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On Balance

On Balance

By Dr. Rod Berger

Dr. Rod Berger introduces On Balance, part of the SPN network. Dr. Berger invites you into the conversation around the world of education and explores the stories of today with the personalities impacting tomorrow. Investigating the ideas poised to shape the minds of our next generation and enlighten the path that will lead us towards our brightest future.
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On Balance with Anurupa Ganguly

On BalanceJul 18, 2022

00:00
21:36
On Balance with Addison Davis

On Balance with Addison Davis

In this On the Clock episode, Dr. Rod Berger sits down with new Strategos Group Partner and former Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Addison Davis.


Davis is an accomplished education leader with a wealth of experience in the field. As Superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) from March 2020 to July 2023, he made significant contributions to one of the largest school systems in the country.


Under Davis’ leadership, HCPS experienced remarkable improvements, including a rise in the district’s state academic ranking from 35th to 19th, the highest in its history. He successfully guided the district through the COVID-19 pandemic and overcame a deficit of more than $150 million. 


He also played a crucial role in reducing the number of underperforming schools, improving the graduation rate from 87% to 89%, the highest in the district’s history. 


One of his greatest accomplishments was reducing 28 historically “D” and “F” schools to only five over his 39-month tenure. 

Davis’ achievements extend beyond Hillsborough County. During his tenure as Superintendent of Schools for Clay County, he led efforts that resulted in significant academic progress, including an impressive jump in the district’s statewide academic ranking from 20th to 7th. He also oversaw a notable increase in the graduation rate from 84% to 93%, narrowing the achievement gap in the process.


Before his time in Clay County, Davis was the Chief of Schools for the Duval County Public School System, the country’s 20th largest school district. He served Duval County Schools for eighteen years, beginning as a teacher before becoming an Assistant Principal, Principal, Executive Director of Turnaround, Middle School Cluster Chief, and then Region Superintendent.


In addition to his accomplishments, Davis has been recognized for his contributions to education. He was named Superintendent of the Year by the Florida Association for Career and Technical Education and received the Allen Temple A.M.E. Church Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Award. Davis' commitment to community engagement during the pandemic earned him the Whitney M. Young Service Award. He is also a member of Chiefs for Change, a distinguished network of district and state education leaders.

Aug 18, 202341:27
Uncovering the Hidden Effects of Trauma's Impact on Learning and Student Well-being with Kristin Greco, CEO of Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR)

Uncovering the Hidden Effects of Trauma's Impact on Learning and Student Well-being with Kristin Greco, CEO of Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR)

Welcome to another episode of On Balance with your host, Dr. Rod Berger. In today's episode, we have a fascinating discussion with guest Kristin Greco, CEO of Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR). This episode dives deep into the important and often overlooked topic of trauma in schools and its impact on students, teachers, and communities. Kristin brings her expertise and insights, drawing from her background in mental health and extensive experience in developing and implementing strategic goals in education. Dr. Rod Berger and Kristin Greco shed light on the complexities of trauma and its relevance in the education sector.


Join us as we explore the profound influence of trauma, from its manifestation in students to the challenges it presents for educators. Together, we will uncover the importance of assessment, professional development, and empathy in creating a supportive environment for our young learners. So, get ready to gain valuable insights and perspectives on trauma in schools on this episode of On Balance with Kristin Greco.


Key Moments

[00:05:05] Understanding how trauma in youth has evolved over time.

[00:07:18] How has trauma impacted the classroom as a collective?

[00:12:58] COVID brought mental health to the forefront, and there are insufficient resources for schools.

[00:15:32] PAR customers partner for data and dialogue, and to cope.

[00:18:11] The importance of maintaining leadership, responsibility, and staying informed.

[00:21:25] Professional development, support, listening, empathy, workload challenges.


Connect with Kristin Greco, MBA

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-greco-4bb4396/

Website: https://www.parinc.com/


Resource Mentioned

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: https://www.nctsn.org/⁠


Connect with Dr. Rod Berger

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodbergerpsyd/


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Learn more about Strategos Group: https://www.strategosgroup.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/strategos-group-public-affairs/

🚨 Subscribe to the Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@strategospodcastnetwork


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PODCASTS

🎧 Capital Class with Adam Giery: https://www.strategosgroup.com/podcast

🎧 On the Clock with Todd Dallas Lamb: https://www.strategosgroup.com/podcast-on-the-clock

🎧 Swimming Upstream with Tom Luna: https://swimming-upstream.captivate.fm/listen

🎧 On Balance with Dr. Rod Berger: https://www.strategosgroup.com/podcast-on-balance

🎧 To the Point with Jim Horne and Doug Mesecar: https://to-the-point.captivate.fm/


Produced by Old Soul: https://bit.ly/3KuYfrD


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#educationmanagement #educationleadership #education

Aug 15, 202323:42
On Balance with Chip Paucek

On Balance with Chip Paucek

In this episode of "On Balance," Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Christopher "Chip" Paucek, the co-founder and CEO of 2U, Inc.


