Learn how to give an award-winning conference presentation from HighEdWeb Red Stapler honorees.
Author: Donna Talarico
Donna Talarico, a Red-Stapler-winning HighEdWeb presenter and volunteer editor for Link, is an independent writer and content strategist. She is the marketing columnist for Wiley's Recruiting and Retaining Adult Learners, and her work has also been published in CASE Currents, The Guardian Higher Education Network, and elsewhere. From 2010 to 2015, she told the Elizabethtown College story as part of an award-winning marketing and communications team. Always a storyteller, before higher ed she worked in print and broadcast media, and for a leading eCommerce company. She is the founder and publisher of Hippocampus Magazine, a bimonthly creative nonfiction journal and small press. She loves road trips, board games, greasy spoon diners, and words.
Workspaces Revealed is a recurring column that gives a peek into the spaces and places HighEdWebbers do their magic. In this edition, we meet Genevieve Howard from the University of Missouri. Genevieve Howard has almost two decades of experience in higher ed web, from writing HTML code to content strategy and editing. At the University […]
As we mourn the loss of a remarkable leader and loyal friend, we also reflect on everything Dr. Tonya Oaks Smith gave to our community.
First-time High Ed Web presenter Karli Champ started off her session with this quote: “This is a rambling pep talk. We are all awesome, and we’re going to focus on ourselves for the next hour.” As the backchannel shows — one tweet called her session a “virtual group hug” — she succeeded in pepping up […]
As a past best of track and best of conference speaker, Day Kibilds indeed gets things done. She began her session “Get. Things Done.” saying she’s not necessarily an expert in any one thing (sidebar: you are, Day). Rather, she said she’s well-versed in many things. “There’s something I’ve learned to do over time – […]
The very format of the “Weird Science” captured the spirit of the case study the presenters shared: teamwork. The quintet from Flagler College included Holly Hill and Mike Horn from the marketing and communications area, psychology professor Tracy Litzinger, and two students, Ray Van Allen and Christine Ketner. The group shared their process and results […]
Liz Gross and Andrew Cassel entered the session room tossing out vital organs to audience members. This distribution of hearts and brains set the stage for a presentation about the tug of war we often face between our feelings and “the numbers.” Each speaker played their role well. Andrew, of University of Alaska Fairbanks and […]
Presented by Mitch Canter He was dressed for the part. A self-proclaimed nerd, Mitch Canter’s presentation ensemble was topped off with a Nintendo-controller hat. A perfect way to set the mood for a session on gamification. Mitch opened up talking about his interest (obsession?) with video games and other nerdy stuff. But he also developed […]
Andrew Cassel’s Shattering Silos: Sharing Science on Social did what scientific discovery often does: blows your mind. With this presentation, he brought a passion for not just the subject, but for the benefits of sharing. You could say that science is always exciting, but with the global conversation about climate change growing, it gives an […]
Jill Weaver of Brown University’s lightning talk opened with a question: Who cares? Is it only uptight people who care about commas and those common questions of who/whom, that/which? In her 10-minute talk, she highlighted why we all should care, focusing on two main points: consistency and inclusion. Brown celebrates Indigenous People’s Day (instead of […]
Tim Nekrtiz of SUNY Oswego opened his 7 Habit(ats) of Successful Student Storytelling Session with a recent, successful video which paid tribute to the chicken patty. Yes. The chicken patty. This slice-of-student-life production was fun, showcased many personalities, and it illustrated how we can find new angles and ideas when we look at our institutions […]
Catherine Scholz opens her presentation saying she has a geek degree, works at a geek university and manages a geek team—instantly likeable and full of energy. She’s worked for an experiential marketing firm planning and running interactive events for clients like Microsoft. She takes the notion of engagement marketing to her position at Milwaukee School […]
Taskonomy. It’s a real word, and it first belonged to a trade. A blacksmith arranges tools in a logical order. What implement does he need at this step in the process? The way he or she arranges these items makes the craft easier, more streamlined. Everything in just. the. right. place. Mark Greenfield brings this […]
We learn so much at Higher Education Web Professional’s annual conference and come away with so many incredible ideas—but what happens after we get home? At HighEdWeb, you often hear people talk about searching for their “one thing” – a golden nugget, a key takeaway. Of course, you can return to work with plenty of […]
“Findability is the biggest content problem in higher ed.” That’s how content strategist Rick Allen opened his session Beyond SEO: Writing Findable Content. He also debunked the myth that “SEO is dead,” a notion that’s becoming quite ubiquitous in online marketing. A notion that’s just not true. Allen explained that he sees some of his […]
Have you tried the new app, Snapchat yet? Record scratch. Wait a minute. Hold your horses. Lori Packer reminded us that Snapchat is anything BUT new. Released in 2011, this app joined the world the same year as Pinterest, Google+ and Siri. “It’s not as new as we think it is,” said Packer, adding that […]
Twitter chats – or planned conversations linked together through a common hashtag – can be valuable tools for brands and organizations, higher education included. Dave Tyler, of The College at Brockport shared his experiences engaging with his institution’s community this way in his presentation, “Is This Hashtag Really Necessary: Taking the Plunge into Twitter Chats.” […]
Conversations: All. Over. The. Place. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. In 2014, Lacy Paschal found her team of 12 at Vanderbilt University buried in email. To defeat this monster, her office implemented a new tool and process. Overwhelmed turned to organized. Scattered turned to streamlined. At this year’s High Ed Web, Paschal revived and updated […]
Where does accessibility live on your campus? If Rob Carr had it his way, accessibility would touch every end of campus. His presentation gave a high-level overview of this notion—and he touched upon how roles and processes can be tweaked to account for accessibility. Accessibility shouldn’t be relegated to one team, and especially not to […]
Can you explain what you do for a living—and how you contribute to your campus community—succinctly? If folks have a hard time understanding your job or your team’s role, you might be not be getting the credit you deserve. That was the idea behind Explain Your Work! 5 Public Speaking Tips You Can Use Now. […]
In the past, leaders might be described as tough and no-nonsense. Today, words like empathy and vulnerability are associated with leadership. That was the idea behind John Wagner’s Management and Professional Development Track session, that building personal relationships at work helps team members work toward a common goal. John began the session with a question: […]
A pointer. A podium. A PowerPoint. There’s more to a presentation than that! Add in personality, passion, pizzazz and poise and you get the makings of an award-winning presenter. At HighEdWeb annual conferences, the organization awards the best session in each track the coveted Red Stapler Award. And we can learn a lot from these […]
(Author’s note: It’s poetic that I completed this Link post when I did. I hadn’t anticipated that it’d be a few weeks late, but this also is the very reason I was hyped up about Jesse’s session: I needed his session to help work smarter.) Jesse Lavery, director of web communications at Allegheny College, closed […]
Ashley Budd of Cornell University gave social media folks the ammunition they need to go back to their campuses and get the buy in they need from advancement offices – that social is not just “fun” or “cute.” It’s a serious – and we mean serious – fundraising tool. There could be tens of thousands […]
It was a full house in Skyline II for Conny Leigl’s session, “Mix it up! The art of remixing content,” so much so that this Link blogger had to take notes by hand – you can’t laptop it up without a lap. Leigl is a senior designer for web, graphics and user experience for the […]