Podcasts about higher education technology

In this milestone episode, Dr. JC Bonilla returns home to Element451 as COO and Head of AI Practice, joining forces again with CEO Ardis Kadiu after their 17-year journey from NYU to now. The timing is critical - new data shows 91% of higher education CTOs feel unprepared for AI adoption. The longtime friends discuss how Element451's AI-first approach will help colleges tackle their biggest challenges, from talent gaps to budget constraints.Major Announcement: JC Joins Element451 (00:00:07)Dr. JC Bonilla joins Element451 as COO and Head of AI Practice17-year history of collaboration between JC and ArdisFocus on implementing AI across operations and productsElement451's AI-First Vision (00:07:08)Discussion of company's commitment to AI integrationEmphasis on infusing AI into all aspects of operationsStrategy for implementing AI across marketing, analytics, and customer successThe State of AI in Higher Education (00:23:27)Survey reveals only 9% of CTOs feel prepared for AI46% express enthusiasm but only 23% make it high priorityDiscussion of budget allocation challengesCurrent AI Applications on Campus (00:27:09)Virtual chatbots and assistants lead adoption at 50%Cybersecurity applications second at 35%Predictive analytics for student performance at 27%Key Challenges in AI Implementation (00:34:26)Difficulty hiring qualified AI professionalsCompensation gaps between higher ed and private sectorPolicy and governance concernsDigital Transformation Priority (00:38:27)62% of CTOs prioritize digital transformationDiscussion of technology adoption strategiesBalance between technical expertise and practical implementationFuture of Higher Education Technology (00:42:49)Vision for transforming student engagementImportance of AI literacy in higher educationRole of Element451 in driving innovation - - - -Connect With Our Co-Hosts:Ardis Kadiuhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ardis/https://twitter.com/ardisDr. JC Bonillahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jcbonilla/https://twitter.com/jbonillxAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:Generation AI is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you'll like other Enrollify shows too! Some of our favorites include The EduData Podcast and Visionary Voices: The College President's Playbook.Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com. Element451 is hosting the AI Engage Summit on Oct 29 and 30Register now for this free, virtual event.The future of higher ed is being redefined by the transformative power of AI. The AI Engage Summit brings together higher ed leaders, innovators, and many of your favorite Enrollify creators to explore AI's impact on student engagement, enrollment marketing, and institutional success. Experience firsthand how AI is improving content personalization at scale, impacting strategic decision-making, and intuitively automating the mundane tasks that consume our time. The schedule is packed with real examples and case studies, so you leave knowing how to harness AI to drive meaningful change at your institution. Whether you're looking to enhance student outcomes, optimize enrollment marketing, or simply stay ahead of the curve, the AI Engage Summit is your gateway to the next level of higher education innovation. Registration is free, save your spot today.

The pace of mergers and acquisitions has rapidly accelerated in higher education in recent years as institutions adapt to a changing market. But what happens behind the scenes when two institutions decide to join forces?Northeastern University's CIO, Cole Camplese knows firsthand from his experience building a unified technology operation for his institution's recent partnership with Mills College in Oakland, California. Learn about all the planning and efforts involved in this month's podcast.

A CIO with academic technology expertise is a rare yet valuable asset to any institution. With a PhD in instructional design, Dr. Patricia Kahn, CIO at College of Staten Island-CUNY, is one of those IT unicorns. In our latest Top of Mind podcast, she shares her method for collaborating with leadership peers in vetting and choosing the right mix of academic technology tools to ensure flexibility in teaching, learning, and working environments in an unpredictable world. 

While there isn't one single definition of digital accessibility that applies to all higher education institutions, there are guiding principles that all should follow. Our Top of Mind guest this month, Brian Fodrey, Carnegie Mellon University's Assistant Vice President of Business Innovation, shares the guidelines and steps his institution followed in creating their Digital Accessibility Office.

