In this episode of IngenioUs, Melissa Morriss-Olson speaks with Rachelle Keck PhD, JD, president of Grandview University, about leadership, agency, and the evolving future of higher education. Rachelle’s path to the university presidency is far from traditional. After more than two decades practicing law, she transitioned into higher education leadership and eventually became the president of Grandview University in Des Moines, Iowa. In this conversation, she shares how her experiences as a first-generation college student, a woman leader inhigher education, and one of nine siblings growing up in rural Missouri shaped her leadership philosophy. Rachelle discusses the leadership lessons she learned moving from law into higher education administration, the realities of leading a university today, and how institutions can prepare students for a rapidly changing workforce. She also shares the four pillars that guide her leadership every day: love, logic, listening, and learning—a framework that blends analytical decision-making with empathy and collaboration. Throughout the conversation, one powerful question keeps resurfacing—one that Rachelle first heard as a child and now shares with students and emerging leaders: What are you going to do about it? This episode will resonate with anyone interested in women’s leadership, university leadership, higher education innovation, and the future of college leadership. Topics Discussed in This Episode Leadership lessons from growing up in a family of nineNavigating college as a first-generation studentTransitioning from a career in law to higher education leadershipWhat it really means to serve as a college president todayShared governance and collaborative leadership in universitiesLeading institutions during times of uncertainty and changeThe importance of representation and women presidents in higher educationPreparing students for a future shaped by technological changeThe framework that guides Rachelle's leadership: Love, Logic, Listening, and LearningAbout the Guest Rachelle Keck is president of Grandview University, a private university in Des Moines, Iowa. Before entering higher education leadership, she spent more than twenty years practicing law. Her leadership focuses on student opportunity,institutional sustainability, and preparing graduates for meaningful careers and lives of purpose. About the Podcast IngenioUs is a higher education leadership podcast hosted by Melissa Morriss-Olson, Distinguished Professor of Higher Education Leadership at Bay Path University and author of IngenioUs Leadership: Creating Solutions to Wicked Problems in Higher Education. Each episode features conversations with innovative leaders who are shaping the future of higher education.
