Today, Maria discusses the future of higher education with Steve Whitehead, the Associate Provost at California University of Pennsylvania. Together, they unpack how his childhood, the ten years he spent after high school on military training, a vocational-technical school and a community college along with his manufacturing experience prepared him well for his professional career at Cal U. They explore the challenges of higher education and how to make universities trusted spheres of learning within their communities so they can remain competitive. Steve is trained in Human-Centered Design thinking by Luma Institute, and he regularly presents on the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) in Western Pennsylvania. A truly engaging conversation with a powerful changemaker!
Production team:
Host : Maria Xenidou
Producer: Julie-Roxane Krikorian
Introduction Voice: David Bourne
Contact us:
impactlearningpodcast@gmail.com
Music credits:
Like Lee performed by The Mini Vandals
Transition sounds: Swamp Walks performed by Jingle Punks
Where to find Steve Whitehead:
Twitter @dr_whitehead
Mentioned in this episode:
Paul Tough - The years that matter most
Career and Professional Development Center of California University
Why Human-Centered Design Matters?
Training in Human-Centered Design
Listen to this episode and explore:
Steve’s childhood: learning to bake with his mother and the big challenges at school (3:35)
The long journey towards a Bachelor’s degree and the forks in the road (6:32)
How his life and school experiences led him to fall in love with science and problem solving (11:55)
Joining the faculty at California University in Pennsylvania (14:43)
Reflections on credentials vs. real-life experiences? (16:07)
Skills repurposed: leadership, curiosity and learning from failures (18:00)
The desire to make a bigger impact: why Steve decided to work as an administrator (25:57)
Innovations in the classroom: Digital Promise & Human-Centered Design (31:50)
The importance of serving the students (36:36)
How higher education is evolving through online-learning and student’s preferences (38:27)
Making universities trusted spheres of learning within their communities as a way to stay competitive (42:48)
The value of higher education (51:38)
The impact of technology on education (54:40)
The change Steve wants to bring to rural education (56:29)