Integra today announced the launch of Upstream by Integra, a new podcast series exploring the ideas, technologies, challenges, and leadership shaping the future of scholarly and educational publishing.
Hosted by Ashutosh Ghildiyal, the series brings together senior leaders, innovators, and practitioners from across the publishing ecosystem for candid, substantive discussions about the issues that matter most to publishers, researchers, scholarly societies, and the communities they serve.
“Scholarly publishing is undergoing profound transformation while simultaneously confronting a fundamental value challenge,” said Ghildiyal. “The industry is navigating significant change—from artificial intelligence and research integrity to evolving business models and researcher expectations. Through conversations with some of the sharpest minds in the field, we hope to better understand where the industry is headed and how organizations can continue to create meaningful value for the research community.”
Unlike conventional promotional interviews, Upstream by Integra is designed as a forum for honest dialogue and thoughtful reflection, featuring leaders who are actively navigating change, confronting difficult questions, and helping define the future of scholarly communication.
Inaugural Episode: Dawn Melley, IEEE
The first episode features Dawn Melley, Senior Director of Publishing Operations at IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional society. Melley oversees a portfolio of more than 200 IEEE journals, including many of its flagship publications, and brings more than two decades of experience in scholarly publishing—spanning multiple waves of industry change.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Ghildiyal and Melley explore leadership, organizational transformation, publishing operations, and the evolving expectations of researchers and institutions, examining how publishers and scholarly societies can maintain trust, quality, and relevance while demonstrating value in a rapidly shifting landscape.
“Dawn was an ideal inaugural guest,” said Ghildiyal. “She brings both deep operational expertise and a clear-eyed strategic perspective. Our conversation examines not just the challenges facing the industry today, but the real opportunities for publishers and societies to strengthen their role in advancing research and scholarship.”
Future episodes will feature senior executives and thought leaders from across scholarly communications, covering artificial intelligence, research integrity, peer review, publishing operations, open research, content discoverability, and the evolving role of publishers and societies in the research ecosystem.
Upstream by Integra is available now. Publishers, researchers, librarians, technology providers, and others invested in the future of scholarly communication are invited to listen and join the conversation. To listen, visit: https://integranxt.com/podcasts/
About Upstream by Integra Upstream by Integra is a podcast exploring the future of scholarly and educational publishing through conversations with senior leaders, innovators, and practitioners from across the publishing ecosystem.
About Integra Integra is a trusted partner to publishers, scholarly societies, and content-driven organizations worldwide, providing technology-enabled content and publishing solutions that support the creation, management, enrichment, and dissemination of high-quality scholarly content.
Contact Sruthi Santhakumar, Integra | sruthi.santhkumar@integra.co.in
Member News Release submitted by Integra on 07/07/2026.
