Podcasts about George Mason University

What if your next customer isn't a person, but an AI agent acting on their behalf? And what if that agent is evaluating your brand on a purely logical, data-driven basis, completely devoid of the emotional hooks your marketing has always relied on?Agility requires not just adapting to changing customer behaviors, but also redefining who—or what—our customer even is. It demands that we build operational and strategic frameworks that can cater to both human emotional drivers and the cold, hard logic of machines.Today, we are at Forrester CX in New York City, and we're going to talk about a fundamental shift in the customer journey: the rise of the AI agent as an influential, and in some cases, decision-making persona. This isn't just about using AI in our marketing; it's about marketing to AI. We'll explore what it means when our brand's message needs to be optimized not just for human perception, but for machine interpretation and evaluation.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Chuck Gahun, Principal Analyst at Forrester. About Chuck Gahun Chuck is a leader in Forrester's Digital Business & Strategy practice serving business and digital executives. His research coverage includes content management systems (CMSes), product information management (PIM) systems, and commerce services and strategy for B2B and B2C companies. Chuck helps executives design strategies that deliver customer and business value by partnering with technology vendors and services providers. Chuck has 20 years of experience in content and commerce. He specializes in digital strategy, experience design, and technology initiatives in CMSes, e-commerce systems, digital asset management (DAM) systems, PIM systems, digital experience platforms (DXPs), and several others. He has led strategy and implementations for brands like Goldman Sachs, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Hilti, Marriott, AARP, and the Centers for Disease Control. Prior to joining Forrester, Chuck was a managing director and partner at Shift7 Digital (a Merkle company) and held senior management positions at ZS Medullan and Publicis Sapient. Chuck holds a BA in government and international politics and an MS in technology management from George Mason University. Chuck Gahun on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckgahun/ ---------- Resources ---------- Forrester: https://www.forrester.com We're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fThe most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

William W. Beach is the Senior Fellow in Economics at the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) and the Coffin Fellow at the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation. Beach also serves on the UKG Workforce Institute Advisory Board.   Prior to these appointments, Beach was the fifteenth Commissioner of Labor Statistics at the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington, DC. He took up his duties there on March 28, 2019. Prior to joining BLS, Dr. Beach was vice president for policy research at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University from February of 2016 to March of 2019; and, prior to that served as the Chief Economist for the Senate Budget Committee, Republican Staff, from 2013 through early 2016. In this podcast, we will discuss: The "Fiscal Precipice" The "Crowd Out" Effect Social Drivers of Debt The "Undemocratic" Tax System The Social Security Countdown The Future of "Enhanced Labour" The Data Response Crisis Modernising Federal Statistics

X: @StephenMoore @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk @JTitMVirginia Join America's Roundtable radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with economist Stephen Moore. His insights on the economic front, America's energy dominance, urgency to address healthcare reform in America, advance the succesful policy of school choice and thoughts on Iran will enlighten engaged listeners. Brief bio: Stephen Moore is an internationally-known economist and author, who has served as a senior policy adviser to Donald Trump in 2016 and 2024. Now, serving as the co-founder and chairman of Unleash Prosperity, he is a frequent lecturer to audiences around the world on the U.S. economic and political outlook, and is the author of 6 books, including “Trumponomics: Inside the America First Plan to Revive our Economy,” and “The Trump Economic Miracle.” Moore is a graduate of the University of Illinois and holds a master's degree in Economics from George Mason University. From 1999-2004, Moore served as Founder and President of the Club for Growth, an organization dedicated to helping elect free market candidates to Congress. In his tenure as president, the Club for Growth became one of the most influential and respected political organizations in the nation. From 2005-2014, Moore served as the senior economics writer for The Wall Street Journal editorial page and as a member of the WSJ editorial board. He remains a regular contributor to the publication. Moore served as a senior economic advisor to President Trump's 2016 campaign, drafting tax, budget, and energy policy plans. In 2007, Moore received the Ronald Reagan “Great Communicator” award from the Republican party for his advancement of economic understanding. In 2010, he was awarded the University of Illinois Alumni of the Year. His book “Return to Prosperity: How America Can Regain its Economic Superpower Status” was a finalist for the F.A. Hayek Award for Advancing Economic Understanding. In 2018, Worth Magazine named Stephen Moore one of the 75 Most Influential People in the World Dealing with Economics and Finance. americasrt.com https://ileaderssummit.org/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 X: @StephenMoore @ileaderssummit @americasrt1776 @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk @JTitMVirginia America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable radio program focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 68 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Tune into WTON in Central Virginia on Sunday mornings at 9:30 A.M. (ET). Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm

Can a phone be a cow? It could in 1990s Bangladesh. This was the insight of a small number of mobile phone market pioneers who helped catalyze the spread of the greatest technological revolution in human history. Listen as George Mason University economist Philip Auerswald speaks to EconTalk's Russ Roberts about how the extension of connectivity to traditionally excluded populations led to wide-scale transformations in productivity. They discuss the role of little-known entrepreneurs such as Iqbal Quadir and innovators like Claude Shannon in bringing the mobile phone to the entire world. Other topics include William Nordhaus's paper on the cost of illumination as a powerful metric of human progress, Schumpeter's notion of innovation as new combinations, and what Auerswald calls the most important question the field of economics can ask: How much of human progress is inevitable, and how much depends on the determination of remarkable individuals?

About Thomas: Thomas' LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/thomas-dijkman Website: qanda.nl (Company), https://www.ebeltoftgroup.com  Phone: +31652656347 (Work) Email: tdijkman@qanda.nl Thomas' Bio: Thomas Dijkman is a Senior Retail Consultant at Q&A Retail, a Netherlands-based retail consultancy. He is Co-chair of the “Young Ebeltoft” initiative, a global collective of next-generation retail thinkers within the Ebeltoft Group.  Thomas specializes in translating insights, market expertise, and creativity into practical solutions that help leading retailers adapt and thrive in a fast-changing retail environment. He has worked with retailers such as SPAR, Action, Nexeye, and A.S. Watson, advising on strategy, positioning, consumer engagement, and store and format optimization.  With a no-nonsense, data-driven approach, he supports retailers in strengthening their concepts and improving performance across channels. Through his focus on generational insights, Thomas helps retailers better understand what young consumers want and how to turn those insights into action. SHOW INTRO: Today, EPISODE 89… I talk with Thomas Dijkman a Gen Z researcher, which is to say that he is part of Gen Z at 28 years old, who was a speaker at Euroshop 2026. Thomas and the company he work with called Q&A Retail, had just published research on Gen Alpha, which was chock full of insights on this emerging generation of global consumers. We'll get into all of that in a minute but first a few thoughts… *                     *                          *                          * ABOUT DAVID KEPRON: LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582b Websites:  https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website) vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog) Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.com Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/ NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/ Bio: David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why', ‘what's now' and ‘what's next'. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe.  David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott's “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels.  In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies.  As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace.  David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine's Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation's Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University. He has held teaching positions at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.   In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon.  I caught up with Bryan at the SHOP Marketplace event in Charlotte and chatted about his focus on shaping what comes next in digital signage and experiential design.   The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production is by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

This week, host Margaret Walls welcomes Celso Ferreira and Elizabeth Van Dolah on the podcast to talk about building resilience in coastal communities that are vulnerable to sea level rise. Ferreira, a professor at George Mason University, and Van Dolah, an environmental anthropologist and community engagement expert, were members of an interdisciplinary research team that aimed to construct nature-based solutions to flooding problems in the rural municipality of Pocomoke City, Maryland. Throughout the process, the team consulted with an advisory committee of community members who weighed in on the project—and the local input shaped the researchers' conclusions in surprising ways. In this episode, Ferreira and Van Dolah reflect on how continuous engagement with impacted communities can help identify overlooked ecosystem values and result in improved outcomes for people and the surrounding environment. References and recommendations: “Building coastal resilience in Pocomoke City, Maryland” by Celso Ferreira, Andre de Souza de Lima, Diana Veronez, Elizabeth Van Dolah, Joseph Galarraga, Ayanna Healy, Margaret Walls, Emma DeAngeli, and Nicole Carlozo; https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/0638e5e7beea4a11ba7e277ce87ef7e2 “Recreation and Resilience: When Parks Do Double Duty” by Emma DeAngeli and Margaret Walls; https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/recreation-and-resilience-when-parks-do-double-duty/ “Nature-Based Solutions 101” by Emma DeAngeli, Brandon Holmes, and Margaret Walls; https://www.rff.org/publications/explainers/nature-based-solutions-101/ “A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness” by Michael Pollan; https://michaelpollan.com/books/a-world-appears/ “Goat” movie; https://www.netflix.com/title/82710848 Subscribe to stay up to date on podcast episodes, news, and research from Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/subscribe/

Associate professor and founding director of the Race, Politics, and Policy Center at George Mason University, Michael K. Fauntroy shares his expectations for the historic D.C. primary and the district's use of ranked-choice voting for the first time.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

