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We love our higher ed community! It’s a place where people live the mission—improving people’s lives through creative ideas, mentorship, and knowledge sharing. Here are some of the top higher ed marketing challenges on our minds. What’s keeping you up at night? Send us a message if there’s a topic you’d like us to tackle.

Webinar Archive

Some conversations are better live. Join us as we unpack the questions, trends, and challenges we’re hearing across higher education—or catch up on past sessions anytime.

Faculty members and educators collaborate around a table, sharing ideas and expertise to support student engagement and enrollment.

Turning Faculty Expertise into Enrollments:

Creating Content That Differentiates

AI in the classroom, highlighting the evolving role of artificial intelligence in higher education marketing and student decision-making.

The New Rules of Higher Education Marketing:

Shifts Reshaping How Students Find and Choose Colleges

Black-and-white aerial view of the Boston skyline and Charles River, with teal arrows symbolizing growth and forward momentum.

Beyond Lead Generation:

Creating Graduate Campaigns That Convert Throughout the Funnel

Colorful illustration of a digital marketing team analyzing charts, search data, and performance metrics, representing answer engine optimization (AEO) and AI-driven search.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO):

What It Is, Why It Matters, and How Higher Ed Teams Should Respond Now

Silhouetted hands forming a heart shape above a crowd at a live event, illuminated by vibrant pink, purple, and blue lights.

Radically Human Storytelling:

How to Connect and Convert Prospective Students

From upcoming events to featured insights, signing up for the Viv Higher Education newsletter is an easy way to keep learning with us.

Higher Ed Leaders

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Founding, Legacy & Entrepreneurial Leadership in Higher Ed

Hosted by Suzan Brinker, PhD, Viv Higher Education Founder & CEO

Welcome to Season 3 of Higher Ed Leaders, the podcast for college and university professionals who believe higher education is strongest when institutions are bold, adaptive, and built to last.

In the 2026 season, we’re exploring entrepreneurial leadership through the lens of founding and legacy stories. You’ll hear from presidents, provosts, deans, and vice presidents as they share how they’re:

Launching programs, initiatives, and ideas in moments of uncertainty
Making decisions with imperfect information
Sustaining momentum through change and constraint
Building institutions and strategies designed to endure over time

If you’re ready for honest conversations and practical insights from leaders shaping the future of higher education, you’re in the right place.

Bold Moves & Entrepreneurial Leadership in Higher Ed

Hosted by Suzan Brinker, PhD, Founder & CEO of Viv Higher Education

Season 2 of Higher Ed Leaders explored what it means to lead with entrepreneurial courage. Presidents, provosts, and vice presidents across enrollment, strategy, marketing, and student success shared how they’re:

Making decisions with imperfect data
Saying no to misaligned initiatives
Reimagining operations, brand, and student engagement
Accelerating the pace of change at their institutions

Explore candid conversations and practical insights from leaders shaping the future of higher education.

Transforming & Innovating Higher Education

Hosted by Suzan Brinker, PhD, Founder & CEO of Viv Higher Education, and Audra DeLaney-Hall, Chief Operating Officer at Viv Higher Education

Season 1 of Higher Ed Leaders featured candid conversations with changemakers across higher education. Presidents, chief marketing officers, vice presidents, and others shared how they advanced strategy, strengthened brand, drove academic innovation, and shaped organizational culture. From bold planning to new approaches, the podcast highlighted the leaders who pushed boundaries and helped elevate the future of education.

May 4, 2026 Episode 12 28:00

SEASON 3: Ep. 12 From Student to President: Leading the Institution That Made You with Michael Avaltroni, Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU)

April 21, 2026 Episode 11 33:27

SEASON 3: Ep. 11 Inside a First Year as College President with Brooke Barnett, Rollins College

April 1, 2026 Episode 10 22:49

SEASON 3: Ep. 10 Purpose, Edge, and Community: Rethinking the Business School with Brooke Elliott, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

March 25, 2026 Episode 9 31:33

SEASON 3: Ep. 9 One Foot in the Street with Arthur Levine, Brandeis University

March 18, 2026 Episode 8 26:49

SEASON 3: Ep. 8 From First-Generation Student to Business School Dean with Scott Beaulier, University of Wyoming

March 17, 2026 Episode 7 37:59

SEASON 3: Ep. 7 The Power of Heart-First Leadership with Joseph Brennan, Montclair State University

March 17, 2026 Episode 6 36:35

SEASON 3: Ep. 6 The Elegant Experiment with Hilary Link, Drew University

February 26, 2026 Episode 5 34:54

SEASON 3: Ep. 5 Building an R1 Without Leaving Students Behind with Freeman Hrabowski III, UMBC

February 18, 2026 Episode 4 29:23

SEASON 3: Ep. 4 Resilience, Risk, and University Leadership with Carol Christ, UC Berkeley

February 10, 2026 Episode 3 40:38

SEASON 3: Ep. 3 Leading a College for Half a Century with Leon Botstein from Bard College

February 3, 2026 Episode 2 29:35

SEASON 3: Ep. 2 Building Jersey College to Address the Nursing Shortage with Greg Karzhevsky

January 28, 2026 Episode 1 27:03

SEASON 3: Ep. 1 Leading With Purpose: An Interview with Dr. Humphrey at Carlow University

January 27, 2026 Episode 0:46

SEASON 3: 0 – Higher Ed Leaders: Founding and Legacy – From First Vision to Lasting Impact

April 29, 2025 Episode 14 35:12

SEASON 2, Ep. 14 Building Trust and Driving Change with Thom D. Chesney, President of Southwestern College (NM)

April 22, 2025 Episode 13 25:23

SEASON 2, Ep. 13 Faith, Innovation, and the Future of Higher Education with Michael Hammond, President of Gordon College