About Chip Paucek and 2U

2U, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWOU), described by Forbes Magazine as the “nation’s leading provider of software for universities” delivering digital higher education at scale.Paucek's innovative work at 2U has earned him many accolades, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2012, the Goldman Sachs 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs Award in 2013, and multiple Highest Rated CEO awards from Glassdoor. In 2017, Paucek was named among America's best chief executives by Institutional Investor magazine, ranking third among mid-cap technology, media, and telecom companies. He is a leading voice and speaker on entrepreneurship and the global education and technology landscape. Paucek also sits on 2U’s Board of Directors.Paucek has been involved in education ventures since the early 1990s. Prior to 2U, Paucek served as CEO of Smarterville, Inc., the parent company of Hooked on Phonics. Paucek began his entrepreneurial career in 1993 when he co-founded his first company, Cerebellum Corporation, which produced the award-winning educational television program and video series Standard Deviants. He led Cerebellum as Co-CEO until 2003. In 2004, Paucek took a break from the business world to serve as deputy campaign manager for the successful re-election of United States Senator Barbara Mikulski.Paucek holds a B.A. from The George Washington University and an M.B.A. from the 2U-powered MBA@UNC program at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. As a native of South Florida, he is an avid Miami Dolphins fan. Paucek lives in Annapolis, MD, with his wife Gabbi and two sons Noah and Henry.

Jul 28, 202336:31
On Balance with Dr. J.D. LaRock

On Balance with Dr. J.D. LaRock

In this episode of "On Balance," Dr. Rod Berger sat down with J.D. LaRock.


About. J.D.

A respected educator, scholar, and policy expert, Dr. LaRock NFTE's President and Chief Executive Officer.


He came to NFTE from the Commonwealth Corporation, Massachusetts’ public-private state authority focused on workforce development and regional economic development. As president and CEO of Commonwealth, Dr. LaRock chaired Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s Commission on Digital Innovation and Lifelong Learning, producing a blueprint for innovative work-based learning models that garnered significant investment from major foundations.  Previously he served as a senior education advisor to the late U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, leading work on the renewal of the federal Higher Education Act, as well as passage of a law that provided $20 billion in new Pell Grants to college students. As education policy director for former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, he helped author a K-12 education law that enabled turnarounds in low-performing school districts and helped the state win $250 million through the U.S. Department of Education’s “Race to the Top” program.


For much of the past decade, Dr. LaRock has worked as a teacher, scholar, and university administrator focused on experiential learning, entrepreneurship, and the future of work. As chief of staff to the president of Northeastern University, he served on the leadership team that completed the institution’s transformation from a commuter college to a top-ranked global research university. He has also served as Professor of the Practice of Law and Policy at Northeastern and as a Fellow with the Aspen Institute’s Economic Opportunities program.

 

Dr. LaRock grew up in Queens, New York, in a family of public school educators, and is a  proud graduate of the city’s public schools. He went on to earn his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate at Harvard University and his law degree at Georgetown University. He currently resides in Massachusetts with his wife Christina, a sign language interpreter, and their daughter Callie.

Jul 21, 202329:49
On Balance with Doug Dennerline

On Balance with Doug Dennerline

In this On Balance episode, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Doug Dennerline, CEO of Betterworks.


Doug has worked in Silicon Valley since 1982 - starting with HP selling the first PC, followed by 12 years at 3Com, and 12 years at Cisco, massively scaling those companies. In his last role at Cisco, he became the CEO of Webex post the acquisition of Webex by Cisco.


Doug has run SaaS companies ever since. He’s worked for many famous leaders - Marc Benioff, John Chambers, Lars Delgaard - and learned many lessons about what it takes to grow and scale high-performing teams. 

Jul 07, 202331:12
On Balance with Kelsey Clark

On Balance with Kelsey Clark

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sits down with Kelsey Clark.

