Lives of the Mind

Although Lives of the Mind is on break for the summer, we’d like to share this special bonus episode to tide you over until the school year begins again this fall. Augustana College recently made the switch from trimesters to semesters. This January was the school’s first crack at intensive J-Term courses, many of which … Continue reading Water and Environmental Justice in Louisiana – Bonus Episode →

In this episode, student host and LoM Producer Christian Elliott sits down with Augustana College President Steve Bahls in WVIK’s (emptier than usual) studio to talk about the school’s response to COVID-19. In the interview, Bahls provides behind the scenes insight into some of the milestone decisions in the college’s response, including extending spring break, … Continue reading COVID-19 Reflections – Augustana President Steve Bahls →

In this episode, student hosts Mikaylo Kelly and Olivia Smith interview Augie alumna Dr. Elizabeth Stigler ’10. Dr. Stigler visited campus in October for fall semester’s Symposium Day, “What is a Life Well Lived?” Dr. Stigler is currently a visiting assistant professor of women, gender and sexuality studies at Miami University and previously served as the … Continue reading Co-Culinary Oral Histories – Augie Alumna Dr. Elizabeth Stigler →

In this month’s episode, student guest hosts Maria Wood and Arti Kornoski interview Augie alumna Christine Harb, MPH, M3. Harb graduated from Augustana in 2015 with majors in Biology and Pre-Medicine and a minor in Biochemistry. In this interview, Harb describes what drew her to public health, including an Augustana study abroad trip to Nicaragua. … Continue reading The Impact of Public Health Studies – Augie Alumna Christine Harb →

In this month’s episode, student guest hosts Imani Muhammad and Tavian Cervantez sit down with a heroic figure, Dr. Yusef Salaam. Dr. Salaam visited Augustana’s campus on March 7th in commemoration of the Black Power Symposium organized in 1969 by students in Augustana’s Afro-American Society, which currently is called the Black Student Union. Dr. Salaam … Continue reading Searching for Freedom from the Prison Industrial Complex- Dr. Yusef Salaam →

In this month’s episode, LoM hosts Christian Elliott and Isabel Dawson sit down with Dr. Corinne (Cory) Johnson, a Professor in the Theatre Department at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. In the interview, Dr. Johnson shares anecdotes from her long career as a theatre actor and director. She has worked for the Minnesota Festival Theatre, Old … Continue reading A Life of Theatre – Dr. Corinne Johnson →

In this month’s episode, LoM hosts Vanessa Dominguez and Ethan Conley-Keck sit down with Dr. Corey J. Miles, former Diversity Fellow at Augustana College and current Assistant Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies at Morgan State University in Baltimore. The interview covers Dr. Miles’s research, a sociological ethnography of rural black American hip hop. Freestyle hip hop, … Continue reading Hip Hop Ethnography – Dr. Corey Miles →

In this special bonus episode, student hosts Tavian Cervantez and Julia Harris discuss the complexities of queer identity through the lenses of poetry and gender and sexuality theory. Tavian and Julia apply theory to the societal expectations and stereotypes queer young people face every day. This episode also features an in-depth interview with fellow Augustana … Continue reading Navigating Queer Identity – Bonus Episode →

In this month’s episode, LoM hosts Christian Elliott and Charlie Nawara sit down with Augustana alumna Melinda Pavek (’92) at the studios of WVIK, Quad Cities NPR. Since graduating, Melinda has worked in U.S. embassies across the world with the U.S. Department of State. Currently, she’s the Director of Science, Innovation, and Development at the U.S. … Continue reading From FYI to Foreign Service – Augie Alumna Melinda Pavek →

Chris Stedman is an atheist and humanist community organizer, interfaith activist, and writer living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the author of Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious, “an intimate and deeply affecting portrait… [that] proves [he is] an activist in the truest sense and one to watch” (Booklist, Starred Review). … Continue reading Reclaiming ‘Faitheism’ – Chris Stedman →

Bonus episode? For the rest of this school year, our podcast team will be releasing two episodes each month. One will be a standard interview with a professor, college alumna or alumnus, or visiting speaker like listeners are accustomed to, and the other will be a special episode unlike the content we’ve produced in the … Continue reading Augie Strikes for Climate Action – Bonus Episode →

This month, hosts Christian Elliott and Ethan Conley-Keck talk with Dr. Amanda Tiffany (’04) as part of a new series on Augustana College alumni! An Augie alumna, Dr. Tiffany has worked all over the world, from investigating HIV/AIDS in the Democratic Republic of Congo with the CDC to conducting Ebola surveillance for Doctors Without Borders … Continue reading Chasing Epidemics – Augie Alumna Dr. Amanda Tiffany →

In this month’s episode, student host Christian Elliott sits down with Dame Frances Cairncross, former columnist for The Guardian, senior editor at The Economist, and head of Exeter College at Oxford University. In the episode, Cairncross discusses her long career and the recent review of high quality journalism she produced for the British government in February … Continue reading The Future of the Free Press – Dame Frances Cairncross →

Dr. Leech is an environmental historian who has lately shifted his focus towards mining history. In Butte, Montana a particularly interesting vein of mining history is uncovered. Maria Wood and Charles Nawara interview Dr. Leech about his work on the effects of open pit mining in the community of Butte, as well as the repercussions … Continue reading Digging Deeper in Butte, Montana – Dr. Brian Leech →

Christian and Ethan, podcast production managers, discuss their past work on the project and exciting new changes coming soon to Lives of the Mind! CORRECTION: the Twitter handle is @livesofthemind, not @AugustanaLoM as stated in the episode

Dr. Christopher Strunk, an associate Professor of Geography at Augustana College, discusses his graduate school research on Bolivian refugee incorporation in Washington D.C. and more recent work with refugee community gardeners in Rock Island, Illinois.

Dr. Adam Kaul, an associate Professor of Anthropology at Augustana College, delves into the collaborative work on his newest publication: Leisure and Death. Exploring the way dark tourism has evolved, specifically in Ireland at the cliffs of Moher, Kaul analyzes how the intersection of leisure activities and death has shaped the surrounding area and even … Continue reading Leisure and Death – Dr. Adam Kaul →

Does the media portray biased information? Dr. Ian Davis dives into the ideas behind modern news and media in the United States. His disappointment in the way news was covered in the early 2000s lit the flame that would shape his career and start his political activism. “Lives of the Mind” explores the passions and … Continue reading Armwrestling With Giants – Dr. Ian Davis →

Kelvin Mason explores what influences him in creating art to help visualize matter that we can not see with the naked eye. “Lives of the Mind” explores the passions and pursuits of liberal arts professors. It is sponsored by Augustana’s Austin E. Knowlton Honors Program, which aims to enhance the college’s mission as a liberal … Continue reading Visualizing the Unseen – Kelvin Mason →

Dr. Tierney Brosius discusses tenacity, insect ecology, and conservation biology. Can an insect’s perceived beauty or ugliness affect our willingness to allow it to go extinct? “Lives of the Mind” explores the passions and pursuits of liberal arts professors. It is sponsored by Augustana’s Austin E. Knowlton Honors Program, which aims to enhance the college’s … Continue reading The Beauty of Insects – Dr. Tierney Brosius →