The role of higher education in a changing world

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Moderator: Natalie Yahr, Panelists: Layla Merrifield, Katherine Frank As institutions of higher learning seek to prepare their graduates for a changing world, educational models can’t stay the same, said speakers on a panel titled “Building Wisconsin’s Talent Pipeline: Education, Workforce, and Economic Opportunity.” Taking place at the 2026 Wisconsin Economic Summit in Eau Claire, the panel explored how education can be a tool for economic mobility within the K-shaped economy and how the template for that is changing as technology and the global and local economies evolve.

Official release

Source material from Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

The role of higher education in a changing world

October 20, 2026

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Moderator: Natalie Yahr, Panelists: Layla Merrifield, Katherine Frank

As institutions of higher learning seek to prepare their graduates for a changing world, educational models can’t stay the same, said speakers on a panel titled “Building Wisconsin’s Talent Pipeline: Education, Workforce, and Economic Opportunity.”

Taking place at the 2026 Wisconsin Economic Summit in Eau Claire, the panel explored how education can be a tool for economic mobility within the K-shaped economy and how the template for that is changing as technology and the global and local economies evolve.

University of Wisconsin-Stout Chancellor Katherine Frank described how the university had created a bachelor’s degree in automation leadership that allows students to receive credit for coursework completed prior to entering the program and then complete the rest of the credits online. “Our traditional model of education isn’t working for students anymore,” Frank said, noting that the university is examining how it might extend a similar model to other degree programs.

‘A life-changing amount of money’

Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) President Layla Merrifield spoke about how the salary students receive after earning even an associate degree is “a life-changing amount of money” relative to the financial background many of them start from, “but getting them from point A to point B is an incredible challenge.”

Half of WTCS students qualify for Pell Grants (an indicator of lack of financial resources), and depending on the campus, 20% to 40% of students are also parents, Merrifield said. “Food, shelter, and transportation are consistent challenges,” she said.

Higher education still clearly has a financial payoff, Merrifield said. “The key is not to take on unmanageable levels of debt” while obtaining a degree, she said. “We have to take responsibility for that and find more affordable solutions and more affordable pathways for students.”

Adapting to AI’s influence

Artificial intelligence (AI) was a major focus of the panel, as audience members and moderator Natalie Yahr of Wisconsin Watch questioned how the schools are adapting to an increasing AI-driven world.

A packed breakout room listens to how higher education institutions are adapting to a changing world.

Frank and Merrifield shared reassuring views that AI may not be as disruptive as some are claiming. “At this point what we’re seeing is that AI is a tool rather than something that’s replacing jobs,” Merrifield said.

Rather than develop a specific program focusing on AI, UW-Stout is building AI skills into all of its programs, Frank said: “We believe that every student, regardless of their degree, must have some level of AI literacy.”

Merrifield noted that AI is not the first disruptive innovation throughout human history, and we can embrace the benefits while adapting to change just as we did with prior innovations such as railroads, automobiles, computers, and the internet. Change presents an opportunity, she said: “Let’s all think about the future we would like to see and then build that future.”

Both Frank and Merrifield said their institutions are focusing on the bigger picture of what is required for using AI effectively and responsibly—“problem-solving, resilience, communication,” Merrifield said—and not just on technical skills.

“We may not have all the answers, but the questions matter,” said Frank. “I truly believe that we would be irresponsible as a university if we were not preparing our students to the best of our ability to succeed in a world that we may not necessarily know exactly what tomorrow is going to bring, but we know what skills they’re going to need to navigate that world successfully.”

Release text attributed to Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.