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John Farquhar
Director, Academic Technology & User Services
Professional Background
John Farquhar brings three decades of rich and diverse experience in managing instructional development and educational multimedia projects. Over the years, he has honed his expertise in various roles that encompass personnel management and university-level teaching. Currently, he serves as the Director of Academic Technology & User Services at Western Washington University, where he plays a pivotal role in integrating advanced educational technologies into the learning environment. His comprehensive understanding of instructional design and technologies allows him to effectively lead teams and innovate teaching methodologies.
Prior to his current position, John was a Lead Instructional Designer at NovaNET Learning Inc., where he was instrumental in developing engaging and effective online learning modules that catered to diverse learning needs. His experience as an Assistant Professor of Instructional Technology at Penn State Harrisburg further solidified his commitment to education while allowing him to share his extensive knowledge with the next generation of educators and instructional designers.
In addition to his teaching career, John has also contributed significantly through various research roles, including a research internship at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. This position provided him with unique insights into the application of instructional technologies in high-stakes environments. Furthermore, as the Supervisor of Multimedia Projects at General Physics, he managed projects that employed multimedia resources to enhance educational outcomes across numerous disciplines.
Education and Achievements
John's educational journey is as impressive as his professional accomplishments. He earned his Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from the prestigious University of Georgia, a program recognized for its rigor and emphasis on innovative educational strategies. His advanced studies have equipped him with the theoretical foundation and practical skills necessary to excel in the rapidly evolving field of instructional technology.
Before achieving his doctoral degree, John obtained a Master of Science (M.S.) in Instructional Technology from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, where he deepened his understanding of the principles of learning and technology integration in educational practice. He also received a Bachelor of Journalism (B.J.) in Broadcast Television from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which provided him with a strong media production background that is invaluable in today's tech-driven educational landscape.
In addition to his degrees, John has made substantial contributions to the academic community as a published author. He has written several book chapters and articles focusing on instructional design and educational technologies, sharing his insights and research findings with a broader audience. These publications not only enhance his credibility within the field but also contribute to the ongoing conversation about best practices in instructional technology.
Achievements
John Farquhar's career is marked by notable achievements that reflect his passion and dedication to instructional technology and educational development. As a leader at Western Washington University, he is continually exploring and implementing innovative approaches to enhance the educational experience of students. His vision for integrating cutting-edge technology into daily academic practices has had a profound impact on students and faculty alike.
Furthermore, John's role at NovaNET Learning Inc. showcased his ability to pioneer effective instructional designs that resonate with learners in an increasingly digital world. The projects led by John have not only improved engagement but have also set a precedent for high-quality online learning solutions.
His academic appointments, particularly at Penn State Harrisburg, allowed him to mentor numerous students who now hold positions in leading educational institutions and companies across the globe. His dedication to teaching and commitment to student success are demonstrative of his profound impact on future professionals in the field.
Overall, John Farquhar is a renowned figure in the realm of instructional technology, skilled at bridging the gap between educational theories and practical applications. His extensive background, educational qualifications, and ongoing contributions to research make him a valuable asset to the academic community and a leader in the field of instructional design.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.