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AV/IT Amplifier

AV/IT Amplifier

Written by: Ryan Gray
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Higher education institutions rely on audio-visual (AV) and information technology (IT) solutions as a key backbone for modern teaching and learning. The AV/IT industry plays a critical role in providing these solutions, and it is important to highlight the latest trends, innovations, and perspectives in this sector. The podcast “The AV/IT Amplifier” aims to fill this gap by featuring interviews with people from Higher Education Institutions and the AV/IT Industry who have an idea, concept, perspective, event or product that would be helpful or interesting to the target audience of higher education technology managers. The host of the podcast is Ryan Gray, Assistant Director of IT at Yavapai College.

“The AV/IT Amplifier” podcast will have a bi-monthly schedule with two recordings per month, each being split in half to provide for weekly episodes. Each episode will be targeted for 30 minutes to be about the length of an average commute. The first half of each recording will focus on the primary topic for that guest, while the second half will be a profile of the person.

The podcast will not only focus on technical topics but also on non-technical ones such as effective people management, pedagogy, community building, building a personal brand, career planning, professional development and other similar topics for our audience. The split episode format allows for a dive into the topic and the opportunity to get to know the person and perhaps draw the connections between why that topic is so important to that guest.

Ryan Gray Economics Management Management & Leadership Politics & Government
Episodes
  • 140: I'll Get There On Thursday with Zach Moss

    140: I'll Get There On Thursday with Zach Moss
    Jul 1 2026
    In this episode of The AV/IT Amplifier Podcast, Ryan Gray sits down with Zach Moss, Project Manager in the IT department at Yavapai College, during a live recording at the Arizona Community College Technical Conference in Tucson, Arizona. Zach talks about what project management actually means inside higher education IT, where the work can stretch from campus remodel conversations to ERP replacement, portal launches, vendor coordination, and the daily challenge of keeping complex work moving across teams. The conversation quickly moves beyond timelines and task lists into the reality of leading projects when the technical answers live with subject matter experts, the stakeholders all have different needs, and the role often becomes less about having every answer and more about knowing how to remove the next barrier.

    Ryan and Zach also dig into transparency, ambiguity, risk tolerance, and the emotional intelligence required to manage technology projects without turning every issue into a crisis. Zach explains how taking good notes, focusing on the problem directly in front of him, building enough runway for timelines to shift, and meeting people where they are helps him keep work moving even when plans change. The episode closes with a wider conversation about accountability, trust, celebrating wins, choosing the right people for the work, and why successful project management in higher education often comes down to taking something that does not exist yet and bringing it together for students, faculty, and staff.

    Topics Discussed
    Recording live at the Arizona Community College Technical Conference in Tucson
    Zach Moss’s role as Project Manager in the IT department at Yavapai College
    Why project management looks different depending on the project
    Building a project management role when the position is new to the department
    Coordinating work across ERP, portal, campus, and IT projects
    Leading projects when the subject matter experts know the technical details
    Removing blockers without personally knowing every system or acronym
    Living in a constant state of emergency without treating every problem as a crisis
    Taking good notes and focusing on the problem directly in front of you
    Knowing when something is a Thursday problem instead of a Tuesday problem
    Creating enough runway so timelines can shift without panic
    The difference between real imperatives and invented urgency
    Recalibrating expectations when plans, features, or deadlines change
    Using transparency to build trust with teams and executive stakeholders
    The “you know everything I know” approach to project communication
    Working through forever projects and vendor implementation challenges
    Whitewater rapids as a metaphor for constant technology change
    Building the right project team with the right ownership
    Meeting people where they are in communication and work style
    Defining project management as taking a scope or goal and bringing it together

    Connect with Zach
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-moss-mba-pmp-4732b1290
    https://www.yc.edu

    Connect with Ryan
    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!
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
  • 139: The Igloo Takeover with Laura Mills and Rebecca Wade

    139: The Igloo Takeover with Laura Mills and Rebecca Wade
    Jun 24 2026
    In this one off InfoComm 2026 episode, the tables turn as Laura and Rebecca from Igloo Vision take over the microphones and interview Ryan Gray for a change. What starts as a lighthearted booth conversation quickly turns into a surprisingly honest discussion about recognition, community leadership, HETMA’s future, the pressure of being seen by others, and why the best technology is often the kind instructors never have to think about.

