Podcast Summary
Podcast: Tony Mantor: Why Not Me?
Episode: Bonus – Caroline Levander: Embracing Creativity in Education
Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Tony Mantor
Guest: Caroline Levander, Professor and Vice President at Rice University
Episode Overview
This bonus episode features Dr. Caroline Levander, an accomplished scholar, educator, and author at Rice University whose latest book, Invent Ed, explores the transformative power of creativity in higher education. The conversation delves into how universities can champion creativity and growth mindsets, drawing lessons from history to inform solutions for today’s student mental health challenges, particularly among neurodiverse populations. Levander emphasizes practical steps for students, educators, and administrators to foster resilience, curiosity, and innovation within learning environments overwhelmed by stress, high expectations, and emerging technologies.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Caroline Levander’s Background and Research Focus
- [02:44] Levander introduces herself as a professor and vice president at Rice University, with a research background in pre-20th century American culture.
- She describes her work as bridging rigorous academic research with forward-thinking educational leadership.
2. Learning from the Past to Transform the Future
- [03:19] Levander discusses Invent Ed, asserting that history offers dynamic models for problem-solving, resilience, and inventiveness:
- The U.S. tradition of playful, curiosity-driven, and risk-tolerant learning goes back to figures like Benjamin Franklin.
- Early American inventors solved unique problems with unorthodox and intuitive approaches, offering inspiration for modern educators focused on student-centered learning.
"One of the real contributions of the project is looking backward in order to look forward."
— Caroline Levander [03:19]
3. Stress, Mental Health, and Higher Education Today
- [06:20] The host and Levander contrast historical and modern stressors:
- While early Americans faced high-stakes, existential stresses, they relied on curiosity and collaboration, not fear of failure.
- Today, students are more risk-averse and focused on avoiding failure rather than embracing challenges, which compounds mental health concerns—especially for those with autism, ADHD, PTSD, or anxiety.
"If you come into college or any kind of education classroom, first and foremost worried about failure as opposed to curious about new ideas, you’re introducing a level of stress...that is debilitating."
— Caroline Levander [08:36]
4. Shifting from Fixed to Growth Mindset
- [10:22] Levander identifies the “fixed mindset” as a widespread, harmful result of K-12 “teach-to-the-test” environments.
- She advocates for deliberately cultivating a "growth mindset"—viewing abilities as improvable through effort and experience.
"A fixed mindset is a bad mindset for mental health."
— Caroline Levander [11:33]
- Practical steps for students and faculty:
- Encourage students to take small academic risks and seek feedback.
- Faculty members must create space for safe failure and explore students’ thought processes, rather than rushing to correct mistakes.
"Those are the healing moments. Those are the moments of confidence building."
— Caroline Levander [13:25]
5. Creativity as a 21st-Century Imperative in Education
- [14:25] The rise of AI and automation is shifting the value of higher education from rote domain expertise to creative problem-solving.
- Levander urges universities to equally prioritize domain expertise and creative capability.
"This is the moment for universities to commit not just to domain expertise at the undergraduate level, but building a creative capability."
— Caroline Levander [15:07]
- The importance of cross-disciplinary connections: true creativity comes from recombining existing knowledge in new ways.
6. Navigating Institutional Rigidities and Student Expectations
- [21:23] The host shares a personal anecdote about inflexibility in college curricula adding undue stress.
- Levander counters that both institutions and students need to change their approach:
- Students and families must look beyond prestige and appearances, investigating the educational philosophy and practical offerings of schools.
- Administrators and faculty should be responsive to changing student needs, especially as student demographics and enrollment patterns shift.
"People spend all this time and money and effort doing these campus tours.... They spend no time at all looking at the vital organs of the institution itself."
— Caroline Levander [22:39]
7. Practical Preparation for College Success
- [23:41] Levander shares actionable advice for students and families:
- The six months between college acceptance and entrance are critical—students should use this time to prepare academically and emotionally, following guidance provided in her book.
- This preparation can sharply reduce first-year stress and increase confidence, social success, and academic engagement.
"Those six months, those are the lost six months. ... What you really should be doing is preparing yourself for a very important formative four years."
— Caroline Levander [23:45]
- She believes U.S. universities will become more holistic and creative in admissions due to demographic changes and shifting student demands.
8. Levander’s Invitation & Contact Information
- [25:29] Levander encourages listeners to reach out:
- Her Rice University page provides access to her book, speaking engagements, and direct contact for mentorship or events.
- She sees this stage of her career as focused on giving back.
"I'm now at the point where I could just really give back. ... I want this book to be an invitation."
— Caroline Levander [25:53]
9. Reflections & Advice to Her Younger Self
- [26:45] Levander recounts her pathologically shy teenage years and anxiety as a young teacher. Overcoming these challenges took “sheer persistence” and “showing up consistently.”
- She encourages young people to stick with difficult things, emphasizing growth through experience.
"The biggest secret in life is you just have to show up. You don’t have to be excellent. ... Excellence comes if you can show up consistently."
— Caroline Levander [27:41]
10. Closing – Purpose of the Book
- [28:17] Her book is for everyone (students, families, educators, skeptics) and aims to depoliticize education. Her vision is a unified, creative, and inclusive higher education system that serves the entire country.
"It is a book about how we can all come together.... If we can just all come together to make it the strongest it can be for our country and for our citizens, I think we all are kind of on the same team on that."
— Caroline Levander [28:38]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "Looking backward in order to look forward."
— Caroline Levander [03:19] - "If you come into college ... worried about failure as opposed to curious about new ideas, you're introducing a level of stress ... that is debilitating."
— Caroline Levander [08:36] - "A fixed mindset is a bad mindset for mental health."
— Caroline Levander [11:33] - "This is the moment for universities to commit not just to domain expertise ... but building a creative capability."
— Caroline Levander [15:07] - "People spend all this time ... touring campuses. ... They spend no time at all looking at the vital organs of the institution itself."
— Caroline Levander [22:39] - "The biggest secret in life is you just have to show up. You don’t have to be excellent. ... Excellence comes if you can show up consistently."
— Caroline Levander [27:41] - "I want this book to be an invitation."
— Caroline Levander [25:53]
Key Timestamps
- 02:44 — Caroline Levander’s background
- 03:19 — The importance of history in modern education
- 06:20 — Comparing stress: past versus present students
- 08:36 — Impact of fear of failure on mental health
- 11:33 — The danger of a fixed mindset
- 13:25 — The value of faculty engagement in building confidence
- 15:07 — Necessity of creativity alongside domain expertise in the AI era
- 22:39 — Rethinking how students and families choose colleges
- 23:45 — Six crucial months for student preparation before college
- 25:53 — Levander’s invitation to reach out and her motivation
- 27:41 — Advice to her younger self: the power of persistence and showing up
- 28:38 — The book’s universal, unifying mission
Overall Tone & Final Thoughts
The discussion is warm, optimistic, and deeply practical, emphasizing hope, tenacity, and inclusive progress. Levander’s insights blend scholarship with real-world advice, directly tackling stigmas, mental health challenges, and systemic inflexibility. Her reflections and actionable recommendations aim to empower students, educators, and institutions worldwide to build a more compassionate, creative, and resilient learning environment.