Telling Our Story Podcast
This series shares the stories of AASCU institutions that are making great strides toward serving underrepresented students and their communities—and fostering a greater future for our nation.
Latest Episodes
Bonus Episode
Breaking Higher Education Barriers Across Borders
In this bonus episode of Telling Our Story, Leticia chats with three presidents from Mexican postsecondary institutions. Together, they discuss the importance of binational higher education collaborations between Mexico and the U.S., the mutual benefits of those collaborations for students and communities in both countries, and promising practices that Mexican institutions are implementing that increase access to postsecondary education and enhance workforce development. The session was recorded at AASCU’s 2024 Annual Conference for Presidents and Chancellors in Puerto Rico.
Guests include:
- Arturo Cherbowski Lask, director of Universia México and executive director of Santander Universidades
- Luis Enrique Palafox Maestre, president of Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
- Martha Aguilar Trejo, president of la Universidad de Celaya
This is an English translation of our recent Spanish-language episode, “Superando Barreras en la Educación Superior más allá de las Fronteras.”
Bonus Episode
Superando Barreras en la Educación Superior más allá de las Fronteras
En este episodio de Telling Our Story, Leticia conversa con tres líderes de educación superior en México. Juntos, discuten la importancia de las colaboraciones binacionales en educación universitaria entre México y los Estados Unidos, los beneficios mutuos de estas colaboraciones tanto para los estudiantes y para las comunidades en ambos países, así como las prácticas prometedoras que las instituciones mexicanas están implementando para aumentar el acceso a la educación superior y mejorar el desarrollo de la fuerza laboral. La sesión fue grabada en Puerto Rico durante la Conferencia Anual 2024 de AASCU para rectores y directores de sistemas universitarios.
Los líderes incluyen:
- Arturo Cherbowski Lask, director de Universia México y director ejecutivo de Santander Universidades
- Luis Enrique Palafox Maestre, rector de la Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
- Martha Aguilar Trejo, rectora de la Universidad de Celaya
This discussion is entirely in Spanish. Download an English transcript of the episode below the episode player.
Bonus Episode
Building Bridges: Uplifting Communities Through Collaboration
In this bonus episode of Telling Our Story, we share a portion of the opening plenary of the AASCU 2024 Annual Conference for Presidents and Chancellors in Puerto Rico, Nov. 16–19. The session, occurring on Sunday, Nov. 18, highlighted the unique challenges presidents and chancellors of regional public colleges and universities face as they lead transformation on their campuses. It followed an address from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
Panelists included:
- Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, chancellor, City University of New York system (session moderator)
- Mildred Garcia, chancellor, The California State University system
- John B. King Jr., chancellor, State University of New York system
- Brian McCall, chancellor, Texas State University System
Keep an eye out for key AASCU events throughout 2025 at www.aascu.org/events.
Reviving Enrollment and Ensuring Stability Through Bold Planning
In this episode of Telling Our Story, Leticia chats with three guests from Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. They share how ECSU overcame declining enrollment and the threat of shutting down a decade ago, on its way to being recognized in Third Way’s Economic Mobility Index as one of the most outstanding historically black universities in the country.
Guests include:
- Farrah J. Ward, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs
- Dana Poole, executive director of the Office of Student Success and Retention
- Omar Richardson, alumnus (2023, aviation science) and current graduate student
Read more about ECSU’s transformation here.
Success Central: Supporting Underrepresented Students Through Peer Coaching
In this episode of Telling Our Story, Leticia chats with three outstanding guests from Central Connecticut State University about its Success Central program, an innovative peer-coaching initiative that’s helped students achieve academic and personal success for 10 years running.
Guests include:
- Zulma R. Toro, president, Central Connecticut State University
- Reginald Simmons, professor and chair, Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice, and supervisor, Success Central, Central Connecticut State University
- Tori Wallington, student, former mentee, mentor, and now mentor coordinator, Success Central, Central Connecticut State University
Read more about the CCSU Success Central program here.
Building a Pipeline of Diverse Teachers for the Next Generation of K–12 Students
In this episode of Telling Our Story, Leticia chats with two leaders from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore about the institution’s Men of Color in Education program. The program seeks to attract, retain, and form a community for male educators of color, who comprise 2% of the U.S. public school teaching workforce.
Guests include:
- Richard H. Warren Jr., Richard F. Hazel professor of education and director of the Men of Color in Education program, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
- Todd Nock, financial aid counselor, University of Maryland Eastern Shore; former North Dorchester High School teacher under the Men of Color in Education program; current mayor, Pocomoke City, Maryland
Contact Richard H. Warren Jr. at rhwarren@umes.edu.
View the UMES Promising Practices article and video here.
Amplifying Postsecondary Accessibility at CSU Pueblo
In this episode of Telling Our Story, host Leticia Maldonado chats with leaders from Colorado State University Pueblo about the institution’s University Track Centers, how they’re helping to promote postsecondary culture, create pathways for underrepresented students to pursue higher education, and much more.
Guests include:
- Timothy Mottet, president, CSU Pueblo
- Kristyn White Davis, vice president for enrollment management and extended studies, CSU Pueblo
- Mikayla Lerch, alumna and current admissions counselor, CSU Pueblo
Reimagining the Value of Postsecondary Education
In the first episode of Telling Our Story, host Leticia Maldonado and guests discuss the critical role AASCU is playing to expand life-changing opportunities and close opportunity gaps for today’s diverse student populations.
Guests include:
- Mildred García, president, AASCU
- Charles L. Welch, president, Arkansas State University System, and former chair, AASCU Board of Directors
- Jamey Rorison, senior program officer, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation