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Enjoy a lively look at the people and trends
shaping the future of higher education.
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Meet the Hosts
Eric Gardiner
Eric Gardiner is the Director of
Thought Leadership and Educational
Programming at Top Hat, a job he
feels fortunate to have.
Bradley Cohen
Dr. Bradley Cohen is Top Hat’s Chief
Academic Officer, providing leadership,
advocacy and a dose of optimism for
the higher ed community.
Latest Episode
The Curiosity Deficit: Why It Matters—and What to Do About It
The Curiosity Deficit: Why It Matters—and What to Do About It
Children ask hundreds of questions a day—until school teaches them not to. In this episode, Tawnya Means explores what we lose when learning becomes compliance—and why the future depends on restoring curiosity, developing human potential, and using AI to expand not just what, but how we think.
Tawnya Means is an educational leader and consultant helping universities navigate AI and digital transformation. With over 20 years of experience, her work focuses on developing human potential, reimagining learning, and using technology to create more engaging, meaningful educational experiences.
Past Episodes
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2026 - March 17
The Power of Mattering: When Students Feel Seen, They Thrive
In an era Zach Mercurio calls an “epidemic of insignificance,” many students feel invisible. Drawing on his book The Power of Mattering, Mercurio shares three simple, research-backed practices—notice, affirm, and need—to help unlock the motivation and resilience students need to thrive.
Zach Mercurio, Ph.D., is the bestselling author of The Power of Mattering (Harvard Business Review Press). His scholarship in positive organizational psychology and meaningful work informs his consulting with higher education institutions and organizations seeking to foster cultures of significance, motivation, and well-being.
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2026 - March 3
From Burnout to Flourishing: What Positive Psychology Reveals About Thriving in Today’s Classroom
Burnout and disengagement are rising in higher ed. But what if joy is the antidote? In this episode, Flower Darby, author of The Joyful Online Teacher, shares how the science of human flourishing can transform classrooms. Because when instructors thrive, students do too.
Flower Darby is an acclaimed educator, author, and speaker dedicated to equity-minded, evidence-based teaching. Associate Director of the Teaching for Learning Center at the University of Missouri, she has taught for 28+ years and authored several books, including Small Teaching Online and The Joyful Online Teacher.
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2026 - February 17
Making Learning Matter for the WHY Generation
College has never cost more, or felt more uncertain. As students question the value of a degree, disengagement rises. In this episode, Mark Perna, best-selling author of Answering WHY argues that the path forward isn’t reinvention. It’s clearer, more intentional framing of what we ask students to do and why it matters.
Mark C. Perna is the bestselling author of Answering Why and a nationally recognized expert on generational motivation. He works with educators and employers to help young people discover purpose, build skills, and thrive in a changing workforce.
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2025 - November 25
Textbooks Are Failing Students (and Other Dangerous Ideas)
Textbooks are the flip phones of higher ed: clunky, outdated, and still hanging on. Donna Battista and Brad Cohen join us to explore a smarter vision for course content. The question is, if textbooks are already on life support… what comes next?
As the Managing Director of Learning Solutions, Donna Battista is responsible for leading the design and delivery of interactive digital learning experiences, custom content delivery and content services at Top Hat.
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2025 - November 11
Adopt, Resist, or Adapt? AI’s Crossroads in Higher Ed
Is AI the wolf at the door—or just an uninvited guest we need to understand? Marc Watkins explores how generative AI is reshaping teaching, learning, and trust—and why a more human-centered future depends on more faculty stepping into the conversation.
Marc Watkins is Director of the AI Institute for Teachers and Assistant Director of Academic Innovation at the University of Mississippi. He trains faculty in AI literacy and champions curious, critical engagement with generative AI in education.
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2025 - October 28
Rewriting the Stories That Hold Students Back
“College is the best four years of your life!” …or is it? Dr. Jeffrey Klausman, author of Composing a College Career, shares how internal narratives and invisible expectations shape student success—and how faculty can help students rewrite their story from self-doubt to self-authorship.
Dr. Jeffrey Klausman is a professor at Whatcom Community College, writing program leader, and author whose work centers on equity, narrative, and helping students transform deficit-driven stories into strengths-based success.
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2025 - October 14
The Zen of Embracing Our Authenticity
Let’s be real: teaching can feel like performance art. But what if your most powerful teaching tool is you—fully present, emotionally honest, and yes, a little messy? Dr. Liz Norell, author of The Present Professor, joins us to explore authenticity, burnout, and building classrooms where humans can thrive.
Dr. Liz Norell teaches political science at Chattanooga State and leads with heart—as an author, yoga teacher, and advocate for authentic, embodied, relationship-rich education
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2025 - September 30
SNAFU Happens: A Love Letter to Imperfect Teaching
When teaching goes sideways—and it will—what’s an educator to do? In this laugh-out-loud and liberating episode, Jessamyn Neuhaus, author of SNAFU EDU, offers a roadmap for embracing imperfection, navigating chaos with grace, and packing your pedagogical go-bag like a pro.
Dr. Jessamyn Neuhaus is Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at Syracuse University and author of SNAFU EDU, a book that helps educators navigate classroom challenges with clarity, care, and confidence.
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2025 - September 16
Same Side Pedagogy: Less Policing, More Partnership
Tired of feeling like the classroom cop? Cognitive psychologist Michelle Miller shares how to move from power struggles to partnership by creating conditions that fuel real motivation. You'll learn how small shifts can build trust, boost engagement, and make teaching feel more human again.