This episode features Kathleen Dylaski, founder of Education Design Lab, discussing the future of higher education, the impact of AI on careers, and how students can future-proof their skills. Kathleen shares insights from her extensive background in education reform, her recent book 'Who Needs College Anymore,' and practical advice for navigating the evolving job market.Key topicsThe decline of traditional college degrees and alternative pathwaysThe impact of AI on the job market and skills requiredStrategies for students to stand out and succeed in a competitive environmentGuest Info: Kathleen deLaski is the founder and board chair of the Education Design Lab, which works with colleges, states, and employers to design shorter, more targeted forms of higher education. She is the author of “Who Needs College Anymore?” by Harvard Education Press, a bestselling book on Amazon. Kathleen serves as a senior advisor for Harvard's Project on the Workforce and teaches higher ed redesign at George Mason University. She serves on several boards, including Credential Engine and the advisory board of the Taubman Center for Cities and States at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She also manages the deLaski Family Foundation, a national grant-maker in education reform and education mobility. Kathleen has been named to Washingtonian Magazine's list of top policy influencers each year from 2022 to 2025.Earlier in her career, as an executive at Fortune 500 company Sallie Mae, Kathleen founded their award-winning corporate foundation. She was a television correspondent for ABC News, covering the White House and foreign affairs, a consumer product developer in the early days of AOL, and, in the Clinton administration, the first woman to serve as chief Pentagon spokesperson.Website: https://eddesignlab.org/bio/kathleen-delaski-2/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-delaski-1089012b/ Book: https://www.whoneedscollegeanymore.org/ This podcast is brought to you by Mint To Be Career. 

BONUS S6E8 A Zebra ZONE 2026 recap on pragmatic AI, on-device AI, super apps, and giving store associates their day backRicardo Belmar just got back from Zebra Technologies' ZONE 2026 conference in Nashville, where pragmatic AI was the main theme. In this special bonus episode of The Retail Razor Show, he and Casey Golden unpack what it all means for retail's frontline workers. This is a story about pragmatic AI, the kind that gives store associates and warehouse teams their day back instead of promising the moon.The headline from ZONE 2026? Zebra is no longer telling a devices story. It's telling a frontline platform story, anchored by on-device AI that runs with no cloud, no tokens, and no waiting. Ricardo brought back two exclusive interviews, with Zebra CTO Tom Bianculli and Mobile Computing chief James Poulton, plus a notebook full of stats, demos, and hallway conversations that deliver the full pragmatic AI story.We get into why frontline workers are drowning in 70 to 80 apps when they only use about a dozen, the super app built to fix it, real-time translation running live on a device, and why “tokenless” pragmatic AI became the word of the week. If you want to understand on-device AI and what it delivers for frontline workers, this episode is your shortcut.In This Episode, You'll Learn•     Zebra's three big software announcements: Nucleus, Workcloud IO, and Workcloud BI•     The 80-apps problem and the super app designed to collapse it down to one experience•     Why on-device AI, tokenless and at the edge, beats cloud round trips for frontline use cases•     Real-time translation in any language, live on the device•     Micro-learning, the “TikTok of learning,” and tackling 70 to 80% frontline turnover•     Picture proof of delivery: how a second and a half scales into tens of millions of dollars•     The octopus organization, and why intelligence belongs at the edge of the org•     James Poulton on why large language models are overhyped for the enterpriseWhy it mattersWe've spent years on this show arguing that your associate experience is your customer experience. ZONE 2026 felt like the technology industry finally catching up to that idea, treating frontline workers as the most under-invested asset in retail and giving them on-device AI that augments rather than replaces. Pragmatic AI wins on the accumulation of small moments, and that is the thread we pull all episode long.Subscribe & FollowIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5‑star rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods. Subscribe on YouTube so you never miss an episode and check out the other shows in the Retail Razor Podcast Network: Retail Transformers, Blade to Greatness, and Data Blades.Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utubeFeatured guestsTom Bianculli, Chief Technology Officer, Zebra Technologieshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-bianculli-9053892/James Poulton, SVP & GM, Mobile Computing, Zebra Technologieshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespoulton/Chapters00:00 Teaser01:01 Show intro02:12 What Zebra announced at ZONE 202604:00 The 80-apps problem and the super app06:53 Real-time translation on the device08:55 Tokenless, on-device AI explained11:46 Best moment: the octopus organization15:43 Interview: Tom Bianculli, CTO Zebra Technologies35:50 Recap: pragmatic AI and returning time to workers40:27 Interview: James Poulton, SVP & GM Mobile Computing53:21 Big takeaways from ZONE 202659:32 Show CloseMeet your hostsHelping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech:Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voice for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him a Top 10 Thought Leader in Retail, a Top 25 Thought Leader in AGI and Careers, a Top 50 Thought Leader in Agentic AIand Management, and a Top 100 Thought Leader in Digital Transformation and Transformation. Thinkers 360 also named him a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University's Center for Retail Transformationand the Retail Cloud Alliance. He was most recently the partner marketing leader for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft.Casey Golden, is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T, and CEO of Luxlock. She is a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2023 - 2026, and Retail Cloud Alliance advisory council member. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, Casey is obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer and is slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech! MusicIncludes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Overclocked, and E-Motive from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

This is episode 850. Read the complete transcription on the Sales Game Changers Podcast website. Watch the video of this podcast on YouTube here. The Sales Game Changers Podcast was recognized by YesWare as the top sales podcast. Read the announcement here. FeedSpot named the Sales Game Changers Podcast at a top 20 Sales Podcast and top 8 Sales Leadership Podcast! Subscribe to the Sales Game Changers Podcast now on Apple Podcasts! Purchase Fred Diamond's best-sellers Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know and Insights for Sales Game Changers now! Today's show featured an interview with Steve Gladis, Executive Coach, Author, and Professor at George Mason University. Find Steve on LinkedIn. STEVE'S TIP: "Start thinking like a team, not a group. Start thinking basketball, not golf. Think about what you can work on together while still performing in your individual silos."

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Emily Chamlee-Wright delivers a keynote lecture at the 2025 Markets & Society conference on the precarious state of liberalism and the cultural foundations necessary to sustain a free society. Drawing on the cultural economy framework she developed with Virgil Storr, Chamlee-Wright argues that liberalism faces not only overt constitutional threats but a deeper "soft tissue" problem: the erosion of the values, norms, and habits that make formal institutions work. Once degraded, she warns, no legislative remedy can restore them. She walks through four dimensions of this cultural ecosystem, shared mental models, generalized norms, cultural tools, and social networks, and shows how they can either reinforce liberal resilience or spiral into vicious cycles of decay. She closes with an urgent call to action: liberal intellectuals and scholars must boldly deploy the cultural tools at their disposal, the stories, symbols, and founding ideals of a free society to decisively reverse the illiberal drift before it becomes irreversible.Dr. Emily Chamlee-Wright is a senior affiliated scholar and Board Member at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She is the President and CEO of the Institute for Humane Studies and the author of numerous books, including The Cultural Foundations of Economic Development (Routledge 1997) and Culture and Enterprise (Routledge 2000), co-authored with the late Don Lavoie.**This episode was recorded October 19, 2025**If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Check out our other podcast from the Hayek Program! Virtual Sentiments is a podcast in which political theorist Kristen Collins interviews scholars and practitioners grappling with pressing problems in political economy with an eye to the past. Subscribe today!Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatusCC Music: Twisterium

Today, I'm talking to Jennifer Lancaster from Houston, USA. Jennifer is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Supervisor with over 15 years of experience in mental health care across inpatient, residential, and outpatient settings. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of St. Thomas and a Master of Social Work from George Mason University. She is a Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Provider (PATP) and a Registered Yoga Teacher. As the founder of Houston Healing Collective, Jennifer is committed to helping individuals move beyond symptom management to access deeper healing by addressing unresolved trauma and the root causes of psychological pain. She specialises in the treatment of eating disorders and complex trauma, offering ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, EMDR intensives, yoga, and psychedelic therapy retreats. Her approach emphasises genuine connection, compassionate presence, and deep curiosity, creating a safe and collaborative space for clients to access their innate capacity for healing and build lives rooted in purpose and authenticity. In addition to her clinical practice, she provides clinical supervision and case consultation focusing on eating disorders, trauma, and psychedelic-assisted therapy. She is also excited to launch a ketamine-assisted therapy training for clinicians in the autumn of 2026. In today's episode, Jennifer talks about how she came to work in this way, having started out using more traditional therapy approaches. She explains how she works and supports her clients using a range of different treatments, which she has experienced both personally and professionally. I hope that you enjoy the episode.   To find out more about Jennifer's work: - https://www.houstonhealingcollective.co/

