Closing the Education-to-Employment Gap: The Rise of the Career Center as Campus Infrastructure

Scaling Experiential Learning in the Curriculum: How Iron Range Engineering Transformed Engineering Education

Engineering has transformed nearly every part of modern life, from the phones in our pockets to the systems powering global industry. But the way engineers are educated has often moved far more slowly than the profession itself. Employers are asking for graduates who can navigate ambiguity, communicate across teams, and contribute meaningfully from the start. At the same time, AI is making it harder to rely on closed-answer assessments as proof of real understanding. Together, those pressures are forcing colleges to rethink what real mastery looks like in technical fields—and whether the traditional classroom-first model is still enough. So what would it take to redesign an engineering degree around real work, real projects, and real professional development—with community college transfer students at the center? On Signals in Higher Ed, host Darin Francis speaks with Dr. Ron Ulseth, founder of Iron Range Engineering, about how the program moved from project-based learning to a long-form work-based model. Their conversation covers Iron Range Engineering’s origins, its use of community college pathways, its shift toward 24-month work placements, and what other institutions can learn from its approach to curriculum, assessment, employer alignment, and student preparation. Top insights from the talk… * Experiential learning can be an equalizer. Dr. Ulseth describes Iron Range Engineering as a model that helps “normal people” become engineers by giving students structured, applied experiences rather than relying only on traditional admissions filters or exam performance. * Assessment has to move beyond closed-answer tests. Instead of relying primarily on written exams, the program uses verbal exams, whiteboard demonstrations, reflection, and feedback loops to assess whether students can explain, validate, and apply engineering knowledge. * Employer relationships are built through student value. Rather than starting with a fixed list of employer partners, the program trains students to become strong job seekers, interviewers, and workplace contributors. When students perform well, companies come back asking for more. Dr. Ron Ulseth is the founder of Iron Range Engineering. He began his teaching career in the U.S. Navy, teaching undergraduate engineering subjects including thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer, and later spent decades in community college engineering education. His work at Iron Range Engineering has helped earn national recognition, including ABET accreditation and an ABET innovation award for the program’s project-based model.

Creative Confidence and Moral Courage: The Leadership Traits Business Schools Should Be Betting On

What students need from higher education is becoming harder to pin down than it once was. As higher education faces mounting pressure—from student disengagement to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence—institutions are being forced to rethink not just what students learn, but who they become. New research and industry signals suggest that technical knowledge alone is no longer enough; employers increasingly value adaptability, ethical reasoning, and real-world problem-solving. Against this backdrop, experiential learning and values-driven leadership are emerging as critical differentiators, especially as AI reshapes both the workforce and the classroom. So what does it actually take to prepare students—not just to succeed in business—but to lead with purpose in an unpredictable, tech-driven world? Welcome to Signals in Higher Ed. In the latest episode, host Darin Francis sits down with Dr. Dayle Smith, Dean of the College of Business Administration at Loyola Marymount University, to explore how moral courage and creative confidence are being embedded into modern business education. Their conversation spans Jesuit pedagogy, experiential learning design, and how institutions can cultivate leaders equipped to navigate ethical complexity while driving innovation. Top insights from the talk… * Moral courage as a leadership competency: Students are trained to make ethical decisions that balance profitability with responsibility to communities, employees, and stakeholders. * Creative confidence through experiential learning: A “fail forward” mindset encourages risk-taking, adaptability, and innovation in real-world contexts. * Education beyond the classroom: Programs like LMU’s CBA Advantage integrate reflection, application, and co-curricular experiences to deepen student development. Dr. Dayle Smith is Dean of the College of Business Administration at Loyola Marymount University and a globally recognized leader in business education, having previously served as dean at Clarkson University and holding extensive academic leadership experience at institutions including Georgetown and the University of San Francisco. Her expertise spans leadership development, organizational behavior, experiential learning, and values-driven business education, complemented by international teaching, a Fulbright fellowship in Hong Kong, and consulting work with organizations such as Cisco, Wells Fargo, and the U.S. State Department. She is also a published author and active board leader across global education and business organizations, with multiple recognitions including repeated selection to the LA 500 list of most influential business leaders.

