Why I Teach: Conversations with ETSU Faculty

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This podcast celebrates the faculty of East Tennessee State University by amplifying their stories. Faculty guests discuss why they are passionate about teaching and share what impact they hope their students will make on the world. The podcast is hosted

East Tennessee State University


    • May 7, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 24m AVG DURATION
    • 28 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Why I Teach: Conversations with ETSU Faculty

    Episode 28: Dr. Christy Lawson, trauma surgeon and ETSU professor, shares how mentorship and a deep commitment to serving others shape her approach to teaching.

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 18:12 Transcription Available


    In this inspiring episode of Why I Teach, Dr. Christy Lawson, a trauma, critical care, and acute care surgeon at ETSU's Quillen College of Medicine, reflects on her journey from a rural community in Georgia to the operating room and classroom. Blending stories of family, mentorship, and personal growth, Dr. Lawson reveals how formative experiences—from learning through storytelling with her grandfather to assisting in surgery during a mission trip in Honduras—ignited her passion for medicine and teaching. She discusses the emotional complexities of surgical training, the power of individualized mentorship, and the importance of nurturing students as whole people. ETSU Quillen College of Medicine: https://www.etsu.edu/com/ ETSU Health: www.etsuhealth.org ETSU Department of Surgery: https://www.etsu.edu/com/surgery/ ETSU Great Lecture Series: https://www.etsu.edu/etsu-news/2025/01-january/great-lectures-feature-handy-herrmann-lawson.php

    Episode 27: Dr. Flo Weierbach discusses research on caregiver health, challenges of rural health care, and the importance of interprofessional education for nurses

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2025 20:30 Transcription Available


    In this episode of “Why I Teach,” Dr. Flo Weierbach, a seasoned nurse and professor at East Tennessee State University's College of Nursing, talks with Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle about her journey from providing direct care to teaching the next generation of nurses. With over 40 years of experience, Dr. Weierbach discusses her research on caregiver health, the challenges of rural health care, and the importance of interprofessional education for nurses. She also provides a snapshot of her experience with the Nurse Narratives Initiative.

    Episode 26: Dr. Joe Moore on building a marching band from scratch and the ETSU Marching Bucs journey to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2025 23:54 Transcription Available


    In this episode, Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle talks with Dr. Joe Moore, Director of Athletics Bands, Associate Director of Bands, and Associate Professor of Music, about the incredible ETSU Marching Bucs. In 2014, Dr. Moore was tasked with revitalizing the Marching Bucs, which had been dissolved a decade earlier. Under his leadership, the band has grown in both size and prestige. In 2024, the marching band became the first collegiate marching band from Tennessee in over 60 years invited to march in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

    Episode 25: Dr. Melanie B. Richards on AI in teaching, hands-on learning for media and marketing students, and more

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2024 27:23 Transcription Available


    In this episode, Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle talks with Dr. Melanie B. Richards, interim director of ETSU's new School of Marketing and Media, about how her experience in the corporate world led to a career in academia – and how she is harnessing that experience to make sure her students get hands-on, project-based learning opportunities in her classroom. Dr. Richards also discusses how she incorporates AI in her instruction and recommends a book that she has used to guide her research and teaching in this area: Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick. Listen to more episodes of Why I Teach, where Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle explores stories of impact and success of ETSU faculty. Subscribe at https://why-i-teach-conversation-with-etsu-faculty.podbean.com/. Dr. Richards' Bio: https://www.etsu.edu/cbat/media-communication/facstaff/richardsm.php  ETSU's Master of Arts in Brand and Media Strategy: https://www.etsu.edu/cbat/media-communication/academics/graduate-programs/brand-strategy.php School of Marketing and Media News: https://www.etsu.edu/etsu-news/schools/marketing-media.php/ ETSU's Approach to Community-Engaged Learning: https://www.etsu.edu/teaching/teaching_community/cel_qep.php

    Episode 24: Dr. Michael Anthony Fowler

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 22:34


    This episode features Dr. Michael Anthony Fowler, Assistant Professor of Art History in the Department of Art and Design at East Tennessee State University. In addition to his work in the classroom, Dr. Fowler is an active collaborator on several international archeological projects and serves as the chair of Johnson City's Public Art Committee. In this episode, he shares how these experiences impact his teaching, as well as some interesting observations and insights about incorporating hands-on learning and interdisciplinary approaches in his classes.

