Episodios

  • Special: HETMA Presents... Live Keynote from the HETMA Virtual Conference

    Special: HETMA Presents... Live Keynote from the HETMA Virtual Conference
    Feb 25 2026
    Recorded live as the Friday keynote on Day 3 of the HETMA Virtual Conference, this AV/IT Amplifier crosspost pulls a fast moving hybrid conversation from sister show HETMA Presents, combining #Roadto10K and This Month in Higher Ed AV into one session.

    Host Ryan Gray is joined by Britt Yenser, Tim Van Woeart, and Gina Sansivero to unpack the month’s community theme, Time to Level Up, and get specific about what leveling up actually looks like in real careers, real teams, and real life.

    The first half is personal and practical: leadership shifts, classroom design growth, mentoring, self awareness about learning styles, and the uncomfortable reality that documentation and continuity can feel emotional because it forces us to admit we will not be in the role forever.

    The second half pivots into a timely industry conversation sparked by a UK trade piece that framed education AV spend as wasteful and trend driven, followed by an AVWeek discussion and a HETMA board response op ed. The panel digs into why the framing landed as dismissive, why collapsing K 12 and higher ed into one story produces bad conclusions, and why higher ed AV decisions are shaped by governance, accessibility, security, procurement, and lifecycle realities, not shiny object chasing.


    Articles Discussed:

    Original article: https://www.avinteractive.com/news/systems-design-integration/are-educational-institutions-wasting-their-money-on-av-14-01-2026/

    Discussion on AVWeek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FLQnVhkwlA

    HETMA response op ed: https://www.avnation.tv/2026/02/04/oped-higher-ed-is-not-wasting-money-on-av-but-we-are-tired-of-being-talked-down-to/

    Join the conversation at community.hetma.org

    Host: Ryan Gray
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/

    Panel:

    Britt Yenser
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/britt-yenser/

    Tim Van Woeart
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-van-woeart-cts-45416826/

    Gina Sansivero

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-sansivero/

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for new content every day.
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    58 m
  • 132: The AV Nerd with Tom Segers

    132: The AV Nerd with Tom Segers
    Feb 18 2026
    Ryan is back on the ISE 2026 show floor for Part 2 with Tom Segers, an AV professional supporting Thomas More University of Applied Sciences in Belgium across multiple campuses. Tom shares what it looks like when a hobby becomes a career, and why being detail minded is not just a personality trait, it is survival in higher ed AV.

    From WhatsApp culture in Europe to the very real complexity of LED walls, 4K workflows, and teacher friendly BYOD realities, this episode stays practical and human. It ends on a simple truth that will feel familiar to anyone in our line of work: if nobody is calling, that might be the best news you get all week.

    Topics Discussed
    • Supporting seven campuses with a small AV team
    • When your hobby becomes your job
    • The value and downside of being detail minded
    • Communication habits and coordination in Europe
    • WhatsApp as an operational tool at events
    • What it really takes to make an LED wall succeed in teaching spaces
    • Power, input, and workflow surprises with LED deployments
    • The gap between BYOD policy and BYOD reality
    • Duplicate vs extend mode issues in real classrooms
    • Why lack of complaints can be a success metric in AV
    Connect with Tom Segers:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-segers-19b89676/

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris DechterHave feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    29 m
  • 131: Work Together To Make Some Difference with Tom Segers

    131: Work Together To Make Some Difference with Tom Segers
    Feb 11 2026
    Recorded live at the HETMA booth on the show floor of ISE 2026, Ryan sits down with Belgium based higher ed AV leader Tom Segers from Thomas More University of Applied Sciences. They talk about what it looks like to support AV at scale with a tiny central team across multiple campuses, and why global community matters when higher education needs a louder voice in an industry that often defaults to corporate assumptions.

    Tom also shares a Europe specific lens that will feel immediately relevant to US listeners: multilingual collaboration, privacy expectations for students on camera, and why audio quality becomes the make or break layer in hybrid learning. The conversation lands on the practical reality we all live in, construction timelines and technology timelines never line up, so staying connected and learning from peers is not a nice to have, it is survival.

