Free Food for Thought

Emma Pan and Joelle Min sit down with Phia Salter, associate professor of psychology at Davidson College, to talk about viewing systematic racism through critical race and cultural-psychological perspectives. Phia S. Salter is associate professor of psychology at Davidson College. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Kansas in 2010. In her research, she uses cultural-psychological and critical race perspectives to inform her work on collective memory, racial identity, and systemic racism. Her research lab, the Culture in Mind Research Collaboratory, conducts research that addresses social inequalities and injustice in different facets of American society.

Vedanth Reddy and Nathaniel Worley sit down with Professor Daniel W. Drezner to talk about the state of globalization today. Daniel W. Drezner is professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a nonresident senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. He is also the co-director of Fletcher's Russia and Eurasia program.

Nathaniel Worley sits down with Davy Rothbart in this episode. Davy Rothbart is a bestselling author, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, the creator of Found Magazine, a frequent contributor to public radio's This American Life, and the author of a book of personal essays, My Heart Is An Idiot, and a collection of stories, The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas. He writes regularly for GQ and his work has appeared in The New Yorker and The New York Times.

Emma Pan and Ryan Lenney sit down with Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar. Justice Cuéllar is the President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former Justice of the Supreme Court of California. In this episode, Justice Cuéllar shares his experiences from his upbringing in Mexico and California. He also talks about global policy and national security.

Daniella Reyes and Natalie Chen sit down with Mukulika Banerjee—Associate Professor of Anthropology at the London School of Economics and Political Science. In this episode, Mukulika Banerjee expresses her thoughts on recent social movements in India and how taking on a republican mindset will be essential to reviving the constitutional vision for the democractic system in India. She also explains how gaining insight on the ethnographic context of its community alongside its election results can help us to understand the future of Indian democracy.

Emma Pan and Tutu Jereissati sit down with Kevin Merida—the Executive Editor of the Los Angeles Times. In this episode, Kevin Merida talks about the changing nature of the Los Angeles Times and media coverage of the government and politics.

Baron Zeng and Justin Ongchin sit down with Robert Simonds—media entrepreneur and prolific film producer—in this exciting episode. From creating China's number one TV Show to running Bollywood's second largest streaming platform, Robert Simonds—founder and chairman of STX Entertainment—shares his story on how he succeeded in Hollywood as a young film producer and expanded his company globally. Frequent collaborators of his included Adam Sandler, Steve Martin, Dave Chapelle, and many others.

Tutu Jereissati and Ryan Lenney sit down with Tom Linebarger, executive chairman of Cummins, Inc.—a global power technology company that pioneers new technologies to sustainably meet the world's growing power needs, to talk about his career, life, and how to live a life a purpose. For Linebarger, working for an employer whose values aligned with his own was the key to finding his purpose.

Dorismar Cuevas and Nathaniel Worley sat down with former Southern California journalist-turned-novelist Charmaine Wilkerson to talk about the power of storytelling and her debut novel "Black Cake."

Natalie Chen and Nathaniel Worley sit down with Pardis Mahdavi—the provost and executive vice president at the University of Montana—to talk about the political and cultural landscape in Iran.

Ellie Lerner and Marshall Bessey sit down with Omer Bartov, the Samuel Pisar Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University, to have an in-depth conversation about his new book, “The Butterfly and the Axe” and the rise of antisemitism.

Nathan Verba and Nathaniel Worley interview University of Washington School of Law Dean Tamara Lawson (CMC '92) to discuss a variety of issues relating to her experiences so far as dean as well as her previous experience working as deputy district attorney at the Clark County District Attorney's Office in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Justin Ongchin and Baron Zeng sit down with data scientist Jay Cordes in this insightful episode. Jay Cordes co-authored the book The 9 Pitfalls of Data Science with Pomona economist Gary Smith to help guide future data scientists away from the common pitfalls he saw in the corporate world.

Nathaniel Worley sat down with SoCal legend Larry Mantle to discuss his long-running show AirTalk, public radio, and more in this engaging episode sure to please any radio-enthusiast.

Timothy Frye is the Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy at Columbia University, author of four books, and holds the Library of Congress Chair on US-Russian Relations. Vedanth Reddy and Justin Ongchin sit down with Professor Timothy Frye to discuss Putin's worldview and Russia's similarities to other autocracies.