Kelsey is a member of Boston Consulting Group's Public Sector and People & Organization practices as well as a member of the firm’s education leadership team in the US. Kelsey serves as the Dallas office lead, as well as leading the Pride@BCG network for the US. Kelsey focuses primarily on the education, employment, and welfare sector, covering topics including strategy, change management, performance management, consumer insight, and organization design and transformation.

Her client work has included supporting the development and implementation of a comprehensive early childhood education strategy—from birth to third grade—for one of the largest urban school districts in the US. She also supported the transformation of a community college to align programs to the workforce needs of the community and increase student success and developed a case for change and long-range strategic planning to guide a state legislature with deep dives on education, health care, and economic development in rural communities.

Kelsey is active in the Dallas community, and is on the board of Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL), and Lumin Education, a Dallas-based charter school network.

Jun 29, 202323:10
On Balance with Bill Salak of Brainly
Jun 08, 202327:26
On Balance with Ashley Naranjo

On Balance with Ashley Naranjo

On Balance with Ashley Naranjo

Ashley Naranjo, M.Ed.

Education and Outreach Strategist, Office of the Under Secretary for Education, Smithsonian Institution

Naranjo is a museum educator specializing in the use of digital resources for teaching and learning. She currently manages distance learning initiatives and education partnerships for the Smithsonian. Portfolio highlights have included: the Smithsonian Quests digital badging program, Smithsonian Online Education Conferences, Smithsonian Learning Lab nationwide teacher professional development, Teachers of the Year programming at the Smithsonian, “Explore with Smithsonian Experts” video series, and Smithsonian print publication guides. 

Learning Lab link here: https://learninglab.si.edu/

National Education Summit information can be found here: https://www.si.edu/educators/smithsonian-national-education-summit-2023

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-naranjo/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/smithsonian-education/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleymnaranjo?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naranjoa

  Social Media Accounts:

Facebook - @SmithsonianEducation

Twitter - @SmithsonianEdu

LinkedIn - @SmithsonianEducation

Jun 02, 202328:33
On Balance with Advait Shinde

On Balance with Advait Shinde

Advait co-founded GoGuardian to provide K-12 schools with new technologies that enable students to engage in a better learning experience. His dedication to help unlock student potential in education is made clear through his mission of using the internet in an open, but safe way. In his role as CEO of GoGuardian, Advait brings his passion for using data and technology to solve problems in education.

Based on his accomplishments in education and technology, Advait was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Education in 2016, as a finalist for Los Angeles Business Journal’'s CTO of the Year in 2017, as a finalist for Ernst & Young's prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Greater Los Angeles in 2018, and for Los Angeles Business Journal’s 20 in Their 20s in 2019.

Before co-founding GoGuardian, Advait worked at Google as an engineer, combining innovation with the power of scale and helping to launch key products, such as Google Pay (formerly Google Wallet). Advait holds a B.S. in Computer Science from UCLA.

Follow Advait on LinkedIn

Jun 01, 202323:25
On Balance with Hunter Moore
May 10, 202325:57
On Balance with Caroline Jenner of JA Worldwide

On Balance with Caroline Jenner of JA Worldwide

Caroline began her career as an entrepreneur and joined JA as a volunteer in Slovakia in the 1990s. She worked to establish JA operations in eight Eastern European countries after the Berlin Wall came down and eventually led the founding of JA Europe in 2002. She is passionate about the impact entrepreneurship education can have on young people, and during her 17 years as CEO at JA Europe, she and her team launched several innovative initiatives such as the Entrepreneurial Skills Pass (a micro-credential for teenagers), the EE-HUB (a policy platform), the Innovation Cluster for Entrepreneurship Education (impact research), and The Entrepreneurial School Awards.

In 2014, she received a Leonardo Award for "Crossing Borders" and was given the Soraya Salti Award by JA Worldwide in 2017 for her achievements in Europe. In 2019, her alma mater, the University of Alberta in Canada, awarded her an Honorary Doctorate.  

Caroline also became the Global Head of Regional Growth and Development for JA Worldwide in 2016 and joined as COO in February 2020. Caroline has spoken at numerous conferences and events, including the World Economic Forum, the OECD, and the Global Education & Skills Forum and is a frequent panelist and moderator.

Caroline is a dual citizen (Canada and Belgium) and is based in Brussels.

