Dr. Brian Ralph
Executive Coach & Strategic Consultant · Former University President
Dr. Brian Ralph is the founder of Brian Ralph, LLC, where he coaches executives and advises corporate, higher education and nonprofit leaders on strategy. He spent 32 years in higher education, nine of them as a university president, after vice president roles in enrollment, athletics, student life, student success and marketing. He holds a PhD in Organizational Communication and Culture and an MBA.
Reviewed October 2026Brian Ralph is a seasoned executive leader with over three decades of experience in higher education. He has served as a University President for nine years and held various Vice President roles in Enrollment, Athletics, Student Life, Student Success, and Marketing. He also has served on and chaired numerous non-profit boards and professional associations.
With a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication and Culture, an M.B.A., and an undergraduate degree in Business Administration, Dr. Ralph possesses a strong academic foundation. He earned a certificate in Executive Coaching and is a published author on enrollment strategy. His expertise has been recognized through keynote speaking engagements at local, regional, and national conferences.
On The Ryan Vet Show, Dr. Brian Ralph looks back on three decades of students, from millennials arriving on campus as a very social generation to the more introverted students he saw in his last five to seven years. Host Ryan Vet puts the popular claim to him directly: is Gen Z the last generation that will go to college? Dr. Ralph does not think so. His worry is what happens if college, the military and other formative pathways get devalued, leaving employers with young adults who never had mentors or safe places to fail. He is equally clear that college is not for everyone, and that AI is not taking jobs in the trades anytime soon.
His case for college is that one of its greatest outputs is graduates who have learned how to learn. That leads to the distinction the conversation turns on: he thinks it is more important to be curious about individuals than about information, and that people losing their curiosity about each other is very dangerous. He explains the self-imposed rules for his own AI use, starting with taking the first pass at any new creative work before a prompt is involved, and remembers his first reaction to ChatGPT as raw fear.
Social media, he says, was a slow car accident everyone could see coming, while AI is moving too fast for anyone to fully understand. His advice to millennial parents whose children could reach campus in 2044 is to avoid the huge pendulum swing but swing the pendulum back some. His advice to leaders is shorter: do not put the technology ahead of your people.
Social media was kind of like a slow car accident. Like we could see where it was going. AI is moving so fast, I just don't even think we're going to fully understand the impact.
I think it's more important to be curious about individuals than it is about information.
One of the greatest outputs that college could have is graduates who have learned how to learn.
Who is Dr. Brian Ralph?
Dr. Brian Ralph is an executive coach and strategic consultant and the founder of Brian Ralph, LLC. He spent 32 years in higher education, including nine years as a university president and vice president roles in enrollment, athletics, student life, student success and marketing. He holds a PhD in Organizational Communication and Culture, an MBA and a certificate in Executive Coaching.
Does Dr. Brian Ralph think Gen Z is the last generation to go to college?
No. He does not believe people will stop going to college, and his bigger concern is what happens if college, the military and other formative pathways are devalued. He also says college is not the right path for everyone, and that the trades are a viable one AI is not taking anytime soon.
What does Dr. Brian Ralph say college is for in the age of AI?
He says one of the greatest outputs of college is graduates who have learned how to learn. With information a few taps away, he argues the job is high-level thinking, processing and problem solving, and the ability to ask big questions.
What is Dr. Brian Ralph's advice for leaders on AI?
Prioritize people and do not put the technology ahead of them. Understand the human impact of how technology is introduced, avoid chasing every fad, and pay attention to what is changing in K-12 so you know what kind of learner is coming.
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