In this episode of Why Distance Learning, your hosts continue their conversation with Jered Borup — professor at George Mason University and one of the most-cited researchers in K-12 online learning — about what AI in education is actually doing to relationships, what social presence requires when "build a video lecture" can be done by a chatbot, and why teacher burnout is the real bottleneck the field doesn't want to talk about. Borup connects his earliest 2012 work on asynchronous video to his 2025 Open Praxis research on combining AI-generated text with human-created video, and argues that AI used to offload feedback erodes the very thing online learners need: the felt sense that the teacher is real and knows them.Together, the hosts and Jered explore the conflation of social media, video games, and ed tech in the parental imagination after the pandemic; how to use AI without replacing the relational core of teaching; why one-on-one asynchronous video may build social presence more reliably than synchronous Zoom classes; the DLAC Phase 2 research agenda Borup co-authored with Michael Barbour and Kristen DeBruler; the mental-health gap between teachers and other professionals with comparable education; and Borup's one-line answer to the show's title question — that personalization and Universal Design for Learning are easier to do online than off.This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Listen to Part 1 for the foundational ACE framework, the on-site mentor model, and the parent question.Key Topics"Emergency remote learning" vs. real online learning — what parents are still confusingSocial presence — old research, new tools (asynchronous video, AI-plus-human-video)The risk of offloading teacher feedback to AIAsynchronous one-on-one video as a relationship lever (vs. one-to-many Zoom)DLAC Research Agenda Phase 2 — what's keeping researchers up at nightTeacher mental health and the AI strain on top of pandemic strainAuthentic assessment and "we're too in love with the five-paragraph essay"Empathy as the core design move"Why distance learning?" — empowerment, personalization, UDLLinks & ResourcesJered Borup's site: https://sites.google.com/site/jeredborup/ACE Framework on EdTech Books: https://edtechbooks.org/encyclopedia/academic_communities_of_engagement_ace_frameworkA Framework for Establishing Social Presence Through the Combination of AI-generated Text with Human-created Video (Open Praxis, 2025): https://openpraxis.org/articles/10.55982/openpraxis.17.1.769Harnessing the Power of Generative AI to Support ALL Learners (Borup, Evmenova & Shin, 2024): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380570253_Harnessing_the_Power_of_Generative_AI_to_Support_ALL_LearnersDLAC Research Agenda Phase Two (Borup, Barbour & DeBruler, Sept 2025): https://www.deelac.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DLAC-Research-Agenda-Phase-2-Final-1052025.pdfBreaking Through the Screen: Practical Tips for Engaging Learners in the Online and Blended Classroom (Borup & Joan Kang Shin, National Geographic Learning): https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Through-Screen-Practical-classroom/dp/0357541855K-12 Blended Teaching open-source book series: https://edtechbooks.org/k12blended_seriesJered's Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=PGs7TacAAAAJ&hl=enPart 1 of this conversation: [LINK — add when published]Guest Bio: Jered BorupJered Borup is a professor in the Division of Learning Technologies at George Mason University and co-coordinator of the Learning Technologies in Schools graduate program. His research, grounded in six years of junior-high history teaching, focuses on K-12 online and blended learning: the support communities that surround a learner, the parental role in online education, and how generative AI can extend personalized support to historically underserved students. He earned his Ph.D. in Instructional Psychology and Technology from Brigham Young University and has been recognized as one of the top 2% most-cited researchers in his field.About the HostsSeth Fleischauer is the founder of Banyan Global Learning and host of Why Distance Learning. Through Banyan, he designs live virtual programs that connect K-12 classrooms to global peers and expert facilitators — building the kind of structured, human-centered distance learning the podcast explores. See https://banyangloballearning.com/Allyson Mitchell works with CILC, the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration, to help educators implement high-quality live virtual learning experiences across grade levels. Discover more at CILC.org.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 offers a countercultural approach to Christian living in a noisy, distracted world. In this devotional, Whitney Hopler explores how living a quiet life can strengthen faith, reduce stress, and create a powerful witness for Christ. While modern culture often rewards constant visibility, strong opinions, and endless activity, Scripture encourages believers to pursue peace, focus on their God-given responsibilities, and find contentment in faithfully serving God through everyday work. Highlights God calls believers to make it their ambition to lead a quiet life. A quiet life helps create space for peace, focus, and spiritual growth. Social media and constant noise can distract us from what matters most. Minding our own business allows us to invest more deeply in real relationships. Everyday work can become an act of worship when done for God's glory. Faithful, peaceful living often earns the respect of others. Our worth comes from being God's beloved children, not from public attention. Living quietly creates opportunities to reflect Christ in a loud world. Join the Conversation What is one area of your life that feels especially noisy or distracting right now? How can you create more space for quiet, focus, and deeper connection with God this week? Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/ Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: How to Live a Quiet Life in a Loud WorldBy: Whitney Hopler Bible Reading:“…make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 The benefits of being quiet often show up in well-being research I work with at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Leading a quiet life can be useful for stress relief, focus, creativity, and more. When we’re quiet, our minds can process and reflect on the constant stream of information coming at us every day. That can prevent us from becoming overwhelmed and help us discover what matters most. The constant barrage of messages competing for our attention reminds us that we live in a very loud world. Our society celebrates the people who shout their opinions – even about people and situations they don’t know personally. If we’re not trying to push others to pay attention to us, it can feel like we’re falling behind. But these verses from 1 Thessalonians show us that living quietly is a much wiser choice. It’s fascinating that the word “ambition” is connected with “a quiet life.” Usually, when we think of ambition, we think of getting noticed by other people. But God encourages us to be ambitious by minding our own business rather than trying to get other people’s attention. Minding our own business is challenging in this loud world. Our social media urges us to be monitoring other people’s lives and to keep updating them on our lives, whether or not they actually care. It also urges us to judge what’s happening in the world and to shout out our opinions on those situations, even if we haven’t studied them well enough to have informed opinions. But 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 describes another kind of ambition. We can be ambitious by making better choices, despite how society is pressuring us. We can stop wasting our time and energy by reclaiming our attention and choosing to invest it in what matters most – our relationships with God and the people we know personally, in real life. These Bible verses encourage us to work with our hands. There’s something sacred about using the hands God gave us to do our work. Whether we’re typing on computer keyboards, serving meals, fixing cars, performing surgery, or any other one of countless types of jobs, we use our hands somehow. Focusing on the work we do with our hands grounds us and reminds us that God created us to be productive and to contribute to our world. We can find fulfillment from doing our best at work. When we focus on doing the task in front of us with excellence and integrity, we can find a sense of purpose that doesn’t need a “like” or a “share” to be valid. Working with our hands while doing our best for God turns our daily chores and professional duties into a form of quiet worship. When we do so, we can win the respect of those around us. Other people are watching how we live. In this loud world that’s full of drama, people who are hardworking and peaceful stand out. Our quiet lives become powerful testimonies that show others our security comes from something much deeper than the latest trend. Living quietly also leads us to a healthy independence. When we work diligently and live simply, we’re able to bless others instead of burdening them unnecessarily. Living a quiet life doesn’t prevent us from speaking up. We can, and should, speak up against evil and share the Gospel whenever God leads us to do so. But living quietly does mean that we stop trying to prove our worth by calling out for attention and simply resting with confidence in our identities as God’s beloved children. In this fallen world, where too many people are shouting at each other, we can ambitiously choose a better lifestyle of quiet work and love. Intersecting Faith & Life: As you consider how to live a quiet life in a loud world, reflect on these questions: What’s one “loud” part of your life (social media, television, etc.) that you can quiet down this week to find more peace? How does the idea of minding your own business challenge you right now? In what ways can you see working with your hands on your daily tasks as a way to worship God? Why do you think society can make you feel guilty for seeking a simpler life? Who is one person you know just outside your inner circles of friends and family – someone like a neighbor or a coworker – who might be positively impacted by seeing you faithfully live a quiet life? Further Reading:Psalm 46:10Isaiah 30:151 Timothy 2:1-2Ecclesiastes 4:6Matthew 6:6 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

