IngenioUs

Melissa Morriss-Olson
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Welcome to IngenioUs — where conversations spark innovation and open doors to the future of higher education. Our podcast is a dedicated space for deep dives with the most original minds and active changemakers in academia. Each episode is a journey through the ideas and actions of those at the forefront, pushing boundaries and redefining what's possible in higher ed. Join us as we explore academic innovation, uncovering insights and inspirations from those who dare to think differently.

  1. The Power of Place: Carol Quillen on Leadership, History, and Reconnecting Communities

    4D AGO

    The Power of Place: Carol Quillen on Leadership, History, and Reconnecting Communities

    In this episode of the IngenioUs Leadership Podcast, Melissa Morriss-Olson sits down with historian and higher education leader Carol Quillen, former president of Davidson College and now President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Carol brings a historian’s lens to leadership—one grounded in humility, courage, and a deep respect for the power of community and place. Over the course of the conversation, she reflects on her leadership journey from growingup in a small historic town in Delaware to leading one of the nation’s most respected liberal arts colleges. Carol shares insights about what leadership really means, why she believes it is fundamentally about helping communities create the conditions for change, and what she learned about guiding an institution through moments of uncertainty, including the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation also explores her current work with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, where she is thinking deeply about how historic places can help Americans reconnect with the complexity of their shared history. At a time when public conversations often feel abstract and polarized, Carol argues that standing in the places where history actuallyhappened can open the door to more thoughtful dialogue and renewed civic understanding. This episode is a thoughtful reflection on leadership, community, and the enduring importance of place in shaping how we understand ourselves and one another. Key Themes from the Conversation Leadership as Context BuildingCarol describes leadership not as a title or position but as the work of helping a community create the conditions it needs to live up to its highest aspirations. Courage and Humility in LeadershipTwo qualities she believes are essential for leaders navigating complexity and uncertainty. Listening and Trust BuildingHow leaders create environments where people can speak honestly, disagree respectfully, and work together toward shared goals. Leading Through CrisisReflections on guiding Davidson College through the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of transparency when decisions must be made with incomplete information. The Power of Institutional CultureWhy understanding the history and identity of an organization is critical when leading change. The Power of Place in Civic LifeHow historic sites—from Gettysburg to Monticello to immigrant tenements—help us confront the complexity of American history and foster deeper conversations about our shared future. Advice for Emerging LeadersCarol encourages young leaders to focus less on career planning and more on doing the work that is right in front of them. About Carol Quillen Carol Quillen is President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the former president of Davidson College, where she served for eleven years. A historian by training, Carol previously spent many years on the faculty at Rice University and held several administrative leadership roles there. She is widely respected for her thoughtful approach to leadership, institutional change, and civic engagement. Her current work focuses on the role historic places can play in strengthening communities and fostering dialogue about the nation’s shared past and future. About the IngenioUs Leadership Podcast The IngenioUs Leadership Podcast explores how leaders createsolutions to complex challenges in higher education and beyond. Through conversations with innovative and thoughtful leaders, the podcast highlights ideas, experiences, and perspectives that help listeners think differently aboutleadership today.

    53 min

  2. MAR 17

    What If Innovation Doesn’t Begin with the Idea? Leadership Insights with Dr. Melissa Morriss-Olson

    Where does innovation really begin? After interviewingdozens of college presidents, one surprising leadership habit kept appearing: listening. When we talk about innovation in higher education, theconversation often centers on bold ideas, new programs, or visionary strategies. But insights from leaders across the field suggest that meaningful innovation often begins somewhere much quieter. It begins with listening. Through the IngenioUs podcast, Dr. Melissa Morriss-Olson has spoken with dozens of college and university presidents about leading change in complex institutions. One lessonconsistently emerges from those conversations: before introducing new initiatives, successful leaders take time to understand the people and contexts they serve. They listen to faculty, staff, and students, learning how their institutions really work and what challenges people are experiencing. Why does this matter? Because when leaders move tooquickly to solutions, they sometimes end up solving the wrong problem. Listening helps uncover the deeper issues—and the real opportunities for meaningful change. In Dr. Morriss-Olson’s newest blog article, “TheFirst Leadership Habit of Innovation,” she explores this ideaand shares insights drawn from these leadership conversations. You can watch the video and read the full article here: Higher Education Leadership | Innovation | ChangeLeadership | Academic Leadership | Organizational Change

