Away From The Ivory Tower

In this episode our guest is Dr. Shantala Samant, an Assistant Professor of Management at Western Washington University. Dr. Samant and I talk about her experience teaching classes in strategy (teaching students to think like a CEO) and in international business. The process of thinking critically when you have to do business in a multicultural world. Her decision-making process and journey into academia. Her cultural and academic struggles living and finishing her doctoral program. The difficult process of finding an academic program that fit her needs. And finally her plans for the future and doing meaningful academic work.

In this episode our guest is Dr. Jessica Stone, an Assistant Professor of Elementary Education at Western Washington University. We discuss the importance of teaching elementary teachers about the need for multicultural education. How to teach them about whose voices have been marginalized in traditional curriculum. Her journey into becoming a teacher and how her mother's focus on bilingual education influenced her career trajectories. Her accidental journey into school administration and what she learnt. Her pathway into a doctoral program and being part of an urban multicultural cohort. Her dissertation process and atypical journey into becoming an Assistant Professor.

Dr. Tejvir Sekhon is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Western Washington University. In this episode we talk about his journey into academia. How he uses the example of a Tesla to teach about the functional and symbolic value of an object to marketing students. How to create meaning in marketing and its relationship with pop culture. His academic journey from engineering to a MBA to a PhD and finding his way into a meaningful career and how it has framed his research. We discuss the difficulty of transitioning into a PhD program and his dissertation research on social media and the use of brands. How he has developed an interest in the meaning behind consumption and anti-consumption activities and his future research trajectories.

Jane Wong is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Western Washington University. In this episode we talk about the art and craft of poetry. Her experience growing up working class in New Jersey. The decision to become a poet. How going to a small liberal arts college influenced her career trajectory. She discusses going to Hong Kong on a Fulbright and how that informed her experience of being an outsider. The feeling of un-belonging in her work and how the undercurrent of climate change and uncertainty shows up in the work of her students. We explore how poetry tries to capture the uncertainty of the human experience, how it makes us feel alive and why we should teach and make poetry accessible to everyone.

Meg Warren is an Assistant Professor of Management at Western Washington University. In this episode we discuss the different approaches to diversity and her move to studying management as an academic discipline. The culture shock of learning in a new environment and being the only person of color in a classroom. Her journey into an academic career in positive psychology. The powerful pull of cultural roots when trying to make a career choice. Her research interest around gender in the workplace. How the fear of losing existing relationships make it difficult for women to speak up in hostile spaces. Shifting the focus from women to focus on how men can be allies in the workplace. What her research has taught her about rethinking the current way of diversity training and the importance of being a visible ally.

Dr. R.Mata on what is Spanish Linguistics and why the history of a language is the easiest point of access for learning linguistics. Teaching about migration patterns and the movement of language with settlers. His academic journey into linguistics and dissertation research that focused on Spanish speakers on both sides of the US-Mexico border and their attitudes towards the language that they speak. How language is a big part of our identity and the importance of teaching a Spanish language course for heritage speakers.

In this episode we have Dipu Gupta, an Assistant Professor of Set Design in the Department of Theatre and Dance at WWU. Dipu is a licensed architect and has designed scenery across the country and for international productions. We talk about the art and craft of scenic design, the loss of beauty in our everyday built lives, his journey into becoming an accidental academic and how he helps students develop an aesthetic.

Kristiana Kahakauwila is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing in the English Department at Western Washington University. Kristiana is the author of This is Paradise, a collection of short stories set in contemporary Hawaii. In this episode we talk about the art and craft of creative writing, living and writing about the in-between space, her journey into becoming an author and professor and supporting indigenous writers.

Dr. Brett Coleman, Assistant Professor of Human Services at Western Washington University talks about why he is a "recovering psychologist", his academic journey, participatory action research with youth of color and creating collaborative curriculum to teach about systemic racism.