BONUS S6E7 8 retail trends for 2026 including AI-assisted shoppers, why people are the new luxury, and the grey swans most retailers are ignoringCasey Golden and Ricardo Belmar spent two days at The Lead Summit in New York City with the operators, founders, and analysts actually running retail right now, and they walked out with a clear read on the retail trends 2026 will be built on. Instead of a session-by-session recap, this bonus episode pulls out the eight cross-cutting themes that showed up no matter whose stage they were on, from Anthropologie and Talbots to Hey Dude, Olaplex, Loop, and Coterie.The headline: every AI experiment built to replace people was a failure story, and every one built to extend people was a winner. From there the conversation runs through the rewired store, the rise of the AI-assisted shopper, why human connection is becoming the new luxury, and the grey swan events most retailers can see coming but refuse to plan for. If you want the retail trends 2026 leaders are quietly betting on, plus what to do about it Monday morning, this is the episode.In This Episode, You'll Learn•       Why AI augmentation beats AI replacement, and the customer service "40% ticket deflection" stat that fell apart under real measurement•       How the AI-assisted shopper is already changing product discovery, and why generative engine optimization (GEO) is getting 80% of the attention on 5% of the traffic•       Why "people are the new luxury" may be the one theme still defining retail trends 2026 a year from now•       What Talbots' 35-of-100 transactions stat says about store KPIs beyond sales per square foot•       How community beat audience for breakout brands, and why your brand story now has to teach the LLMs who you are•       The grey swans hiding in plain sight: GLP-1, the aging of America, and single-geography supply chain risk•       The Monday-morning move to make before the AI-assisted shopper takes a bigger bite of your holiday trafficNotable Moments & Quotes•       "AI won't sit down and have a cigarette with me." The line that summed up why people still matter.•       "Listening is a capability, but hearing is a skill."•       Rainbow Shops: a vendor's 40% ticket deflection collapsed because customers just hung up and called back for a human.•       Talbots' Concierge clienteling went from reaching 300,000 of 750,000 eligible customers to all of them, while keeping the calls human. AI does the volume, people do the moments.•       Loop Earplugs grew from $1M to $250M in five years, obsessing over one question: where did you first hear about us?•       MoMA Design Store: "We're not Amazon, and we don't want to be."•       Randa Apparel's grey swans: GLP-1 (roughly 8M users today, potentially 100M by 2030), more Americans over 65 than under 18 by 2028, and the warning that "a business built around a single geography isn't lean, it's exposed."Subscribe & FollowIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5‑star rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods. Subscribe on YouTube so you never miss an episode and check out the other shows in the Retail Razor Podcast Network: Retail Transformers, Blade to Greatness, and Data Blades.Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utubeChapters00:00 Teaser01:01 Show Intro03:18 The BIG Recap - Our 8 Themes form The Lead Summit05:49 Theme 1 - The Augmentation Imperative09:49 Theme 2 -  People are the New Luxury14:17 Theme 3 - The Rewired Store18:40 Theme 4 - Get Ready for the AI-Assisted Shopper24:19 Theme 5 - Community Over Audience30:57 Theme 6 - Brand Discipline and the Power of Saying No35:22 Theme 7 - Multiplatform & Multigenerational Reality40:23 Theme 8 - Grey Swans: The Conversations Most People Aren't Having45:39 Key Take Aways: What Should Listeners Do Monday Morning?48:53 Show CloseMeet your hostsHelping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech:Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voice for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him a Top 10 Thought Leader in Retail, a Top 25 Thought Leader in AGI and Careers, a Top 50 Thought Leader in Agentic AIand Management, and a Top 100 Thought Leader in Digital Transformation and Transformation. Thinkers 360 also named him a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University's Center for Retail Transformationand the Retail Cloud Alliance. He was most recently the partner marketing leader for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft.Casey Golden, is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T, and CEO of Luxlock. She is a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2023 - 2026, and Retail Cloud Alliance advisory council member. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, Casey is obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer and is slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech! MusicIncludes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Overclocked, and E-Motive from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

This season we've been exploring the concept of mechanism in reproductive biology. We've chatted with scientists from across disciplines who are working to better understand how sperm, eggs, and embryos work. Over the next three episodes, we'll be exploring the idea of mechanism itself. We'll learn how the historical practice of biology has shaped the way we think about mechanisms today, how computing metaphors might supercede the machine metaphors that dominate in molecular biology, and how the fields of biology and physics might be on course to collide in the coming decades.   Today, I have the pleasure of chatting with the renown philosopher of biology, Dr. Dan Nicholson of George Mason University. Dan is a talented science communicator and recent author of the book “What is Life, Revisited”, in which he analyzes the motivations of Erwin Shrodinger's famous 1944 lecture series and its impact on the nascent field of molecular biology. Dan's introspective writing has changed the way I think about biology. It was a real joy to get to have this conversation with him. Our far-reaching conversation covered the role of philosophy in the practice of science, how and how not to think about organisms as machines, and the role of random variation in biological systems. Link to SSR Website: https://ssr.org/Link to Dr. Nicholson's Faculty Page: https://philosophy.gmu.edu/people/dnichoBook Link: "What is Life, Revisited": https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/abs/what-is-life-revisited/E6B3EA136720CF50C9480ADB8F41A6F4

The Rod and Greg Show Daily Rundown – Tuesday, May 26, 20264:20 pm: Linnea Lueken, a Research in Climate and Environmental Policy at the Heartland Institute, joins the show to discuss her piece in the Daily Caller about why it's time for America to set aside its fear of nuclear energy.4:38 pm: Jack Salmon, Scholar and Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, joins Rod and Greg for a conversation about his Deseret News piece on why Utah is strongly positioned to handle any future financial cuts made by the federal government.6:05 pm: Utah Attorney General Derek Brown joins the program to discuss his visit to Washington, D.C. to take part in a meeting with Vice President JD Vance's task force on fraud.

S6E6 Campari America's Allison Varone on mindful drinking and the new rules of beverage brand building with Gen ZEveryone keeps repeating that Gen Z doesn't drink. The data tells a far more interesting story about mindful drinking and this episode unpacks it.In this episode of The Retail Razor Show, Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Allison Varone, Head of Marketing at Campari America, for a genuine masterclass in beverage brand building. With more than 20 years across the wine and spirits industry, Allison leads marketing for one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world: Aperol, Campari, Wild Turkey, Courvoisier, Grand Marnier, Espolòn Tequila, and the newly US-launched Crodino, a non-alcoholic spritz beloved in Italy since 1965.This conversation goes beyond the headlines about the spirits industry to explore the cultural shifts, strategic bets, and marketing instincts behind some of the most recognizable drinks in the world, and what they mean for anyone building consumer brands in 2026.What We Cover·       How Gen Z is redefining drinking culture, and why mindful drinking is a growth opportunity for the spirits industry rather than a threat·       The "zebra striping" trend: how consumers now bounce between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages depending on the occasion·       Crodino's US launch and the strategic timing behind Campari America's move into the non-alcoholic spirits space·       Why occasion-led marketing has replaced category-first brand thinking across the beverage industry·       What Aperol's Coachella activation and Negroni Week reveal about experiential marketing ROI·       How Wild Turkey's "Don't Change a Damn Thing" campaign keeps a heritage brand culturally relevant on TikTok·       The real playbook for challenger brands trying to break through a crowded beverage market·       What premiumization actually means when consumers are cautious, and how Espolòn Tequila balances premium with accessible·       Inside the Campari Academy and how bartender education becomes a competitive advantage·       A bold look at the spirits industry in 2035: more inclusive, more occasion-led, and centered on human connectionA Standout Idea from This EpisodeAllison's advice to brand strategists was refreshingly direct: focus less on categories and more on how consumers are actually evolving. Lead with the occasion, then figure out where your brand fits into that moment. That is brand strategy advice that travels far beyond the spirits industry.Whether you work in retail, brand marketing, CPG, or you are simply curious about how culture shapes consumer behavior, this episode delivers insight you can use immediately.This Episode is Brought to You By RetailClub.Join 2,000 retail leaders at RetailClub AI Festival, September 22–24 in Huntington Beach. Dive deep into how AI is reshaping retail while soaking up the sun at a fully outdoor, beachside venue. Decision-makers from retailers and brands can attend with free tickets and up to $1,250 in travel reimbursement. Head to retailclub.com to learn more. https://retailclub.com/retail-razor-podcastSubscribe & FollowIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5‑star rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods. Subscribe on YouTube so you never miss an episode and check out the other shows in the Retail Razor Podcast Network: Retail Transformers, Blade to Greatness, and Data Blades.Subscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://go.retailrazor.com/utubeAbout our GuestAllison Varone, Head of Marketing, Campari America. https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-varone-4650901/https://www.camparigroup.com/enAllison Varone is Head of Marketing at Campari America, a growing powerhouse group in the U.S. spirits market. A seasoned executive, leader and strategist, she has more than 20 years of experience driving growth, market share and profitability for both large and small brands. She joined Campari America in 2024 and previously served as Vice President of Channel and Customer Marketing, where she lead Campari America to some of its greatest partnerships and campaigns, including Negroni Week for Campari, SKYY Vodka for PRIDE, Courvoisier Bring Your Own Courvoisier campaign and Aperol as a sponsor of the U.S. Open and the official Spritz Partner at Coachella.Chapters00:00 Opening Teaser00:49 Show Intro06:02 Welcome Allison Varone07:23 Gen Z & Mindful Drinking Culture09:09 Non-Alc Innovation & Product Strategy12:46 Occasion-Led Marketing & Coachella14:39 Shifts in Consumer Behavior17:02 Spanning Generations Across the Portfolio19:26 Measuring Activation Impact21:27 Advice for Challenger Brands24:33 Honoring Heritage Brands26:22 Premiumization & Value28:18 The Campari Academy & Elevated Experiences30:53 The Spirits Industry in 203533:17 Advice for Brand Strategists35:27 Wrap-Up37:23 Show CloseMeet your hostsHelping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech:Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voice for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him a Top 10 Thought Leader in Retail, a Top 25 Thought Leader in AGI and Careers, a Top 50 Thought Leader in Agentic AIand Management, and a Top 100 Thought Leader in Digital Transformation and Transformation. Thinkers 360 also named him a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University's Center for Retail Transformationand the Retail Cloud Alliance. He was most recently the partner marketing leader for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft.Casey Golden, is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T, and CEO of Luxlock. She is a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2023 - 2026, and Retail Cloud Alliance advisory council member. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, Casey is obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer and is slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech! MusicIncludes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Overclocked, and E-Motive from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

