JC Bonilla is joined by Andrew Ramsammy, President of Vermont College of Fine Arts, for a deep dive into what it means to lead in the era of AI, especially agentic AI. JC sets the stage for a conversation ranging from the challenges of navigating a college presidency during the pandemic to the transformative effects of affiliating with CalArts. Andrew shares his journey from board member to president and describes how AI, far from being just a technological add-on, demands a renewed focus on agency and intentionality in leadership.

JC examines whether "AI slop" stems from the technology itself or from users cutting corners, exploring how AI is reshaping standards of effort, judgment, and quality in academic and professional work.

JC talks with Element451's Ty Fujimura and Encoura's Matt Ellis about AI governance and ROI in higher ed, plus a deep dive into the new Encoura Connect partnership bringing predictive enrollment intelligence together with agent-driven CRM.

Ardis Kadiu of Andi tells Brian Piper that most institutions remain stuck in early-stage "skills" rather than true autonomous agents, argues human taste and leadership-driven work redesign matter more as AI handles production, and predicts that by 2027 the "harness" around models—not raw intelligence—plus the gap between AI capability and organizational adoption will define success, while also touching on AI's impact on learning assessment and his own family-AI venture, Andi.

This week, we spoke with Joe Abraham of Intellicampus about the growing challenge of system fragmentation in higher education and why institutions must rethink their digital infrastructure in the age of AI.

Drew Lurker of CollegeSource joins to discuss how technology, shared data, and statewide initiatives are making transfer credit evaluation more transparent and student-centered, plus AI's promise and risks in transcript evaluation and the need to balance speed with human judgment and trust.

JC's June 2026 "State of AI" recap argues higher ed AI has moved from chatbots to agentic operating layers amid contested model leadership (OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, DeepSeek, Z.AI) that makes single-vendor strategies outdated, closing with a live discussion among JC, Brian Piper (AI for U), and Carrie Phillips (Lessons in Leadership).

This week's conversation with Jason Czyz, President and CEO of the Institute of International Education, explores how scholarship programs, academic exchanges, and study abroad initiatives shape global leaders and strengthen economies in an increasingly interconnected world.

In this episode of Higher Intelligence, Dr. JC Bonilla and guest Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner examine who decides what AI is allowed to do on campus and who holds accountability when AI goes wrong. They discuss recent government intervention in AI model deployment, the rise of AI-powered academic discovery, and the emergence of agentic AI workflows in higher education. Drawing on leadership frameworks and real campus examples, the conversation explores practical approaches to AI governance, ethical considerations, and how higher ed leaders can balance progress with accountability.

Brian sits down with Brandon Rich, Director of AI Enablement at the University of Notre Dame, to explore what he calls the “messy middle” of AI adoption in higher ed.

Dustin talks with Sean Gannon of GTMppl about how go-to-market strategy in edtech is evolving in response to AI, changing buyer behavior, and tighter institutional budgets.

Dustin speaks with Auryan Ratliff of Arizona State University about how AI—especially agentic AI—is transforming course design, assessment, and the broader student experience.

JC is joined by Element451 Chief Revenue Officer Trey Boyer and VP of Customer Strategy & Technology Kelly Sinacola to discuss the complexities of buying AI in higher education.

Returning guest Joyce Peralta, Manager of Digital Communications at McGill University, joins Brian for a thoughtful conversation about what higher education institutions are getting right and wrong about AI adoption.

Adam Heidebrink-Bruno sits down with Andy Doell and Dave Ghidiu to explore what AI readiness really looks like in K-12 education.

Dustin is pleased this week to chat with Michael Betz of Covista about tackling the growing healthcare workforce shortage through scalable education and AI-driven innovation.

JC is joined by Element451's CEO James Novak to explore the shifting landscape of AI and EdTech leadership in higher education.

Host Adam Heidebrink-Bruno is joined by Marisa Enzinna and Camille Zess to explore how small businesses and regional organizations are using AI to improve workflows, support teams, and navigate rapid change.

Dustin speaks with Dr. Rachel Bowser of Agnes Scott College about redefining AI fluency as a core component of a liberal arts education.

JC is joined by Andrea Gilbert from Everspring to examine why most AI pilots in higher education fail to scale, emphasizing the crucial role of leadership and change management over technology itself.

Raj joins Brian to explore why AI conversations should focus less on tools and more on outcomes, how institutions can adapt without losing trust, and why the future belongs to human orchestrators—not just operators.