    2 min
  3. University Design: “Interestingness” with David J. Staley

    MAR 6 ·  BONUS

    University Design: “Interestingness” with David J. Staley

    In this episode, David J. Staley reads his latest CHELIP: University Design column, “Interestingness,” inspired by Kenneth O. Stanley and Joel Lehman’s Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth of the Objective. What if the pursuit of clearly defined objectives is actually the enemy of breakthrough innovation? Drawing on the intellectual journey of urban theorist Jane Jacobs, insights from computer science, and examples from the history of invention, Staley challenges one of higher education’s most sacred assumptions: that learning must always be guided by predetermined goals and measurable outcomes. Instead, he explores a radical idea — that interestingness, not objectives, may be the true engine of discovery. In This Episode Why Jane Jacobs’ “directionless” intellectual wandering shaped one of the most influential urban thinkers of the 20th century How experiments in artificial intelligence reveal the limits of goal-driven design The paradox of innovation: why the stepping stones to major breakthroughs rarely resemble the final outcome The hidden cost of learning objectives and overly structured curricula Why students who feel “undecided” may actually be operating from a deeper intellectual instinct The case for reimagining Liberal Studies as a major in “interestingness” Key Ideas 1. Greatness Cannot Be PlannedMany transformative discoveries — from microwave ovens to airplanes to early computers — emerged not from direct goal pursuit, but from exploratory work aimed at entirely different problems. 2. The Danger of Objective ThinkingAmbitious goals can create tunnel vision. When we fixate on outcomes, we may overlook the very stepping stones that would lead us there. 3. Interestingness as a CompassNovelty acts as a detector of possibility. Interesting ideas open new pathways — even when their ultimate purpose is unclear. 4. Are Universities Designed for Discovery?With tightly defined learning objectives and structured degree pathways, are we unintentionally suppressing intellectual exploration? 5. Not Having a Plan Can Be a Very Good PlanFor students drawn to curiosity rather than credentials, exploration may not be aimless — it may be the most innovative strategy of all. About David J. Staley David J. Staley is an Associate Professor in the Departments of History, Design, and Educational Studies at The Ohio State University and serves as an Honorary Faculty Fellow in Innovation with CHELIP. His research explores digital history, historical methodology, and the intersection of technology, scholarship, and the future of higher education. A prolific author and curator of digital and physical exhibits, Dr. Staley brings a deep interdisciplinary perspective to conversations about innovation and institutional transformation. A Question for Listeners Are our institutions designed to produce graduates with objectives — or graduates with curiosity? What might change if we structured higher education around interesting questions instead of predetermined outcomes?

