In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse , host Mallory Willsea sits down with Kyle James (again!) to tackle the deep divide between how startups and higher ed institutions adopt and implement AI. This conversation dives into why experimentation, failure, and iteration are the lifeblood of startup growth—and how higher ed can start borrowing from that playbook. From low-code/no-code AI tools to agile workflows and international student personalization, this episode is packed with actionable insights t...
Jul 14, 2025•27 min•Ep. 261
In the premiere episode of this new Pulse Check series, Ctrl + Create: AI for Creatives, host Dave Hunt sits down with Matt Owens, Co-founder and Chief Design and Innovation Officer at Athletics. With decades of experience in design, branding, and demystifying new tools, Matt shares how his team is using AI to push creative boundaries, streamline workflows, and preserve the magic of craft. This episode explores how creative studios—and higher ed marketers—can embrace AI with curiosity and confid...
Jul 10, 2025•40 min
Erin reconnects with Savanna Mcdede of Element451 to unpack one of the most buzzed-about sessions from the 2024 Engage Summit. Inspired by the powerful talk from Tom Andriola (UC Irvine) and Gary Moser (California Community Colleges), the conversation explores how higher ed institutions can move from AI pilots to true, strategic transformation. If you’ve ever asked, “But how do we actually do this AI thing?”, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for. - - - - Connect With Our Host: Mallory Wil...
Jul 09, 2025•16 min
Recorded live at Engage 2025, host Carrie Phillips sits down with Katy Campbell of VisionPoint Marketing for a quick chat about how effective leadership intersects with AI innovation in higher ed. Together, they explore how human-centered leadership, strategic prioritization, and intentional tech adoption can help institutions confidently navigate the fast-evolving digital landscape. If you're leading a team through change, this episode is your roadmap. - - - - Connect With Our Host: Mallory Wil...
Jul 07, 2025•8 min
Mallory Willsea sits down with Kyle James — startup founder, product leader, and former college webmaster — to explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping the way business gets done. This high-energy conversation challenges higher ed professionals to ditch the pilot phase and start thinking like a startup. From automated call transcripts to no-code development and the future of white-collar work, this is a must-listen for anyone serious about innovation in higher education. Related Articles: How A...
Jul 07, 2025•22 min•Ep. 260
In this special bonus episode of The Pulse from the Engage Summit, host Erin sits down with Kylee Beasley, a Content Strategist at Southeast Missouri State University, to unpack her very first conference experience at Engage. As a newcomer to both higher ed and conferences, Kylee offers a refreshing, real-time perspective on the energy, insights, and takeaways that make Engage a standout event. From AI in higher education to breaking silos in communication teams, this conversation is packed with...
Jul 03, 2025•12 min
Pulse Check: The Culture Code: Leading with Diversity — Part 5: Culturally Relevant Prospective Student Campus Visits In the final part of this Pulse Check Series, host Christian Ponce sits down with Dr. Ana Luz Williams to dive into the importance of cultural intelligence and authenticity in higher ed marketing. The conversation explores how universities can better connect with Hispanic families through intentional campus events, thoughtful messaging, and a deeper understanding of cultural nuan...
Jul 03, 2025•22 min
In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse, host Carrie Phillips sits down with Michele Ehrhart, Chief Communications Officer at the University of Memphis, for a forward-thinking conversation on AI, leadership, and change management in higher education. Michele shares the mindset shifts and practical leadership skills needed to help teams embrace innovation in an era where transformation feels constant. It’s a powerful dialogue about building a culture of experimentation and making the most of the tools...
Jul 02, 2025•6 min
Carrie Phillips chats with Claire Masterson, Director of Marketing at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), about the evolving role of AI in higher education and how leadership strategies can support meaningful change. Claire shares how her team is using automation tools to reduce burnout, enhance student engagement, and foster a culture of experimentation. If you're looking to turn AI anxiety into empowerment, this episode delivers. - - - - Connect With Our Host: Mallory Willsea https://w...
Jul 02, 2025•7 min
In this bonus episode of Higher Ed Pulse recorded live at the 2025 Engage Summit, host Mallory Willsea sits down with Hannah Wilson, Knowledge Management and CRM Coordinator at Forsyth Tech Community College. This episode explores the vital role of clean data, the evolving relationship between humans and AI in student engagement, and how smart use of chatbots can revolutionize community college communications. From innovative experiments to real-world enrollment gains, Hannah shares how Forsyth ...
