Podcast
signals in higher ed
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signals in higher ed cuts through the noise to surface what’s actually working across admissions, enrollment, student success, and institutional strategy—told by the leaders building what’s next. Each episode turns real-world challenges into clear, actionable takeaways you can apply on your campus today. Expect candid conversations on innovation, policy, and the data behind better decisions. Host: Darin Francis—CEO & Managing Partner at Harbinger Lane Consulting and former host of DisruptED.
19episodes
Episodes
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Scaling Experiential Learning in the Curriculum: How Iron Range Engineering Transformed Engineering Education
1w ago00:54:08Tap to summarizeEngineering has transformed nearly every part of modern life, from the phones in our pockets to the systems powering global industry. But the way engineers are educated has often moved far more slowly than the profession itself. Employers are asking for graduates who can navigate ambiguity, communicate across teams, and contribute meaningfully from the start. At the same time, AI is making it harder to rely on closed-answer assessments as proof of real understanding. Together, those pressures are forcing colleges to rethink what real mastery looks like in technical fields—and whether the traditional classroom-first model is still enough.So what would it take to redesign an engineering degree around real work, real projects, and real professional development—with community college transfer students at the center?On Signals in Higher Ed, host Darin Francis speaks with Dr. Ron Ulseth, founder and director of Iron Range Engineering, about how the program moved from project-based learning to a long-form work-based model. Their conversation covers Iron Range Engineering’s origins, its use of community college pathways, its shift toward 24-month work placements, and what other institutions can learn from its approach to curriculum, assessment, employer alignment, and student preparation.Top insights from the talk…Experiential learning can be an equalizer. Dr. Ulseth describes Iron Range Engineering as a model that helps “normal people” become engineers by giving students structured, applied experiences rather than relying only on traditional admissions filters or exam performance.Assessment has to move beyond closed-answer tests. Instead of relying primarily on written exams, the program uses verbal exams, whiteboard demonstrations, reflection, and feedback loops to assess whether students can explain, validate, and apply engineering knowledge.Employer relationships are built through student value. Rather than starting with a fixed list of employer partners, the program trains students to become strong job seekers, interviewers, and workplace contributors. When students perform well, companies come back asking for more.Dr. Ron Ulseth is the founder and director of Iron Range Engineering. He began his teaching career in the U.S. Navy, teaching undergraduate engineering subjects including thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer, and later spent decades in community college engineering education. His work at Iron Range Engineering has helped earn national recognition, including ABET accreditation and an ABET innovation award for the program’s project-based model.
Transcribe →Creative Confidence and Moral Courage: The Leadership Traits Business Schools Should Be Betting On
2w ago00:54:48Tap to summarizeWhat students need from higher education is becoming harder to pin down than it once was. As higher education faces mounting pressure—from student disengagement to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence—institutions are being forced to rethink not just what students learn, but who they become. New research and industry signals suggest that technical knowledge alone is no longer enough; employers increasingly value adaptability, ethical reasoning, and real-world problem-solving. Against this backdrop, experiential learning and values-driven leadership are emerging as critical differentiators, especially as AI reshapes both the workforce and the classroom.So what does it actually take to prepare students—not just to succeed in business—but to lead with purpose in an unpredictable, tech-driven world?Welcome to Signals in Higher Ed. In the latest episode, host Darin Francis sits down with Dr. Dayle Smith, Dean of the College of Business Administration at Loyola Marymount University, to explore how moral courage and creative confidence are being embedded into modern business education. Their conversation spans Jesuit pedagogy, experiential learning design, and how institutions can cultivate leaders equipped to navigate ethical complexity while driving innovation.Top insights from the talk…Moral courage as a leadership competency: Students are trained to make ethical decisions that balance profitability with responsibility to communities, employees, and stakeholders.Creative confidence through experiential learning: A “fail forward” mindset encourages risk-taking, adaptability, and innovation in real-world contexts.Education beyond the classroom: Programs like LMU’s CBA Advantage integrate reflection, application, and co-curricular experiences to deepen student development.Dr. Dayle Smith is Dean of the College of Business Administration at Loyola Marymount University and a globally recognized leader in business education, having previously served as dean at Clarkson University and holding extensive academic leadership experience at institutions including Georgetown and the University of San Francisco. Her expertise spans leadership development, organizational behavior, experiential learning, and values-driven business education, complemented by international teaching, a Fulbright fellowship in Hong Kong, and consulting work with organizations such as Cisco, Wells Fargo, and the U.S. State Department. She is also a published author and active board leader across global education and business organizations, with multiple recognitions including repeated selection to the LA 500 list of most influential business leaders.