May 02, 202327:06
On Balance with David Shafer

On Balance with David Shafer

On Balance with David Shafer - Shafer serves as Chief Entrepreneur responsible for Cognia’s Trusted Partner Program, along with exploring partnerships and new ways to increase Cognia’s impact. For more than two decades, he has led multiple successful start-ups, including Frontline Education and bringing the Skycam™ aerial robotic broadcast camera system to professional and college sports. Shafer has worked in several markets outside of education that, include broadcast, entertainment, and banking.  He has served terms as an elected school board member in Pennsylvania and currently serves as an Executive Board Member for Millersville University, his undergraduate alma mater, along with advising the Lombardo Business School’s Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. He has volunteered as an Executive Board Member of the Boy Scouts of America and served on the Executive Board of the YMCA.

Apr 24, 202329:38
On Balance with Pierre Dubuc

On Balance with Pierre Dubuc

Pierre Dubuc is the co-founder and CEO of OpenClassrooms, one of the largest global

education-to-employment platform providers, with 355,000 students across 140 countries,

thousands of full-time diploma students, and hundreds of corporate customers.

OpenClassrooms is a private, B-Corp-certified distance-learning organization registered with

the Board of Education in Paris, France, accredited as a higher education institution by the

French state.


Pierre met Mathieu Nebra, the co-founder of the company, in 2001; both were teenagers then,

curious about coding and computers. In 2013, after years of promoting online education and

several pivots, they created OpenClassrooms, headquartered in Paris, France. They later

founded OpenClassrooms Inc, a registered apprenticeship provider approved by the US DOL

and a postsecondary educational institution.


OpenClassrooms is making education accessible to all by delivering fully online work-based

learning programs and internationally recognized degrees. With a unique approach based on

mastery learning, hands-on projects, and individualized mentoring, the platform promotes

employability for all, specifically in today’s and tomorrow’s most sought-after jobs and

competencies, like tech, data, IT, business, etc.


Among numerous other distinctions, Pierre Dubuc was featured among the “30 under 30” by

Forbes magazine and selected in the 2020 Young Leaders program of the French-American

Foundation.

Apr 21, 202332:48
On Balance with Michael Simpson

On Balance with Michael Simpson

On Balance with Michael Simpson, the CEO and Co-founder of PAIRIN. Simpson sits down with Berger to discuss his career path, the nuances of data, and making transformational change occur while others sit on the sidelines. Simpson is refreshingly honest about his goals, the challenges of the market, and purpose over-profit approaches.

Apr 19, 202333:26
On Balance with Johnny Key

On Balance with Johnny Key

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with former Arkansas Secretary of Education Johnny Key to discuss his recent career move from the public sector to Strategos Group, which allows him to continue pursuing his passion—finding solutions that create positive education outcomes for kids.


About Johnny:

Johnny Key joined Strategos Group in March 2023. He served as secretary of the Arkansas Department of Education from 2019 to 2023 and as commissioner of the department from 2015 to 2019, overseeing the state’s 237 school districts and 18 charter school systems.

 

Under Key’s leadership, the department developed a vision to transform Arkansas into a national leader of student-focused education. Arkansas became a national leader in computer science and literacy education.

 

Johnny was also Vice President for University Relations at the University of Arkansas System from 2014 to 2015. Key also served as a state senator in Arkansas from 2009 to 2014, holding leadership positions, including minority leader and chair of the Senate Education Committee, among others. Johnny was a state representative from 2003 to 2008.

Apr 14, 202329:03
On Balance with Madeleine Thakur
Apr 13, 202324:60
On Balance with Dr. Mike Magee

On Balance with Dr. Mike Magee

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Dr. Mike Magee, president of Minerva University

About Dr. Mike Magee

Dr. Mike Magee is the President of Minerva University. Prior to joining Minerva, he was founding CEO of Chiefs for Change, a non-profit organization supporting leaders of many of the nation’s largest and most innovative K-12 public education systems. Previously, Magee co-founded and was CEO of Rhode Island Mayoral Academies (RIMA). As CEO of RIMA, he built a statewide network of regional, racially and economically diverse public schools while successfully advocating for sweeping changes to state education policy.

Before starting RIMA, Magee taught American literature and philosophy for a decade at Haverford College, Wheaton College, and the Rhode Island School of Design. In 2004, his book, Emancipating Pragmatism, won the Elizabeth Agee Prize in American Studies. He is a Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow, and for the past several years has moderated seminars for both the Pahara Institute and the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Magee holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s in political science and English from the College of the Holy Cross.

Feb 02, 202329:22
On Balance with Maureen Kelleher & Rebecca Klein of Ed Post discuss project - Jane Crow: Then and Now

On Balance with Maureen Kelleher & Rebecca Klein of Ed Post discuss project - Jane Crow: Then and Now

On Balance with Maureen Kelleher & Rebecca Klein discuss their ground-breaking project, Jane Crow: Then and Now. The project explores the role women have played in the very complicated and impactful social structures of education. 

