Distance Learning Roundtable

October 1 2022

October 2022: Check out Episode 1 of the newest Inkandescent Radio Show — Distance Learning Roundtable, where experts gather to discuss the future of online education

Distance Learning Roundtable
Distance Learning Roundtable
October 2022: Check out Episode 1 of the newest Inkandescent Radio Show — Distance Learning Roundtable, where experts gather to discuss the future of online education
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October 2022: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, producer, Inkandescent Radio — Hello and welcome to the first episode of the Distance Learning Roundtable show on the Inkandescent Radio Network. As the show’s producer, I am thrilled to introduce you to the hosts of our newest program — Distance Learning Roundtable, the podcast and video show where experts gather to discuss the future of online education.

Today you will meet the show’s hosts: Pat Cassella, the executive director of the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA), and Dean Hoke, managing partner of the international organization Edu Alliance.

You’ll learn about: 

  • USDLA and its mission, Pat’s work, and how he became the executive director of this important organization
  • Dean and the goals of Edu Alliance
  • Their exciting show we are launching this month, October 2022, and what inspired them to create it
  • Their upcoming guests
  • USDLA’s upcoming event, National Distance Learning Week, which will be held Nov. 7-11
  • Parting thoughts about the future of online learning and how this show will help podcast listeners and video viewers better understand the immense power of distance learning.

Don’t miss it!

About Pat Cassella:

Pat Cassella has been a presence within the high-tech industry for more than 30 years with leadership roles in Sales, Marketing, Product Development and Engineering. He has been involved with the USDLA for more than 15 years and is the Executive Director for the association. Pursuing his passion for engineering, he earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Bridgeport and a Master’s of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of New Haven. He has spent the past 20+ years within the IP video communications market as a sales, marketing and product architect within the Government, Education, Corporate and Medical markets.

He is the founder of ETC Video, an educational technology consulting company, and current Vice President of Worldwide Sales for VDO360, a leading manufacturers of cameras and communication equipment. He is a strong educational proponent and frequent speaker in promoting the use of digital video and advanced technologies in today’s classrooms and businesses. He is the CEO and Executive Director of the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) and an active participant in the distance learning and telepresence community.

He began his career at the Norden Systems division of United Technologies designing and testing radar subsystems for F4 airborne applications. He has held senior positions at Interactive Digital Solutions, Discover Video, Entrata Communications and in the ATM broadband division at General Datacomm.  developing their first and second-generation communication platforms. He has extensive signaling protocol experience and holds several narrowband to broadband signaling inter-working patents. Prior to starting ETC Video he was the Vice President of Educational Markets at VBrick Systems where he was responsible for their IP video product strategy, focusing on IP video ecosystems and their E-Rate program across all target verticals.

Pat resides in the coastal community of Ormond By The Sea, FL with his wife Sandy and rescued pets Player and Salem. He has served on past several community boards and is an active volunteer. His hobbies include motorcycle instruction and riding, educational technology development, civic event volunteering, sports, fishing, home networking technology and animal rescue.

Learn more at USDLA.org.

About Dean: Based in Bloomington, Indiana, and the United Arab Emirates, Dean is the Managing Partner of Edu Alliance Group , Dean has decades of progressively responsible and visionary leadership roles in higher education, communications & online learning. He has led numerous initiatives that have created innovation & positive change in the higher education & non-profit sector.

Dean began his career in 1975 with Bellarmine University working in various roles, including admissions and external relations. In 1983 he entered the broadcasting field, serving as a senior executive for Public Broadcasting System stations and a cable network. In 1998 he co-founded The Connected Learning Network, a full-service online learning company. In 2009 accepted an invitation to move to the United Arab Emirates serving in senior positions at Higher Colleges of Technology & Khalifa University before co-founding Edu Alliance in 2014.

He participates in numerous advisory & consulting projects in the fields of international education, branding, business intelligence, and online learning. He is an active speaker and writer in global higher education and distance learning. Dean has presented and written on leadership, higher education, and distance learning worldwide.

Dean is currently Chairperson Elect of the American Association of University Administrators, an Advisory Board member of the Franklin University School of Education, and a member of the United States Distance Learning Association, in which he previously served as President-Elect and Chaired the International Partnership Committee.

Mr. Hoke has a B.A. from Urbana University, an M.S. from the University of Louisville, and a Certificate in Executive Management from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School.

Click here to connect with Dean on LinkedIn.

About the Show: Join us monthly to learn about the future of online education in this powerful podcast series hosted by Pat Cassella, executive director of the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA), and Dean Hoke, managing partner Edu Alliance.

Meet the Hosts

About Pat: Pat Cassella has been a presence within the high-tech industry for more than 30 years with leadership roles in Sales, Marketing, Product Development, and Engineering. He has been involved with the USDLA for more than 15 years and is the Executive Director of the association. Pursuing his passion for engineering, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Bridgeport and a Master’s of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of New Haven. He has spent the past 20+ years within the IP video communications market as a sales, marketing and product architect within the Government, Education, Corporate and Medical markets. Click here to learn more: USDLA.org.