Transcribe →Higher Ed Must Build a Talent Supply Chain to Fix Workforce Readiness
3w ago00:54:36Tap to summarizeThe traditional pathway from college to career is starting to break down—and both universities and employers are feeling the strain. Higher education is under mounting pressure to prove career outcomes as employers question graduate readiness and internships decline. In fact, many institutions are reporting shrinking internship pipelines even as employers continue to prioritize prior experience—creating a growing structural mismatch in the talent market. As a result, universities are being pushed to rethink how they prepare students—not just through isolated programs, but through scalable, system-wide approaches to career readiness. The stakes are clear: institutions that fail to adapt risk losing relevance in an increasingly outcomes-driven era.So what happens when traditional pathways—like internships—can no longer carry the full weight of workforce preparation? And how can universities proactively build a more reliable, scalable “talent supply chain” for industry?These questions sit at the heart of the latest episode of Signals in Higher Ed. Host Darin Francis sits down with Steve Russell, Chief Partnership Officer at Bowling Green State University, to explore how institutions can move beyond transactional employer relationships toward deeply integrated partnerships that reshape student outcomes. The conversation spans experiential learning, industry engagement, and the evolving infrastructure needed to connect education with workforce demands.What you’ll learn…Why internships alone can’t meet demand—and how scalable, project-based learning can fill the gap.How to turn employer relationships from one-off transactions into long-term, value-driven partnerships.What a “talent supply chain” really means—and how it could reshape collaboration between universities and industry.Steve Russell is a higher education executive with over a decade of experience leading corporate engagement, workforce development, and career design initiatives that connect universities with industry. He currently serves as Chief Partnership Officer at Bowling Green State University, where he builds strategic partnerships to scale work-integrated learning, research collaboration, and talent pipelines that drive student career outcomes. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a strong track record in partnership development, team leadership, and launching large-scale student success initiatives, including building a multimillion-dollar student success center and expanding corporate engagement efforts across institutions.
Transcribe →Engineering Education Needs to Be Human-Centered, Purpose-Driven, and Grounded in Real-World Problem Solving
4w ago00:41:04Tap to summarizeStudent disengagement, the rapid rise of AI, and shifting workforce expectations are pushing higher education to rethink how it prepares graduates. Engineering programs—long defined by rigor and technical depth—are now under pressure to stay relevant, improve retention, and produce graduates who can actually solve real-world problems, not just theoretical ones. And the numbers back that up: engineering programs in the U.S. see dropout rates as high as 40–50%, with even higher attrition at regional universities, pointing to deeper structural issues in how these programs are designed and delivered.So how can engineering education evolve without sacrificing its rigor—and still attract, engage, and retain a broader, more diverse group of students?Welcome to Signals in Higher Ed. In the latest episode, host Darin Francis sits down with Dr. Marcello Nitz, Rector of the Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia in Brazil, to explore how human-centered engineering and experiential learning are reshaping the future of engineering education. Their conversation spans curriculum design, student motivation, faculty alignment, and the measurable impact of embedding purpose into technical training.Top insights from the talk…Human-centered engineering reframes technical work through impact: By connecting engineering projects to real human outcomes, students develop deeper motivation and broader perspective.Experiential learning builds true competency—not just knowledge: Hands-on, real-world problem solving helps students apply theory and develop critical skills like empathy and judgment.Retention improves when students find meaning: Programs that integrate purpose-driven learning have seen dropout rates cut in half in early semesters.Dr. Marcello Nitz is an academic leader and the Rector of Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia, where he oversees institutional strategy, academic operations, and large-scale curriculum transformation. With nearly three decades of experience as a professor and administrator, he has led engineering programs, taught core subjects like thermodynamics and transport phenomena, and driven initiatives to strengthen faculty research and industry collaboration. A researcher in particulate systems and fluid dynamics, Nitz also brings industry and startup experience, along with a strong record of funded projects, publications, and international partnerships.