It's no secret that the adoption of AI tools in higher education is growing by the day, and ChatGPT is leading the pack. Our Top of Mind guest this month, Dr. Lin Lin Lipsmeyer, Chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning at the Simmons School of Education and Human Development at Southern Methodist University, gives us a thorough overview of the broad spectrum of views and opinions about ChatGPT's future impact and its potential uses as both a teaching and learning tool. 

Oral Roberts University (ORU) has one technological focus: to be the best campus for 21st-century students. Why? Because the student is worth it. Michael Mathews, CIO and Vice President of Global Learning and Innovation at ORU, joins the October episode of Tambellini Group's Top of Mind podcast series to share how he made his dreams for the future of higher education come to life on campus. From adaptive planning to technology “taste testing,” ORU is transformative and leading by example in the race for a modern, student-centric campus. 

How does your institution define digital trust? In the August installment of Tambellini Group's Top of Mind podcast series, Dr. Donna Kidwell, CISO and Chief Digital Trust Officer at Arizona State University (ASU), joins the conversation to offer listeners a glimpse into what digital trust looks like on ASU's campus. Outside of simply defining the concept, Dr. Kidwell explains the power behind having intentional conversations with stakeholders, faculty & staff, and most importantly, students.

For this month's episode, Kathy Lueckeman joins the Top of Mind family. A tech leader within her own right, Kathy most recently served as chief strategy officer at Olivet Nazarene University (ONU). After completely transforming ONU into a modern campus, Kathy is here to give an inside scoop about the cultivation and success of that project, the relationship between digital transformation, enrollment, and retention, and how ONU's tuition-free program is allowing its student to feel the utmost comfortability. 

What does a Chief Transformation Officer do? This leadership position can take on many forms depending on the institution, but one thing is for sure: it is never strictly about “technology.” In this Top of Mind episode, Kristophyre McCall, chief transformation officer for University of Maryland Global Campus, sits down with us to talk about his experience during his rookie year as UMGC's first leader in this role. Tune in to hear all about what makes a chief transformation officer successful, and why more colleges and universities are creating this position to drive results aligned with their missions and goals. 

Blockchain technology (blockchain) has a growing influence on higher ed. An institution that is well on its way to becoming the first blockchain university and knows this better than any other is Maryville University. In part two of this Top of Mind episode, Dr. Feng Hou, chief digital evangelist for Maryville University and visionary leader and advocate for the adoption of blockchain, completely immerses listeners in its possibilities by giving them an inside scoop into his intuitions blockchain journey. 

Blockchain technology (blockchain) has a growing influence on higher education. An institution that is well on its way to becoming the first blockchain university and knows this better than any other is Maryville University. In this Top of Mind episode, Dr. Feng Hou, chief digital evangelist for Maryville University and visionary leader and advocate for the adoption of blockchain, completely immerses listeners in its possibilities by giving them an inside scoop into his intuitions blockchain journey. 

Is a transcript the best way to truly reflect a student's academic learning experience? Temple University's registrar Bhavesh Bambhrolia believes that while the traditional transcript is safe and secure, it is limiting in communicating a student's growth and development from a cumulative experience. In this Top of Mind episode, Bambhrolia gives listeners a glimpse into an emerging generational tool for tracking the student experience—the Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR).  

Jazz musician and CIO for the Georgia Tech Foundation, Dwight Dozier, joins the Top of Mind podcast family this month to discuss creativity in leadership. Describing his role as more relational than transactional, Dwight, whose focus is on donor and alumni engagement, emphasizes relationships, staying connected with students beyond graduation, and recognizing that the philanthropic efforts of alumni are the preliminary steps to a particular recruitment cycle. Making relevant parallels to his career in music and hitting on topics such as mass personalization and trends emerging in AI and machine learning to data interconnectedness and a frictionless experience, listen in as Dwight shares gems to put CIOs and institutions on a path toward innovation. “Like music,” he shares, “technology is constantly changing and evolving.” 

