Noodle With Us

Our two-part recorded Times Higher Education in partnership with Noodle webinar brings together the following panel of experts to address how universities can help overcome this strategic challenge.

• Stevara Haley Clark, interim associate dean for academic and student affairs, director of online education & associate professor in teaching, School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Laurie Cochenour, executive director of online learning, Office of Online Learning, University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

• Kathy Wasilewski, vice-president, university engagement & field placement, Noodle

• Julie Leventhal, senior managing director, student support & engagement, Noodle

Our two-part recorded Times Higher Education in partnership with Noodle webinar brings together the following panel of experts to address how universities can help overcome this strategic challenge.

• Stevara Haley Clark, interim associate dean for academic and student affairs, director of online education & associate professor in teaching, School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Laurie Cochenour, executive director of online learning, Office of Online Learning, University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

• Kathy Wasilewski, vice-president, university engagement & field placement, Noodle

• Julie Leventhal, senior managing director, student support & engagement, Noodle

In this Noodle podcast episode, we sit down with Brandon Martinez, VP of University Partnerships at Noodle, to explore the future of learning design and the transformative role of digital and blended learning. Drawing from his rich experience in academia and his successful collaborations with universities across disciplines, Martinez offers thought-provoking perspectives on inclusivity, diversity, and accessibility in learning design. We also delve into the potential impact of AI on education. Be sure not to miss his talk at the OCLC Accelerate conference, where he further discusses cultivating collaborations in modern learning environments.

In this Noodle podcast episode, our guest is Alan Mlynek, Chief of Technology Solutions here at Noodle. As we gear up to physically attend both the 2023 EDUCAUSE and Leadership in Higher Education conferences, our conversation centers on the future of tech in education. We dive into leveraging AI to foster dynamic learning communities and talk about the challenge of engaging 'degree-completion' students, highlighting the need for a more tailored and inclusive approach. 

In this episode, our guest is Noodle CEO and founder John Katzman. We focus on the upcoming September 27-29, 2023 P3-EDU event in Denver, Colorado, delving into the intersection of technology and education, and discussing the role of data in shaping academic outcomes. We talk about the potential misuse of data in education and the need for data in ushering good careers rather than just credentials. We also explore the future of tech in education and the importance of public-private partnerships.

On this episode we welcome Natasha Warikoo, the Lenore Stern Professor in the Social Sciences, Department of Sociology at Tufts University. Natasha shares her path to studying affirmative action, starting with an early interest in teaching math and how different curriculums worked. She tells Lee about working in New York City public schools and their difficult middle school selection process. Natasha then explains what affirmative action is, what the term meritocracy really means, and how we should be thinking about each in regard to college admissions. The two discuss her most recent book, and how she argues that we should be moving away from the idea of fairness in college admissions and thinking more about how admissions align with institutional missions. Natasha and Lee then have a wide-ranging discussion that touches on colleges making progress on equity in admissions, possible solutions, the effect of donations on equity, and the implications of test-optional admission practices. 

Warikoo’s most recent book is, Is Affirmative Action Fair? The Myth of Equity in College Admissions (Polity Press, 2022), which argues that considering college mission makes clear the need for affirmative action. The book walks readers through the empirical evidence related to arguments about affirmative action.

On this episode we welcome Dr. Brad Cox, a professor at Florida State University and the Founder and Executive Director of the College Autism Network (CAN). Brad begins by explaining what CAN is and what they do, specifically why the transmission of information from academic journals to those in position to make change is important. He explains some ways in which a college environment may make for new challenges for individuals on the Autism spectrum, and how the legal support systems through K-12 drop away when they reach college. Lee and Brad discuss how much of the growth in this area begins when leaders or donors in higher education have a personal connection to someone with Autism and want to make their institution a better atmosphere for them to succeed. Brad tells Lee his origin story of involvement, when his son was diagnosed with Autism, and he set out to make colleges better equipped. The two discuss how the conversation around college students with Autism has changed over the last twenty years and what new goals they are setting for student success in college and finding jobs in which they can thrive.

Lee and Brad discuss the company Speciaalisterne and their strategy to help individuals with Autism find careers in which they can be an asset.

We are pleased to have on another member of the Noodle Advisory Board, the Dean of the School of Education and a Distinguished Professor at American University, Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy. Cheryl tells Lee about the AU School of Education separating from the school of Arts & Sciences and what benefits that brings them, as well as some of their new initiatives like the Teacher Pipeline Project. Lee asks Cheryl for her thoughts on the apprenticeship model and how she has seen that utilized within education and training teachers. The two discuss how early childhood and K-12 teachers are severely underpaid and where changes need to be made to begin fixing this. Cheryl also shares how she got into the education field in the first place, what her experience has been like in higher education as a woman of color, and how we can improve equity and inclusivity in University culture.

