The AI Workforce for Higher Ed is Here |

Talk to a Bolt Agent
EP
83
July 1, 2025
Episode 83: Engage 2025 Closing Keynote

Engage 2025 Closing Keynote

Or listen on:

About the Episode

About The Episode:

In this special episode recorded at Engage 2025, Generation AI hosts Ardis Kadiu and Dr. JC Bonilla sit down with Dr. Tracy Brundage, President of ABAC in Georgia, for a candid conversation about the real challenges of AI transformation in higher education. Moving beyond the typical efficiency metrics, they explore what it truly means to be "AI powered, people focused" and why incremental change isn't enough anymore. The discussion reveals that the biggest obstacles aren't technological—they're human, cultural, and structural. With students arriving on campus after years of ChatGPT use in high school, the panel examines how institutions must fundamentally rethink their approach to education, moving from delivering more software features to providing AI teammates that actually get used. This conversation offers practical insights for leaders struggling to balance rapid technological change with the timeless mission of creating belonging and connection for students.

Connect With Our Co-Hosts:
Ardis Kadiu

https://twitter.com/ardis

Dr. JC Bonilla

https://twitter.com/jbonillx

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Generation AI is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  Some of our favorites include The EduData Podcast.

Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

People in this episode

Host

Ardis Kadiu is the Co-Founder of AI Idea Lab.

Dr. JeanCarlo (J.C.) Bonilla is an executive leader in educational technology and artificial intelligence.

Interviewee

Dr. Tracy L. Brundage

Tracy L. Brundage began her tenure as the eleventh president of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) on August 1, 2022.

Other episodes

Episode #340: Creating Transparent Learning Experiences with AIPlay Button
Episode #340: Creating Transparent Learning Experiences with AI

For this week's episode, Dustin speaks with Jenny Maxwell of Superhuman about the evolving relationship between AI and academic integrity in higher education. They explore how institutions can move beyond viewing AI as a threat and instead embrace more transparent, collaborative approaches that help students learn with AI while maintaining trust, accountability, and meaningful assessment practices.

Episode 23: OpenAI’s Cyber Incident and the Rise of Open Weight ModelsPlay Button
Episode 23: OpenAI’s Cyber Incident and the Rise of Open Weight Models

JC unpacks two headline-making AI stories every campus and institution needs to understand right now.

Episode 101: Why Strategy Should Come Before ToolsPlay Button
Episode 101: Why Strategy Should Come Before Tools

Artificial intelligence is changing how higher education teams work, but successful AI adoption is about much more than choosing the right tools.

Episode 127: Higher Ed's Hero CyclePlay Button
Episode 127: Higher Ed's Hero Cycle

Mallory hosts Higher Ed Pulse with guest Jenn Hayes, Associate Dean for Marketing & Communications at Cardozo School of Law in New York, to discuss higher ed’s recurring “hero” cycle: hiring passionate leaders to rebuild broken systems, celebrating visible wins, and then losing them to burnout.

Ep. 71: How ECU Built a Collaborative Communications Team Across CampusPlay Button
Ep. 71: How ECU Built a Collaborative Communications Team Across Campus

Jenny Li Fowler welcomes Jessica VanderKolk, a Public Communications Specialist at East Carolina University. The conversation centers on ECU’s innovative communications department structure, which utilizes a liaison model. Rather than being siloed in a central office, communicators are embedded directly within the colleges they cover.

Weekly ideas that make you smarter

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Subscribe
cancel

Search podcasts, blog posts, people