About Dean: As the Managing Partner of Edu Alliance Group located in Bloomington, Indiana, and the United Arab Emirates, Dean has decades of progressively responsible and visionary leadership roles in higher education, communications and online learning. He began his career in 1975 with Bellarmine University working in various roles, including admissions and external relations. In 1983 he entered the broadcasting field, serving as a senior executive for Public Broadcasting System stations. In 1998, he co-founded The Connected Learning Network and, in 2009, moved to the United Arab Emirates, serving in senior positions at Higher Colleges of Technology and Khalifa University before co-founding Edu Alliance in 2014. Click here to connect with Dean on LinkedIn.

Upcoming Podcasts

Previous Episodes
Monday, May 29th, 2023

Join us for this month’s episode of the Distance Learning Roundtable: Meet our guest — Gamification Guru Monica Cornetti, Founder and President, Sententia, Inc.

August 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Gamification Guru Monica Cornetti, Founder and President, Sententia, Inc. Today’s Topic: The Art of Game-Based Learning Pat and Dean have 10 Questions for Monica: How has gamified and game-based learning evolvedClick here to listen to the podcast!

Wednesday, May 10th, 2023

Join us for this month’s episode of the Distance Learning Roundtable featuring Dr. Robert A. Alsop, the 16th president of Waldorf University

Recording: May 24, 10:30 am Eastern June 1, 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Dr. Robert A. Alsop, president of Waldorf University Today’s Topic: Waldorf University’s Master of Education in Social-Emotional Learning About this episode: Waldorf has becomeClick here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, April 18th, 2023

May 2023: Episode 8 of the Distance Learning Roundtable stars Amrit Ahluwalia, editor-in-chief at The EvoLLLution: A Modern Campus Illumination

May 1, 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Amrit Ahluwalia, editor-in-chief at The EvoLLLution: A Modern Campus Illumination Today’s Topic: Bucking Enrollment Trends to Grow in a Challenging Environment About this episode: The higher education space has experienced significantClick here to listen to the podcast!

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

April 2023: Episode 7 of the Distance Learning Roundtable features Jennifer Williams, Executive Director, Take Action Global and Transformational Leader in Education

April 1, 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for episode 7 of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Jennifer Williams, Executive Director, Take Action Global and Transformational Leader in Education Today’s Topic: Get Ready for Change – Instructional Design Practices Through Meaningful Uses of Technology About this episode: At the heart of innovationClick here to listen to the podcast!

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

March 2023: Join us for episode 6 of the Distance Learning Roundtable — Meet Kate Colbert and Joe Sallustio, authors of the hottest book to hit higher ed, Commencement

March 1, 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for episode 6 of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet this month’s guests — Kate Colbert and Joe Sallustio, authors of the hottest book to hit higher ed, Commencement Today’s Topic: The New Era of Education Dean and Pat ask the authors:  Dean: Let’s startClick here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, January 24th, 2023

February 2023: Dr. Peter Noonan, superintendent Falls Church City Public Schools, VA, stars in Episode 5 of the Distance Learning Roundtable

A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke— We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, industry experts come together to discuss the future of online education. Today’s Topic: How K-12 educators dealt with the pandemic and what the future of learning looks like for America’s superintendents Dean and Pat ask Peter:  Dean: Tell our viewers and listeners about theClick here to listen to the podcast!

Sunday, January 1st, 2023

Happy New Year! January 2023: In Episode 4 of the Distance Learning Roundtable meet our truly amazing guest — Lee Gambol, Distance Learning Coordinator at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

January 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Lee Gambol, Distance Learning Coordinator at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Today’s Topic: How Lee is embracing the idea of “Backslash Forward” by celebrating the past and embracing the future of distanceClick here to listen to the podcast!

Thursday, December 1st, 2022

December 2022: Don’t miss Episode 3 of the Distance Learning Roundtable starring Dr. Jennie Sanders, Vice President of Faculty Experience and Academic Services at Western Governors University

December 2022: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Dr. Jennie Sanders, Vice President of Faculty Experience and Academic Services at Western Governors University based in Salt Lake City, Utah Today’s Topic: How Western Governors University was ahead of the PandemicClick here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, November 1st, 2022

November 2022: On Episode 2 of the Distance Learning Roundtable meet Elliott Masie, the man who coined the phrase e-Learning

November 2022: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Hello and welcome to the November episode of our monthly podcast and video show starring Elliott Masie, the founder of MASIE Innovations. Based in Saratoga Springs, NY, Elliott focused on how organizations can support learning and knowledgeClick here to listen to the podcast!

Saturday, October 1st, 2022

October 2022: Check out Episode 1 of the newest Inkandescent Radio Show — Distance Learning Roundtable, where experts gather to discuss the future of online education

October 2022: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, producer, Inkandescent Radio — Hello and welcome to the first episode of the Distance Learning Roundtable show on the Inkandescent Radio Network. As the show’s producer, I am thrilled to introduce you to the hosts of our newest program — Distance Learning Roundtable, the podcast and video show where experts gather to discuss the future of online education. Today you will meet the show’s hosts: Pat Cassella, the executive director of the United StatesClick here to listen to the podcast!