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Higher Ed Pulse

Mallory Willsea
Higher Education
Artificial Intelligence
AI In Higher Education
Student Engagement
Higher Education Marketing
Leadership
Enrollment Management
Admissions Process
AI In Education
Digital Marketing
Generative AI
Engage Summit
Enrollment Marketing
AI Literacy
AI Integration
College Admissions
Marketing Strategies
Change Management
AI Search Tools
Marketing

Higher Ed Pulse is your weekly no-fluff guide to AI in higher ed. Higher ed leaders are expected to master AI overnight. But let’s be real — no one has time to sift through every headline, hot take, or research report. That’s why every Monday, we break down what actually matters — fast, clear, and to the point. Want to sound like the smartest person in the room? You’re in the right place. Higher E... more

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Latest Episodes

Mallory is joined by Amy Still from ZeeMee and Paul Garner from Western Carolina University to dissect new data regarding student perceptions of AI in the admissions process. With insights drawn from over 12,000 students, the discussion highlights a ... more

In Part 3 of this Pulse Check series, host Faton Sopa sits down with Stephanie Geyer, associate vice president for marketing and brand strategy at the University of Montana, to explore the evolving student journey. The conversation challenges the com... more

Lindsay Nyquist, Chief of Staff at Occidental College, and Dr. Miriam Merrill, Chief of Staff at Hamilton College, join Mallory to discuss the inaugural Chief of Staff Summit, where 50 higher-ed chiefs of staff met at Colorado College in Colorado Spr... more

In Part 2 of this Pulse Check, Understanding the Modern Student Journey, host Faton Sopa is joined by guest Robert Kadar to dismantle the outdated reliance on traditional marketing funnels in higher education and highlight a critical industry misalig... more

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Recent Guests

Robert Kadar
Higher education marketing leader with 15+ years of experience in marketing strategy and enrollment to organizational leadership
Unknown (guest)
Episode: Pulse Check: Understanding The Modern Student Journey — Pt. 2
Jenn Hayes
Associate Dean of Marketing and Communications at Cardozo School of Law
Cardozo School of Law
Episode: Higher Ed's Hero Cycle
Kristin Nichols
Market research, brand development, digital strategies, and enrollment marketing
Higher education marketing executive
Episode: Pulse Check: Understanding The Modern Student Journey — Pt. 1
Andrea Gilbert
Executive Vice President of Solutions Marketing at Everspring
Everspring
Episode: Who Owns AI Search?
Megan Cabrera
Director of Strategic Enrollment Management at Okanagan College
Okanagan College
Episode: The Dashboard is the Last Place Your Enrollment Problem Shows Up
Anna Esaki Smith
Author, Forbes Higher Education contributor, co-founder of Education Rethink
Education Rethink
Episode: Pulse Check: Funnel Vision: One Campus, Two Markets — Part 3
Howard Heevner
Executive Director of Annual Programs at UC Berkeley and co-founder of the National Alumni Survey
UC Berkeley; National Alumni Survey
Episode: Higher Ed's Fundraising Model Is Broken
Shane Baglini
Executive Director of Marketing and Branding at William & Mary
William & Mary
Episode: The LinkedIn Double Standard Costing Higher Ed Its Best Marketers
Clay Harmon
Executive Director, Association of International Enrollment Management (AIRC)
AIRC
Episode: Pulse Check: Funnel Vision: One Campus, Two Markets — Part 2

Host

Mallory Willsea
Host of Higher Ed Pulse; affiliated with Enrollify Network and Higher Ed Pulse

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 39 ratings
  • Great show with great content

    Mallory and Seth do a great job sharing their deep expertise as they discuss some of the biggest issues facing higher ed marketing today.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Whatjaimesaid
    United States2 years ago
  • Unsurprisingly, outstanding!