Transcribe →Scaling Career-Ready Skills: How Adaptive Learning and Generative AI Are Transforming Higher Education
May 400:56:02Tap to summarizeSkills-based learning has moved from buzzword to mandate as colleges face mounting pressure to connect credentials, employability, and measurable learner outcomes. Employers are increasingly using skills-based hiring practices, and NACE’s Job Outlook 2026 notes that students need to demonstrate concrete examples of skills in action during hiring processes. At the same time, higher education leaders are rethinking cost, ROI, and the value of credentials as institutions confront uncertainty and changing workforce expectations.So, if the traditional credit-hour model is under pressure, can adaptive learning, simulations, and generative AI help institutions build more relevant pathways from coursework to career readiness?On this episode of Signals in Higher Ed, host Darin Francis speaks with Phillip Miller, CEO of Skillwell, about the growing momentum behind adaptive learning, immersive simulations, and generative AI-powered course design. Their conversation explores why institutions are rethinking online learning, how Skillwell is combining adaptive pathways with simulation-based practice, and where higher ed can better align with corporate learning and workforce needs.Top insights from the talk…Skills-based learning has reached a “fever pitch.” Miller says ASU GSV reflected a broader willingness among universities to rethink legacy models, including the credit hour.Generative AI is changing the economics of adaptive learning. What once required building dozens of course pathways manually can now be supported by AI-assisted content and simulation design.Higher ed and corporate learning are converging around outcomes. Miller argues that career-focused online programs and corporate training share similar needs: assess skills, close gaps, and validate learning.Phillip Miller is the CEO of Skillwell, a company focused on immersive and adaptive simulations for higher education and corporate learning. He has more than 20 years of experience in edtech, including leadership roles with Open LMS, Blackboard, and Angel Learning. Miller previously led Open LMS through three acquisitions that helped create the world’s largest Moodle provider, and he has advised early-stage learning technology companies on product strategy, fundraising, and go-to-market growth.
Transcribe →Closing the Education-to-Employment Gap: The Rise of the Career Center as Campus Infrastructure
Apr 2800:52:45Tap to summarizeHigher education is under mounting pressure to prove its value. As student debt, shifting demographics, and employer expectations reshape the landscape, institutions are being forced to rethink how they prepare students for life after graduation. At the same time, new data shows a sharp rise in internship-to-full-time hiring, with recent cohorts converting at their highest rate in years—underscoring how critical hands-on experience has become. Yet many institutions still stop short of requiring structured career education, creating a widening gap between how students are prepared and how they ultimately enter the workforce.So what happens when the traditional “career services office” is no longer enough? How can universities evolve career centers into something more embedded, scalable, and essential to student success?On this episode of Signals in Higher Ed, host Darin Francis sits down with Dr. Patrick Madsen, Associate Dean of Advising & Experiential Learning at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, to explore a fundamental shift: moving from career services as a standalone function to a fully integrated campus ecosystem. The conversation dives into how institutions can embed experiential learning at scale, align stakeholders across campus, and redefine career readiness as a shared responsibility.What you’ll learn…How career centers are shifting from optional support services to core drivers of institutional value and ROI.Why experiential learning must go beyond traditional internships—and what scalable, flexible models actually work today.How leading institutions use data, infrastructure, and cross-campus collaboration to deliver measurable student outcomes.Dr. Patrick Madsen is a senior higher education leader who specializes in integrating academic advising, career education, and experiential learning into scalable, data-driven student success systems, most notably through the development of the “Charlotte Model.” Dr. Madsen has led large, cross-functional teams and multimillion-dollar portfolios, driving innovation in career ecosystems, employer partnerships, and experiential learning infrastructure to improve retention, graduation, and workforce outcomes. With over 20 years of experience—including leadership roles at institutions like UNC Charlotte, Johns Hopkins University, and UNC Greensboro—he is also an experienced educator, national speaker, and consultant on career development, organizational strategy, and university-industry alignment.