    11 min
  4. Behind the Starting Line: Purpose as a Leader’s Superpower

    MAR 3

    Behind the Starting Line: Purpose as a Leader’s Superpower

    In this latest epsiode, Dr. Morriss-Olson is joined by Van Ton-Quinlivan, Founder and CEO of Futuro Health, for a powerful conversation about purpose-driven leadership, systems change, and what it really takes to build opportunity at scale. Van’s leadership journey began “behind the starting line” as a child refugee from Vietnam, and that lived experience continues to shape how she leads today. Over the course of her career, she has led across private industry, public higher education, and the nonprofit sector—most recently founding Futuro Health to address one of the most urgent challenges facing theU.S. healthcare system: the growing shortage of allied health workers. In our conversation, Van shares how Futuro Health was launched at the start of the pandemic and quickly grew into a national workforce ecosystem operating across multiple states. She explains why workforce development must be treated as a team sport, bringing together employers, educators, and community-based organizations to create reliable, equitable talent pipelines. We also explore Van’s leadership philosophy more deeply—how purpose unlocks courage and “fierceness,” why influence matters more than formal authority, and what she has learned about credibility, feedback, and navigating leadership spaces where women are often underrepresented. Van offers practical insights on building coalitions, listening to critics, and knowing when the window is right to push for meaningful change. As we look ahead, Van reflects on the future of work, the impact of demographic shifts and caregiving demands, and how technologies like AI are opening new possibilities to redesign education and workforce systems for today’s learners—not yesterday’s assumptions. This episode is a must-listen for leaders working at the intersection of education, workforce development, healthcare, and social impact—and for anyone seeking to lead with clarity, courage, and purpose. Check out Van's podcast, WorkforceRx here: https://futurohealth.org/current-press/press-podcast/

    40 min

  5. FEB 10 ·  BONUS

    The Cost of What We Don’t Talk About in Leadership. An IngenioUs Mini with Melissa Morriss-Olson

    This episode features a brief video reflection introducing a recent CHELIP blog essay by Melissa Morriss-Olson, Ph.D. that examines one of the quietest—and most consequential—forces shaping leadership culture: silence. The video frames the essay within a broader exploration of why innovation and change so often stall in higher education. Rather than focusing on a lack of ideas or commitment, it points to familiar leadership habits that make uncertainty, risk, and discomfort difficult to sustain. The reflection then turns to an even subtler dynamic—the unspoken rules leaders learn about what feels safe to say and what does not. The accompanying blog essay, The Cost of What We Don’t Talk About in Leadership, explores how silence becomes embedded in leadership culture over time. Leaders learn to read the room, soften language, and avoid naming persistent patterns in the name of professionalism or stability. While this restraint may feel responsible in the short term, the essay argues that it often comes at a cost—diminishing clarity, slowing learning, and quietly sustaining unresolved challenges . Rather than assigning blame, the reflection emphasizes clarity: what becomes possible when leaders are able to speak honestly about the realities they are navigating. The video serves as an entry point into a larger conversation about leadership culture, candor, and the conditions required for meaningful change. 📖 Related blog essay: The Cost of What We Don’t Talk About in Leadership🎥 This episode accompanies a short video introducing the themes behind the essay

    2 min
  6. Leading with Integrity and Urgency: Dr. Lisa Vollendorf and the Promise of Public Higher Education

    FEB 3

    Leading with Integrity and Urgency: Dr. Lisa Vollendorf and the Promise of Public Higher Education

    In this episode of IngenioUs, host Melissa Morriss-Olson is joined by Dr. Lisa Vollendorf, President of SUNY Empire State University, New York’s first and only public online university. Dr. Vollendorf shares a deeply thoughtful and values-driven conversation about leadership in higher education at a time when access, equity, and public purpose matter more than ever. Drawing on her own journey—from growing up in a small Colorado town to leading a national model for online public education—she reflects on what it means to lead with integrity, empathy, and urgency. Together, Melissa and Lisa explore how leadership is shaped by crisis, why integrity is a leader’s non-negotiable anchor, and how institutions must rethink long-standing structures that unintentionally exclude learners. Lisa also offers powerful insights on women’s leadership, ambition framed throughimpact, and why student-centered design—not institutional tradition—must guide the future of higher education. This episode will resonate with presidents, provosts, deans, faculty leaders, doctoral students, and anyone committed to reimagining higher education in service of all learners. In This Episode, You’ll Hear About: Why integrity is the one thing leaders always controlLessons from leading through large-scale crisis and community traumaThe importance of decisiveness and forward momentum in leadershipWhy ambition often looks different for women leadersRethinking online education, access, and student successThe future of public higher education as a democratizing forceAbout the Guest Dr. Lisa Vollendorf is President of SUNY Empire State University, where she leads New York’s first and only public online university. Empire State University is designed to meet learners where they are, recognize prior learning, and expand access to affordable, high-quality education for studentsof all ages and life stages. About the Host Melissa Morriss-Olson is host of IngenioUs and author of IngenioUs Leadership: Creating Solutions to Wicked Problems in Higher Education. A former provost and longtime higher education leader, Melissa focuses her work on leadership, innovation, and designing institutions that unlock humanpotential. Subscribe & Connect If you enjoyed this episode, please follow IngenioUs, leave areview, and share it with a colleague who cares about the future of higher education.