    I know it’s early into their tenure (no pun intended) in this podcast, but having known both hosts for some time, I’m not at all surprised that what they’re doing here is incredibly valuable and innovative. Really appreciate the abbreviated format and the deep insight. I’ll be listening to this every week. Keep it coming y’all!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ahatony
    United States3 years ago
  • Excellent Enrollment Management Resource

    Zach and the crew at Enrollify have filled a needed void in the enrollment marketing and management space. This podcast has helped me and my team rethinking a number of our marketing approaches.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RTaughrin
    United States6 years ago
  • An Incredible Resource for the GEM Community

    I am a HUGE fan of the Enrollify podcast and am grateful for what a tremendous resource it has been. I just joined the world of graduate enrollment marketing, making the professional pivot from the realm of consumer packaged goods. On my daily commute, I listen to the podcasts and they've helped me drink from the firehose as I learn my new role. Podcast guests are stakeholders from various functions who share their experiences, insights and learnings. The spectrum of topics varies and always... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SESnc16
    United States6 years ago
  • Love this resource!!

    This is a great podcast for any enrollment marketer looking for educational, compelling, and entertaining content! I learn something new each week and love the diversity in content topics. They feature conversations with everyone from Admissions Counselors and College Presidents to Software CEOs and VPs of Marketing. Everyone working in higher ed admissions or marketing should subscribe to this show!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DavidGo.
    United States7 years ago

Listeners Say

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Listeners appreciate concise, deep insight from hosts who cover real-world higher-ed issues.

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Talking Points

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Pulse Check: Understanding The Modern Student Journey — Pt. 2
Q: If you could break one golden rule that universities still rely on today, what would that be?
Break the traditional marketing and admissions funnel; the data shows most students never fill out a lead form, so marketing should shift from chasing single-lead generation to supporting a broad, signal-rich journey with multiple touchpoints and longer-term engagement across channels.
Higher Ed's Fundraising Model Is Broken
Q: Why is technology not the silver bullet for fundraising, and how should institutions rethink their approach?
Technology should support relationship-building and listening, not replace human-centric engagement; institutions need to realign their structures to reflect donor preferences, use data to tailor giving options, and view donating as ongoing trust-building rather than a one-off transaction.
Higher Ed's Fundraising Model Is Broken
Q: What happened to lead you to this line of thinking about donor engagement and the data behind it?
Howard explains his evolution from viewing fundraising as a transactional, mass‑market effort to seeing it as a relationship and trust problem, guided by the National Alumni Survey data that shows donors want agency and meaningful impact rather than generic campaigns.
Pulse Check: Funnel Vision: One Campus, Two Markets — Part 2
Q: What are the biggest challenges your members are facing right now?
Members are navigating a chaotic government environment, decreased enrollments, and pressure on budgets, with a need to sustain relationships with agencies and partners while continuing to recruit international students.
The SUNY AI Mandate
Q: Of the seven SUNY-mandated pieces, which do you think campuses will underestimate?
Procurement safeguards are likely underestimated because while campuses may focus on policy wording, the vendor contracts and back-door risk (like contract exit rights and labor implications) often receive less attention, yet they are where exposure truly lives.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Higher Ed Pulse

What is Higher Ed Pulse about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A concise briefing on AI in higher education, this show focuses on practical adoption, governance, and strategy rather than theory. Across episodes, guests discuss scalable pilots, open-access learning, and how to deploy AI in classroom and campus operations with a people-first mindset. Notable themes include low-cost or free resources, documenting learnings (including failures), brand and marketing considerations, and the Engage Summit as a recurring event. Unique strengths lie in grounding AI initiatives in real-world campus contexts, governance structures, and cross-functional collaboration, making it valuable for enrollment teams, marketers, and academic leaders seeking actionable guidance.

Listeners are likely practicing higher-ed pro... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Higher Ed Pulse?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Higher Ed Pulse:

1. The Application with Allison Turcio
2. Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO — with Jaime Hunt
3. The Higher Ed Marketer
4. College Matters from The Chronicle
5. Higher Ed Icons

How many episodes of Higher Ed Pulse are there?

Higher Ed Pulse launched 7 years ago and published 600 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Higher Ed Pulse?

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What guests have appeared on Higher Ed Pulse?

Recent guests on Higher Ed Pulse include:

1. Robert Kadar
2. Jenn Hayes
3. Kristin Nichols
4. Andrea Gilbert
5. Megan Cabrera
6. Anna Esaki Smith
7. Howard Heevner
8. Shane Baglini

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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