    Episode 23: Dr. Scott Jenkinson

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2024 20:45 Transcription Available


    This episode features Dr. Scott Jenkinson, Assistant Professor in Clemmer College of Education and Human Development and a faculty fellow for Community-Engaged Learning at the ETSU Center for Teaching Excellence.  He provides a wonderful snapshot of some of the ways in which community-engaged learning impacts our students and shares about his experiences with the ETSU Alternative Breaks program and some of the foundations for student success that he incorporates in his classrooms.

    Episode 22: Dr. Colin Glennon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2024 29:56


    In this episode, Provost McCorkle talks with Dr. Colin Glennon, professor and chair in the Department of Political Science, International Affairs, and Public Administration. Dr. Glennon also serves as the faculty sponsor of ETSU's award-winning Mock Trial Team.

    Episode 21: Stephen Hendrix

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2024 19:24 Transcription Available


    This episode features Stephen Hendrix, a tenured instructor in the Department of Computing in ETSU's College of Business and Technology. Mr. Hendrix is a three-time ETSU graduate. In addition to teaching, he is actively involved in service at ETSU, where he has represented his fellow faculty members in various leadership roles.

    Episode 20: Dr. Elwood Watson

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2024 22:10 Transcription Available


    This episode features Dr. Elwood Watson, Professor of History, Black American Studies, and Gender Studies at ETSU.  Dr. Watson is a prolific writer, the author and editor of dozens of journal articles, book chapters, and book reviews. He also authored several books, including a book of essays about race in contemporary America.

    Episode 19: Dr. Tabitha Fair

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2024 22:25 Transcription Available


    Dr. Tabitha Fair has a long history with ETSU's Dental Hygiene Program, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year.    She began as a student and this year she has been teaching for 20 years in the program.    In this episode, Dr. Fair describes the community-engaged, hands-on learning experiences students participate in as they offer affordable dental hygiene care to the community. 

    Episode 18: Dr. Brian Cross

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2024 27:58


    Dr. Brian Cross discusses the past decade of interprofessional education (IPE) at East Tennessee State University and plans to continue evolving the curriculum to train students for team-based care to improve patient outcomes. Cross is Assistant Vice Provost and Director of ETSU's Center for Interprofessional Collaboration.

    Episode 17: Dr. Joshua Reid

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2023 34:58 Transcription Available


    In this episode, Dr. Josh Reid, Associate Professor of English, talks about how he engages his students with classical and early modern literature. He also shares his favorite books of the year.

    Episode 16: Dr. Sharon Bigger

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2023 18:41 Transcription Available


    This episode features Dr. Sharon Bigger, Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing. Dr. Bigger is a career hospice nurse and former medical interpreter who uses the lessons she has learned with her patients and her research to inspire our undergraduate and graduate students in the classroom and in their research endeavors. 

    Episode 15: Dr. Blair Reece

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2023 18:18 Transcription Available


    In this episode, Dr. Blair Reece, Assistant Professor in the ETSU Quillen College of Medicine, talks about how medical education has changed since she was a student at Quillen and her favorite subjects to teach her medical students.

    Episode 14: Dr. Patrick Brown

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2023 29:59 Transcription Available


    Dr. Patrick Brown, Associate Professor in the ETSU College of Public Health's Department of Health Sciences, is a past recipient of ETSU's Distinguished Faculty Award in Teaching and has received national recognition for his work with the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) method of instruction.  In this episode, he discusses online learning, ETSU's Center for Teaching Excellence, high-impact instructional practices, and more.

    Episode 13: Dr. Jessica Burchette

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2023 26:16 Transcription Available


    Not only has Dr. Jessica Burchette taught at Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy since 2012, she also has the distinction of being a proud member of the college's inaugural graduating class in 2010. In this episode of “Why I Teach,” she shares how community-engaged learning and interprofessional education are preparing ETSU's student pharmacists to address the needs of their future patients.