"Whether it's at NASA or a university system level job, a CIO wants to be able to expand the scope of our technology and systems to impact the largest number of people." In this month's Top of Mind Podcast, host Elizabeth Farrell is joined by the Vice President of Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer at Washington State University, Dr. Sasi Pillay, to discuss how he views the role of a CIO. Starting at NASA, Dr. Pillay moved to higher education because working with young students was exciting and it allowed him to continue to work in a learning environment. In regards to IT, there are more similarities than differences between higher education and science, according to Dr. Pillay. The most critical one is keeping the constituents' needs at the forefront. Listen in as Dr. Pillay explains his strategy of enhancing the student experience via administrative system deployments and degree planning programming that's accessible to both current students and alum.

It is no argument that modernizing at any institution is a learning curve. In this month's Top of Mind podcast episode: "From Butler to Enabler: How IT Services Empower Teaching and Learning," Alison Robinson, associate vice president and deputy CIO of the Division of Information and Technology Services at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, joins host, Elizabeth Farrell in discussing this curve; specifically, the role technology teams play in enabling teaching and learning. For Robinson, enabling and supporting mean two different things, and the difference represents that change in modernizing your IT organization. Your IT department can serve as either a butler—you need a tool, and I'll bring a tool—or as a partner—specializing in service management.

The definition of student experience is an ever-changing one. As technology advances, students' expectations shift to newly introduced possibilities. Inevitably, this affects student experience. However, what's important to consider is whether implementing a solution just because it's available is worthwhile to your institution. In this episode, new show host Elizabeth Farrell talks to Dr. Melissa Harts, former Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President at Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC). Dr. Harts gives listeners an inside scoop on how PHSC leveraged technology to drive a more positive student experience while maintaining personal interactions. 

Just like on-campus students, remote learners expect a quality student experience from their higher ed institution. Providing a quality experience coincides with modernizing and simplifying virtual services, yet the work toward this can not be done until institutions understand what problems they are solving. In this episode, Katelyn Ilkani talks with Darcy Van Patten, Chief Technology Officer at the University of Arizona. Darcy shares her perspective and expertise on how the University of Arizona plans to use CRM and user research to solve the problem. 

The COVID-19 Pandemic expedited the timeline for technological modernizations at many institutions. As the fall semester approaches, a new normal is expected. Institutions are reflecting on what they learned and deciding which new adopted practices to continue. In this episode, Katelyn Ilkani talks with Jason Parkhill, Interim Chief Information Officer at Colby College. Jason shares how the pandemic brought innovation to Colby, highlighted inequities on campus, and prompted new insights into the future of higher ed. 

John is the Founder & CEO of Joy+, a free social media platform for the personal development space. It's gives you an innovative gratitude journal and vision board. It also connects you to like-minded peers and Mentors. Joy+ is currently available in the Apple App Store & Google Play right now.John is also a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant. He has spoken at companies like Top Hat, American Express, et cetera, on how to increase Representation and Allyship, while reducing Micro-Aggressions in the workplace.Prior to this he was the Director of Sales at Talk Boutique, a Communications Coaching company, in this role he has coached C-suite executives for some of the top companies in the world: Google, Toyota, United Way, et cetera. He began his professional journey twenty+ years ago when he was selling Real Estate in Toronto, followed by beach properties in Costa Rica and Panama. During this time writing literature was always a passion of his so he authored and published a personal development book titled Joy & Love. After 15 years in Real Estate he made a hard shift, and managed a SaaS team in the Higher Education Technology vertical as his next achievement. It's a cultivation of all his experience in Real Estate, Tech, and Personal Development that enabled him to develop his methodology of empowerment and convert it to an algorithm that you will find in the Joy+ app. Instagram: @JohnRobinsonJrTwitter: @JohnRobinsonJrFacebook: John Robinson Jr.LinkedIn: John Robinson Jr.High Achievers Mindset Secrets: https://mindset.jeffheggie.com/ The Confident Athlete Program: www.JeffHeggie.com/ConfidentAthlete See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As higher education institutions continue to roll out vaccination and testing protocols that will be applied going forward, the role of technology (and campus tech leaders) is central to making these new requirements work. In this Top of Mind Podcast, Janet Scannell, Chief Technology Officer at Carleton College, shares her perspective from the CTO role on how she and her team have been involved (and continue to shape) pandemic protocol. She discusses how COVID and emergency planning have helped drive collaboration and alignment across functional areas at the college.