Jan 18, 202324:48
On Balance with Anand Padmanabhan

On Balance with Anand Padmanabhan

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Fordham University’s VP and Chief Information Officer Anand Padmanabhan. They talked about the value of technology to higher education students and faculty as it relates to post-graduation job placement.

About Anand

Anand Padmanabhan is a global technology leader and a creative, strategic, and entrepreneurial chief information officer. He has led several organizations through digital transformation efforts, conceptualizing strategies and delivering platforms that align technology with academic and business objectives.

Prior to coming to Fordham, he was the founding chief technology and information officer for Whittle School & Studios, a global institution for students ages 3 to 18, where he led an initiative to support a multi-site, multinational K-12 education system in China and the U.S. He has been a CIO at multiple universities around the world, and has led strategies for statewide and university-wide initiatives on various aspects of using technology in teaching and learning, data security, high-performance computing, data analytics, and building student-centered technology ecosystems.

Anand has an M.B.A. from NYU Stern School of Business, an M.S. in computer engineering from Louisiana State University, and a B.E. in electronics and telecom engineering from Madras University. He has received numerous national and international honors for his work and on behalf of the teams he has led, including two CIO 100 awards (one in the U.S. and one in India), the 2017 Cloud Leadership Award, and Campus Technology’s Innovation in Teaching and Learning award. He has served on multiple boards and has published papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Prior to working at Whittle, he was the senior vice president and chief information officer for the New School (which includes Parsons School of Design). He has also served as the corporate chief information officer for HCL Corporation and for Shiv Nadar Foundation in Delhi, India; as CIO at Everonn Education in Chennai, NYU Stern School of Business, Hunter College of the City University of New York, and Tennessee State University; as executive director of IT for Seton Hill University; and as an educational technologist at NASA Center for Educational Technologies.

Jan 11, 202337:25
On Balance with Ruth Birman

On Balance with Ruth Birman

On Balance with Ruth Birman of DigitalEd

Director of Product Development and Innovation with six years of experience leading global product teams through digital transformation, design thinking, and product growth. A natural facilitator and technology officer, connecting internal teams, senior stakeholders, and external partners. Cultivating expansion of overall tech strategy and motivating diverse product ideation to launch user-driven products for clients, including government agencies and global brands. Ruth began her career in market research at the age of 15 as an interviewer testing various products, services, and marketing campaigns. Fascinated with telecommunications and technology, she pivoted to customer service at Rogers and after pushing for several process improvements and enhancements for internal software, became a business analyst. This kicked off a career in both business process optimization and user experience design working for clients like TD and RBC as well as projects like Project Literacy and The Giving Tower. From there, she moved into broader product strategy, working on software that solved supply chain issues for some of the world's biggest brands and ultimately building product and design teams.

Dec 19, 202231:05
On Balance with Monica Fagraeus Lundstrom

On Balance with Monica Fagraeus Lundstrom

On Balance with Monica Fagraeus Lundstrom

Boksnok announces rebranding, changes name to Lylli with new visual identity and product updates

The Swedish tech company Lylli, previously known as Boksnok, closed a seed round of 1.2 million Euro earlier this fall. The company now gears up for growth and further expansion, launching a new name and visual identity.  

Lylli is an app for mobile phones and tablets with digital children's books with read-out-loud functionality. Through commercial collaborations with large publishers such as Swedish Bonnier Carlsen and German Verlagsgruppe Oetinger, thousands of titles are available in the Lylli app, which is offered as a subscription service in the Swedish and German speaking markets. Today, several thousands of kids read with Lylli every week, but the ambition is to reach a broader market.

- It was important to involve our users in the process of developing our new brand and truly understand their needs. Our goal is to create a lasting brand that appeals to both parents and children. I’m very proud of the result and that it’s been so well received by our users, says Magdalena Worrman, CMO at Lylli.

The new visual identity has been developed together with the award winning design agency Ehrenstråhle & Wågnert, whose previous clients include iZettle, H&M and Epidemic Sound. The new design is friendly, inspiring and playful, and in addition to a new color palette, typography and other graphic elements - the brand is brought to life with the help of three new characters that represent children of different ages.

In connection to the rebranding, the new Lylli app comes with several product updates.

