Hosted by Todd Shields, Built with A-State is the definitive tactical guide for industry leaders looking to partner with Arkansas State University. This series provides a transparent "user manual" for engagement, detailing everything from the CREST program to faculty collaboration models. By removing academic jargon, we simplify the process for organizations to access university resources and scale their regional impact.
System Reset: Leading a University and System Through Explosive Growth
Higher education cannot survive in a vacuum anymore. Dr. Todd Shields and Dr. Calvin White, Jr. break down their strategy for aligning the ASU System directly with industry demands. This conversation maps out the operational mechanics of running a university system like a 24/7 enterprise. Shields and White dissect the transition from outdated degree pipelines to applied research engines that supply regional manufacturing, agriculture, and healthcare sectors. They detail the late-night phone c...
8 Sept 2026
Best of Built With A-State: The New Path to Earning Potential
Education must move at the speed of business, or risk leaving an entire workforce behind. Todd Shields sits down with Graham Cobb and Shane Broadway to examine how institutions are actively rewriting the curriculum playbook. Traditional four-year degree pipelines are fracturing under the weight of rapid technological shifts. Operators need incumbent workers trained immediately, forcing colleges to build stackable credentials directly alongside corporate partners like Dassault Falcon Jet. This...
25 Aug 2026
Pace Line Strategy: Drafting and Leading in Your Industry
Economic isolation is a fast track to stagnation. As technology accelerates and workforce demands shift, municipalities, industries, and educational institutions can no longer afford to operate in isolated silos. Graham Cobb of Paceline Strategies joins the show to discuss why adopting a regional approach, stitching together diverse communities and industries, is the only way to build the economies of scale necessary for long-term growth and stability. We sit down to unpack the critical compo...
11 Aug 2026
Navigating the Modern Higher Education Landscape
Navigating the modern higher education landscape requires far more than passive leadership. Colleges across the nation are facing intense headwinds, shifting demographics, and declining enrollment figures. Taking on an executive role like university chancellor isn't a guaranteed safe bet; it involves managing massive budgets, balancing complex political expectations, and taking calculated professional risks. To drive sustained institutional success today, leaders must focus on high-stakes exe...
28 Jul 2026
From Flagship to System: Dr. Todd Shields and Dr. Calvin White on Leading the Next Era
Top-down mandates and command-central edicts rarely survive contact with the real world, especially in institutions where trust is the currency of progress. At a time when higher education faces shifting enrollment landscapes, athletic restructuring, and demand for immediate workforce alignment, organizations need stable continuity over constant, chaotic upheaval. Newly minted Arkansas State University System President Todd Shields and incoming Interim Chancellor Calvin White sit down to unpa...
14 Jul 2026
Aligning Higher Ed: What Employers Actually Need Today
Traditional degree pipelines are failing to keep pace with rapid industrial expansion and technological disruption. With billions of dollars in capital investment flooding into regional markets right now, organizations cannot afford to rely on outdated educational models that leave critical operational gaps unfilled. Dr. Todd Shields, newly named President of the Arkansas State University System, sits down to break down how he is shifting regional education from a theoretical public good to a...
30 Jun 2026
Policy Meets Progress: Navigating the Politics of Workforce Funding with Shane Broadway
Traditional higher education models face a significant talent leak when they fail to adapt to rapid regional economic shifts. With changing student demographics and immediate economic pressures, educational institutions must look past rigid four-year structures to remain essential drivers of regional growth. In this episode, host Todd Shields sits down with Shane, Vice President for University Relations for the ASU System and Chancellor of ASU Three Rivers, to discuss the critical intersectio...
16 Jun 2026
Best of Built with A-State: Better, Not Bigger for Sustainable Growth
The disconnect between corporate expectations and workforce readiness remains the single greatest bottleneck to localized economic growth. When major industrial operations, retail empires, and manufacturing plants cannot find talent aligned with modern technical realities, expansion stalls and regional economies plateau. In this special highlight episode of Built with a State, host Todd Shields brings together the very best strategic insights from a powerhouse lineup of Mid-South business ti...
2 Jun 2026
Better on Purpose: Why Scale Matters More Than Growth with Ted and Amanda Herget
Gearhead Outfitters didn’t start with a polished business plan or a big investor pitch. It started with a feel for community, a love of the outdoors, and a willingness to sell bike racks out of a living room until the next door opened. I’m joined by Ted and Amanda Herget, the founders and owners behind one of the most recognizable outdoor retail brands to come out of Jonesboro, Arkansas, and we get into the real story behind the growth. We talk about how a tiny 700-square-foot shop turns int...
19 May 2026
Issue 3: Rescuing the Arkansas Delta With Randy Zook
If you’ve ever wondered why smart, capable people still struggle to land or keep good jobs, the answer often isn’t technical knowledge. It’s the basics employers can’t hire without: showing up, communicating clearly, listening, following instructions, and finishing what you start. We talk with Randy Zook, President and CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, about the durable skills that companies across Arkansas keep asking for and why schools, colleges, and communities have to treat ...
5 May 2026
Workforce Continuum: How Nucor Partners with A-State With Zach Moon
Northeast Arkansas didn’t just attract a few big employers; it quietly became one of the most important steel corridors in the country. I’m Todd Shields, Chancellor at Arkansas State University, and I sit down with Zach Moon, Vice President at Nucor Yamato, to talk about how Mississippi County transformed into the largest steel manufacturing county in the US and what that means for families who want great careers without leaving home. Zach walks through his own path from starting in the melt...
22 Apr 2026
Leadership Through Involvement: From Campus to C-Suite with Phillip Poston
Seventy-five percent of the journey from “Add to Cart” to your front door can run through conveyor and material handling systems built in Arkansas, and that single fact opens up a much bigger conversation about jobs, skills, and the future of advanced manufacturing. We talk with Phillip Poston, Chief Development Officer at Hytrol, about how Hytrol’s work connects to global logistics and why long-term leadership means investing in capacity, culture, and people even when the payoff takes years....
15 Apr 2026
First Look into: Built with A-State
A university can hand you a diploma, but can it hand you a future? From a brand new podcast studio at Arkansas State University, we talk with Chancellor Todd Shields about a builder’s approach to higher education and why he believes students deserve a direct line from learning to a real career. We get into the engine behind that promise: industry partnerships that tell the truth about today’s skills gap. Shields explains how A-State listens to employers, pressure-tests what students still ne...
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Contact Built With A-State
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Built With A-State?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