Lee is joined by the Dean of Syracuse University College of Law, Craig Boise. Craig is quite possibly the most interesting person in the world, not just higher education. Prior to becoming a dean, Craig grew up working on a farm, was a SWAT team sniper, is a classically trained pianist, and an avid sailor. The two talk through all of Craig’s past and how those experiences have helped him be a better dean. Craig details what it was like building one of the first Online JD programs in the country at Syracuse, and a Risk Free JD program at Cleveland State University. He also touches on how he got faculty on board to teach online, and what he’s thinking about in the higher education space moving forward.

Noodle Founder and CEO, John Katzman took the stage at the 2022 ASU+GSV Summit to discuss Steering Ed Tech Towards the Public Good. Thirty years in, has technology made education measurably better and significantly less expensive? What are the concrete steps that we can take as a community to make education more responsive, resilient, inclusive, and cost-effective–while making investors great returns?John touches on a bunch of different nuances of Ed Tech in this short talk that we think you will find informative and intriguing.

To watch on Youtube click here. 

Noodle was lucky enough to have the President of Paul Quinn College, Michael Sorrell as a guest speaker. President Sorrell discusses the ethos and vision of PQC, and their mission to eradicate intergenerational poverty. He explains the difficult backgrounds of a majority of his students, coming in with the trauma of growing up in poverty, lack of proper healthcare including basic needs like glasses, and how PQC has evolved to help them succeed. President Sorrell then explains their new The Village Program which allows students to bring up to two family members or friends with them to college. He talks about the reception, how it should work, and the goals of the program. President Sorrell then answers a few questions from Noodlers.

For episode 11 of The Most Interesting People in Higher Education, we welcome the Dean and Professor of Humanities, at the College of General Studies, at Boston University, Natalie McKnight. Natalie is the co-chair of Boston University's Committee on the Future of Staff Work and had some really insightful ideas about the shift to remote work we are seeing in higher education. Natalie walks Lee through how the committee was formed, what their reporting found, and how they quickly put a plan in place. Natalie and Lee discuss how to keep culture consistent when people are in person less often, and the challenges of recruiting new talent if you aren't willing to offer remote options. Later in the episode, Natalie talks about her role as the co-chair of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee at her college, and her thoughts on the intersection of DEI and remote work.

We kick off 2022 with our second straight guest hailing from the world of healthcare education. David Baron, DO, MSEd, is the Senior Vice President and Provost at Western University of Health Sciences. He joins us to discuss the future of online education at Western University, how hybrid health science programs can succeed, and the new level of flexibility required from higher ed. How will alternate reality and virtual reality shape learning? What problems do generational divides in tech use cause? What is the right balance of virtual vs. in-person for learners and professors?

Provost Baron tells us about his early interest in psychiatry before ultimately choosing osteopathic medicine, plus some of his experiences working with professional athletes.

On this episode of the Most Interesting People in Higher Education, we are honored to be joined by the president of Benedict College, the magnificent Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis. Dr. Artis is one of the most impressive people you will ever meet, having won dozens of awards and twice being the first female president of a university. Dr. Artis begins by discussing her educational roots at an HBCU. She shares the challenges she's working to solve at Benedict, also an HBCU: how can she help lower tuition, change major options, and help her students succeed in the rapidly-evolving workforce? Critically, according to Dr. Artis, many Benedict students are trying to change long family cycles of poverty, and that means they don't always do things the same as a traditional university. Dr. Artis offers her unique perspective on continually breaking down barriers and how that pressure has affected her. She also tells us how Benedict College handled the covid crisis and soon became a case-study shared by the CDC, which you can hear more about in this CDC IHE Webinar.

Joshua Kim and Edward Maloney are arguably online higher ed’s most iconic duo. The co-authors of “Learning Innovation and The Future of Higher Education” join Lee on Episode 5 of The Most Interesting People in Higher Ed to share their unique perspectives on online higher ed: what’s shaped its evolution, the challenges it faces today, and the expansive opportunities that lie ahead (plus, some high-quality banter). Joshua and Edward, both academics, direct some pointed questions at Lee as a leader in a growing EdTech company. Listeners will be surprised to find out what they agree on— and what they don’t.

Joshua Kim is the director of digital learning initiatives at the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning and a senior fellow at the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship at Georgetown University. Edward Maloney is a professor of English at Georgetown University, where he is the executive director of the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship and the founding director of the Program in Learning, Design, and Technology.