Podcast

#203: UHCL's 6-Week Leadership Pivot + AI Student Concierge + NASA Innovation Culture [Houston 2024]

Written by Joe Toste | Jun 18, 2025 4:35:02 AM

 

 

 

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Featuring:

  • Dr. LeeBrian Gaskins, Senior Associate Vice President of IT/CIO at University of Houston-Clear Lake


What You’ll Learn:

  • 6-week crisis leadership insights: How Dr. Gaskins built team trust and executed digital transformation during COVID with a brand-new team

  • AI concierge vision for higher ed: Real-world use cases for student support systems that access enterprise data and provide personalized recommendations

  • NASA's cultural influence on tech strategy: How space program values of exploration and resilience shape innovation approaches in higher education

  • Email security culture building: Lessons from achieving 96-97% spam filtering while shifting user behavior from "fix later" to "safety first"

  • Collaboration as "magnifier and multiplier": Why Texas higher ed leaders prioritize peer networking and mentorship for amplified problem-solving

 

Timestamps

  • 00:34 - Introduction and NASA Memorabilia Space Tour

  • 01:00 - Dr. Gaskins' Journey: West Virginia to NASA's Backyard

  • 03:00 - Childhood Space Dreams Driving Technology Innovation

  • 05:00 - International Business Background and Cross-Border Tech

  • 08:00 - Texas Higher Ed Collaboration Networks and Mentorship

  • 11:00 - Collaboration as a "Magnifier and Multiplier" Strategy

  • 13:00 - NASA's Cultural Influence on STEM and Resilience

  • 17:00 - 6-Week COVID Crisis Leadership with New Team

  • 23:00 - Human-Centric Tech: Internet Access and TTY Device Stories

  • 28:00 - AI in Higher Ed: Ethics, Policy, and Student Experience

  • 34:00 - AI Concierge Vision: Enterprise Data and Student Support

  • 41:00 - Email Security Culture: 96-97% Spam Filtering Success

  • 45:00 - EDUCAUSE Takeaways and Cross-Pollination Benefits

 

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📧 Interested? Email Joe at joe@techtables.com

 

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