  • Night mode. Many users will be thrilled to learn that you can now turn off the screen and continue to listen to the story with sound only - a highly requested feature to simplify bedtime routines.
  • Search & discover. The Search feature has been adapted completely for children and their behavior to make it even easier to discover new books.
  • New books. A ton of new content has been added, from bestsellers such as Paw Patrol to local favorites such as Bamse

- We’re happy to be working together with Lylli to secure a strong position for kids’ books in the digital world. With the Lylli app’s new design, the books are placed in an environment that we believe will attract more children and entice an increased interest for reading. We look forward to seeing the Lylli world develop further, says Frida Änges, Business Area Manager at Bonnierförlagen

Dec 15, 202220:43
On Balance with Mikael Larsson

On Balance with Mikael Larsson

On Balance with Mikael Larsson

Learnster develops the LMS of tomorrow for growing organizations.

Learnster’s cutting-edge technology creates new, efficient ways of sharing information and knowledge with the entire organization. Save valuable time with Learnster’s smart Automation Rules. The revolutionary Knowledge Gap AI pinpoints individual learning priorities.


Dec 15, 202223:52
On Balance with TJ Logan
Dec 13, 202224:30
On Balance with Page Keller

On Balance with Page Keller

On Balance with Page Keller, Head of Academic Relations at Knack, stops by to talk about the current needs of college students across the country. Prior to Knack, Keller spent over 25 years at the College of Charleston. Keller served as the Director for the Center for Excellence in Education, Director of Peer Education and Student Support Programs, and also Adjunct Faculty and Academic Advisor over the course of her work for the institution. 

Dec 06, 202230:43
On Balance with George Kuh

On Balance with George Kuh

George D. Kuh is the Founding Director, Senior Scholar, and Co-principal Investigator at the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois and the Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus at Indiana University. The founding director of the widely used National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), Kuh received a BA from Luther College, an MS from St. Cloud State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. He has written extensively about student engagement, assessment, institutional improvement, and college and university cultures and consulted with about three hundred fifty colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. In addition to High-Impact Practices (2008) and Ensuring Quality & Taking High-Impact Practices to Scale (2013) produced as part of the AAC&U LEAP initiative, his two most recent books are Student Success in College: Creating Conditions That Matter (2005, 2010) and Piecing Together the Student Success Puzzle: Research, Propositions, and Recommendations (2007). In 2001, he received Indiana University’s prestigious Tracy Sonneborn Award for a distinguished career in teaching and research. He has received seven honorary degrees.

Nov 30, 202238:17
On Balance with Samyr Qureshi

On Balance with Samyr Qureshi

In this episode of On Balance, Rod Berger sat down with entrepreneur Samyr Qureshi, co-founder and CEO of Knack, an innovative online tutoring platform that matches college students with tutors in relevant subjects. They discuss the evolution of flexible learning and how higher education is experiencing a shift toward a more individualized approach to students’ learning needs.

Samyr struggled in school. As a 7-year-old immigrant from the United Arab Emirates, he had to adapt to a new culture and integrate into a foreign school system. Samyr attributes his will to persevere to the one-on-one help he received from his first tutor—his mother.

Nov 28, 202234:51
On Balance with Dr. Kate Ziemer

On Balance with Dr. Kate Ziemer

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Dr. Kate Ziemer, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of New Hampshire.

Before her current role, Kate was a professor of chemical engineering at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. She earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1989. Kate had seven years of industrial experience as a chemical engineer with DuPont prior to earning her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from West Virginia University in 2001.

She joined Northeastern University in April 2001. In addition to maintaining an active research program and teaching both undergraduate courses, Kate has served her department and college as Undergraduate Program Chair, ABET Coordinator, Graduate Program Chair, and, most recently, as Vice-Chair of the Chemical Engineering Department.

Nov 22, 202228:23
On Balance with Innocent Mugenga
Nov 21, 202222:01
On Balance with Dr. Mona Davenport

On Balance with Dr. Mona Davenport

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger and Dr. Mona Davenport, Dean of Student Success at Eastern Illinois University, discuss ways higher education has adapted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Davenport also talks about the importance of education and what success means to college students as they pursue comfortable and rewarding futures after graduation.

Nov 14, 202222:15
On Balance with Marty Callahan
Oct 26, 202237:18
On Balance with The Band of Sisters
Oct 24, 202237:44
On Balance with Dora Palfi
Oct 18, 202220:09
On Balance with Matt Barnum
Oct 11, 202219:12
On Balance with Dr. Daniel Soderholm
Oct 04, 202225:44
On Balance with The Modern Principal

On Balance with The Modern Principal

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Christy Lamb and Karen Hile, co-founders of The Modern Principal. They discuss support and professional development for current and aspiring administrators and much more!

