Episode Overview


On episode 10 of EdUp EdTech, I had the pleasure of speaking with Stephen Laster, Chief Product Officer at Ellucian. "Inspired by the transformative impact of education, Ellucian develops solutions that power the essential work of colleges and universities. As the world’s leading provider of software and services designed for higher education, Ellucian works with more than 2,500 institutions in nearly 50 countries—enhancing operations and enriching the experience for over 18 million students." We had a wonderful conversation surrounding higher education and what Ellucian is doing to propel institutions forward as they step into a world of change post-covid. There's a big announcement drop in this episode about their new learning platform. 


Check out the announcement article


About Stephen Laster 


As senior vice president and chief product officer, Stephen J. Laster leads all aspects of Ellucian’s product direction and strategy, across the product and research and development organizations.


Stephen is a seasoned technologist, business leader, strategist, e-learning designer, and educator with an extensive background in higher education. He comes to Ellucian from Penn Foster, where he served as chief digital and learning officer. In this capacity, he led the technology, courseware, and education practices to advance the impact and engagement of the organization's learning experiences, both in pursuit of learner success and to advance the technological capabilities of the firm.


Prior to Penn Foster, Stephen served for more than a decade in technology leadership roles related to higher education, including as chief digital officer at McGraw-Hill Education, chief information officer at Harvard Business School, and director of curriculum innovation and technology at Babson College.


His expertise in this field is widely respected and has led to advisory positions for organizations such as EDUCAUSE Corporate Advisory, IMS Global, Microsoft Higher Education, the Online Learning Consortium, Preserve, Inc., and Babson College. A frequent commentator on education technology and innovation, he has spoken and written articles for ASU GSV, EDUCAUSE, IMS Learning Impact, and Campus Technology.


Stephen holds a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College and an MBA from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College.


How to Connect

Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn & Follow Ellucian on Social Media  Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube 


Connect with the host: Holly Owens 


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