Transcribe →If Higher Ed Wants Experiential Learning at Scale, It Needs a Broader Playbook
Apr 2101:01:19Tap to summarizeThe ground is shifting under higher education. AI is changing how people learn almost overnight—and at the same time, more than half of graduates are underemployed after finishing their degrees. That’s forcing a more uncomfortable question into the open: what is a college credential really worth today? As employers and governments shift their focus toward skills, experience, and job readiness, institutions are under growing pressure to adapt—or risk falling behind.So what comes next for higher education—and how can it adapt quickly enough to meet the demands of students, employers, and society?Welcome to Signals in Higher Ed. In this episode, guest host Dr. Nicole Crevar convenes a founders roundtable on experiential learning with Jason Blackstock of How to Change the World, Dana Stephenson of Riipen, and Jeffrey Moss of Parker Dewey. Together, they unpack how experiential learning—hands-on, real-world problem solving—is shifting from the margins to the core of higher education, and what it will take to scale it across institutions.Top insights from the talk…Experiential learning is no longer optional—it’s becoming the central pillar of higher education, driven by AI and workforce demands.The biggest gaps in today’s system are relevancy, signaling, and trust, with employers increasingly skeptical of traditional credentials.Scaling experiential learning requires a mix of models—curricular, co-curricular, employer-led, and community-based—rather than a single standardized approach.Jason Blackstock is a social entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of How to Change the World, with a career spanning quantum physics, technology innovation, and higher education leadership. He has taught and led research at leading institutions including Harvard, Oxford, and University College London, where he founded and led the STEaPP department, and has authored over 100 publications and multiple patents. Today, he works at the intersection of education, policy, and innovation, advising global organizations and driving large-scale experiential learning initiatives through his ventures.Dana Stephenson is the co-founder and CEO of Riipen, the world’s largest experiential learning marketplace, focused on connecting students with real-world industry projects to bridge the gap between education and employment. He has spent over a decade building partnerships between employers and academic institutions, enabling businesses to access pre-vetted emerging talent while helping learners develop in-demand skills, including those shaped by AI and new technologies. His work centers on scaling work-integrated learning, driving innovation in talent pipelines, and improving career outcomes through hands-on, project-based experiences.Jeffrey Moss is the founder and CEO of Parker Dewey, where he pioneered micro-internships as a model for experiential recruiting and improving the college-to-career transition. With a background spanning venture capital and senior leadership roles at organizations like Educational Testing Service (ETS), he has driven innovation at the intersection of employer branding, skills-based hiring, and workforce development. His work focuses on helping employers better assess early-career talent while expanding access to meaningful work opportunities for students and recent graduates.
Transcribe →Career-Connected Health Care: Why the Apprenticeship Degree Is the Future
Apr 1300:45:25Tap to summarizeHospitals across the country are feeling the strain—too many open roles, not enough trained professionals, and a growing gap between what students learn and what the job actually demands on day one. Training is getting more expensive, timelines are stretching, and healthcare leaders are being forced to rethink how new clinicians enter the field. Add in rapid changes like AI and increasingly complex patient needs, and the pressure is on to prepare people faster—and better—than ever before.So the question becomes: if traditional degrees aren’t keeping pace with workforce needs, what model actually will?Welcome to Signals in Higher Ed. In the latest episode, host Darin Francis sits down with Geoffrey M. Roche, Senior Vice President of Healthcare Solutions at Risepoint, to explore how apprenticeship degrees and career-connected learning could fundamentally reshape healthcare education. Their conversation spans policy, workforce development, clinical training, and the evolving role of higher education in preparing the next generation of clinicians.Top insights from the talk…Apprenticeship degrees may be the missing link between classroom learning and real-world clinical readiness—embedding students directly into healthcare systems.Healthcare education must become fully career-connected, with continuous feedback loops from employers shaping curriculum and training models in real time.Systemic bottlenecks—like clinical placements and outdated regulations—are limiting innovation, but can be addressed through stronger partnerships between industry and academia.Geoffrey M. Roche is a healthcare and higher education executive specializing in workforce development, academic strategy, and building scalable, employer-aligned training programs. As Senior Vice President at Risepoint and former Director of Workforce Development at Siemens Healthineers, he has led national initiatives to create future-ready healthcare talent pipelines and advance health equity. His career spans executive leadership in healthcare systems, academia, and policy, with a strong track record of forging cross-sector partnerships, driving innovation, and shaping workforce transformation at scale.