Higher Ed Must Build a Talent Supply Chain to Fix Workforce Readiness

The traditional pathway from college to career is starting to break down—and both universities and employers are feeling the strain. Higher education is under mounting pressure to prove career outcomes as employers question graduate readiness and internships decline. In fact, many institutions are reporting shrinking internship pipelines even as employers continue to prioritize prior experience—creating a growing structural mismatch in the talent market. As a result, universities are being pushed to rethink how they prepare students—not just through isolated programs, but through scalable, system-wide approaches to career readiness. The stakes are clear: institutions that fail to adapt risk losing relevance in an increasingly outcomes-driven era. So what happens when traditional pathways—like internships—can no longer carry the full weight of workforce preparation? And how can universities proactively build a more reliable, scalable “talent supply chain” for industry? These questions sit at the heart of the latest episode of Signals in Higher Ed. Host Darin Francis sits down with Steve Russell, Chief Partnership Officer at Bowling Green State University, to explore how institutions can move beyond transactional employer relationships toward deeply integrated partnerships that reshape student outcomes. The conversation spans experiential learning, industry engagement, and the evolving infrastructure needed to connect education with workforce demands. What you’ll learn… * Why internships alone can’t meet demand—and how scalable, project-based learning can fill the gap. * How to turn employer relationships from one-off transactions into long-term, value-driven partnerships. * What a “talent supply chain” really means—and how it could reshape collaboration between universities and industry. Steve Russell is a higher education executive with over a decade of experience leading corporate engagement, workforce development, and career design initiatives that connect universities with industry. He currently serves as Chief Partnership Officer at Bowling Green State University, where he builds strategic partnerships to scale work-integrated learning, research collaboration, and talent pipelines that drive student career outcomes. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a strong track record in partnership development, team leadership, and launching large-scale student success initiatives, including building a multimillion-dollar student success center and expanding corporate engagement efforts across institutions.

Engineering Education Needs to Be Human-Centered, Purpose-Driven, and Grounded in Real-World Problem Solving

Student disengagement, the rapid rise of AI, and shifting workforce expectations are pushing higher education to rethink how it prepares graduates. Engineering programs—long defined by rigor and technical depth—are now under pressure to stay relevant, improve retention, and produce graduates who can actually solve real-world problems, not just theoretical ones. And the numbers back that up: engineering programs in the U.S. see dropout rates as high as 40–50%, with even higher attrition at regional universities, pointing to deeper structural issues in how these programs are designed and delivered. So how can engineering education evolve without sacrificing its rigor—and still attract, engage, and retain a broader, more diverse group of students? Welcome to Signals in Higher Ed. In the latest episode, host Darin Francis sits down with Dr. Marcello Nitz, Rector of the Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia in Brazil, to explore how human-centered engineering and experiential learning are reshaping the future of engineering education. Their conversation spans curriculum design, student motivation, faculty alignment, and the measurable impact of embedding purpose into technical training. Top insights from the talk… * Human-centered engineering reframes technical work through impact: By connecting engineering projects to real human outcomes, students develop deeper motivation and broader perspective. * Experiential learning builds true competency—not just knowledge: Hands-on, real-world problem solving helps students apply theory and develop critical skills like empathy and judgment. * Retention improves when students find meaning: Programs that integrate purpose-driven learning have seen dropout rates cut in half in early semesters. Dr. Marcello Nitz is an academic leader and the Rector of Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia, where he oversees institutional strategy, academic operations, and large-scale curriculum transformation. With nearly three decades of experience as a professor and administrator, he has led engineering programs, taught core subjects like thermodynamics and transport phenomena, and driven initiatives to strengthen faculty research and industry collaboration. A researcher in particulate systems and fluid dynamics, Nitz also brings industry and startup experience, along with a strong record of funded projects, publications, and international partnerships.

Scaling Career-Ready Skills: How Adaptive Learning and Generative AI Are Transforming Higher Education

Skills-based learning has moved from buzzword to mandate as colleges face mounting pressure to connect credentials, employability, and measurable learner outcomes. Employers are increasingly using skills-based hiring practices, and NACE’s Job Outlook 2026 notes that students need to demonstrate concrete examples of skills in action during hiring processes. At the same time, higher education leaders are rethinking cost, ROI, and the value of credentials as institutions confront uncertainty and changing workforce expectations. So, if the traditional credit-hour model is under pressure, can adaptive learning, simulations, and generative AI help institutions build more relevant pathways from coursework to career readiness? On this episode of Signals in Higher Ed, host Darin Francis speaks with Phillip Miller, CEO of Skillwell, about the growing momentum behind adaptive learning, immersive simulations, and generative AI-powered course design. Their conversation explores why institutions are rethinking online learning, how Skillwell is combining adaptive pathways with simulation-based practice, and where higher ed can better align with corporate learning and workforce needs. Top insights from the talk… * Skills-based learning has reached a “fever pitch.” Miller says ASU GSV reflected a broader willingness among universities to rethink legacy models, including the credit hour. * Generative AI is changing the economics of adaptive learning. What once required building dozens of course pathways manually can now be supported by AI-assisted content and simulation design. * Higher ed and corporate learning are converging around outcomes. Miller argues that career-focused online programs and corporate training share similar needs: assess skills, close gaps, and validate learning. Phillip Miller is the CEO of Skillwell, a company focused on immersive and adaptive simulations for higher education and corporate learning. He has more than 20 years of experience in edtech, including leadership roles with Open LMS, Blackboard, and Angel Learning. Miller previously led Open LMS through three acquisitions that helped create the world’s largest Moodle provider, and he has advised early-stage learning technology companies on product strategy, fundraising, and go-to-market growth.