April 15, 2025 Episode 12 29:18

SEASON 2, Ep. 12 The Joyful Administrator with Karlyn Crowley, Provost of Ohio Wesleyan University

April 8, 2025 Episode 11 36:17

SEASON 2, Ep. 11 Beyond the Status Quo with Jeffrey Senese, President of Caldwell University

March 25, 2025 Episode 10 33:28

SEASON 2, Ep. 10 Innovating Enrollment: Augustana's Strategic Approach with Kent Barnds, Exe. VP of for Strategy and Innovation Augustana College

March 18, 2025 Episode 9 14:57

SEASON 2, Ep. 9 HBCU Innovation: Shaping the Future from Monique Guillory, President of Dillard University

March 11, 2025 Episode 8 29:43

SEASON 2, Ep. 8 Healing Through Brand: Transforming Higher Education from Jenny Petty, VP of Marketing & Communications at the University of Montana

March 4, 2025 Episode 7 25:26

SEASON 2, Ep. 7 Geneva's Leap: Rebranding, Tuition Promise, and the Future of Liberal Arts from Willem de Ruijter, VP of Enrollment & Marketing at Geneva College

February 18, 2025 Episode 6 25:47

SEASON 2, Ep. 6 The Future of Higher Ed: Insights from Debra Liebowitz, Provost at Quinnipiac University

February 18, 2025 Episode 5 28:06

SEASON 2, Ep. 5 Innovative Leadership & AI: An Interview with Frank Hribar, Vice President, Enrollment & Student Affairs at Adrian College

February 10, 2025 Episode 4 31:33

SEASON 2, Ep. 4 Thriving Amid the FAFSA Chaos: An Interview with Nathan Ament, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission at Knox College

February 4, 2025 Episode 3 32:52

SEASON 2, Ep. 3 Future-Ready Higher Ed: An Interview with Lisa Keegan, Vice President, Student Enrollment, Engagement, and Success at Bucknell University

January 27, 2025 Episode 2 32:45

SEASON 2, Ep. 2 Challenging the Status Quo: An Interview with Paul McGinnis, Vice President of Marketing and Enrollment at Bethel University

January 21, 2025 Episode 1 23:51

SEASON 2, Ep. 1 Redefining Education: An Interview with Catherine Whelburg, President of Athens State University

January 21, 2025 Episode 0:53

SEASON 2: Trailer – Higher Ed Leaders: The Entrepreneurial Campus sponsored by Viv Higher Education

April 16, 2024 Episode 13 51:42

SEASON 1, Ep. 13 Brian Bruess & Kara Kolomitz, Joint President and COO of The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University

April 9, 2024 Episode 12 44:38

SEASON 1, Ep. 12 Jefferson Blackburn-Smith, Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Otterbein Enrollment Management Division, Otterbein University

April 2, 2024 Episode 11 42:45

SEASON 1, Ep. 11 Dr Walter Wendler, President, West Texas A&M University

March 26, 2024 Episode 10 35:06

SEASON 1, Ep. 10 Danielle O'Neil, Chief Marketing Officer, University of New Hampshire

March 19, 2024 Episode 9 44:19

SEASON 1, Ep. 9 Carrie Phillips, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

March 12, 2024 Episode 8 37:56

SEASON 1, Ep. 8 Dr. Mary Beth Williams, Vice President Of Student Affairs, Millersville University

March 5, 2024 Episode 7 37:02

SEASON 1, Ep. 7 Kimberly Zimmerman, Assistant Vice President of Admissions, Knox College

February 27, 2024 Episode 6 45:10

SEASON 1, Ep. 6 Allison Turcio, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing, Siena College

February 20, 2024 Episode 5 49:15

SEASON 1, Ep. 5 Greg Weiner, Ph.D. President and Christina Graziano J.D, General Counsel and Vice President for Strategy, Assumption University

February 13, 2024 Episode 4 45:46

SEASON 1, Ep. 4 Jaime Hunt, Vice President for University Communications and Chief Marketing Officer, Old Dominion University

February 6, 2024 Episode 3 45:18

SEASON 1, Ep. 3 Laurie Joyner, President, St Norbert College

January 30, 2024 Episode 2 36:59

SEASON 1, Ep. 2 Kerry Salerno, Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Babson College

January 23, 2024 Episode 1 51:43

SEASON 1, Ep. 1 Leo Lambert, President Emeritus at Elon University

January 11, 2024 Episode 0 0:42

SEASON 1: Trailer- Higher Ed Leaders: Transforming and Innovating Higher Education in the US sponsored by Viv Higher Education

PASS / FAIL: The Urgent Need For Strategic Leadership in Higher Education

Written by Viv founder and CEO Suzan Brinker, Pass/Fail explores how higher education leaders can navigate demographic shifts, student mental health challenges, AI, and a changing labor market. Blending her personal journey in higher ed with case studies from leaders at liberal arts colleges, large private universities, and public research institutions, she offers a practical guide to connecting academic strategy, brand, enrollment, philanthropy, and culture. Her goal? To help lead institutions toward a more entrepreneurial, resilient future.

Catholic Enrollment Study: Practical Insights to Align Mission, Messaging & Market Demand

Catholic colleges and universities are navigating shrinking demographics, shifting expectations, and questions about how mission shows up in student life and marketing. That’s why Viv teamed with Loper to create the 2025 Catholic Identity & Enrollment study.

Drawing on a mission and enrollment map, president interviews, and a prospective student survey, the study will help you see how Catholic identity is promoted today, which messages resonate across audiences, and how presidents are framing missions for growth and sustainability.

Blog

Thinking about AI and list buys? Wondering how to grab the attention of GenZ? See what we’ve been thinking about, or submit a topic for us to explore.