Jul 01, 2025•12 min
Erin Fields sits down with Safaniya Stevenson, a brand strategist, cultural analyst, and all-around narrative detective. The conversation centers on how tools like Pulsar’s Narrative AI can empower higher ed marketers to uncover meaningful audience stories, identify trend-worthy content, and track cultural conversations before they hit the mainstream. If you're ready to stop guessing and start understanding what your audience actually cares about, this one’s for you. - - - - Connect With Our Hos...
Jul 01, 2025•21 min
In this special bonus episode of Higher Ed Pulse, recorded live at the Engage Summit, host Carrie Phillips sits down with Carrie Pitts-Densmore, VP of Enrollment and Marketing at Johnston Community College. Together, the two Carries unpack how to lead through rapid transformation, especially when it comes to adopting AI in enrollment operations. With themes of adaptive curiosity, culture change, and practical tech solutions, this episode offers a refreshing and actionable take on what it means t...
Jun 30, 2025•8 min
Mallory sits down with Patricia Tozzi to unpack one of the most pressing topics in higher ed today: AI governance and privacy in student data. As institutions increasingly lean on AI to inform decisions and streamline operations, how do we ensure transparency, equity, and compliance? Patricia offers a grounded perspective on where schools need to draw the line between innovation and risk. Guest Name: Patricia Tozzi Guest Bio: Patricia Tozzi is a global marketing strategist with 20 years of exper...
Jun 30, 2025•25 min•Ep. 259
Mallory Willsea is live from Engage Summit 2025 in Charlotte, NC, chatting with Stella Liu, Lead Data Scientist of AI Acceleration at Arizona State University. The conversation dives into Stella’s journey from tech industry roles at Carvana and Shopify to pioneering ethical AI initiatives in higher education. Packed with insights on building responsible AI tools, this episode is a must-listen for enrollment marketers and higher ed leaders navigating the evolving digital landscape. - - - - Connec...
Jun 26, 2025•14 min
Pulse Check: The Culture Code: Leading with Diversity — Part 4: Enrollment Marketing and Technology Guest Name: Jennifer Lonchar Cofounder, AmbioEDU Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferlonchar Guest Bio: Jennifer Lonchar brings almost two decades of expertise in higher education, having worked in various roles focused on strategic enrollment and marketing. For over 13 years, she worked for Carnegie, a premier marketing firm, and was instrumental in bringing digital marketing to hig...
Jun 26, 2025•38 min
On this episode of Higher Ed Pulse , host Mallory Willsea is joined by Brad Carson—former University of Tulsa president, former U.S. Congressman, and now president of Americans for Responsible Innovation—to explore how colleges are being drafted into America’s AI future. They break down the implications of two recent executive orders that effectively position higher education as both workforce engines and cybersecurity sentinels in the AI era. This isn’t a drill—colleges are now critical infrast...
Jun 23, 2025•20 min•Ep. 258
Welcome to The Culture Code: Leading with Diversity — Part 3: Women Leadership in Empowering Future Generations in Higher Ed. Christian Ponce sits down with Ray Martinez, VP and CEO of Archer Education, to unpack how AI and emerging technologies are disrupting and improving higher education marketing. With over 14 years of experience helping institutions like Tulane University and LSU Online elevate their SEO and content strategies, Ray offers deep insights into the tools, trends, and human-AI c...
Jun 19, 2025•29 min
In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse , host Mallory Willsea sits down with Sarah Russell, VP of Marketing at EducationDynamics, to unpack the seismic changes to Google Search and what it means for higher ed marketers. With AI Overviews now default in U.S. search and ad automation expanding fast, SEO and paid media are undergoing a full-blown transformation. The duo dives deep into how institutions must shift from ranking-focused strategies to becoming AI’s go-to source of truth — and why your data...
Jun 16, 2025•24 min•Ep. 257
The Culture Code: Leading with Diversity — Part 2: Women in Leadership Empowering Future Generations Host Christian Ponce sits down with Dr. Cristina Alcalde, Vice President for Transformation and Inclusive Excellence at Miami University, to explore how Latina leadership is reshaping the future of higher education. They unpack the educational attainment gap facing Hispanic communities, the role of cultural identity in leadership, and the power of mentorship and inclusion. Dr. Alcalde brings her ...
Jun 12, 2025•26 min
Mallory Willsea reunites with Seth Odell, CEO of Kanahoma, in a candid, unscripted conversation recorded live from the CASE conference in Los Angeles. From sponsoring a mechanical bull to building an AI-enabled agency, Seth dives into how Kanahoma is embracing artificial intelligence, transforming workflows, and preparing for a world where entry-level roles may be on the verge of extinction. This episode is equal parts insight and inspiration—and it might just change how you think about AI in hi...