Tambellini Top of Mind Podcast host Katelyn Ilkani interviews Augie Freda, Data Steward at the University of Notre Dame, about data governance. Freda explains how Notre Dame manages data and secures student privacy. He points out the importance of considering the size and source of the data when making decisions.  

The Council of Independent Colleges has created a course-sharing consortium. The platform allows students to take digital courses offered by other institutions similar to their own. In this episode, Katelyn Ilkani talks with Dr. Bryan Boatright, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and University Registrar at the University of Mount Union. Dr. Boatright explains how the course sharing works, shares lessons learned, and highlights some successes of the consortium.

Kevin believes that the educational sector is least transformed by technology. Rather than disrupting old processes and ideas, technology is used only to enhance traditional methods. This is problematic for graduates who earn degrees that don’t prepare them for a career in a connected world.Kevin and Kiran also touch on why it is important to build IT initiatives around desired outcomes, how to break down tech silos between business functions, and why tech should support the student experience over administrative processes.Connect with Kevin Pashuk on LinkedIn and Twitter @Invisitech. Learn more about Sheridan College at SheridanCollege.ca.This episode is brought to you by N2N’s Illuminate App, the iPaaS for Higher Education. Learn more at https://illuminateapp.com/web/higher-education/Subscribe and listen to more episodes at IlluminateHigherEducation.com.

Over the past year, admissions leaders have worked hard to maintain a positive, collaborative culture in a remote environment. Lukman Arsalan, Dean of Admission at Franklin and Marshall College, speaks with host Katelyn Ilkani about creating a top-notch remote employee experience. Arsalan has taken a newly created position at the college and was hired during the pandemic, so he met his employees virtually. He explains how he and his team have met the challenges, all while working remotely. 

Katelyn Ilkani speaks with Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Laura Bray about raising scholarship funding. As Vice President for College Advancement and External Communications, Bray shares her experiences over the past year as head of fundraising. She describes MATC’s “Healthcare Heroes Fund” and how her team raises funding to support graduates who need to pay for licensure to obtain employment. The conversation focuses on how MATC is working toward ensuring equity in their scholarship awards, and Bray describes their participation in the “Moon Shot for Equity.”

Vicki Tambellini, President and CEO of the Tambellini Group, speaks with Katelyn Ilkani about the current state of higher education and what to expect in the coming year. Tambellini discusses the high-stress environment in which many of us find ourselves as a result of the pandemic and how it is affecting the workplace and decisions for the future. Her predictions touch on the adoption of more sophisticated budget and planning tools, the move to the cloud, and institutions combining operations.

Dr. Mordecai Brownlee, Vice President for Student Success at St. Philip’s College, discusses the benefits of experiential learning with host Katelyn Ilkani of The Tambellini Group. Dr. Brownlee shares thoughts on helping college students prepare to enter the workforce, emphasizing the role of experiential learning in career exposure. Topics include student engagement and success, the role of technology in experiential learning, and the importance of transferrable skill sets.

The Tambellini Group’s Katelyn Ilkani interviews San Cannon, Associate Vice Provost for Data Governance and Chief Data Officer at the University of Rochester. Cannon explains the duties of a Chief Data Officer and why higher education institutions should consider establishing such a position. Topics include technology’s role in data management, the importance of establishing relationships with stakeholders, and resources for those who want to learn more about data governance.

