In Conversation with Toby McChesney, Vice Provost of Graduate Programs at Santa Clara University – Edu Unlocked Podcast

Toby McChesney

Guest

Dr. Toby McChesney is a higher education leader dedicated to advancing graduate education through strategic innovation, academic excellence, and student engagement. As Vice Provost for Graduate Programs at Santa Clara University, he oversees recruitment, marketing, branding, and program development across the university’s five graduate schools—including Business, Engineering, Education & Counseling Psychology, Law, and Theology. His work focuses on fostering collaboration, enhancing institutional effectiveness, and aligning academic offerings with the evolving needs of students and employers.
With over two decades of experience in higher education administration, Dr. McChesney brings deep expertise in enrollment strategy, organizational design, and academic innovation. He has served in key leadership roles including Senior Assistant Dean of Graduate Business Programs at Santa Clara University, Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business, and Associate Director of Executive MBA Admissions at Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business. Earlier in his career, he worked in undergraduate admissions at American University.
Dr. McChesney’s leadership has been instrumental in elevating Santa Clara University’s graduate programs to national prominence. Through targeted strategies to strengthen admissions metrics, student engagement, and peer perception, he and his team propelled the MBA program into the Top 20 in U.S. News & World Report and the Executive MBA program into the Top 15. The Online MBA also achieved Top 15 rankings in Poets & Quants, Princeton Review, and Fortune, and a Top 40 position in U.S. News & World Report.
He is an active contributor to the global graduate education community, having served on the Board of Directors of the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) and as a frequent speaker and moderator for GMAC, AACSB, AMBA, EMBA Council, and MBA Roundtable conferences. Dr. McChesney also chairs the Graduate Deans Network for AJCU, serves as an Advisory Council Member for SEED Global Education, and sits on the boards of the PTMBA Advisory Council and Veggielution, a nonprofit organization supporting food justice and community development in East San Jose.
A passionate educator, Dr. McChesney also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in business communication, emphasizing leadership, storytelling, and organizational impact. He holds a B.A. from American University, an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from George Washington University, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership.
Key Achievements:
1. Elevated Santa Clara University’s MBA and EMBA programs into top national rankings.
2. Developed new online and hybrid graduate programs that expanded access and enrollment.
3. Led multi-school collaboration on strategic planning, admissions, and marketing efficiencies.
4. Advanced Santa Clara’s graduate programs through data-driven recruitment and retention strategies.
5. Served as Board Member and speaker for leading graduate education organizations including GMAC and AACSB.
6. Champion for equity, innovation, and student-centered leadership in graduate education.

Ashish Fernando

Host

Founder & CEO, EDMO
Ashish Fernando is the visionary founder and CEO of EDMO, a revolutionary educational technology platform that's transforming how people learn and grow. With over 15 years of experience in education and technology, Ashish has dedicated his career to making quality education accessible to learners worldwide. Before founding EDMO, Ashish held leadership positions at several prominent EdTech companies and worked as an educational consultant for Fortune 500 companies. He holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Master's in Computer Science from MIT. Ashish is a frequent speaker at educational conferences and has been featured in publications such as EdTech Magazine, Learning & Development Today, and TechCrunch. He's passionate about the intersection of technology and human potential, believing that the right tools can unlock extraordinary learning outcomes for everyone. Under his leadership, EDMO has grown to serve over 100,000 learners globally and has partnerships with leading educational institutions and corporations. Ashish continues to drive innovation in personalized learning, adaptive assessment, and educational analytics.
Key Achievements:
1. Founded EDMO in 2019, now serving 100,000+ learners globally
2. Named 'EdTech Innovator of the Year' by Learning Technology Awards 2023
3. Featured speaker at Global Education Summit 2024
4. Published researcher in educational technology and learning analytics
5. Advisor to multiple EdTech startups and educational initiatives