About This Episode
In this inspiring episode of Edu Unlocked, host Ashish Fernando sits down with John Loyack, President of Rider University — a first-generation college student who went from ringing the NYSE bell to leading transformative change across multiple institutions.John shares his remarkable journey from corporate finance to higher-ed leadership, including: How he turned financially struggling colleges into thriving institutions Why he believes higher education is still “the best product on the planet”. The student transformation that keeps him motivated every single day The urgent challenge AI poses for universities — and how leaders must adapt How “starting with YES” helped him build 300+ community and corporate partnerships. What future college presidents must learn to succeed in today’s environment. This episode is packed with wisdom on leadership, enrollment strategy, the changing workforce, and what it truly takes to build institutions that serve students for life.
Host & Guest
John Loyack
GuestJohn R. Loyack, CPA, MBA, is the president of Rider University and a proud first-generation college graduate. His career reflects a deep belief in the life-changing impact of higher education and its role in developing successful, engaged community members.
Before joining Rider, Loyack served as president of Alvernia University, where he led a major institutional restructuring, launched a five-year student-focused strategic plan, introduced high-demand academic programs and brought in the three largest incoming classes in the university’s history. He strengthened community partnerships in Reading and Pottsville, expanding experiential learning opportunities and driving local economic development. His fundraising leadership secured the largest philanthropic gifts and government grants ever received by Alvernia and completed a $60 million campaign in just 30 months.
Earlier, as executive vice president for business and administration at King’s College, he helped turn a financial deficit into a surplus while guiding the development of new academic offerings, expanding athletics and spearheading major urban redevelopment initiatives.
Loyack also brings extensive executive experience from the corporate sector, having served as president and CEO of Optim Energy, CEO of CPG International and senior vice president/CFO of PNM Resources.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from King’s College and an MBA from Lehigh University, and is a certified public accountant. He has served on numerous nonprofit and community boards. A native of Pittston, Pennsylvania, he lives in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, with his fiancée Theresa and has three adult children.
Key Highlights:
1. President of Rider University; first-generation college graduate
2. Former president of Alvernia University; led major restructuring and enrollment growth
3. Completed a $60M fundraising campaign in 30 months
4. Strengthened economic and community development partnerships in Pennsylvania
5. Former EVP at King’s College; turned deficit into surplus and expanded programs
6. Corporate leadership roles including CEO and CFO positions across major organizations
7. CPA with an MBA from Lehigh University and extensive board service
Ashish Fernando Founder & CEO, EDMO
HostAshish 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
Show Notes
- 1 00:00 – Student transformation & the magic of higher ed
- 2 00:49 – Welcome to Edu Unlocked
- 3 01:13 – Introducing President John Loyak
- 4 02:14 – Why Higher Ed?
- 5 04:20 – Jumping from corporate to college leadership
- 6 07:06 – Rebuilding a university & revitalizing a city
- 7 10:21 – Corporate skills that higher ed desperately needs
- 8 14:20 – The future of enrollment & student experience
- 9 19:40 – AI, automation & the changing job landscape
- 10 27:00 – Advice for future university presidents
- 11 32:30 – The power of “Start With Yes”
- 12 41:42 – Final thoughts
Key Quotes
“I wasn’t constrained by the traditional higher-ed box. I simply asked: how do we best serve our customer—the student—and give them the strongest experience at a reasonable price?”
“We’re teaching students today’s technology, but more importantly, we’re teaching them how to learn—because what they learn now will change in 30 minutes.”
“AI will reshape how universities work and what people do. That shift will lower costs over time, but it also demands that higher ed become more nimble than it has ever been.”
Resources
Supercharge Your University CRM