Higher Ed Pulse

Mallory Willsea sits down with Emma Jamieson, Marketing Manager at Centennial College, to explore how her team has operationalized user-generated content (UGC) into a full-fledged strategy—not a side hustle. Emma reveals how UGC isn’t just performing well; it’s outperforming traditional branded ads in engagement, conversion, and trust. In a world flooded with AI-generated polish, this episode is a must-listen for higher ed marketers looking to prioritize credibility, human-centered storytelling, and results-driven social strategy.

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Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Higher education’s reputation is being shaped by a familiar set of headlines: rising costs, political pressure, campus conflict, layoffs, and closures. It’s the story we keep hearing, and it’s loud.
But in this episode, we ask: is that the story most people actually believe?
In the first episode of this five-part Pulse Check series, host Day Kibilds is joined by Doug Edwards, Chief Strategy Officer at Ologie, and Dr. Cassie Dutton, Research Director at Ologie, to introduce The Reputation Rethink, Ologie’s national study on public perception of higher education.
Together, they define what “reputation” really means in this research, explain who was included and why, and share the study’s most encouraging (and challenging) insight: people believe colleges and universities contribute real value to society beyond educating students, but they struggle to see that impact in their everyday lives. This episode sets the foundation for the five specific areas institutions can address to close that gap and reconnect with the public.
Host - Dayana Kibilds (LinkedIn)
With 15 years of experience, Dayana Kibilds has led award-winning work with universities around the world. An international keynote speaker and one of London, Ontario’s 20 Under 40, she is known for making complex ideas clear, practical, and possible. She loves to teach and share what she knows through her email book Mailed It!, as well as through her workshops, courses, her work with young professionals at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Summer Institutes, and her weekly newsletter. A lifelong immigrant who grew up in six countries, Day is now happily Canadian and lives with her husband, Bruno, and son, Romeo.

Guest - Doug Edwards (LinkedIn)
Doug is a seasoned professional who’s dedicated his career to helping brands do more good for the world. With 20 years of experience across healthcare, education, cultural institutions, and non-profits, Doug helps senior leaders and marketing teams navigate their toughest brand related challenges. He thrives at the intersection of strategy, creativity, and design and currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at Ologie where he leads the research and strategy team. 
Guest - Cassie Dutton, PhD (LinkedIn)
Cassie brings a unique perspective to her work, combining 10+ years of academic research and consumer insights experience. She’s conducted academic research on the immigrant experience, veterans perspectives on social issues, and public policy and worked with strategists and consumers at some of the world's largest brands. What ties this all together? A real passion for utilizing data to tell stories and get to the “so what.” As a qualitative and quantitative researcher, Cassie loves finding just the right methods and approach to get at the heart of a question. When she’s not drafting research design, analyzing data, or moderating, you can find Cassie at her local independent bookstore or stamping her passport on an international adventure.

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Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mallory Willsea sits down with Ardis Kadiu, co-founder of AI Idea Lab and former CEO of Element451, to explore why 2026 is poised to be the breakout year for agentic AI in higher education. Unlike traditional AI tools that assist with tasks, agentic AI can now plan, execute, and deliver outcomes autonomously. They unpack how this shift will impact student communication, operational workflows, and the very structure of work across campuses. Tune in to hear real-world applications, insights into Ardis’s new venture Andy.AI, and how enrollment leaders can start leveraging these tools today.
Register for AI Engage Summit for FREE: https://element451.com/february-ai-engage-summit

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Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the final part of this Pulse Check series, Carrie Phillips sits down with Jeff Ebbing for a practical, no-nonsense conversation about AI from a community college perspective. Jeff shares what it really looks like to think about AI when “doing more with less” is the daily reality, including what’s worth trying, what’s not, and how to bring skeptical colleagues along without overselling the technology. They talk about where community colleges are getting AI right and how to take smart, low-risk steps forward.
Guest Name: Jeff Ebbing, Director of Marketing and Communications, Southeastern Community College in Iowa 
Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffebbing/
Guest Bio: Jeff Ebbing is currently Director of Marketing and Communications at the Southeastern Community College in Iowa, a position he’s held since 2005. In that time, he tripled the size of his department to three people, survived a handful of website relaunches, and has outlived the meteoric rise and spectacular flame out of more than his share of social media platforms.

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Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mallory Willsea sits down with Jaime Hunt — founder of Solve Higher Ed and former cabinet-level CMO — to discuss why more institutions are turning to fractional marketing leadership instead of hiring full-time CMOs. As the role of marketing in higher ed has evolved rapidly, many campuses are struggling to keep up with growing demands. This episode explores the tension between expectations and reality and unpacks how fractional CMOs can fill leadership gaps during key inflection points. Whether you're restructuring your MarCom office or navigating leadership turnover, this episode delivers a clear-eyed look at a fast-emerging trend.
Apply by Feb 10 for Let’s Go Upstate

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Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.