Our next episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops June 2nd! In our off weeks we air episodes from The Gaily Show. It's the only daily LGBTQ news and talk show in the US! John hosts it and it airs on AM950-KTNF, WCPT 820 AM, and weekly on NewsTalk WHMP.Today:Ilana Masad and Stevie K. Seibert Desjarlais join us to talk about their new book: Here For All The Reasons Why We Watch The Bachelor.Then: Dr. Samuel Clowes Huneke joins us to talk about Texas Tech University banning LGBTQ research. Plus, MAGA is using federal funds to promote MAGA think tanks in Europe. And, the Virginia congressional map debacle: the State Supreme Court tossed out both the new voter approved map. Now what?Get Here For All The Reasons here: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781684426126Ilana Masad is a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and criticism whose work has been widely published. She holds a PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and is the author of the novels All My Mother's Lovers and Beings.Stevie K. Seibert Desjarlais is an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Her writing appears in the Quarterly Review of Film and Video, Journal of Popular Film and Television, and Pedagogy.Dr. Samuel Clowes Huneke is an award-winning associate professor of history at George Mason University. A historian of modern Germany, he is the author of numerous books and articles, including States of Liberation: Gay Men between Dictatorship and Democracy in Cold War Germany and A Queer Theory of the State. His new book I Will Not Abandon You Queer Women in Nazi Germany is out now.You can buy his books and learn more about his research at his website: samuelcloweshuneke.com.Buy A Queer Theory of State: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9783982389462Buy States of Liberation: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781487542146Buy I Will Not Abandon You: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781487554347Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonSupport the show

In this episode of Why Distance Learning, your hosts talk with Jered Borup — professor at George Mason University, co-creator of the Academic Communities of Engagement framework, and one of the most-cited researchers in K-12 online learning — about why student engagement isn't a property of the student or a skill the teacher unlocks, and why most online programs are leaving the work undone. Borup's framework distinguishes the course community (teachers, designers, mentors) from the personal community (parents, family, on-site adults) and argues engagement is what those two produce together. The assumption on the table: that "more parental involvement" is what fixes online learning — when in fact, untrained involvement, his research shows, can hurt about as often as it helps.Together, the hosts and Jered explore the ACE framework's two communities, the on-site mentor model from Mountain Heights Academy and Michigan's mentor mandate, what it actually takes to teach a student how to learn online, the equity gap in who gets meaningful support, and where parents fit (and don't). Along the way: the Michigan administrator who tapped someone on the shoulder and said "you're now Sally's mentor," the parent with only a high-school diploma who turned out to be one of the 12 most successful mentors in the study, and the parent who confessed to Jered that she does her kid's online discussion-board posts because they're "busy work."This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation.Key TopicsThe Academic Communities of Engagement (ACE) frameworkCourse community vs. personal communityOn-site mentors as the missing link in K-12 online learningMichigan's mentor mandate — and why fidelity varies by schoolWhy "improved" parental engagement matters more than "more"Designing parent support: a trickle of just-in-time tips, not a classThe equity gap in self-regulation and "how to learn online"Links & ResourcesJered Borup's site: https://sites.google.com/site/jeredborup/ACE Framework on EdTech Books: https://edtechbooks.org/encyclopedia/academic_communities_of_engagement_ace_frameworkAcademic Communities of Engagement (Borup, Graham et al., ETR&D, 2020): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11423-020-09744-xBehind the Screen: Exploring Parental Roles in K-12 Online Education (Sandberg & Borup, Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 2025): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15391523.2024.2447729Parental Support Challenges for K-12 Student Online Engagement (Sandberg, Borup et al., Distance Education, 2024): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01587919.2024.2397481Michigan Virtual — Why Mentors Matter: A Conversation with Jered Borup: https://michiganvirtual.org/blog/why-mentors-matter-a-conversation-with-jered-borup/K–12 Blended Teaching (open-source book series): https://edtechbooks.org/k12blended_seriesBobbi Sandberg episode (Why Distance Learning): [LINK — add when published]Guest Bio: Jered BorupJered Borup is a professor in the Division of Learning Technologies at George Mason University and co-coordinator of the Learning Technologies in Schools graduate program. His research, grounded in six years of junior-high history teaching, focuses on K-12 online and blended learning: the support communities that surround a learner, the parental role in online education, and how generative AI can extend personalized support to historically underserved students. He earned his Ph.D. in Instructional Psychology and Technology from Brigham Young University and has been recognized as one of the top 2% most-cited researchers in his field.About the HostsSeth Fleischauer is the founder of Banyan Global Learning and host of Why Distance Learning. Through Banyan, he designs live virtual programs that connect K-12 classrooms to global peers and expert facilitators — building the kind of structured, human-centered distance learning the podcast explores. See https://banyangloballearning.com/Allyson Mitchell works with CILC, the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration, to help educators implement high-quality live virtual learning experiences across grade levels. Discover more at CILC.org.

In this episode of The Get Down: Beyond Bitcoin, host Cleve Mesidor sits down with two-term SEC Commissioner Hester M. Peirce—affectionately known as "Crypto Mom" and "Crypto's Architect"—for an engaging conversation.As Commissioner Peirce prepares to conclude her impactful tenure at the SEC later this year, she shares her unique origin story, vision for a digital asset regulatory framework, and insights regarding inter-agency harmonization between the SEC and CFTC.Commissioner Peirce is not just a champion of crypto, she also holds the industry accountable and advances sound guidance to build a stable industry. This captivating discussion covers a variety of timely topics, including tokenization opportunities for smaller players, as well as advice for the crypto industry about how best to continue to advance crypto rulemaking going forward.Interview with SEC Commissioner Hester M. PeirceCommissioner Peirce discusses her regulatory journey since 2018, impending departure from the Commission, and enduring optimism for the transformative nature of the technology.Crypto Origin Story: How early conversations with Jerry Brito sparked an interest in blockchain technology before joining the SEC during pivotal market shifts.Regulatory Harmonization: A deep dive into harmonization efforts with the CFTC, building on previous work with former Commissioner Brian Quintenz to develop a coordinated strategy.Advice to Industry: Why builders should focus on solving real-world consumer/investor problems and build commercially viable products.Life After SEC: Plans to transition into teaching, while cheering on sound regulation from the sidelines.Memorable Milestones: Reflections and why meeting conviction-driven builders during market lows remains her favorite part of the job.Next Gen Crypto: Reflecting on how Gen Z will integrate blockchain technology, and a call to use crypto as a tool for societal unity rather than divisiveness.About SEC Commissioner PeirceHester M. Peirce was appointed by President Donald J. Trump to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was sworn in on January 11, 2018.Commissioner Peirce leads the SEC Crypto Task Force, which seeks to provide clarity on the application of the federal securities laws to the crypto asset market and to recommend practical policy measures that aim to foster innovation and protect investors.Prior to joining the SEC, Commissioner Peirce conducted research on the regulation of financial markets at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She was a Senior Counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where she advised Ranking Member Richard Shelby and other members of the Committee on securities issues. Commissioner Peirce served as counsel to SEC Commissioner Paul S. Atkins. She also worked as a Staff Attorney in the SEC's Division of Investment Management. Commissioner Peirce was an associate at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now WilmerHale) and clerked for Judge Roger Andewelt on the Court of Federal Claims.Commissioner Peirce earned her bachelor's degree in Economics from Case Western Reserve University and her JD from Yale Law School.Links from the episodeCONNECT WITH COMMISSIONER HESTER PEIRCE:Website: www.sec.govCONNECT WITH BUTTERSCOTCH MEDIA:Website: butterscotch.mediaSubscribe to Chews Tipsheet: butterscotch.media/subscribeFollow us on X: @butterscotch360 CONNECT WITH BUTTERSCOTCH MEDIA:Website: butterscotch.mediaFinTech TV Network: https://fintech.tv/category/the-get-down-podcast-series/Subscribe to Chews Tipsheet: butterscotch.media/subscribeFollow us on X: @butterscotch360

Prediction market sites allow users to put money on everything from the war in Iran to the winner of the Super Bowl. But where did these markets come from? And what can that history tell us about where they might be going? Today on the show, how betting on popes and presidents long ago planted a seed for a “terrorism market” in the early 2000s, and how those early prediction markets shaped the industry that has taken hold today.Guests:Koleman Strumpf, economics professor at Wake Forest UniversityPaul Rhode, economic historian at the University of Michigan.Robin Hanson, Associate Professor of Economics at George Mason University and systems architect for the Policy Analysis MarketRobert Forsythe, Professor of Finance at Wayne State University and co-founder of the Iowa Political Stock MarketTo access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

If you pay any attention at all to the changes taking place in youth culture, you will be sure to encounter words and terms occasioned by the new pressures, problems, challenges, and opportunities facing our kids as they grow up in today's world. One of those terms that should cause us to wake up and take notice is this: nudification tools. These tools take the form of artificial intelligence- powered apps that allow users to upload a picture of a person, then hit a button to create sexualized images, typically nude photos. A new study from George Mason University has found that the use of these nudification tools which have historically been used by more boys than girls, are now being used by girls at the same rate as teenage boys. Researchers found that roughly one in six teen girls and boys used nudification tools frequently to see how they looked. Nudification is becoming normalized for our kids. Parents, warn your kids about the moral, relational, and spiritual issues related to this troubling trend.

