The archive of Big Beacon Radio: Transforming Higher Education hosted by David E. Goldberg.

Big Beacon Radio

Every year hundreds of educators from around the globe make the journey to the new mecca of engineering education in Needham, MA to visit Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering. Find out why they go there and what they learn as host Dave Goldberg interviews Olin President and first employee Rick Miller to discuss how Olin got started, how it is different from traditional engineering programs, and how its graduates are doing. The conversation explores some of the obstacles to and opportunities for carrying Olin’s special kind of education to engineering and higher education more broadly and concludes with some thoughts on the future of Olin and higher education generally. Preview coming attractions and learn important lessons for transforming higher education in this important broadcast interview.

Olin College: A Whole New Kind of Engineering Education

The world of work has been undergoing a profound and rapid transformation in recent times. One of the keenest observers of these changes is Dan Pink, bestselling author of five books on work and workforce related subjects, and in this episode Dan joins show host Dave Goldberg for a lively conversation to explore how work has changed and what these changes mean for educating professionals and workers today and in the future. The show is joined also by guest commentator Mark Somerville, Olin College, and co-author of the book A Whole New Engineer to explore some of the practical ramifications of these ideas in engineering and higher education transformation. Join, Dan, Mark, and Dave for this important episode to better explore and fill the gaps between work and education in the 21st century.

Dan Pink: Educating for a Whole New World of Work

Organizations are facing unprecedented calls for change, higher education included, yet leading change in established organizations is a daunting task. One of the keenest architects and practitioners of effective change leadership processes and practices is John Kotter, Harvard Business School professor emertitus and Chairman of Kotter International. In this episode, John joins show host Dave Goldberg for a lively conversation to explore how Kotter’s famous 8-step process applies to the world of higher education, and how change itself has changed as the pace of change has accelerated. The show is joined by guest commentator Joe Tranquillo, Bucknell University. Joe is an educational change agent par excellence, and together Joe and Dave explore some of the practical ramifications of these ideas in higher education transformation. Join John, Joe, and Dave for this important episode to better understand how to bring more rapid, effective change to higher education today.

John Kotter: Leading Change in Higher Education

After years of relative stability in higher education, a small number of engineering schools are emerging around the world to forge a new vision of what it means to be a professional. In this episode host Dave Goldberg interviews Janusz Kozinski, founding dean of one of the newest engineering schools on the planet, the Lassonde School of Engineering in Toronto. Learn how Lassonde got started, about its vision for “renaissance engineers,” and the lessons learned so far. The show is also joined by guest commentator Athena Lin, chair of Students for a Whole New Education and rising junior at the University of Illinois. Athena is working to connect with students around the globe to promote transformative change. Together Athena and Dave explore some of the ramifications of initiatives like Lassonde for students. Join Janusz, Athena, and Dave for this important episode to better understand how the education of engineering and other professionals is undergoing tectonic shifts.

The Lassonde School and the Education of Renaissance Professionals

Since the founding of the University of Bologna in 1088, non-profit universities and colleges have dominated the landscape of higher education. With the rise of for-profit universities such as the University of Phoenix, of non-traditional non-profits such as Southern New Hampshire University, and of coding schools and other certificate schools, the door has opened to other forms of higher education powered by start-up entrepreneurship and venture capital. In this episode, Big Beacon Radio host Dave Goldberg interviews higher ed venture capitalist, Daniel Pianko. In a series of recent articles, Pianko has challenged the practice of large gifts given to traditional universities & he urges wealth creators of our times to give to or use their entrepreneurial skills to build educational institutions that can effectively disrupt the status quo. Join Daniel & Dave for this critical and creative examination of the future of funding of transformation in higher education.

The Future and Transformation of Higher Education Funding

Many writers say we live in singular times calling for unusually great creativity, invention, and innovation and the rapid pace of change in the 21st century is dizzying at times, but the turn of the 19th to the 20th centuries was also a time of miraculous invention and fast-paced innovation. In this episode, host Dave Goldberg goes back to the future with Sarah Miller Caldicott, a great grandniece of the iconic inventor Thomas Edison, to explore Edison’s methods of invention, innovation, and collaboration laid out in two books, “Innovate Like Edison” and “Midnight Lunch.” Join Sarah and Dave for this lively exploration of he ways in which Edison’s lessons are relevant to a new generation of makers, coders, shakers, and entrepreneurs. Also consider how these methods may themselves be helpful in the reinvention and reinvigoration of higher education itself.

How to Innovate and Collaborate Like Thomas Edison

David E. Goldberg