    Episode 12: Karen Brewster

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2023 19:57 Transcription Available


    Karen Brewster, professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, has shared her love of theater with ETSU students for almost 25 years.

    Episode 11: Dr. Daryl Carter

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2023 23:55 Transcription Available


    ETSU alumnus Dr. Daryl A. Carter returned to his alma mater to teach in 2008. Over the past 15 years, he has instilled in his students an appreciation for history and the humanities and has led ETSU's Black American Studies Program for the past three years.

    Episode 10: Dr. Mary Mullins

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2023 22:48 Transcription Available


    Dr. Mary Mullins, chair of the Department of Social Work at East Tennessee State University, knows the value of ETSU's commitment to interprofessional education. Before she joined the faculty at ETSU, she practiced social work in medical environments, where she saw the benefits of social workers practicing alongside other health professionals to improve outcomes for patients. In her classroom, Dr. Mullins shares her experiences from clinical practice, as well as her personal stories of advocacy to inspire the next generation of social workers. 

    Episode 09: Dr. Virginia Foley

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2023 22:17 Transcription Available


    Dr. Virginia Foley has decades of experience in education, first as an educator and administrator in the K-12 setting and then transitioning to higher education in 2007. As a faculty member in ETSU's Clemmer College, she prepares students to make a difference in the classroom. She is also making an impact in the boardroom, where she serves as the Faculty Trustee on the ETSU Board of Trustees.

    Episode 08: Dr. Mike Stoots

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2022 26:23 Transcription Available


    ETSU College of Public Health's Project EARTH, located at the ETSU-Eastman Valleybrook campus, has received national recognition for its curriculum. Dr. Mike Stoots describes some of the hands-on learning opportunities taking place there and why he enjoys teaching in this innovative program.

    Episode 07: Mathew Desjardins

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2022 26:51


    Mathew Desjardins, a member of the College of Business and Technology, is overseeing ETSU's innovative new BlueSky Tennessee Institute. This groundbreaking program provides Tennessee students the opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree in computing and a job offer at BlueCross in just over two years.

    Guest 06: Dr. Alison Barton

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2022 20:18


    Dr. Alison Barton is the new Director of the ETSU Center for Teaching Excellence and an award-winning faculty member from the Clemmer College. Hear her discuss the importance of faculty members seeing their courses through the eyes of their students. Dr. Barton also talks about her use of specifications grading as well as the exciting and innovative resources offered by the center.

    Episode 05: Dr. Kelly Price

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2022 22:04 Transcription Available


    Dr. Kelly Price is an award-winning faculty member in the College of Business and Technology and a two-time graduate of ETSU. In 2014, she helped launch our new M.S. program in Digital Marketing and continues to serve as one of the primary faculty for the program.

    Episode 04: Dr. Cerrone Foster

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2022 26:50 Transcription Available


    Dr. Cerrone Foster first heard about ETSU when she was a summer research fellow in the Ronald McNair Program. Now, she is a highly respected faculty member in Biological Sciences and a true champion for student success.

    Episode 03: Rhonda Brodrick

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2022 28:04 Transcription Available


    From teaching dosage calculations to understanding the intense demands of working on the critical care unit, Rhonda Brodrick from the College of Nursing is inspiring the next generation of nursing professionals.

    Episode 02: Dr. Sean Fox

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2022 15:58


    In 2021, a group of ETSU students decided to nominate their professor Dr. Sean Fox for a teaching award.  He went on to receive the Distinguished Faculty Award, the highest honor presented to an ETSU faculty member.

    Episode 01: Dr. Tom Kwasigroch

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2022 53:50 Transcription Available


    Dr. Tom Kwasigroch is one of the inaugural faculty members at the Quillen College of Medicine.  He has taught every medical school student since the school was established. Hear about his passion for medical education and how the instruction of gross anatomy has transformed during the past four decades. He also discusses the Human Anatomical Gifts Program and what it is like for medical students when they meet their first “patient,” which is a cadaver.

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