Host Katelyn Ilkani talks with our own Vicki Tambellini, President and CEO of The Tambellini Group, about higher education trends she discussed in January 2020’s Top of Mind podcast. Tambellini notes that campus technology priorities are changing, and while some predictions have held true, COVID-10 has affected others. Tambellini talks about the fall semester and what we might expect from institutions and vendors through the end of 2020 and into the beginning of 2021.

Host Katelyn Ilkani talks with Keith McIntosh, Vice President for Information Service and Chief Information Officer at the University of Richmond about the need for courageous leadership in higher education. From addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse student population, to navigating the challenges of new learning environments created by the pandemic, to creating cultural awareness of the social issues impacting students and faculty, McIntosh explains how he and his team are preparing to drive change as students and faculty prepare to return to class.

Host Katelyn Ilkani talks with Tom Dugas, Assistant Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Duquesne University, about securing identities. Dugas explains why identity and access management is critical to higher education. He describes the process of building a solid IAM program and choosing a dependable solution. Dugas also discusses how COVID-19 has affected strategies and how IAM may change in the future.

Host Katelyn Ilkani talks with Helen Patton, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at The Ohio State University. Patton explains the security challenges Ohio State has faced with staff working remotely. She shares thoughts on the importance of the partnership between security and technology teams within an institution. Hear suggestions for success in smaller security teams, and learn how the current situation may lead to changes in security regulations.

Ellina Chernobilsky, Caldwell University’s Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, talks about COVID-19’s impact on campus. Classes, services, and decision-making are all online, and the virtual environment presents a “tremendous learning curve” for everyone. Chernobilsky explains how developing new, creative methods to support leadership, faculty, and students “may pave the way to a new normal”: adaptations for grading, instructional design for coming academic terms, and virtual meetings among campus leaders.

Tambellini’s Raechelle Clemmons discusses measures higher education institutions should take to prepare for consequences of the novel coronavirus. This podcast focuses on disaster recovery and business continuity and the unique situations in which institutions may find themselves. Colleges and universities may be faced with the need to close, requiring IT departments to adapt the learning environment, accommodate a remote workforce, and address implications for a residential campus.

West Virginia University’s CISO Alex Jalso shares thoughts on information security and identity management in higher education. Tambellini’s Katelyn Ilkani asks Jalso about his security philosophy and the steps he takes to keep WVU’s systems safe. Jalso describes the process of establishing a new identity and access management (IAM) system and shares lessons learned. Learn about WVU’s future IT plans, which include, among other things, a comprehensive cybersecurity assessment.

Have you ever walked through the application process at your institution? From initial inquiry all the way through deposit? If you have, were you surprised by the amount of friction you encountered along the way? On this week's episode, Zach Busekrus sits down with Sasha Peterson, the CEO of TargetX, to discuss the future of student lifecycle management. Sasha casts a new vision for reimagining the student experience and explores the various roles that technology, process, and humans play in the creation of (and reduction of) friction in a prospective student's journey to school. Sasha has worked in the education technology space for over 20 years now, and has incredible insight into what a thriving relationship between software, enrollment marketers, and students should look and feel like. In this episode, Sasha tackles the following questions: - What is the difference between Student Lifecycle Management and Enrollment Management? - Dozens of software solutions over the last decade, TargetX included, have claimed to be the solution to our nation's retention problem and yet, we still can't get graduation rates above 60%.  Why do you think this is? - What do schools need to have in place before they purchase enrollment management and student retention software?  How do schools evaluate if they're ready or not? - What do you think TargetX does better than any other higher ed CRM?  Where do you think you all have the most opportunity to grow?

The Tambellini Group’s President and CEO Vicki Tambellini talks about unforeseen higher education trends in 2019, predictions that came true, and what surprised her in 2019. She also makes predictions for higher education technology in 2020.

Arizona State University’s human resources department has developed a strategy and adopted tools to attract and retain top talent at one of the largest public universities in the United States. ASU offers employees leadership and workforce development programs and tuition reduction. Additionally, HR recruiters highlight ASU’s innovation and influence and its universal learning program for applicants to complete their education while working.