Dr. Michelle Miller is a teaching professor, cognitive psychologist and the author of several books, including Minds Online and Remembering and Forgetting in the Age of Technology.
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2025 - May 13
Don’t All Talk at Once: Creating Better Classroom Discussions
When classroom discussions fall flat, it’s tempting to blame student silence. But what if we’re misunderstanding the moment? Dr. Todd Zakrajsek joins us to explore how to design discussions that engage every student—not just the fast-talking extroverts—and why silence might be the first step toward deeper learning.
Dr. Todd Zakrajsek is an educator, speaker and the author or co-author of more than seven books, including the widely-acclaimed Teaching at Its Best.
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2025 - April 29
Silos to Symphonies: Orchestrating Student Success
Higher ed is feeling the pressure from shifting student expectations to growing demands for proof of impact. In this episode, we explore how one university quietly orchestrated an 11.5% drop in course withdrawals—by aligning teaching technology with mission, values, and everyday practice.
This week’s panel includes Derek Bruff, Associate Director at the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Virginia and author of Intentional Tech, Gina Londino-Smolar, Director of the Forensic & Investigative Sciences program at Indiana University, and Sue-Mun Huang, Director of Product at Top Hat.
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2025 - April 15
Emotional Support Frogs (+ Getting Your Spark Back)
Higher ed may be going through stormy weather, but in this soul-nourishing episode, we’re choosing joy. Psychologist, author, and happiness researcher Sarah Rose Cavanagh joins us to explore the science (and the magic) of cultivating happiness—even when times are tough.
Dr. Sarah Rose Cavanagh is a psychologist, professor and the author of several books, including The Spark of Learning: Energizing the College Classroom with the Science of Emotion.
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2025 - April 2
What’s the Worst that Could Happen?
What if the biggest barrier to innovation in teaching isn’t time or training, but fear? Professor, teaching fellow, and serial risk-taker, Demian Hommel, argues that the courage to change is both more necessary—and more doable—than we may think.
Dr. Demian Hommel is an associate professor and teaching fellow at Oregon State and the recipient of Top Hat’s Most Innovative Educator Award.
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2025 - March 20
Is Metacognition the Ultimate Hack for Equitable Learning?
Dr. Saundra McGuire is a leading expert on student learning. Together, we tackle the metacognitive equity gap and why talking about metacognition—not just study tips—could be the shift we need to help more students succeed.
Dr. Saundra McGuire is an acclaimed speaker, director emerita of the Center for Academic Success at Louisiana State University, and the author of the best-selling books Teach Students How to Learn.
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2025 - March 4
What if Students Cared Too Much to Cheat?
Cheating feels like an unavoidable reality—but what if the antidote isn’t stricter policies or plagiarism checkers? As Flower Darby tells us, students are more likely to invest in what they find meaningful. The question is, how do we help them care?
Flower Darby is the Associate Director of the Teaching for Learning Center at the University of Missouri and the author of Small Teaching Online.
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2024 - October 31
The End of Reading or a New Beginning?
Students are arriving at college less able and less willing to read. It’s left faculty frustrated and anxious. According to Donna Battista, a 20-year publishing veteran, where there's a crisis, there’s opportunity—to reimagine what we ask students to consume.
Donna Battista leads the delivery of interactive digital learning experiences, custom content, and publishing services at Top Hat.
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2024 - October 17
AI’s Future in Higher Education
When AI offers students the easy button, how do we motivate them to do hard things? And how do we help them reclaim the sense of agency essential to a meaningful life? Dr. Kevin Yee gives us his take in a conversation equal parts practical and philosophical.
Dr. Kevin Yee is the Director of the University of Central Florida’s Teaching Center and a lead organizer of UCF’s annual Teaching and Learning with AI Conference.
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2024 – October 3
Why We Grade and How to Stop It
Are grades short-circuiting the rich, messy human interactions that are so important to meaningful learning? For author and educator Dr. Jesse Stommel, breaking our addiction to grades may be easier than you think.
Dr. Jesse Stommel is the author of several books, including Undoing the Grade, and is a faculty member in the world-renowned Writing Program at the University of Denver.
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2024 – september 17
Unlocking Belonging
Belonging is like Wi-Fi: you don’t notice it until you don’t have it—and then nothing seems to work right. World-renowned belonging expert Dr. Terrell Strayhorn shares his thoughts on fostering the human connection vital to student success and wellbeing.
Dr. Terrell Strayhorn is internationally-known for his scholarship on belonging, the author of over 12 books, and leads the “Belonging Matters” blog for Psychology Today.
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2024 – september 17
This is Your Classroom on AI
José Antonio Bowen’s latest book has been called a “veritable lifeline” for any educator looking to wrap their head around using AI to enhance their teaching. Buckle up for some sage advice on what AI can—and cannot—do for you and your students.
José Antonio Bowen has spent more than 40 years leading change and innovation in higher education and is the author of Teaching Naked, and co-author of Teaching with AI.
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2024 – september 12
The Power of Play and Evidence-Based Teaching
Post-COVID learning loss, the student mental health crisis, and now AI. It’s been a lot. Dr. Bradley Cohen discusses the power of play in upping our teaching game, and opening our minds to new challenges, including AI.
Dr. Bradley Cohen has spent more than 20 years in higher education leading efforts to improve student outcomes at Ohio University, the University of Minnesota, and now at Top Hat.