In this Chair to Chair conversation, Erin Maher-Moran welcomes Andy Vogel from The Ohio State University, HETMA’s Communications Chair, for a candid look at what it really takes to keep a fast growing professional community informed, connected, and genuinely engaged. Andy shares how his career started in the trenches of campus support, including managing high pressure student media workflows, before expanding into central AV support and eventually instructional design inside the College of Engineering.   

From there, the episode zooms out to the craft of communication in higher ed technology: why usability and peer proof often beat raw specs, how to explain tech value to non technical stakeholders, and why partnerships with teaching and learning centers can unlock real faculty adoption. Anchored to the month’s theme of leveling up, Andy reflects on building confidence through presenting, staying curious through ongoing learning, and using vulnerability and transparency as a practical leadership skill.
 
Topics Discussed
• Andy’s path from campus AV and classroom support into instructional design 
• How HETMA connections grew out of virtual conference involvement during 2020 
• Why the Communications Chair role blends newsletters, partners, social, and storytelling 
• Translating technical features into value statements that resonate with end users 
• The outsized power of peer institutions, case studies, and social proof 
• Communicating technology investments through teaching impact, not shiny gear 
• Practical ways to get faculty into training, including partnering with teaching and learning centers 
• A real world lesson on requirements gathering and why people ask for one thing but mean another 
• Leveling up through presenting, starting virtual, then moving into in person formats 
• Authentic community storytelling through nuance, listening, and self critique 

Erin Maher Moran
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-maher-moran/ 

Andy Vogel, The Ohio State University
[email protected]  
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-vogel/

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This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for new content every day.