Hilah Kate Kaufman, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor at George Mason University whose work centers on trauma, resilience, and adaptation across the lifespan. She integrates developmental and clinical science to better understand how individuals respond to adversity and how trauma-informed approaches can support healing.In addition to her academic role, Dr. Kaufman is involved with NovoPsych (our sponsor for this episode), a platform focused on improving mental health care through evidence-based assessment and measurement tools for clinicians. Her work reflects a strong commitment to bridging research and practice to enhance outcomes in real-world settings.NovoPsychBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.---Thank you for listening!If you want to support the show, I've got three options and every bit helps.$5.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/NPKS32G8KVSN2$10.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/495AMDFXQFC3L$15.00 PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/M7V5RREUKVD8JThank you to our Sponsors: Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app (https://jane.app/book_a_demo)Novo Psych - novopsych.com/traumapodcast

Private practice has changed a LOT over the last few years… and therapists are still trying to figure out what comes next. In this episode, Gordon talks with Lex E. Santi about the evolution of therapy after telehealth, online platforms, insurance shifts, and changing client expectations. They dive into why more clinicians are entering private practice, why clients still crave in-person connection, and how companies like BetterHelp, Alma, and Headway are reshaping the profession. They also explore the pressure therapists feel to market themselves, build niches, and create an online presence in a rapidly changing industry. Toward the end of the conversation, Lex shares how writing, narrative therapy, mindfulness, and storytelling intersect in his clinical work and creative life. Resources Mentioned In This Episode  Subscribe to YouTube Read the show notes here Watch on YouTube Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free Consulting with Gordon The PsychCraft Network Follow us on Instagram Meet Lex E Santí Lex Enrico Santí is a therapist, clinical supervisor, and the founder of A Key Therapy PLLC, where he works at the intersection of evidence-based practice and the deeper human questions that bring people into therapy in the first place. Trained as a licensed clinical social worker and currently completing his doctorate at the University of Kentucky, Lex brings a grounded, integrative approach to his work — drawing on modalities like CBT, ACT, and mindfulness alongside his own framework for healing he calls the AMI model. The son of Cuban immigrants and a former Peace Corps volunteer in Romania, Lex carries a lifelong fluency in crossing cultures — literally and emotionally. He speaks three languages and brings that same attunement to difference, displacement, and belonging into his clinical work. In the therapy room, he holds space for individuals navigating anxiety, identity, and the transitions that quietly reshape a life. He also supervises emerging clinicians, teaches workshops on meditation and understanding anxiety, and is building A Key Therapy into a group practice rooted in presence, curiosity, and care. He believes that good therapy — like good writing — is about learning to tell a truer story about yourself. Beyond the therapy room, Lex is a published author with an MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University — the author of four books of poetry and a collection of short stories and essays. A meditator and someone who thinks seriously about the spiritual dimensions of mental health, he lives in the Finger Lakes region of New York with his family. He is a proud husband, father, and has another child on the way. Website Facebook LinkedIn The Song of the Midnight Rider

George Mason University economist Don Boudreaux took the stage at the Economic Club of Minnesota on May 11, 2026, as a myth-buster with a simple but powerful challenge: compared to what? In his presentation on Trump's second-term tariffs, Boudreaux cut through the political noise by stacking 2025's economic performance against hard benchmarks, including 2024 and Trump's own first term in 2017. The numbers told a sobering story. Nonfarm employment grew at just 0.5% in 2025 versus 1.6% in 2017, manufacturing employment actually declined, unemployment rose, and all three major stock indices trailed their 2017 post-election performance.  Boudreaux also shed light on a broader truth that rarely makes headlines: by historical standards, American households are dramatically better off than they were decades ago, with real net worth 80% higher than in 2001 and more than double what it was in 1994. His message was clear and grounded in evidence rather than ideology. Whether tariffs get credit or blame, the facts demand more than talking points. For an audience of Minnesota business leaders, policymakers, and students, Boudreaux delivered exactly what the Economic Club is known for: a speaker who moves the conversation well beyond the soundbites. 

Modern science has given us the ability to edit our genes, life-saving vaccines, and glimpse the origins of the universe. But is the same system holding itself back? Critics argue that the pressure to publish and fierce competition for funding rewards safe, incremental work over bold thinking. Others see a system still capable of paradigm-shifting discoveries — one where global collaborations and long-term thinking motivate scientists to pursue grand, ambitious ideas. Now we debate: Is the Scientific Enterprise Too Risk-Averse?  This debate was produced in partnership with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, as part of The Hopkins Forum series. Arguing Yes:  Tyler Cowen, Author of "The Great Stagnation"; Economics Professor at George Mason University; Founder of Emergent Ventures; Host of "Conversations with Tyler" podcast   Brandon Ogbunu, Computational Biologist; Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University; Professor at the Santa Fe Institute  Arguing No:   Kate Biberdorf (“Kate the Chemist”), Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame; Science Entertainer  The Honorable Sethuraman Panchanathan, 15th Director of the National Science Foundation; University Professor of Technology and Innovation and Foundation Chair at Arizona State University  Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates  Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff.  Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

U.S. Congressman Don Beyer returns to Practical AI for another far-reaching conversation with Chris about many of the most important AI challenges facing America and the world.  Blending political savvy and statesmanship with his unique technical understanding as an active Ph.D student in AI at George Mason University (making him the coolest member of Congress!), the congressman shares his perspective about the really hard AI concerns that you would have asked him yourself.  Together, Congressman Beyer and Chris explore AI regulation, cybersecurity concerns sparked by advanced models like Mythos, bipartisan AI governance efforts, and the growing AI race between the U.S. and China. They fearlessly dived headfirst into AI-driven job displacement, mass surveillance, autonomous weapons, existential risk, and the philosophical questions surrounding consciousness and superintelligence as AI continues to accelerate.  This is an unusual and insightful conversation you don't want to miss!Congressman Beyer was previously on Practical AI episode 271 on May 29, 2024:AI in the U.S. CongressFeaturing:Congressman Don Beyer – Congress, LinkedIn, Bluesky, XChris Benson – Website, LinkedIn, Bluesky, GitHub, XUpcoming Events: Register for upcoming webinars here!Midwest AI Summit 2026

On this episode of the Hayek Program Podcast, Peter Boettke and Liya Palagashvili reflect on her journey from undergraduate student organizer to public intellectual, policy analyst, and Director of the Labor Policy Project. They discuss how Liya has approached her career with a startup mindset — exploring her work on the gig economy and portable benefits to create more dynamic and resilient labor markets. Along the way, they reflect on the importance of mentorship, “failing fast,” and the tension between holding a strong vision while remaining open to new evidence.Dr. Liya Palagashvili is a Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Labor Policy Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and an alum of the Mercatus PhD Fellowship. Her research focuses on labor regulations, the gig economy, and the changing nature of work. She regularly writes for her Substack, Labor Market Matters.**This episode was recorded on March 31, 2026**Show Notes:Mary Catherine Bateson, Composing a Life (Grove Press, 2001)Casey B. Mulligan, The Redistribution Recession: How Labor Market Distortions Contracted the Economy (Oxford University Press, 2014)Edited by Richard A. Epstein, Mario J. Rizzo, and Liya Palagashvili, The Routledge Handbook of Classical Liberalism (Routledge, 2026)Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (Scribner, 2016)ParentDataIf you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Check out our other podcast from the Hayek Program! Virtual Sentiments is a podcast in which political theorist Kristen Collins interviews scholars and practitioners grappling with pressing problems in political economy with an eye to the past. Subscribe today!Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatusCC Music: Twisterium

America has historically led the way in intangible property rights. We were the first country to recognize copyright and patents in our constitution and became the first to recognize trade secrets as protectable assets in 1868. Property rules assume that the rights-holder has superior knowledge about how to use the property— when to share, when to exclude, and when to sell—and would do so without causing significant problems for others. Some see IP as a barrier to the free dissemination of ideas, art and inventions. Others argue that IP rights ensure control and appropriate returns for creators while unleashing an economic and creative engine that delivers trillions of dollars in value, high-quality jobs, life-saving medicines, and breathtaking works of beauty and ingenuity that wouldn’t otherwise exist.As modern debates swirl around everything from whether using copyrighted works to train generative AI should count as ‘fair use’, to whether medical diagnostic methods, business models and other abstract ideas should be patentable as they are overseas, to whether we should adopt European-style rules that treat privacy and data as a quasi-proprietary right or extend “rights of publicity” in the era of AI, this gathering of astute legal minds will return to first principles to explore a deceptively simple-sounding question: when should we recognize something as a property right? Join us for a deep dive into history, philosophy, and economics to understand some of the legal and policy dilemmas of our time, and whether and when expanding property rights is the answer.Featuring:Alden F. Abbott, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University; Former General Counsel at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)Prof. Jane Bambauer, Professor of Law and Journalism, University of FloridaJeffrey E. Depp, Senior Counsel for Law and Policy, Committee for Justice(Moderator) Satya Marar, Postgraduate Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University

America has historically led the way in intangible property rights. We were the first country to recognize copyright and patents in our constitution and became the first to recognize trade secrets as protectable assets in 1868. Property rules assume that the rights-holder has superior knowledge about how to use the property— when to share, when to exclude, and when to sell—and would do so without causing significant problems for others. Some see IP as a barrier to the free dissemination of ideas, art and inventions. Others argue that IP rights ensure control and appropriate returns for creators while unleashing an economic and creative engine that delivers trillions of dollars in value, high-quality jobs, life-saving medicines, and breathtaking works of beauty and ingenuity that wouldn’t otherwise exist.As modern debates swirl around everything from whether using copyrighted works to train generative AI should count as ‘fair use’, to whether medical diagnostic methods, business models and other abstract ideas should be patentable as they are overseas, to whether we should adopt European-style rules that treat privacy and data as a quasi-proprietary right or extend “rights of publicity” in the era of AI, this gathering of astute legal minds will return to first principles to explore a deceptively simple-sounding question: when should we recognize something as a property right? Join us for a deep dive into history, philosophy, and economics to understand some of the legal and policy dilemmas of our time, and whether and when expanding property rights is the answer.Featuring:Alden F. Abbott, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University; Former General Counsel at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)Prof. Jane Bambauer, Professor of Law and Journalism, University of FloridaJeffrey E. Depp, Senior Counsel for Law and Policy, Committee for Justice(Moderator) Satya Marar, Postgraduate Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University

From fintech tools to new credit models, consumer finance has changed faster than the regulatory framework around it. Todd Zywicki says that gap is a central focus of the new Institute for Consumer Financial Choice at George Mason University, which is designed to bring more empirical research into consumer‑finance policy debates.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis, Ellen D. Harpel, Ph.D., Founder of Smart Incentives, joins the conversation to explore a topic that has shaped the growth of the BioHealth Capital Region but has rarely been discussed directly on the podcast: economic development incentives. Ellen explains why state and local governments use incentives, how they influence business location and expansion decisions, and why effective programs need clear goals, active management, performance measures, and public accountability. The discussion looks at how incentives support companies across the full business lifecycle, from startups and emerging firms to major employers making large-scale regional investments. Ellen and Rich also examine how recent biohealth activity in Maryland and Virginia reflects the importance of workforce development, site selection, public-private collaboration, and regional thinking. A win in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, D.C. strengthens the larger BioHealth Capital Region ecosystem. Ellen also shares how organizations like BHI and Smart Incentives help companies, communities, and decision makers better understand the resources available to support growth, including financing programs, investor tax credits, grants, incubators, accelerators, and other support services. The episode closes with a practical look at transparency, evaluation, and why better data helps policymakers, economic developers, companies, and communities make stronger decisions about incentive programs. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant. https://thepodcastconsultant.com/ Ellen D. Harpel, Ph.D., is the Founder of Smart Incentives (https://smartincentives.org/), which helps communities make sound decisions throughout the economic development incentives process. Launched in 2013, Smart Incentives works with state, local, and national governments to design and implement incentive programs that are effective and responsible, with a focus on compliance monitoring, evaluation, transparency, and lasting community benefits. Ellen is also a Senior Research Fellow with the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness and an Affiliate Faculty member with the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.

How should Australia be preparing students for new technologies? It's an issue governments and educators are grappling with across the world. American expert in the field, Professor Jessica Rosenberg from George Mason University, has been developing a school curriculum to encourage more young people to engage on quantum technologies. She's also keen to see more girls and women in the field. During her visit to Australia she sat down with Chief Political Correspondent Anna Henderson to discuss the quantum task ahead.

@1QLeadership Question: Are there measurable metrics beyond revenue that lead to championships in college athletics? George Mason AD Marvin Lewis shares how he walked into a department hungry for leadership and, in three years, built a people-first, championship culture grounded in a clear strategic "playbook."  He breaks down the staff survey that set the tone, the shift from bad‑news‑only meetings to high‑energy all‑staffs, and a revised coach evaluation model that finally matches expectations to resources and values more than just wins and losses. Lewis also explains how he uses a senior deputy AD/COO, quarterly "time and score" metrics, and a campus‑wide approach to strategic planning—plus his work on the NCAA Women's Basketball Committee and the Professional Patriots leadership program—to offer a ready-made blueprint for aspiring Division I ADs. - One Question Leadership Podcast - Tai M. Brown

India hasn't updated how political power is distributed across its states in five decades—and the consequences are mounting. At the heart of delimitation lies a fundamental tension: should representation follow population, or preserve a delicate federal balance? Successive governments chose to defer the question, freezing India's electoral map even as demographic divides deepened. The Modi government's recent push to overhaul the system brought these tensions into the open but ultimately failed to resolve them. Recently, Milan sat down with Shruti Rajagopalan of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University for a wide-ranging webinar on delimitation, representation, and the reshaping of Indian democracy. The two discussed how India reached the present impasse—and what happens next. Milan and Shruti unpack the constitutional rules governing delimitation, the scale of malapportionment in the Lok Sabha, and the politics behind the Modi government's failed 2026 push to overhaul the system. Plus, they discuss scenarios for the future. On this week's show, we present the audio and video from this recent conversation as a joint collaboration between Grand Tamasha and Shruti's Ideas of India podcast. Episode notes: Shruti Rajagopalan, “India's delimitation battles are costing its poorest voters,” Times of India, April 25, 2026. Shruti Rajagopalan, “Delimitation: At heart of row, value of a vote, fiscal imbalance,” Indian Express, April 23, 2026. M.R. Madhavan, “Implications of increasing the size of the Lok Sabha,” Hindu, April 16, 2024. Shruti Rajagopalan, “Demography, Delimitation, and Democracy,” Get Down and Shruti (Substack), July 3, 2023. Pranay Kotasthane, “India Policy Watch: Delimitation as an Opportunity for a Grand Bargain,” Anticipating the Unintended (Substack), June 18, 2023. Milan Vaishnav and Jamie Hintson, “India's Emerging Crisis of Representation,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, March 14, 2019.

As Emerging Technology continues to accelerate across domains like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Biotechnology, & Brain-computer interfaces coverage, humanity may be approaching a threshold that fundamentally redefines what it means to wage war – and what it means to be human.In this episode, host Dr. Arun Seraphin is joined by Dr. Daniel Gerstein, adjunct professor at American University and George Mason University, to discuss Dr. Gerstein's upcoming novel, War Without Humanity: Conflict in the Post-Human Era. Drawing on his extensive background in National Security and Homeland Security, Dr. Gerstein explores a near-future world in which humans, augmented soldiers, and AI-enabled humanoid robots operate side by side on the battlefield – a force he calls the Future Force.The conversation covers the Emerging Technology capabilities at the heart of this transformation and what these developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Biotechnology mean for ethical military doctrine, arms control, and international law in an evolving National Security landscape.Be sure to follow us on social media for updates, early access to upcoming events, inside scoops, & more:LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4htROo0Twitter: https://bit.ly/48LHAx3Facebook: https://bit.ly/47vlht8 And for more podcasts, articles, & publications all things emerging tech, check out our website at: https://bit.ly/47oA5K1 #EmergingTech #AI #BioTechnology #FutureForceKeywords:-            Emerging Technology-            Artificial Intelligence (AI)-            Biotechnology-            National Security-            Homeland Security-            Future Force

