HigherEd PodCon

In this encore interview, Dean Hoke and Dr. Senthil Nathan interviewed Dr. Samantha Alvis, the Senior Advisor for Higher Education at the Center for Education in USAID/Washington. In this role, she provides technical support to field offices to design activities that engage higher education institutions or post-secondary student populations and works to advance higher education programming across sectors within the Agency. 
 
Prior to joining USAID, Samantha was the Director for International Development and Programs at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), where she oversaw a number of projects and initiatives related to the comprehensive internationalization of APLU member campuses. She taught courses in communications and leadership and led study-abroad trips to Namibia and Costa Rica. 
 
Samantha completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees in agricultural education at the University of Arizona and her Ph.D. in international agricultural development and agricultural communications from Texas A&M University. Her dissertation research focused on the benefits and challenges of higher education development assistance. 

What is HigherEd PodCon?

For years, higher education professionals involved in podcasting have asked the same question: Why isn’t there a podcast conference just for our community? My colleagues and I decided it was time to do something about it and take the leap to create a conference just for higher ed podcasters.

On Saturday, July 12, 2025, we invite all higher ed podcasters to attend the inaugural HigherEd PodCon, the first national conference exclusively for podcasting and digital media creators in higher education. Located at the University of Illinois, Chicago, this one-day event brings together faculty, staff, tech specialists, and communicators who are shaping the future of audio storytelling on campus.

With 15 sessions, 40+ presenters, and participation from over 25 institutions throughout the United States—including Purdue, Stanford, Brigham Young, Penn State, and Austin Community College—this is the perfect opportunity to explore how colleges are using podcasts to engage students, alumni, and the broader community. Please go to www.higheredpodcon.com