An Educated Guest

Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Michael London, CEO of Uwill, a technology-based platform that connects students with experienced mental health professionals.Todd and Michael discuss Uwill’s mission and how higher ed can continue to expand its mental health access for students in need.  Topics Discussed: •How Uwill compliments campus-based resources to provide increased access to students requiring more flexibility•The need for universities to understand and address the high percentage of students who are struggling and not seeking help•The importance of providing mental health support as a central serviceGuest Bio Michael London is the CEO of Uwill and has over 20 years of experience in EdTech. In 2013, Michael founded Examity, the world leader in learning validation and online proctoring. Over a five-year period, the company grew to more than 1,000 employees and $30 million in revenue. Previously, he was the founding CEO for Bloomberg Institute, funded by Mayor Bloomberg and Bloomberg Ventures. Their flagship solution was offered in more than 500 universities and 45 countries. Michael is a current Trustee at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and The Rivers School, as well as a Member of the Advisory Board at Babson College, where he graduated with honors. He received his MBA from Boston University.

Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Bob Ubell, Vice Dean Emeritus of Online Learning at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering & Senior Advisor to Stevens Institute of Technology. Todd and Bob discuss the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on online learning and the future of digital education. Topics Discussed: •The shift in attitude, from pre-pandemic to now, on the efficiency of online learning •How online, digital education will be crucial for universities long-term •How online learning is shifting from a faculty-centered learning model to an active learning model •The need for university leadership to devote the same energy to online programs as their on-campus programs Guest BioBob Ubell is Vice Dean Emeritus of Online Learning at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering and Senior Advisor to Stevens Institute of Technology. Considered an expert of digital education, he consults for universities and edtech companies including Coursera, NYU, and The New School and his online programs have enrolled more than 30,000 students. For almost a decade, he headed Tandon Online, ranked #2 by US News & World Report of the nation’s Computer Information Technology online graduate programs. Bob has also taken his expertise overseas. In China, he headed three online master’s programs and was a member of the board of the Lianyungang Universal Vehicle Manufacturing Company. In London, he served as American Publisher of Nature, the prominent science weekly, and launched the journal, Nature Biotechnology. Bob has contributed nearly 90 articles to scholarly and general periodicals, is a columnist for EdSurge, a contributor for Inside Higher Ed, and is the author or editor of 20 books. His most recent book, Staying Online: How to Navigate Digital Higher Education, was released in September 2021.

Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Tess Michaels, Founder and CEO of Stride Funding. As student debt rises, borrowers are looking for other ways to fund their higher education. Todd and Tess discuss the details of outcome-based funding options and what it means for borrowers.Topics Discussed:   • The benefits of outcome-based funding options and how they rely on future cash flows and the ability to repay once employed  • How Stride is offering more than funding options; including academic, career, and mental health support to drive retention and positive outcomes for students   • Why the cost and value of education requires alignment across learners, education providers, employers, and finance providers Guest Bio   Tess Michaels is the Founder and CEO of Stride Funding, an alternate way to pay for higher education through outcome-based funding options such as income-share agreements and deferred tuition. Stride Funding provides flexibility for student borrowers by offering personalized rates, a simple application, and shorter repayment plans.  Prior to Stride Funding, Tess worked at Vista Equity Partners as a Private Equity Associate and at Goldman Sachs as an Investment Banking Analyst. In 2020, she was included on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list for education. Tess received her Bachelor of Arts in Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, a Bachelor of Science in Operations Management at The Wharton School, and an MBA at Harvard Business School.

Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Ben Nelson, Founder and CEO of the Minerva Project and Minerva University. Todd and Ben discuss how Minerva is evolving higher ed and preparing students for a fulfilling, lifelong career. By offering challenging curriculum, global experiences, and top-notch career development, Minerva’s goal is to inform better leaders, smarter innovators, and more informed global citizens. Topics Discussed: •Why Minerva University is a reformer, not a disrupter•How to leverage social and experiential learning to provide the best outcomes for students•How courses and curriculum can build off each other to deeply engage learners •The importance of teaching transferable and practical knowledge•The future of learning and artificial intelligence•Why higher ed needs to focus more on education and engagement, not certificationGuest Bio Ben Nelson is the Founder and CEO of the Minerva Project and Minerva University. Driven by his passion to reinvent higher ed, Ben founded Minerva in 2011 with the goal of preparing exceptional learners.Before Minerva, Ben spent over 10 years at Snapfish, where he helped build the company from a startup to the world’s largest personal publishing service. He served as CEO at Snapfish from 2005 to 2010 and led the company’s sale to Hewlett Packard for $300 million. Prior to Snapfish, he was President and CEO of Community Ventures, a network of locally branded portals for American communities.Ben received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He became the chair of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, a pedagogical think tank that is the oldest and only non-elected student government body at the University of Pennsylvania.

Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Ted Mitchell, President of the American Council on Education (ACE). Todd and Ted discuss what ACE is currently working on and how are they helping colleges and universities through innovation. Plus, Ted shares his thoughts on how higher education will evolve under the Biden administration. Topics Discussed •What to expect from the Biden Administration regarding affordability and accountability •How the pandemic negatively impacted enrollment rates for adult learners •The current student loan debt crisis and potential solutions to solve it •The effect digital credentialing will have on higher ed •How institutions can leverage investments from the big MOOC and platform players to bring down costs and drive better outcomes for students Guest Bio Ted Mitchell is the President of ACE, the coordinating body for higher education institutions in the United States. ACE’s work encompasses policy advocacy, program development, and research focusing on equity, access, and student achievement.  Ted’s leadership of ACE, and of the nation’s higher education sector, is informed by a lifetime of work in higher education as a Professor, Dean, College President, Trustee, and most recently as U.S. Under Secretary of Education in the Obama administration. Previously, he served as the President of the California State Board of Education and CEO of the NewSchools Venture Fund, a venture philanthropy investing in K–12 innovation to support low-income students, schools, and communities. Ted received his bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees from Stanford University. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, Christine, and their two children.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Tracy Lorenz, CEO & President of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. Todd and Tracy discuss the benefits of online culinary and pastry arts classes. The Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts is the only accredited institution in the United States to offer fully online diploma and degree programs with hands-on industry externships.Topics Discussed:•How Auguste Escoffier disrupted the culinary model and proved that effective vocational education can be delivered online •Ways to create a 1:1 learning environment online, which is often cited by students as a reason for selecting the program at Auguste Escoffier •The current demand for chefs and the desire for credentials in the restaurant industry •How to take advantage of the scale of online education to provide affordable training Guest Bio Tracy Lorenz has more than 20 years of leadership experience in higher ed, including both online and campus-based operations. Currently, Tracy leads her team as the CEO and President of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts to provide fully online, accredited culinary and pastry programs for adults. Prior to joining Auguste Escoffier, Tracy served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Western International University, where she later stepped into the role of President. Tracy has held a variety of key executive roles at Career Education Corporation where she led operations, strategy and development, as well as investor relations and corporate communications. Previously, she held positions at McDonald’s International and KPMG in finance and accounting. Tracy passed the Illinois CPA exam and received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Master’s of Strategic Management Degree from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.

Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Ryan Craig, Managing Director of Achieve Partners. Todd and Ryan discuss the crisis of affordability and employability in higher ed, along with higher ed's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and academic integrity.Topics Discussed:•The combination of student loan debt, lack of degree completion, and underemployment are a warning sign that higher ed isn’t working as it should •How a shift in the labor market impacts the ability for many to get good first jobs •The importance of teaching the skills that employers are looking for and funding innovative new models that are not “education up”, but “employer down”•How the Talent as a Service model creates a faster and cheaper pathway to employment•The benefits of an immersive, practical experience paired with online learning Guest BioRyan Craig is the Managing Director of Achieve Partners. He is a prolific writer, known for his work as a Senior Contributor at Forbes and for his blog, Gap Letter. Ryan is also the author of two books. His first, College Disrupted: The Great Unbundling of Higher Education (2015), focuses on how he sees the future of higher education: in online degrees that unbundle course offerings. His second book, A New U: Faster + Cheaper Alternatives to College (2018), highlights bootcamps, apprenticeships, and more. Prior to Achieve Partners, Ryan led the Education & Training sector at Warburg Pincus where he was the founding Director of Bridgepoint Education, one of the largest online universities in the United States. Ryan received his bachelor’s degree from Yale University, and his law degree from the Yale Law School.

Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Zvi Galil, creator of the Online Master of Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s College of Computing. Todd and Zvi discuss the launch of this program in 2014, which is regarded as the first affordable, fully online MOOC-based master’s degree in the United States. Zvi disputes the premises that we should be afraid of online, and that in-person teaching is superior. Topics Discussed:•The impact of the first MOOC-based degree at Georgia Tech, and how it opened-up a larger, global market•Opportunities for universities to deliver online degrees at a fraction of the cost and to a larger student population •The expansion of high-quality and low-cost MOOC-based degrees into the undergraduate realm•How success was driven through the board of trustees, critical faculty, and an investment from a corporation Guest BioZvi Galil is the creator of the Online Master of Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s College of Computing, who The Wall Street Journal dubbed “The man who made online college work.” Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, he earned BS and MS degrees in Applied Mathematics from Tel Aviv University, both summa cum laude. Zvi later obtained a PhD in Computer Science from Cornell University.In 1982, he joined the faculty of Columbia University, served as the chair of the Computer Science Department in 1989-1994, and became dean of The Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science in 1995-2007. In 2007, he returned to Tel Aviv University to serve as president. Zvi then took over as the third John P. Imlay Jr. Dean of Computing at Georgia Tech from July 2010 through June 2019.He has written over 200 scientific papers, edited five books, and has given more than 150 lectures in 20 countries. Zvi has served as editor in chief of two journals and as the chief computer science adviser in the United States to the Oxford University Press. Recently, he was named one of the 10 most influential computer scientists in the last decade by Academic Influence.

Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Angela Kersenbrock, President, Community College Baccalaureate Association (CCBA). Todd and Angela discuss the importance of community colleges offering baccalaureate degrees and how the CCBA supports this mission. Topics Discussed:•The dynamic and critical relationship between higher ed and industry, and the communities that they serve•How the CCBA is supporting institutions and associations with efforts to increase the number of states allowing community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees•The impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on those without baccalaureate degrees, and how legislators, industries, and communities are responding to this impact•The concept of family-sustaining careers and innovations on the horizon for community college baccalaureatesGuest BioAngela Kersenbrock is currently the president of the Community College Baccalaureate Association. An accomplished educator with experience at the associates, bachelor, master’s, and doctoral levels, she recently retired after 34 years at Seminole State College in Florida. There, she was a tenured faculty member, department chair, dean, and the associate vice president of the School of Business, Health, and Public Safety. Angela holds a doctorate degree in higher education and public policy and is a masters prepared registered nurse. She has been involved with workforce education programs, having developed almost 30 different degrees and certificates, as well as several baccalaureate programs, including business and information management, nursing, health sciences, and information systems. She has also led partnerships between multiple stakeholders to gain regional approval for baccalaureate degrees.

Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Dan Avida, CEO and Co-founder of Engageli. Todd and Dan discuss how the pandemic highlighted the need for more engaging online learning. Topics Discussed:•The need for engaging synchronous tools in online education and ways to improve asynchronous learning•The shortcomings of traditional teleconferencing tools like Google Meet, Slack, and Teams•Ways to improve engagement and collaboration between instructors and students to help drive quality outcomes at scale•How to address inclusivity, equity, and diversity through platform design and functionality•The future of the personalized learning journey, machine learning, use of data, dashboards, and AIGuest BioDan Avida has been working in technology companies as an executive and/or board member for over three decades. Several of these companies have scaled from a small founding team to over $100M in revenues and valuations of over $1B. He started Engageli in 2020 with wife and Coursera co-founder Daphne Koller, Stanford emeritus professor Serge Plotkin, and former executive at 2U and Trilogy, Jamie Nacht Farrell. He earned his B.S. in Computer Engineering from Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, summa cum laude.