Nathaniel Worley sits down with Professor Joe Soss to discuss the interplay of politics, inequalities, and public policy in this insightful episode.

In this educational episode, Nathaniel Worley and Dorismar Cuevas sit down with Michelle Tusan, a Professor of History at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Hear an insightful discussion on modern British history, the British Empire, and women's history.

Justin and Nathaniel sit down with Peabody and Emmy award-winning director Elizabeth Ito. Elizabeth Ito has been working as a creator, writer, director, and storyboard artist in the animation industry since 2004 on TV, feature, and commercial projects. Her first series, City of Ghosts, premiered in 2021 and won a Peabody Award in 2022.

Justin and Vedanth sit down with cartoonist Lynda Barry in this creative and inspiring episode.

In this episode, Nathaniel and Baron interview Sanjib Kalita, co-founder and CEO of Guppy—the Web3 credit bureau—and editor-in-chief of Money 20/20—the world's leading fintech event series. They discuss the current FinTech landscape, data monetization, digital cash, and more, in this exciting episode.

Nathaniel and Justin discuss topics ranging from ornithology to communication methods with UCLA Professor Jared Diamond, author of best-selling science books The Third Chimpanzee; Guns, Germs, and Steel; Collapse, The World Until Yesterday, and Upheaval.

Nathaniel and Noah interview two-time Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Michael Shear, who currently writes for the New York Times as a White House correspondent. Shear, a 1990 graduate of Claremont McKenna College, shares his career path, his thoughts on the current state of media, and some reflections on the reporting of the Virginia Tech shooting in this thought provoking episode.

In this episode, Nathaniel and Dorismar interview Amanda Little, Professor at Vanderbilt University. Hear an insightful discussion on the future of food, the importance of efficiency, and how students today can become involved in the future of agriculture.

In this installment, Daenerys and Nathan W. sit down with Tyehimba Jess, a Pulitzer Prize winning poet.

Vedanth and Nathan V. talk with anthropologist David Treuer about Native American narratives and how he approaches writing.

In this episode of Free Food for Thought, Daenerys and Joelle sit down with Professor Martha jones of Johns Hopkins University to discuss the history of Black women in American democracy.

In this episode, Adhi and Justin sit down with Professor John List about the proliferation of experiments in social science, deformalizing economics, and the strategies to recognize a great idea in his new book, the Voltage Effect.

Marshall and Daniel sat down with Dr. Jennifer Burns, an associate professor of history at Stanford University and author of Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand the American Right, to discuss her research on Ayn Rand and her upcoming book on Milton Friedman. We discussed her research, the influence of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman on today's world, and the value of researching at the intersections.

Vedanth and Sophie sat down with Professor Chris Slobogin, Director of the Vanderbilt Criminal Justice Program and author of “Just Algorithms: Using Science to Reduce Incarceration and Inform a Jurisprudence of Risk” to talk about the role of algorithms and risk assessments in the legal system. We discuss the practical use of algorithms, their ethical ramifications, and the future of AI and machine learning in the legal system.

For this installment of Free Food for Thought, Simon and Daniel sit down with Daron Acemoglu, professor of economics at MIT. Their conversation covers Acemoglu's work on growth and institutions, his approach to research, and the future of economics.

In this installment of free food for thought, Nathaniel and Simon talk to Fiona Hill of the Brookings Institution about the ongoing war in Ukraine, the historical roots of Putin's war, and what inspired her to work in Russian affairs.

Nathaniel and Izabella sit down in conversation with Matt Pyken (CMC 83'), a television writer and producer from Southern California. Discover Matt's journey from DC to Hollywood, reflections on his time at CMC, and how he brought the western writing room style to India in this exciting episode of Free Food for Thought.

In this episode of Free Food for Thought, Daenerys and Sophie sit down to chat with Ragen Chastain, a speaker, writer, ACE Certified Health Coach and functional fitness specialist, and activist. They cover the topics of media and its effect on Fatphobia, the impact of fitness culture among young people, and activism.

In this episode of Free Food for Thought, Nathan sits down with Dr. France A. Cordova, a leader in science, engineering and education. Hear a discussion of the importance of women in STEM, science's current place in the public dialogue, and the sharing of her wisdom gained through decades of experience.

In this episode, Adhitya and Daenerys sit down with Martha Minnow to discuss her career teaching and practicing law, legal challenges in the technology sector, and the key to asking a great question.