    Ryan talks about winning AV Professional of the Year, the importance of working yourself out of a job, and why HETMA’s future depends on shared ownership beyond its original leaders. The conversation also dives into student centered classroom technology, including beamforming microphones, automated camera systems, capture workflows, and the role of AI in helping students translate class experiences into learning that fits their lives. Also, somehow, HETMA becomes cucumber lime electrolyte water and Ryan becomes “Persistence Man.”

    Topics Discussed
    Ryan being interviewed instead of hosting
    The HETMA podcast takeover from InfoComm 2026
    Laura and Rebecca from Igloo Vision turning the tables
    Ryan’s role at Yavapai College
    Ryan’s role with Higher Ed AV Media
    Receiving the AV Professional of the Year award
    The challenge of accepting recognition
    Working yourself out of a job
    Building teams that create opportunities for others
    Helping work outlive the person who started it
    HETMA as a volunteer driven organization
    The early growth of HETMA during the COVID era
    Shared ownership as the future of HETMA
    Bringing new leaders into the community
    HETMA’s presence at ISE and international growth
    The importance of education led community building
    How higher education AV may translate differently outside the United States
    Balancing structure and substance in a growing organization
    Technology that supports teaching without getting in the way
    Designing AV systems around the student experience
    Beamforming microphones in learning spaces
    Shure ceiling microphone systems
    Automated camera systems and Huddly Crew
    Lecture capture and recorded classroom experiences
    AI searchable class content
    Supporting working adults, parents, and students with complicated lives
    Matching teaching styles to student learning needs
    The value of technology that feels automatic to instructors

    Connect with Laura Mills
    https://uk.linkedin.com/in/laurakellymills
    https://www.igloovision.com

    Connect with Rebecca Wade
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-wade-979094154
    https://www.igloovision.com

    Connect with Ryan
    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!
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • 138: I Don't Wanna Be The Cheesey Boy with Philipp Gude

    138: I Don't Wanna Be The Cheesey Boy with Philipp Gude
    Jun 10 2026
    This week on the AV/IT Amplifier, Ryan continues the conversation with Philipp Gude of GUDE Systems, moving beyond the product conversation and into the people, personality, and philosophy behind the company. The episode starts with the most important technical matter of all: how exactly Americans are supposed to pronounce “Gude,” why “good” works just fine, and how quickly a strong product name can become a full episode worth of puns.

    From there, Ryan and Philipp get into the energy of InfoComm, what it means to make a traditionally dry category like power management feel engaging, and why smart power is more than just something sitting in the bottom of a rack. Philipp talks about working in a family company, his path through engineering, IT, and sales, the pride and responsibility of having his name on every product, and why his confidence in GUDE comes not just from the engineering team, but from the feedback he hears every day from customers. The conversation also wanders, in the best possible way, through Cologne, German beer, factory tours, grilled salami and gouda sandwiches, the future film Mr. Strom, and the value of creating enough trust that people will tell you the truth.

    Topics discussed
    The difference between saying GUDE in German and saying “good” for English speaking customers.
    How GUDE’s slogan, “good, great, GUDE,” turns the company name into a natural brand advantage.
    The danger and delight of making too many power management puns.
    Why AV and IT people often build big public systems while personally preferring to stay in the background.
    Philipp’s answer to whether he is an introvert or an extrovert: both, depending on role and day.
    InfoComm as an exhausting but energizing week for people who thrive on connection.
    Making power management feel more engaging without losing sight of how serious and important it is.
    Philipp’s unexpected path into the family business after work in chemical industry, IT, engineering, and technical sales.
    What it feels like to sell a product that literally carries your family name.
    Why Philipp says his confidence in GUDE comes from customer feedback as much as from knowing the engineering team.
    GUDE’s firmware being built from scratch and the value of knowing what is actually inside the product.
    Cologne, the Cologne Cathedral, German beer, and why ordering “a beer” may be the right move in Germany.
    The imagined movie of Philipp’s life: Mr. Power, or better, Mr. Strom.
    The best sandwich question, answered with grilled salami and gouda.
    The importance of blunt, honest feedback from customers, colleagues, and team members.
    How assumptions about family businesses can miss the real story of how someone started.
    Where to connect with Philipp and GUDE Systems.
    InfoComm booth details and HETMA member show floor tours.


    Connect with Philipp Gude
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-gude-pdu/
    https://gude-systems.com

    Connect with Ryan
    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!
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
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