Jun 09, 2025•22 min•Ep. 256
Welcome to this new Pulse Check series, The Culture Code: Leading with Diversity. On today's Part 1, we’ll discuss the role of minority leadership in shaping higher education culture and messaging, how strategic leadership can drive positive outcomes, and how institutions can engage diverse communities through effective branding and outreach. Guest Name: Frank Tramble, VP Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs, Duke University Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-tramble-mps-a7b...
Jun 05, 2025•37 min
Mallory Willsea welcomes Jason Smith, founder of OHO, to discuss a game-changing shift in college discovery: the rise of AI as the starting point. With nearly a third of students now using generative AI like ChatGPT and Gemini to explore college options, and over half saying the results beat Google, this episode explores what it means for colleges to remain discoverable—and trustworthy—in the age of AI-first search. Related Article: OHO Report: The Influence of AI Chatbots in the College Search ...
Jun 02, 2025•25 min•Ep. 255
In this final episode of High School to Higher Ed II, Emma and her father discuss the expectations and dynamics of college visits from a high school student's perspective. They explore what an ideal college visit looks like, including the importance of small group tours, engaging with current students, and the significance of seeing both the positive and negative aspects of a campus. The conversation also touches on the role of tour guides, the importance of professionalism, and the realities of...
May 29, 2025•27 min
In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse , host Mallory Willsea sits down with Marina Cooper, Senior Associate Vice President for Integrated Marketing and Brand at Johns Hopkins University, to unpack how AI is rewriting the advertising playbook. As platforms like Meta roll out real-time ad optimization tools, Marina shares her perspective on the opportunities and pitfalls of letting AI take the reins in campaign creative. This conversation dives into the nuance of brand guardrails, ethical AI use, and...
May 26, 2025•25 min•Ep. 254
High School to Higher Ed II - Part 2 - A Ninth Grader’s Reaction to Your Website On today's Part 2 of High School to Higher Ed II: A Father/Daughter Perspective, Kevin and Emma dive into what makes a college website stand out—or fall flat—for prospective students. With Emma reviewing 10 university websites prompted by recent outreach efforts, the duo explores why first impressions, clean design, and simple navigation make all the difference in a Gen Z user's experience. For higher ed marketers, ...
May 22, 2025•30 min
In this episode of Higher Ed Pulse , Mallory Willsea sits down with Kellie Campbell, the newly appointed CIO at the University of Vermont, to unpack the findings of Inside Higher Ed’s 2025 survey of CTOs and CIOs. The numbers confirm what many in Higher Ed already feel — AI is rapidly advancing on campus, but governance and policy are struggling to keep pace. Kellie brings her boots-on-the-ground expertise to the conversation, sharing how she’s building AI governance from scratch while the tech ...
May 19, 2025•26 min•Ep. 253
Welcome to the return of our Pulse Check series High School to Higher Ed. In this episode, we will be recapping some of our discussions from our episodes in the Fall, focusing especially on questions we’ve received from listeners regarding those episodes. Hosts: Kevin Cavanagh Emma Cavanagh - - - - 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 Enrollif...
May 15, 2025•32 min
Mallory Willsea sits down with Jackie Davis, strategic program leader and former global employee experience head at Salesforce, to unpack the new wave of AI-driven workforce shifts. From hiring freezes to job displacement, the conversation explores how higher ed leaders can maintain trust and reframe their strategies in the age of automation. With over 300 proposals submitted for the 2025 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Ed, the AI conversation is heating up fast—and this episode is you...
May 12, 2025•21 min•Ep. 252
This special bonus episode is your exclusive backstage pass to the upcoming Engage Summit — Element451’s flagship event happening June 24–25 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Host Erin Fields is joined by Element451 team members Erin Newton , Danielle Bradley , and Savanna Mcdede to break down why Engage is more than just another higher ed conference. Register for Engage Summit 2025 - - - - Connect With Our Host: Mallory Willsea https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/ https://twitter.com/mallory...
May 08, 2025•21 min
On this episode of Higher Ed Pulse , host Mallory Willsea sits down with John Carrere, Director of Recruitment and First-Year Experience at Pitt Community College, to unpack the sweeping AI Education for American Youth executive order. As the White House pivots to an "America First" AI policy, the directive mandates K–12 and colleges to integrate AI without offering new funding or infrastructure. Carrere brings a boots-on-the-ground perspective, exploring what this means for real institutions, s...
May 05, 2025•20 min•Ep. 251
