Author: BelieveAgain

Bryan Alexander is an award–winning, internationally known futurist, researcher, writer, speaker, consultant, and teacher, working in the field of higher education’s future. He’s the author of the recent book Universities On Fire: Higher Education in Climate Crisis which forms the foundation of this episode. Bryan joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about how to use futures thinking to explore climate-related scenarios with special attention to higher education. We begin by reflecting back on Bryan’s previous appearances on the podcast back in 2020 soon after the release of his book Academia Next: The Futures of Higher Education. Among the scenarios in…

Sakina Pitts is the Principal of The Newark School of Fashion and Design (NSFD) and Giselle Morell is the Head of Customer Engagement at N Ventures at The New School of Social Research. The duo joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the recent launch of NSFD in partnership with N Ventures as they look to expand access to students through entry points, pathways, and relationships in the fashion industry. We hear Sakina’s origin story as a student growing up in Newark who had a love for fashion and education that has culminated in her role as the Principal…

Sudhir Krishnaswamy is the CTO of Barnes & Noble Education Digital Student Solutions where he leads the team that designs Bartleby Write and related products focused on writing help. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about how best to design online writing help products in light of emerging generative AI technology like Chat GPT. We hear how Sudhir was drawn to computer programming early in his career and how he’s held a series of senior technology roles across various education companies most recently focusing on online writing help. Sudhir describes what’s involved in building writing help products and…

Julie Lammers is the SVP of Advocacy and Corporate Social Responsibility at American Student Assistance (ASA), an organization that is committed to increasing #opportunity for young people to have the tools necessary to plan for postsecondary and career success. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about exposing young people to a variety of potential career pathways as early as possible in their educational journeys. We begin by hearing Julie’s origin story, which centers around her opportunity to intern for Teddy Kennedy while still in college. How can we provide opportunities for career exploration beginning in middle school and…

Andy Pass is the Founder of A Pass Educational Group, an Elearning and Instructional Design services company. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about how learning content development and instructional design are being transformed by generative AI tools like Chat GPT. We begin by hearing Andy’s origin story which begins in a Jewish Day School where he discovered his love of teaching. Soon after, he discovered instructional design and sales while working for Pearson which led him to found A Pass in 2009. Then Andy provides his perspectives on how disruptive generative AI tools are changing how we…

Dr. Eric Schickler is a Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley where he is currently working on a book about polarization in American politics. He joins host and fellow New College alum, Mike Palmer, in a discussion about what’s happening at New College, what it says about the current state of higher education and politics in America, and what we can do about it. We begin by hearing Eric’s origin story which in many ways began with his experiences at New College. That’s where he discovered his passion for teaching and engaging with other students and…

Aneesh Sohoni is the CEO of One Million Degrees (OMD), a non-profit that accelerates community college students’ progress on career pathways to economic mobility. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the role community colleges and programs like his can play in opening pathways to opportunity for students in need. We begin by hearing Aneesh’s story beginning with his parents’ decision to come to America to build a life for their family. From there, we hear of the role community college played in his mother’s career and how that connects to the work OMD is doing with students…

Dr. Jon Shelton is an Associate Professor of Democracy and Justice Studies at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. He returns to the podcast to join host Mike Palmer in a conversation about his new book The Education Myth: How Human Capital Trumped Social Democracy. We begin by recalling Jon’s previous appearance on Trending in Ed from September of 2020 and reflect for a moment on how much has transpired since then. From there, we launch into what drove Jon to write The Education Myth where he critiques the prevailing human capital lens that is applied to the purpose of…

Scott Miller is an Executive and Leadership Coach who focuses on Time Management. He’s also the host of the Time-Task-Energy podcast. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about Scott’s work coaching folks on time management with plenty of tips and insights along the way. We begin by hearing Scott’s origins as a skydiving instructor and then a test prep coach. From there we learn how Scott flipped the script a bit by making time management the core focus of his coaching practice. How is procrastination like skydiving? What’s the right way to experiment with techniques like eating the…

Bharat Krishna is the Managing Director at The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program), an organization that helps higher ed, research, and government partners foster integrity and professional advancement of their learners. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about recent trends in research, tech ethics, generative AI, and more. We begin by hearing Bharat’s origin story, including stints at McKinsey and Kaplan where he and Mike got to know each other. He then describes the role CITI Program plays in helping educate folks on how best to do research and how to train folks on best practices once…