By combining career services and advancement, Northampton Community College has created a community of student, alumni, and employers that better facilitates engagement, relationship building, and outreach. Modeling itself after the four-year model, hear from Northampton’s Sharon Beales, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, and Dr. Deb Noble Burak, Associate Vice President and CIO, as they discuss implementation, staffing impacts, and technologies like Razor’s Edge, Handshake, Hubspot, Graduway, and LiveAlumni. They offer advice for other two-year institutions thinking about rolling out this model, including the importance of career support and systems for community college students.

It’s true that graduating from a university or college is an undeniable accomplishment. But, Oral Roberts University (ORU) has a longer-term vision and plants the seed for success to reach beyond commencement day through its student success program. While working with many stakeholders, ORU’s Dr. Kathaleen Reid-Martinez, Provost, and Mike Mathews, Vice President of Technology and Innovation, are integral to an ecosystem blending technology and innovation to benefit students through their learning journey. They believe it is a reflection of the institution’s motto Whole Person Education and their promotion of balance in body, mind, and spirit. You will be fascinated to hear that every ORU student has a Fitbit that provides the school data through their heartbeats. Find out what other advances this award-winning institution has on their radar.

If you happen to be a parent, do you have a screenager or know one? If so, how are you communicating with them and is it effective? Sheenah Hartigan deals with this generation of student (a.k.a. Gen Z or iGeneration) all day long every day at Ocean County College. Students are changing as is technology. After implementing a process to map out student processes, inefficiencies and opportunities, the Director of Enrollment Services came up with a modality to reach them quickly and efficiently. It utilizes AI—you guessed it, a chatbot. His name is Reggie. Hear about him and the vendor the college partnered with that brought this virtual assistant to life.

Smith College is in the early stages of a multi-year plan to transform its overall technology. Collaboration is more critical than ever in its changing IT environment, according to Samantha Earp, Vice President for IT and CIO. Earp is also the 2019 Tambellini CIO Award winner. This podcast is a great opportunity to hear her words of wisdom as a CIO and understand her perspective on collaboration. She believes at its core is listening and then taking an institutional stance—how to support the institution’s missions and goals both strategically and operationally.

If you’re busy trying to keep your old legacy system going and are in a perpetual state of adapting to meet your campus’s needs, you’re not alone. Colby College realized two years ago that things had to change. CIO Cindy Mitchell faced it head on. Her strategic plan includes “the things that eat our lunch” as her first course of business. Also, get Mitchell’s insight on changing IT roles, her view of data governance, and her gratitude to those propelling the project towards success.

In this episode of For the Record, we talk to two people who “get it” when it comes to technology, Tom Black, University Registrar at Johns Hopkins University and Frank Blalark, University Registrar at Duke University. We’ll hear about the changes they’ve experienced over their careers and strategies and approaches they use to stay current with technology.Guests: Tom Black, University Registrar at Johns Hopkins UniversityFrank Blalark, University Registrar at Duke University Key Takeaways: Technology has changed and will continue to change the way we conduct our work in higher education; Interrogating different technologies is an important part of the work of the modern registrar; Reviewing offerings from vendors and developing relationships with companies (even those whom you don’t contract with) is a good way of finding out what’s available; Reading criticisms of higher education and creatively finding solutions with technology can drive progress.References and Additional Reading:AACRAO Technology and Transfer ConferenceAACRAO ProficienciesAACRAO Innovation HubEDUCAUSEInsideHigherEd TechnologyAmerican Association of Colleges & UniversitiesChronicle of Higher Education – Technology articles

Simon Blackwell didn’t have a long-standing career in academia before he became Chief Transformation Officer of Mount Saint Mary’s University. His background included ecommerce banking, aerospace, and Wall Street. The institution brought him on initially as a consultant, saw promise, and the rest is history. Whether small or large innovative projects, his approach is to first create a framework to instill a common understanding of the transformation, enlist a committee of manageable size with fresh thinkers, then find the intersection of what they’re good at and passionate about. Blackwell provides many examples with detail in this Top of Mind podcast.