    51 min
  7. The AI Symposium. University Design by David J. Staley

    JAN 30 ·  BONUS

    The AI Symposium. University Design by David J. Staley

    In this episode of University Design, David J. Staley reflects on the ideas behind his new book, The AI Symposium (Innovation Press, 2026), using this month’s column—and its accompanying recording—as an opportunity to explore a provocative rethinking of AI, dialogue, and learning in higher education. Rather than revisiting familiar debates about banning AI or defining its “ethical use” in the classroom, Staley invites listeners to step back and ask a deeper question: if large language models were explicitly designed to generate language, what does it really mean to treat that function as a problem? And what new possibilities emerge if we stop defending against AI and instead design with it? Drawing on the work of David Graeber and Mikhail Bakhtin, this episode reframes thinking itself as dialogic—something that arises between voices rather than inside isolated minds. From this perspective, the traditional student essay begins to look less like a timeless measure of understanding and more like a historically contingent form of assessment. Staley introduces The AI Symposium as both a conceptual experiment and a pedagogical provocation. In the project, multiple large language models are prompted to engage directly with one another in sustained dialogue, with the human designer acting as a “procedural author.” The result raises unsettling and generative questions: Can AI participate in dialogue in a meaningful way? Does dialogic exchange suggest a form of synthetic understanding? And what might this mean for how we assess student learning? The episode ultimately looks forward, imagining a future in which students design and host their own AI symposia—selecting participants, framing questions, and interpreting dialogue—as a richer demonstration of understanding than the traditional essay. In this episode, you’ll explore: Why debates about “ethical AI use” often miss the point Dialogue as the foundation of human thought The limitations of essay-based assessment in an AI-enabled world The concept of the human as “procedural author” What happens when AI systems engage one another in dialogue How the symposium could replace the essay as a primary form of assessment This episode accompanies David J. Staley’s University Design column and is inspired by his new book, The AI Symposium, which expands on these ideas and their implications for education, technology, and the future of thinking itself.

    5 min

  8. JAN 20 ·  BONUS

    Why Innovation Fails. An IngenioUs Mini with Melissa Morriss-Olson

    In this short audio reflection, Dr. Melissa Morriss-Olson shares the thinking behind her recent CHELIP essay, Why Innovation Fails: Reflections From Where I Sit. Drawing on her lived experience in senior leadership roles and her ongoing work with higher education leaders through IngenioUs, Dr. Morriss-Olson reflects on why innovation so often stalls—not because of bad ideas, but because of how institutions respond to uncertainty, risk, and discomfort. She explores the pull toward consensus-building, risk avoidance, and waiting for perfect conditions, especially in a moment when leading change feels harder than ever. This audio clip is intended as a brief companion to the full essay. 👉 Read the full blog article here: We hope this reflection resonates and invites you to think differently about what leadership and innovation are asking of us right now.

    1 min
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About

Welcome to IngenioUs — where conversations spark innovation and open doors to the future of higher education. Our podcast is a dedicated space for deep dives with the most original minds and active changemakers in academia. Each episode is a journey through the ideas and actions of those at the forefront, pushing boundaries and redefining what's possible in higher ed. Join us as we explore academic innovation, uncovering insights and inspirations from those who dare to think differently.

Information

  • Creator
    Melissa Morriss-Olson
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    233
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Melissa Morriss-Olson
  • Show Website
    IngenioUs

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