Center at Auburn University, to make bold predictions about the year ahe...

What happens when the pace of change in higher education outpaces the systems designed to sustain it? And how do institutions adapt intentionally and intelligently to a future where AI, shifting learner needs, and rapid disruption are the norm? In Episode 7 of UnchartED State , Dr. Kim Siegenthaler, joining us all the way from Hawaii, talks with Susan Seal, Sean Owen, and Maddie Ludt about the urg...

What does it take to rethink teaching for a new generation of learners? And how can curiosity, reflection, and shared inquiry reshape the future of higher education? In this episode of Uncharted State , Dr. Shannon Harmon—faculty member turned instructional innovator—joins Susan Seal and Maddie Ludt to examine how the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is transforming the way universities...

What does it mean to be a people-first leader? And how can empathy, openness, and shared power transform the way we lead? In Episode 5 of Uncharted State , Dr. Will Reed—military leader turned educator—joins Susan Seal, Sean Owen, and Maddie Ludt to explore what it means to lead with people at the center. From the Army to the classroom, Dr. Reed shares how connection, humility, and care are reshap...

As industries evolve and AI reshapes the workforce, universities face a new challenge: preparing learners not just for their first job—but for a lifetime of reinvention. In Episode 3 of Uncharted State , Susan Seal, Sean Owen, and Maddie Ludt explore how higher education and industry can collaborate to define what success truly means in today’s dynamic world. In This Episode: Why 65% of jobs still...

Who is the “new learner,” and how are universities redefining education to meet them where they are? In Episode 4 of Uncharted State , Susan Seal, Sean Owen, and Maddie Ludt explore what it means to learn, teach, and grow in an era of constant change. From virtual cadaver labs to credit for prior learning and lifelong pathways that blend work, study, and technology, they dive into how higher educa...

Are GPAs and graduation rates really measuring success? Dean Susan Seal and team challenge traditional metrics and explore what success means today. In Episode 2 of Uncharted State, Susan Seal, Sean Owen, and Maddie Ludt tackle a fundamental question: How should we actually measure student success in higher education? In This Episode: Why traditional metrics (GPA, retention, graduation rates) were...

How do students truly feel connected to their university? Dean Susan Seal and team explore practical strategies for building authentic belonging. In this inaugural episode of Uncharted State, Dean Susan Seal, Associate Dean Sean Owen, and Assistant Director of Outreach and Engagement Maddie Ludt from Mississippi State University's College of Professional and Continuing Studies tackle one of h...