    Topics Discussed
    • Running AV services for 20,000 students with a three person expert team
    • Multi campus support challenges, travel time, local support structures
    • Finding HETMA through EDUCAUSE connections and building community infrastructure
    • Why higher ed needs collective leverage with manufacturers
    • English as the shared language at global AV events
    • Talking to R and D on the show floor, why it matters more than sales conversations
    • Hybrid and connected classroom momentum since the pandemic
    • Student privacy expectations in Europe and what that changes operationally
    • Audio as the most important, most expensive layer in hybrid rooms
    • Funding models and lifecycle planning for refresh and replacement

    Connect with Tom Segers
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-segers-19b89676/
    Thomas More: https://thomasmore.be/en

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    29 m
  • 130: Catch You On The Flipside with Issac Abbs

    130: Catch You On The Flipside with Issac Abbs
    Jan 28 2026
    Isaac Abbs returns for week two and the conversation leans hard into the human side of senior leadership: how an introvert survives a job that demands constant presence, how you build buy in like a coach building a locker room, and how you create real moments of recognition when your team is the one taking the calls and absorbing the heat. Along the way, Isaac shares what he has learned about getting comfortable being uncomfortable, why delivery matters more than content when you are on stage, and why storytelling is the skill that makes the message land.

    It is also a Tucson flavored episode in the best way: Isaac’s path from California to Maine to the University of Arizona, a love letter to Fourth Avenue, and an extremely specific answer to the best sandwich question that will make every Tucson listener nod instantly. The wrap up lands with a leadership gut punch that comes up again and again on this show: the question people almost never ask leaders, even though it might be the one that matters most.

    Topics Discussed
    1. Introversion in extroverted leadership roles, and building the muscle to show up anyway
    2. Practice as the real unlock for public speaking and high visibility leadership
    3. Coaching mindset in IT leadership: vision, mission, trust, and buy in
    4. Defining wins in IT when the impact is often on everyone else, not you
    5. Creating intentional celebration rhythms: strategic plan reviews, win stories, and acknowledging the grind
    6. Customer service as a frontline reality, and why recognition needs to be specific and frequent
    7. Changing perspective on AI: from caution to strategic momentum, and the risk of falling behind
    8. Tucson culture check: Fourth Avenue, Bison Witches, and the U of A tournament memory lane
    9. The underrated power of storytelling in leadership communication
    10. The question leaders wish people asked more often: How are you doing, and meaning it

    Connect with Isaac Abbs
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-abbs

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    28 m
  • 129: Trust Drips In and Pours Out with Isaac Abbs

    129: Trust Drips In and Pours Out with Isaac Abbs
    Jan 21 2026
    Ryan Gray is joined by Isaac Abbs, Chief Information Officer at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. Isaac walks through what the CIO role really demands in higher ed—leadership, clarity, and the ability to solve problems at a level that changes outcomes for the institution. He reflects on his career path (public sector to higher ed and back), why the CIO role appealed to him early, and what it means to lead technology in a way that helps people get somewhere they didn’t think was possible.

    From there, the conversation gets practical: the modern CIO job as a “people business,” the need for visibility and relentless communication, and how trust is built through responsiveness and relationships. They also dig into AV strategy and room experience—right-sizing classroom tech, avoiding “technology for technology’s sake,” and pushing for spaces that don’t require a manual. Zoom Rooms, simpler conference room experiences, and AV-over-IP as a path toward consistency and usability all come up as part of Isaac’s roadmap for making the experience smoother for faculty and staff.