In this episode, Nathan and Simon sit down with Professor Roger Karapin to discuss the past, present, and future of climate policy.

In this installment of Free Food for Thought, Adhitya and Simon sit down with Professor Peter Moskos from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. In their discussion, they discuss Professor Moskos's path from police officer to sociologist as well as the outlook for more effective law enforcement in the United States.

Daenerys and Anna speak with Charles Yu, author of novels How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe and National Book Award winner Interior Chinatown. They discuss his transition from corporate law to writing full-time, the role of science fiction in imagining a more equitable world, and the inspiration behind Interior Chinatown.

Sophie and Simon sit down with Ryan Cirz, founder of Achaogen and Revagenix. They discuss the development of antibiotics, his path through the world of pharmaceutical startups, and how he stays motivated in field as tumultuous and antibiotic development.

This week Izzy and Justin speak with Steven Pinker, a renowned cognitive psychologist, Harvard professor, and public intellectual. They discuss optimism in the face of uncertainty, the extent of human rationality, social media, and the validity of the nature versus nurture debate.

On this week's episode, Sophie and Baron sat down to chat with Naomi Bagdonas, an alumna of CMC, lecturer at Stanford, and author of Humor, Seriously. In this episode we discussed Naomi's journey from the consulting world to comedy, the importance of humor in serious settings, and advice for how to navigate difficult professional and personal situations.

How do psychedelics fit into the field of neuroscience and mental health research? We find the answers to this question and more in this week's episode of Free Food For Thought. Nathan and Daenerys sit down with Dr. Daniel Kelly to explore the fascinating research being done on the macrodosing of psychedelic substances as a promising alternative form of mental health treatment. Hear Dr. Kelly share his research, insights, and more - all in this episode.

For the inaugural episode of Free Food for Thought this school year, Daenerys Pineda and Simon Gilbert sat down with Professor Sameer Pandya of University of California Santa Barbara. Over the course of the interview, they discussed his recent book Members Only, representation of the diverse experiences of Asian-Americans, and his writing process.

In this episode of the Professor Series, Sophie sits down with Professor Megan Gallagher, Professor of Literature at CMC and Assistant Director of CMC's Center for Writing and Public Discourse. Professor Gallagher discusses the role of current events in teaching, as well as the marvels of GenZ and TikTok.

In this episode, Sabrina and Hans sit down with Valerie Tiberius, a professor of philosophy at the University of Minnesota. Tiberius shares her experiences about getting into philosophy, how she came about her research on values and well-being, and offers her perspective about human nature and relationships.

In this episode of the Professor Series, Daenerys sits down with Professor JoAnne Ferguson, the coach of Pomona-Pitzer’s softball team. Coach Ferguson talks about how she develops her P.E. classes and gives us tips to help us thrive in our virtual world.

In this episode of the Professor Series, Nathan sits down with Professor Chloe Martinez to discuss her experiences as a scholar, poet, and educator navigating through this pandemic. Hear her thoughts on the topics of poetry, time management, and South Asian religions, and more.

In this episode, Nathan and Daenerys speak with Gabrielle Calvocoressi, an accomplished poet and professor at UNC Chapel Hill. Calvocoressi discusses several impactful experiences during their formative years, the body positivity/neutrality movement, self-care, and the American experience, amongst other topics. Hear Calvocoressi share their thoughts on these informative topics in consideration with the difficulties that emerged from the ongoing pandemic.

In this episode of the Professor Series, Nathan sits down with Professor Kenneth P. Miller to discuss Miller’s life, his most recent book, and the experiences and insights he's gained being a professor at CMC.

Live from the Ath, Tori and Anna speak with CMC alumna Candace Valenzuela '06, former candidate for Texas's 24th congressional district. Valenzuela discusses her path to the campaign trail, her experiences trying to make her campaign staff reflect the district they were serving, and things that are making her hopeful during this tumultuous time. She also shares many pieces of advice for our listeners, from how to constructively participate in politics to how she overcomes self-doubt.

Sabrina and Sophie speak with Dr. Stefanie Johnson, a researcher and professor at University of Colorado, Boulder's Leeds School of Business. Dr. Johnson has coined the term "inclusify," a term that defines inclusion as an action item. Dr. Johnson shares her experiences getting into the Diversity and Inclusion field and how she works to make diversity and inclusion a higher priority.