Christy Lamb

Christy Lamb is an elementary principal in a PreK-5th grade building with the district’s gifted program. After learning in her Sociology degree program (a highly sought-after and lucrative career path) that for-profit prisons were using 3rd grade African American boys’ reading levels to determine the number of prisons to build in the future, Christy applied to and was accepted to the Teach for America program in Houston, TX. Educational equity is the name of her game!

She has hopped back and forth between elementary and middle school serving as an ELA teacher, instructional coach, reading specialist, admin intern, assistant principal, and principal. Up until the 11th year of her career, she had never had the exact same job/classroom/building/district two years in a row. A self-proclaimed “horrible colleague” in her early years due to many moves, Christy now craves collaboration with professionals both in and out of education to help make her dream of an equitable learning environment a reality.

Karen Hile

Karen Hile is an elementary principal in a PreK-4 building with the district’s behavior program and one of the district’s life skills classrooms. Education always seemed in the cards for her as both of her parents were involved in education in various roles. She set off to college to become a teacher but the particular liberal arts program had teacher candidates get undergrad degrees in content other than education first.

Karen completed her BA and BS in Psychology and set off to get certified through completing her Masters while having her own classroom through the Kansas City Residential Internship Program. Having no experience, it could have been an utter disaster for her students and herself for that matter, but because the program assigned her a full time mentor and instructional coach, instead it ignited her fire for this profession.

Going from teacher to instructional coach, to admin intern to principal in urban, suburban and rural schools for the past 15 years would have never been possible without the incredible support, guidance and learning found in the community of dedicated educators in all schools.  Exploring how to create that network across varying communities and districts with the Modern Principal sounds like the next level in her journey as a school leader.

Sep 27, 202229:26
On Balance with Katie Ballantyne
Sep 22, 202226:33
On Balance with Joshua Broggi

On Balance with Joshua Broggi

In this On Balance episode, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Joshua Broggi, founder and CEO of Woolf. Woolf is the first global, collegiate higher education institution that lets qualified organizations join as accredited member colleges. Woolf's software platform helps organizations meet and maintain regulatory and institutional standards by handling everything from course creation to degree issuance. Collegiate universities are not new: the University of Oxford, University of California, University of London, and Delhi University are all collegiate. Woolf is the first global, collegiate higher education institution allowing membership for qualified new colleges.

Sep 16, 202232:39
On Balance with Pedro Pereira

On Balance with Pedro Pereira

Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Pedro Pereira, the first Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) of SAP Latin America and the Caribbean. As CSO, he helps business leaders in the region make a difference by understanding how they can be both profitable and sustainable while creating impact and value for their shareholders, the planet, and society at large. 

He is responsible for leading sales in Latin America of solutions including the SAP Cloud for Sustainable Enterprises portfolio, an offering that enables enterprises to identify, quantify, analyze, and act on data to manage sustainable performance. In addition, he works to advance SAP’s own goal to become a net-zero company by 2030. Pedro has extensive experience in the sustainability field. 

Before this position, he served as Director of Sustainability and Innovation for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) South region. He joined SAP in 2014 to drive growth opportunities in big data and subsequently specialized in innovative initiatives such as smart cities, intelligent businesses, and strategies to mitigate the effects of global warming. 

Pedro has a vigorous entrepreneurial spirit. A native of Brazil, he has lived in Dubai for the past ten years, where he started managing operations of software startup Corporater in the Middle East. In addition, he is an advisory member of Repple.com and a mentor for SAP.iO and Techstars entrepreneurs and start-ups. Pedro has a degree in technology from Brazil and specializations in management, big data, strategy, and innovation from the University of La Verne and the MIT in the United States.

Sep 14, 202226:58
On Balance with Kenisha Arora
Sep 12, 202231:27
On Balance with Joseph Mann
Aug 31, 202218:12
On Balance with Shannon Trejo
Aug 25, 202228:30
On Balance with Roman Peskin
Aug 23, 202223:57
On Balance with Marcus Kennedy

On Balance with Marcus Kennedy

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Marcus Kennedy, General Manager of Intel Corporation’s Gaming Division.

Intel’s mission is to shape the future of technology to help create a better future for the entire world. By pushing forward in fields like AI, analytics and cloud-to-edge technology, Intel’s work is at the heart of countless innovations. From major breakthroughs like self-driving cars and rebuilding the coral reefs to things that make everyday life better like blockbuster effects and improved shopping experiences — they’re all powered by Intel technology.