There are studies about how humans tend to resist change and their various reasons why. It’s prevalent, but not much comfort to any higher education executive whose mission is to make enhancements for the good of the institution, which undoubtedly require change. Jim La Creta of Brandeis University found himself within that very delicate balance. Hear how he wrestled with a complex core system implementation and its ongoing change management needs. On the flip side, see how he easily won support by making small, but meaningful changes. In this Top of Mind Podcast also discover the following.

All companies, not just higher education institutions, are challenged with hiring and retaining top talent. The unemployment rate is hovering around a low four percent. So, not only are colleges and universities facing a tight candidate pool, they are hard pressed to compensate them like the private sector can. Shady Azzam-Gomez, Vice President for Information Technology and CIO at Suffolk County Community College, shares how he overcomes these talent management obstacles in our Top of Mind podcast. His special approach and concerted effort to carve out time, helps solidify his connection with direct reports. Find out how now.

Is artificial intelligence impacting higher education and, if so, how? That questions is answered in depth in this Top of Mind interview with Dr. Curtis Carver, Vice President of IT and CIO at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Carver describes his university’s various technology projects currently underway, how they are lightening workloads for faculty and staff, and giving students a competitive advantage.

Kelly Walsh became CIO of The College of Westchester in 2008 after a 20-year career in technology. That background made him a natural to explore the relationship between instructional technology and student success. Because he wanted to understand the classroom experience and how the technology could enhance it, Walsh took up teaching, plunged himself into social media, and talked with educators. He created content about learning paired with technology to share with others. Walsh is a writer, the founder and author of EmergingEdTech.com and closely aligned with Flipped Learning Network (FLN). You’ll understand his enthusiasm for this space when you listen to this podcast.

Sharon Blanton, Vice President and Chief Information Officer of The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), talks with The Tambellini Group’s Katelyn Ilkani about migrating to Oracle Cloud for finance and HCM. Describing this project as a business transformation and technology modernization initiative, Blanton explains TCNJ’s selection process, including the decision to move ERP to the cloud, evaluation of vendor solutions, and method for choosing Huron Consulting Group as an implementation partner. She describes working with Oracle and offers advice on backfill of staff and change management.

As part of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2018, Tambellini’s Katelyn Ilkani talks with Fred Damiano, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and CIO of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, consortium model for cybersecurity. Damiano discusses how Hobart and William Smith, along with five other institutions, made the strategic decision to jointly work on cybersecurity programs together and to partner with an outside firm for managed security services. He details the steps to launch the consortium, including the creation of guiding principles and information security roadmaps, challenges and lessons learned, and the impacts to cybersecurity efforts at Hobart and William Smith.

To kick off National Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2018, Tambellini’s Katelyn Ilkani talks with Mike Corn, Chief Information Security Officer of University of California San Diego and a Tambellini Group member, about leading cybersecurity efforts within higher education. This discussion covers the importance of security training for campus constituents and ways to deliver training, how to talk to your institution’s leadership about funding cybersecurity initiatives, advice for smaller institutions with limited resources, how to measure the success of your security program, and what are the current and developing cybersecurity trends within higher education.

