Invented Here | Cultivating Purpose-Driven Leaders with Julia Macias, Washington University of St. Louis

Julia Macias believes “leading is not about formal position.” She tells us “everyone, regardless of formal status, has the potential to influence and energize others towards a common goal.”

On this episode of Invented Here, Julia shares the origins of the George and Carol Bauer Leaders Academy at Washington University of St. Louis and how her program has scaled to ensure all WashU students have integrated and immersive opportunities to become purpose-driven leaders of character and capability.

This episode is a part of Invented Here, a podcast series from LearningWell Magazine and the LearningWell Coalition featuring stories of innovation in learner-centered education that fosters life-long wellbeing.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

You can reach Jack Tucker, LearningWell’s strategic communications manager, at jack@learningwell.org with questions, comments, and other ideas.

Rethinking the Major and Redesigning the Path to Success with Ned Laff and Scott Carlson, “Hacking College”

On this month’s episode of LearningWell Radio, Marjorie Malpiede is joined by Ned Laff and Scott Carlson, co-authors of “Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn’t Matter and What Really Does.” They discuss the flaws in traditional higher education pathways and explore how students can better align their college experience with their passions and career goals. With insights into personal development, career success, and the hidden job market, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on navigating college in a way that fosters long-term wellbeing and career fulfillment.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Embracing Neurodivergent Learners with Kelly Field, The Chronicle of Higher Education

On this month’s episode of LearningWell Radio, Kelly Field discusses her new report, “The Neurodivergent Campus,” for the Chronicle of Higher Education. The interview provides evidence and information about neurodiversity (students with autism, ADHD and certain learning disorders), and explores the needs and assets of this growing category of college students.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Invented Here | Sukhwant Jhaj, Arizona State University

On this episode of Invented Here, Sukhwant Jhaj, Vice Provost for Academic Innovation and Student Achievement at Arizona State University, speaks with Dana Humphrey, co-host of Invented Here, about ASU’s Work+ program, a bold and transformative initiative redefining how we think about student employment. Sukhwant shares how Work+ evolved, its impact, and the lessons he’s learned in bringing the initiative to where it is today.

This episode is a part of Invented Here, a podcast series from LearningWell Magazine and the LearningWell Coalition featuring stories of innovation in learner-centered education that fosters life-long wellbeing.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Invented Here | Joe Tranquillo, Bucknell University

On this episode of Invented Here, we talk to Joe Tranquillo, Associate Provost for Transformative Teaching and Learning and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Bucknell University. Tranquillo is the driving force behind the Thrive Framework, which aims to fulfill the promise laid out in Bucknell’s strategic plan – “to educate individuals and, through that education, change people’s lives…. to offer students a transformative experiences that prepares them to thrive not only at Bucknell but throughout their lives.” The framework has been used to generate over 300 university-wide initiatives that enhance the student experience, addressing the ways students struggle – meeting their basic needs, enhancing their sense of belonging, improving access and use of resources and enabling holistic growth.

This episode is a part of Invented Here, a podcast series from LearningWell Magazine and the LearningWell Coalition featuring stories of innovation in learner-centered education that fosters life-long wellbeing.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Student Mental Health and Wellbeing With Zoe Ragouzeos, New York University and Eric Wood, Texas Christian University

On this month’s episode of LearningWell Radio, Dr. Zoe Ragouzeos (Vice President for Student Mental Health and Wellbeing at New York University) and Dr. Eric Wood (Director of Counseling and Mental Health at Texas Christian University) discuss what they are seeing in students returning this fall, how traumatic events of the past several years are affecting incoming students, and trends in the way we think about student behavioral health and wellbeing in higher education.

You can listen to the episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Invented Here | Angela Lindner, University of Florida

On this episode of Invented Here, Dana Humphrey is in conversation with Dr. Angela Lindner, professor and former Associate Provost of Undergraduate Affairs at the University of Florida. Lindner helped create and lead UF Quest, a 4-year signature course aimed at providing intimate, interactive learning communities within the large land-grant university in Gainesville. Part of the general education program that begins with a first year Humanities course, UF Quest engages students with questions that Lindner says “are difficult to answer, but impossible to ignore.”

This episode is a part of Invented Here, a podcast series from LearningWell Magazine and the LearningWell Coalition featuring stories of innovation in learner-centered education that fosters life-long wellbeing.

Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.