Author: Palmer Media

How can higher education equip Gen Z to navigate rapid AI disruption, political polarization, and shifting workplace expectations? In this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer connects with Francesca Schuler, Executive Director of ⁠Dialogue Vanderbilt at Vanderbilt University⁠. Drawing from her executive career as a COO and CEO in private-sector consumer and fitness industries, Francesca brings a fresh, operational lens to solving higher education’s civil discourse challenge. Together, Mike and Francesca explore why modern communication frequently breaks down and why developing constructive dialogue habits—such as listening with curiosity, managing emotional reactivity, and asking thoughtful questions—is critical for modern…

What if the safest career path in an era of rapid AI disruption is actually doing something entrepreneurial or mission-driven? In this episode of Trending in Education, Mike Palmer is joined by Arun Gupta, CEO of ⁠NobleReach Foundation⁠ and author of ⁠The Mission Generation: Reclaim Your Purpose, Rewrite Success, Rebuild Our Future⁠. Drawing from his background as a venture capitalist, Georgetown and Stanford instructor, and public service advocate, Arun breaks down why traditional stability is becoming the new risk and how emerging generations—and professionals at all career stages—can align personal ambition with civic purpose. They discuss why fewer than 7%…

Host Mike Palmer connects with Monica Marquez, founder of⁠ ⁠FlipWork⁠⁠ and founding director of the⁠ ⁠TIDE Center at UNT Dallas⁠⁠, to explore how humans can navigate the rapid disruption of AI in the workplace. Drawing from her deep background in human capital, diversity, and leadership development at industry giants like Goldman Sachs, Google, and Bank of America, Monica brings a deeply human-centered approach to the AI revolution.  Mike and Monica skip the standard AI hype to discuss why simply rolling out AI tools isn’t enough to drive real adoption. They dive into the psychology of AI integration, unpacking what Monica…

Host Mike Palmer connects with behavioral neuroscience expert and executive coach Dr. D. Ivan Young to discuss his book, Leading from the Heart. They analyze the balance between artificial intelligence and human emotion, detailing how self-empathy, compassion, and psychological safety impact leadership. Dr. Young also shares practical insights on managing emotional signals, navigating media-driven dopamine loops, and using metacognition to reset negative thought patterns. Key Discussion Topics: Self-Empathy First: Leaders cannot effectively provide empathy or compassion to others if they do not first possess it within themselves. Thermostats vs. Thermometers: Effective leaders actively regulate the energy and psychological safety of…

This week on Trending in Ed, host Mike Palmer is joined by Trending in Ed all-star Beth Rudden, CEO of Bast AI. From her roots digging in the dirt as an archaeologist to managing a $34 billion division as the Chief Data Officer of IBM Managed Services, Beth brings a deeply grounded, technical perspective to the artificial intelligence conversation. In this wide-ranging and insightful conversation, Mike and Beth skip the typical AI hype to explore what it actually takes to build explainable, trustworthy technology. Beth shares how Bast AI acts as an LLM-agnostic explainability layer—using a unique drinking chocolate analogy…

How do we shift the role of teachers from passive curriculum implementers to active classroom architects? This week on Trending in Ed, host Mike Palmer is joined by K-12 math teacher and author Jim Gaona Ellis on the day his new book drops: ⁠Educators as Designers: The Hidden Architecture of Learning⁠. Drawing from his unique background transitioning from an architecture student to a global educator across Phoenix, Madrid, and Vienna, Jim brings a fresh, human-centered lens to Universal Design for Learning (UDL). We dive deep into the real-world application of design thinking in the classroom, moving past rigid checklists to…

In this milestone 750th episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer takes the podcast on the road to the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) for the Next Level Lab Spring Learning Summit. Centered on the future of work, workforce learning, and instructional design, this episode features a dynamic series of conversations with emerging researchers and educational innovators who are reimagining how humans learn, lead, and thrive alongside advancing technology. Mike kicks off the celebration by reflecting on the podcast’s 750-episode journey, giving a nod to the community, and sharing updates on his latest media projects before diving into…

Commencement season is here, and while we all love the tradition, let’s be honest: a lot of graduation ceremonies are still operationally stuck in the 18th century. This week, Chase Rigby, CEO of ⁠Tassel⁠, joins Mike Palmer to talk about what it actually takes to modernize the final milestone of the student lifecycle. Chase shares his path from teaching seventh-grade math and science with Teach For America to working as a product manager at Google, before ultimately using a search fund model to acquire Marching Order and evolve it into Tassel. We dig into why forward-thinking colleges are moving away…

In this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer welcomes Erika Kitzmiller, a research associate professor at the University of Chicago and author of the new book, ⁠Unchartered: How One Public High School Transformed First Generation College Success⁠. Drawing on her own background as a former middle school teacher and a proud first-generation college graduate, Kitzmiller shares the insights gained from an intensive, multi-year case study of a public high school pseudonymously named Clayton. While the school boasted a near-100 percent college acceptance rate, only half of its alumni were successfully graduating from college. To address this gap, Kitzmiller…

Cheryl Strauss Einhorn joins Mike Palmer to discuss her latest book, ⁠The Human Edge: Smarter Decisions in the Age of AI⁠. As the founder of Decisive and a former investigative journalist for Barron’s, Cheryl brings a unique perspective to the world of problem solving. Her career shift from reporting on corporate scandals to teaching at Columbia University stems from a desire to move beyond simple awareness of cognitive biases and toward a system that actively counters them. The conversation centers on the AREA method, a decision making framework designed to manage the mental shortcuts that often lead us astray. Cheryl…