Learn more about Intel!

Aug 19, 202226:46
On Balance with Matthew Hammersley

On Balance with Matthew Hammersley

Novel Effect is an app that uses voice recognition to follow along with interactive music, sound effects, and character voices (i.e., “soundscape”) as you read aloud from your favorite children’s books. Parents, kids, and teachers call it “magical." Parents Melissa and Matt Hammersley came up with the idea for Novel Effect after Matt watched his friend read aloud with a young child while adding her own silly voices and sound effects. The child laughed and begged to read more books. It was magical and stuck with them.

Aug 17, 202221:57
On Balance with Rufus Spann, Ph.D

On Balance with Rufus Spann, Ph.D

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Dr. Rufus Tony Spann, a renowned counselor, educator and thought-leader passionate about shifting culture of mental health and wellness by promoting inclusivity for all people.

As Executive Director of Mental Health at TimelyMD, he oversees a national network of licensed providers trusted to provide virtual therapeutic counseling, in-the-moment behavioral health support, health coaching and crisis intervention services to college and university students.

The founding member and former Chief Clinical Officer of Hurdle, a digital health platform for people of color, Dr. Spann brings extensive experience in creating equity within mental health and reducing barriers to access to increase preventative wellness for all. He has honed his expertise at the intersection of mental health and higher education over the last decade, and continues to teach at the University of Southern California and serve on the Forbes Health Advisory Board.

Learn more about TimelyMD here!

Aug 11, 202224:50
On Balance with Julia Rafal-Baer

On Balance with Julia Rafal-Baer

Dr. Rod Berger sat down with, Julia Rafal-Baer, Ph.D., the managing partner of ILO Group. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Rafal-Baer played an instrumental role advising school district and state education agency leaders across the U.S. and led a nationwide effort to safely reopen schools, accelerate learning, and strengthen critical supports for students. She serves as an expert advisor to the COVID Collaborative.

Prior to founding ILO Group, Dr. Rafal-Baer served as the chief operating officer at Chiefs for Change, a nationwide network of district and state education leaders, where she helped transform the organization from a small start-up to an $11M high-impact national nonprofit. She coached and mentored more than 50 leaders through the Future Chiefs program at Chiefs for Change, half of whom went on to become superintendents and commissioners. Dr. Rafal-Baer previously served as assistant commissioner of the New York State Education Department. In 2020, she was appointed by the U.S. secretary of education to a four-year term on the National Assessment Governing Board.

Aug 02, 202230:13
On Balance with Ricky Blair

On Balance with Ricky Blair

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Ricky Blair, the founder and director of Platform Seven.

Platform Seven is a Los Angeles-based life and business mentoring consultancy helping to unlock the potential in young adults and entrepreneurs.

Built on Ricky’s experience of leaving school at sixteen with bad grades and poor prospects, then going on to establish an award-winning central London real estate company, Hatton Real Estate, which transformed the entire industry before being sold to the highest of multiple bidders, Platform Seven exists to make the impossible possible for others. And to provide a vital bridge between education and succeeding in the real world.

From a young real estate entrepreneur to a business mentor and success therapist, Ricky gives young adults and entrepreneurs the self-belief, skills, and strategies to succeed.

Jul 22, 202221:07
On Balance with Anurupa Ganguly

On Balance with Anurupa Ganguly

Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Anurupa Ganguly, the founder and CEO of Prisms of Reality. She created Prisms to level the playing field for all students in mathematics and the physical sciences. Prisms, is building a spatial learning platform that rapidly improves student engagement & performance in Math. Prisms does this by immersing students in compelling real-world problems that foster kinesthetic sense-making, student intuition, and deeper connections between physical and abstract representations.


Learn more about Prisms here

Jul 18, 202221:36
On Balance with Hardeep Gulati

On Balance with Hardeep Gulati

On Balance with Hardeep Gulati

In this episode of On Balance, Dr. Rod Berger sat down with Hardeep Gulati, CEO of PowerSchool, the leading provider of K-12 software and cloud-based solutions to improve educational outcomes and simplify school operations. PowerSchool supports more than 45 million students in more than 90 countries and reaches 75% of students in North America. Rod and Hardeep discussed all things education in 2022 and beyond, along with tidbits about dinner-time conversations and the role education plays in family discussions.

Jul 14, 202226:43
On Balance with Kimberly Smith
Jul 13, 202225:20