    Topics Discussed
    • What Pima Community College looks like (scale, campuses, student profile)
    • Why Isaac aimed for the CIO role early
    • Career “boomerang” moves and returning with broader perspective
    • What the CIO role actually is day-to-day (and what people misunderstand)
    • Balancing executive demands with family life and burnout risk
    • CIO leadership as “people-first,” not tech-first
    • Being visible to earn a seat at decision tables
    • Communication as strategy: transparency, newsletters, responsiveness
    • “Easy button” room expectations and right-sizing classroom tech
    • Zoom Rooms + AV-over-IP as simplification and standardization levers
    Connect with Isaac Abbs
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-abbs

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    31 m
  • 128: If You Think Nobody Cares, You're Wrong with Thomas Eastlack

    128: If You Think Nobody Cares, You're Wrong with Thomas Eastlack
    Jan 14 2026
    Week two with Thomas goes deeper into the inner mechanics of growth: how confidence gets built (and rebuilt) in real time, how “needing people” can be both a strength and a signal, and what it looks like to stop outsourcing your own decisions. Ryan and Thomas talk candidly about learning to move forward without requiring constant external reassurance—and how that shift changes the way you show up in work and life.

    The conversation also hits the human layer underneath the job titles: believing there’s good in the world, the cost of giving too much without replenishing yourself, and the kind of question people rarely ask—because it requires them to actually be ready for the answer. Along the way: a great metaphor about “overflow vs. emptying your cup,” mentorship, ITSM curiosity, and a surprisingly specific Subway order.

    Topics Discussed
    • Introvert vs. extrovert energy (and what happens when you’re alone too long)
    • How Thomas is building confidence in decisions under stress
    • “What are you waiting for?” — self-talk and external validation
    • Whether people are fundamentally good (and how to live that belief)
    • Protecting yourself from over-giving: overflow vs. depletion
    • Envy vs. material jealousy: wanting traits, not stuff
    • What strong leaders actually have (spoiler: not all the answers)
    • ITSM learning: tools, automation, and simplifying messy processes
    • The question people should ask more often: “How are you… really?”
    • How to connect with Thomas + his sign-off phrase

    Connect with Thomas
    Email – Thomas.Eastlack@yc.edu
    LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-eastlack/

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    31 m
  • 127: Don't Lose Yourself with Thomas Eastlack

    127: Don't Lose Yourself with Thomas Eastlack
    Jan 7 2026
    After a stretch of inconsistency, Ryan kicks off 2026 with a simple promise: the show is back, and the conversations are the fuel. In this in-person episode, he sits down with Thomas Eastlack, a familiar face at Yavapai College who recently moved from the IT service desk into a newly created role supporting HR technology.

    Thomas unpacks the shift from reactive “break/fix” work to proactive systems thinking—ticketing workflows, website iteration cycles, chatbot training, and the early push toward cloud-first habits. But the heart of the conversation is service: empathy, trust, and the mindset that keeps support work human even when the calls are repetitive. It’s also a candid look at imposter feelings, decision-making pressure, and what it means to grow into being “the expert” while staying grounded in who you are.

    Topics Discussed
    • Moving from service desk technician to HR IT lead analyst
    • Reactive support vs proactive process and systems improvement
    • Launching an HR ticketing system for routing, automation, and accountability
    • Website refresh realities: iterations, stakeholders, and “meeting in the middle”
    • Training and maintaining a website chatbot and early AI exposure
    • Shifting departments while staying collaborative with central IT
    • Empathy as a practical support skill (tone, language, and de-escalation)
    • Avoiding burnout and jadedness when the same problems repeat
    • Hiring for attitude and service mindset over day-one operational knowledge
    • Growth, purpose, and why Yavapai College is a place people stay

    Connect with Thomas
    Email – Thomas.Eastlack@yc.edu
    LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-eastlack/

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    34 m
  • 126: Wish You Were Asked? 2025

    126: Wish You Were Asked? 2025
    Dec 31 2025
    We close out 2025 with a listen back to some of our favorite guests this year and their answers to the questions they wish to be asked.

    Stay tuned for new episodes of The AV/IT Amplifier Podcast in 2026!

    Connect with Ryan
    @Ryan_A_Gray
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    35 m