Submissions Now Open for the Inaugural HigherEd PodCon Awards, Recognizing Excellence in Higher Education Podcasting

Submissions are now open for the inaugural HigherEd PodCon Awards, the first awards of their kind in higher education podcasting, with a deadline of April 17, 2026. The awards are part of HigherEd PodCon, a conference focused on podcasting in higher education, with its 2026 event set for July 16 and 17 at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio. The college houses a podcast studio built for students and the community, and the campus is a fitting home for a conference dedicated to the craft of audio storytelling in academic life.

Higher education podcasting has grown steadily as a field, and the inaugural awards program is the first formal recognition of its kind for the community. There are fewer than four weeks left to submit nominations.

The Inaugural HigherEd PodCon Awards

For the first time, the higher education podcasting community has dedicated awards of its own. The inaugural HigherEd PodCon Awards recognize outstanding work published between January 1 and December 31, 2025, across five categories:

• Outstanding Student-Led Podcast
• Episode of the Year
• Outstanding Podcast Series
• Podcaster of the Year
• Outstanding Institutional Podcast Network

Nominations close April 17. Finalists will be announced May 15, and winners revealed live at the conference on July 17. Submission details are available at higheredpodcon.com.

A Growing Force in Podcasting

Research tracked by HigherEdPods.com has identified more than 1,400 active podcasts at 210 institutions worldwide. With more than 4,000 colleges and universities in North America alone, that figure is widely considered a fraction of the total. Higher education podcasting is a unique and fast-growing corner of the podcasting landscape, spanning academics and pedagogy, alumni engagement, student recruitment, community outreach, and institutional storytelling.

HigherEd PodCon brings that community together, and every session is designed to leave attendees with concrete examples, templates, and approaches they can bring back to their teams.

The 2026 conference follows a sold-out 2025 inaugural event in Chicago that drew 135 attendees from over 100 institutions, with 92 percent committing to return for Cleveland.

Cleveland itself has deep roots in educational broadcasting. In 1938, the city’s WBOE became the first formally recognized educational radio station in the United States, and in 1941 it became the country’s first licensed educational FM station as well. Higher education and audio storytelling have a long history in this city.

> “The podcasting community in higher education is emerging and looking for a platform to connect and share best practices,” said Joe Sallustio, Ed.D., Co-Founder of The EdUp Experience and HigherEd PodCon.

> “The success of our inaugural conference confirmed the important role podcasting now plays in higher education,” added Dean Hoke, Co-Founder of HigherEd PodCon. “We are excited to partner with Cuyahoga Community College to provide an even more dynamic platform for educators and professionals leveraging podcasting to tell their institution’s story.”

Keynote and Plenary Speakers

This year’s conference features speakers who work at the intersection of podcasting craft, journalism, and higher education leadership.

• Chancellor Bennie L. Harris, PhD of the University of South Carolina Upstate will deliver the keynote. Harris is a senior institutional leader who also hosts Below the Line, a podcast series exploring leadership, change, technology, and education.
• Greg Jackson, creator and host of History That Doesn’t Suck, will lead a general session. His show has tens of millions of downloads and regularly appears in Apple and Spotify top 10 history charts. An associate professor at Utah Valley University, Jackson’s session will connect audience-first podcasting craft with the realities of academic production.
• Teresa Valerio Parrot and Jack Stripling will lead a featured session on the intersection of journalism, institutional communications, and podcasting. Valerio Parrot is Principal of TVP Communications and co-host of the Trusted Voices Podcast. Stripling is Senior Writer and host of College Matters at The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Event Details

• Dates: July 16-17, 2026
• Location: Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio
• Expected Attendance: 250+ higher education professionals from around the world
• Awards Nominations Deadline: April 17, 2026
• Award Finalists Announced: May 15, 2026
• Early Bird Pricing Ends: May 30, 2026
• Registration & Awards Submissions: www.higheredpodcon.com