SMACTalk Live at VMWorld with Intel In this special Intel sponsored episode of SMACTalk, Daniel Newman leads a show focused on digital transformation while attending VMworld 2018. Joining Daniel is Lisa Davis, Vice President and General Manager of Digital Transformation and Scale Solutions, Enterprise and Government for Intel’s Data Center Group. During this podcast, Daniel speaks to Lisa about what Intel is doing to further digital transformation and how data will make it all happen faster. During the show, Lisa discussed how Intel talks digital transformation, mentioning how it sometimes becomes an overused term. Every company today is a technology company. To remain competitive, you need to use technology to move faster and drive more meaningful insights inside your business. Digital transformation is all about enabling businesses to compete in a tech-centered world. Lisa gave us an example of Ford—who is no longer just an auto-manufacturing plant. Instead, they are a mobility service provider. Every company is transforming themselves into this technological world. No matter what business you’re in, you are a tech business at the core. And for each business, digital transformation should be a top priority. In this episode, Daniel and Lisa both discussed what digital transformation means to business systems. It all comes down to data and building a digital transformation system depends on it. Whether the data is from a software or a database, it should be leveraged to move businesses forward faster than ever before. Digital strategies are connected to business strategies and should be aligned with data strategies. All three should be aligned to one another for success. At VM World, VMware’s multi-cloud environment was a big focus. Having a hybrid cloud strategy is all about workload and data mobility. Lisa discussed how seamless orchestration and flexibility as an organization to drive insights for data is what Intel supports in this new environment.  Daniel mentioned how 90 percent of the world’s data was created in the last 12 months. Data is growing exponentially. Technology has to support the digital transformation and cannot be done without it. Furthering this point, Lisa discussed Intel Select Solutions, a partnership with VMware. The whole purpose of the tool is to help organizations adopt tech faster, simplifying the integration of the new technology to form a data-centric environment. Intel performs tests, benchmarks and validates reference architecture so customers don’t have to. It simplifies the process and helps customers modernize their environments faster. During the show, Lisa shared how to make the cloud work and how collaboration is key over competition. An ecosystem of partners needs to work together to help customers adopt technology. It’s all about easing the complexity of the environment. As a former CIO, Lisa has 26 years of experience being the customer. Understanding what customers really need, she helps Intel further their customer-centric approach and experience, both keys to success. As a last point, Daniel and Lisa discussed the future of the data center being the hybrid cloud which will bring about so many new opportunities for businesses and CIOs. The more data businesses can put next to their computing power, the more problems they can solve. And the ability to process data faster and store it in larger quantities is going to change the face of data.     About Lisa Davis Lisa M Davis Vice President and General Manager for IT Transformation, Enterprise and Government Data Center Group, Intel Corporation Areas of Expertise: Disruptive Technologies, Women in Tech, Supply Chain, Higher Education Technology, Federal Government, Cyber Security Industry Experience: High Tech, Higher Education, Federal Government, National Security, Intelligence, and Defense Twitter: @LisaM_Davis                          Lisa Davis is vice president and general manager for IT Transformation in Intel Corporation’s, Enterprise and Government Data Center Group where she is responsible for growing Intel’s data center business and working alongside enterprise and government CIOs to create IT transformation strategies for their organizations. Lisa joined the Data Center Group from Intel’s IT Group where she led and developed the IT architecture and integrated technology solutions supporting Intel’s world-class global supply chain, HR, Finance, and M&A IT. Davis is a three-time Chief Information Officer and has led four technology transformations over the course of her 30-year career in technology. Prior to Intel, Davis served as Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Georgetown University, and held a variety of technology leadership roles in her 26-year career in the Federal Government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service she was the CIO of the U.S. Marshals Service in the Department of Justice, as well as CIO of the Counterintelligence Field Activity in the Department of Defense. Throughout her 30-year career in technology, Lisa has been a champion for women in technology and leadership – channeling that passion into leading professional development initiatives for women. She serves on the board of Mirantis, as well as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and a number of non-profit boards. Lisa holds a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Syracuse University, and a master's degree in human resources management from Golden Gate University, and is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Find her on twitter @LisaM_Davis or LinkedIn.      

Tambellini’s Alex Freeman sat down with Dave Weil, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Ithaca College, a Tambellini Group member, to discuss a workshop that he ran that examined possible future scenarios such as what if Alexa was connected to the ERP system? or what if students and faculty could use their mobile devices to complete all their work?