Transcribe →How Business Schools Can Scale Co-op Without Losing the Student Experience
Apr 600:58:33Tap to summarizeExperiential learning has shifted from a differentiator to an expectation in higher education, especially as employers place more value on job-ready graduates who can adapt quickly to changing workplace demands. At the same time, AI is reshaping entry-level work, making durable skills like judgment, communication, and adaptability more important than routine task execution. In that environment, colleges are under growing pressure to prove that classroom learning connects meaningfully to career outcomes.So what does it actually take to build a co-op model that reaches every student, works for employers, and still preserves the educational mission of the institution?On this episode of Signals in Higher Ed, host Darin Francis sits down with Dr. Jaime Windeler, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Student Experience at the University of Cincinnati’s Lindner College of Business. Their conversation explores what it takes to launch and scale a universal co-op requirement, how institutions can structure employer partnerships for long-term value, and why experiential learning may be one of the most powerful tools for building student confidence and career readiness.What you’ll learn…Scaling co-op is far more complex than making it a requirement. Windeler explains the policy, infrastructure, tracking, and support systems needed to move from optional participation to an embedded model for all students.Strong employer relationships go beyond hiring. The best partnerships span classroom engagement, executive education, projects, scholarships, and strategic feedback that helps shape curriculum and student support.The biggest gains often come for students with the least inherited access. Windeler describes how co-op and experiential learning can rapidly build confidence, metacognition, and ambition for students who may not yet know the hidden rules of professional environments.Dr. Jaime Windeler is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Student Experience at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati. She joined the university in 2011 as an assistant professor of information systems, later earned tenure, and moved into academic leadership after serving as interim department chair. In her current role, she has helped lead the implementation of a universal co-op requirement in the business school, drawing on her background in systems development, faculty leadership, and student-centered innovation to expand experiential learning at scale.
Transcribe →Tale of Two Interns: What AI Is Really Doing to Entry-Level Work
Mar 3001:00:26Tap to summarizeThe narrative around early-career work has become increasingly pessimistic, with headlines pointing to a shrinking pool of entry-level roles, fewer internship opportunities, and AI accelerating both trends. But beneath that narrative, a different tension is emerging—one that’s less about the disappearance of opportunity and more about how it’s being reshaped. Students are using AI to move faster, apply more broadly, and present themselves more effectively, while employers are struggling to distinguish between candidates in a sea of highly polished, AI-assisted applications. For higher education, this creates a new kind of pressure: not just preparing students for the workforce, but helping them navigate a hiring landscape where the traditional signals of readiness are starting to break down.So what’s really happening to entry-level work right now—and are internships actually disappearing, or just starting to look very different?That’s the question at the heart of the latest episode of Signals in Higher Ed. Host Darin Francis sits down with Jillian Low, Chief Strategy Officer at Virtual Internships, to unpack new research on how AI is shaping internship experiences in real time. Drawing on interviews and survey data from global employers and interns, the conversation explores how AI is influencing skill development, hiring signals, and the future of early-career pathways.What you’ll learn…Why AI isn’t replacing internships—but is changing what separates a strong intern from an average one.How employers expect interns to use AI—and what that means in practice.What’s breaking in the hiring process—and why resumes alone are no longer enough to stand out.Jillian Low serves as Chief Strategy Officer at Virtual Internships, where she leads global strategy, learning innovation, and partnerships to scale work-based learning across universities, employers, and governments. She focuses on workforce development and instructional design, helping connect education to employment at scale—supporting over 12,000 learners in accessing internships with 20,000+ companies worldwide. With a background spanning international workforce programs and edtech leadership, she now explores how AI, experiential learning, and skills frameworks can better prepare learners for the modern workforce.
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