Hey Friends I am still fighting a rare but tough cold and so I was not able to produce a news segment today but I do have a GREAT conversation with a brilliant first time guest that I think you will love I hope you had a great weekend and I am happy we made to to May together All of Atima's Links Named to Ebony Magazine's "Power 100" list of emerging leaders and Jet Magazine's "40 Under 40" list, Atima Omara works and leads at the intersection of electoral politics and issue advocacy in the progressive movement. She is a political strategist, advocate, trainer, leader, and speaker with significant political, government, and non-profit experience, and she is a sought-after commentator and strategist. As the President & Chief Strategist of Omara Strategy Group, she provides strategic consulting to progressive candidates and organizations centering women and people of color in their mission and work. She strategizes with candidates and political organizations to win victories for a more reflective progressive democracy. An American-born child of Black immigrants, Atima realized early the importance of catalyzing social and electoral change from both the grassroots and leadership levels—especially among underrepresented communities. She has worked as Special Assistant to then-Virginia Governor Mark Warner, and then went to work as an organizer in multiple states with a union and community organizations on voter registration, ballot initiatives, and get-out-the-vote operations in low-income communities of color and immigrant communities. She is also a former candidate for public and political party office herself, and draws from her lived and professional experience to train activists to organize and candidates from historically marginalized communities to run for office for many organizations including: Emerge America, Higher Heights for America, Vote Run Lead, Running Start, New American Leaders, and National Council for Independent Living. Prior to that, Atima built her executive leadership experience from serving as Vice President of Reproductive Health Technologies Project, a research based advocacy organization; a Director on the political project #VOTEPROCHOICE (VPC) where she managed successful voter engagement campaigns on behalf of VPC for progressive state and local candidates; and as a nationally elected leader of the Young Democrats of America (YDA), the nation's largest partisan youth organization from 2013-15. She was the first Black president and only the fifth woman to lead the organization in its 80+ year history. During her tenure as YDA President, she grew national membership and led an independent expenditure to targeted states in 2014 that increased the youth vote turnout for Democrats in critical races. She is an original board member for Emerge Virginia and a founding board member of Virginia's List PAC, two organizations helping to elect more Democratic women. She previously served as Board Chair and Vice Chair of the Planned Parenthood Metro Washington Action Fund. The seasoned political leader is currently an elected member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) since 2016 and elected vice chair of the DNC's Women's Caucus since 2017. Atima has published articles in American Prospect, The Root, Salon, Politico, Ms., Ebony, and The Lily (a Washington Post publication) among other notable publications and provided commentary to CNN, MSNBC/NBC, PBS, BBC, Fox News, Fox Business, NPR, Sirius XM, and other national TV & radio outlets. She has also been quoted in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, TIME, USA TODAY, Politico, Mother Jones, Newsweek, MTV News, and Refinery 29. She received her BA from the University of Virginia and MPA from George Mason University. Atima is also a graduate of the Women's Campaign School at Yale, EMILY'S List and Re:Power campaign trainings. On YOUTUBE.com/StandUpWithPete ON SubstackStandUpWithPete Listen rate and review on Apple Podcasts Listen rate and review on Spotify Pete On Instagram Pete on Blue Sky Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on Twitter Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page Gift a Subscription https://www.patreon.com/PeteDominick/gift Send Pete $ Directly on Venmo All things Jon Carroll  Buy Ava's Art  Subscribe to Piano Tuner Paul Paul Wesley on Substack Listen to Barry and Abigail Hummel Podcast Listen to Matty C Podcast and Substack Follow and Support Pete Coe Hire DJ Monzyk to build your website or help you with Marketing

When Artemis II returned its crew safely to Earth, millions of people found themselves unexpectedly moved. The mission was a test flight, a proof-of-concept, and yet it felt like something far greater than the sum of its parts. In this episode, Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, sits down with Rebecca Lowe, philosophy senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, to explore the deeper meaning of humanity's return to deep space. Drawing on philosophy of mind, aesthetics, and theories of value, they unpack why human presence in space feels fundamentally different from even the most sophisticated robotic mission, and why that difference matters. Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/spe-philosophy-of-artemis-iiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with James Sherr, an honorary fellow at the International Center for Defense and Security in Tallinn, and John Sipher, a 28-year CIA veteran, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at The Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, a Senior Fellow at the Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence and Policy at George Mason University, and the founder of Spycraft Entertainment. 

Unlock the Secrets of Prep School Basketball with Avon Old Farms Head Coach Matt MihalichJoin Cory Heitz and Matt Mihalich, Head Coach at Avon Old Farms, as they dive deep into the world of prep school basketball, player development, and the path to college success. Matt, a veteran coach with D1 experience and a basketball legacy (his father was a D1 head coach), shares honest, no-nonsense advice on what it takes to thrive in prep school, the importance of multi-sport athleticism, and how families can navigate the complex recruitment process.Matt also reflects on his journey—from growing up in a basketball family to coaching in the WCAC (the toughest homegrown league in the country) and now leading one of the most respected prep programs in NEPSAC Class A.

SummaryThis episode features Dr. Colin Dueck, with Mark and Sal, discussing the historical and strategic importance of U.S. policy towards Latin America, the evolution of the Monroe Doctrine, and current challenges and opportunities in the hemisphere. Discussion is centered on how U.S. foreign policy can shape the future of the region amid great power competition.Show LinksWhy the Monroe Doctrine Still Matters, Colin DueckDr. Colin Dueck's AEI pageChina's Growing Influence in Latin America, Council on Foreign RelationsBolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our AmericaThe band The Minutemen circa 1985Chapters00:00: Introduction to U.S. Policy in Latin America03:08: Historical Context of U.S. Influence06:10: The Monroe Doctrine and Its Evolution08:49: Cold War Dynamics in Latin America11:30: Post-Cold War Attitudes and Challenges14:37: Recent Political Shifts in Latin America17:22: The Rise of Conservative Governments19:53: Crime and Governance in Latin America23:02: Future Implications for U.S.-Latin America Relations28:33: Revitalizing Latin America: Opportunities and Challenges29:26: Political Dynamics in Latin America: A Regional Overview36:00: Energy Resources: The Key to Economic Development37:51: China's Influence in Latin America: A Double-Edged Sword47:03: Strategic U.S. Engagement: Priorities for the FutureDr. Colin Dueck is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he is focusing on the interconnection between US national security strategies and party politics, conservative ideas, and presidential leadership. He is also a professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, where he is the faculty adviser for the Alexander Hamilton Society. A senior nonresident fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, he has also served as a foreign policy adviser on several Republican presidential campaigns.Dr. Dueck is the author of three books on American foreign and national security policies: The Obama Doctrine: American Grand Strategy Today (Oxford University Press, 2015), Hard Line: The Republican Party and US Foreign Policy Since World War II (Princeton University Press, 2010), and Reluctant Crusaders: Power, Culture, and Change in American Grand Strategy (Princeton University Press, 2006). He has testified before Congress and has been published in academic journals and the popular press. These include International Security, Orbis, Political Science Quarterly, the Review of International Studies, Security Studies, World Policy Journal, The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, RealClearPolitics, and National Review.A Rhodes scholar, Dr. Dueck has a PhD in politics from Princeton University and an MPhil in international relations from Oxford University. He was also awarded a John M. Olin Postdoctoral Fellowship in national security studies by Harvard University. His earlier degrees in history were obtained from the University of Saskatchewan.

In this episode of Positive Philter, I'm joined by Max Castner, President of the Podcast Club at George Mason University, for a special joint episode that will also air on "State of Podcast", the show he hosts. As a co-faculty advisor for the club, it has been exciting to help support its growth during its first year, and this conversation reflects on that journey. We discuss student leadership, our shared passion for podcasting, and what we have learned about building community through this new organization. This is a fun and thoughtful conversation about leadership, creativity, and the power of student-led initiatives. Shout Outs and Plugs "State of Podcast" on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4AyfKDabwWMZb5qnVs5qz8?si=23143331e88c44db "State of Podcast" Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/thestateofpodcast/?hl=en Max Castner on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/max.castner/?hl=en Max Castner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwell-castner-256075320/ Podcast Club at George Mason LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/podcastclubgmu?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

How Therapists Can Help Clients With IBS, Chronic Nausea, and Gut-Brain Disorders: An Interview with Dr. Ali Navidi, PsyD Curt and Katie talk with Dr. Ali Navidi, PsyD about disorders of gut-brain interaction, including IBS, chronic nausea, and other GI conditions that therapists may see more often than they realize. They explore how the gut-brain axis works, which clients may be more likely to struggle with these concerns, how therapists can stay within scope, and why specialized behavioral health treatment can directly improve symptoms rather than only helping clients cope with them. About Our GuestDr. Ali Navidi, PsyD is a licensed clinical psychologist and co-founder of GI Psychology, a national telehealth practice specializing in the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and chronic pain. In addition to providing patient care, Dr. Navidi oversees clinical training and outreach initiatives at the practice. He has presented on GI disorders and chronic pain to organizations across the country, including the American College of Gastroenterology, UNC School of Medicine, George Mason University, Georgetown University (Grand Rounds), INOVA, as well as through podcasts, television appearances, and multiple State Academies of Nutrition and Dietetics. Key Takeaways Therapists are in a strong position to notice GI issues, especially in clients with anxiety, trauma histories, autism, or eating disorders. Disorders of gut-brain interaction are not just “in someone's head.” The pain and symptoms are real, even when there is no visible structural problem. Therapists should encourage appropriate medical evaluation and collaborate with gastroenterologists rather than trying to diagnose IBS or other GI disorders on their own. Specialized CBT and clinical hypnosis can directly treat gut-brain disorders, not just the anxiety that surrounds them. Dr. Navidi, PsyD describes a treatment model focused on hypervigilance, catastrophizing, and visceral hypersensitivity. When diet questions come up, therapists should be cautious and refer to GI-focused dietitians when appropriate. Therapists should also be careful about overconfident claims related to the microbiome, SIBO, and other popular gut-health conversations. For full show notes and the transcript for this episode, visit mtsgpodcast.com. Join the Modern Therapist Community Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Podcast Homepage: mtsgpodcast.com Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/

On this episode of The Federalist Radio Hour, Charles Blahous, the J. Fish and Lillian F. Smith chair and senior research strategist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, joins Federalist Elections Correspondent Matt Kittle to discuss Virginia's looming gerrymandering referendum and explain why the Commonwealth's congressional map problem runs deeper than naked partisanship.The Federalist Foundation is a nonprofit, and we depend entirely on our listeners and readers — not corporations. If you value fearless, independent journalism, please consider a tax-deductible gift today at TheFederalist.com/donate. Your support keeps us going.

On this episode of The Federalist Radio Hour, Charles Blahous, the J. Fish and Lillian F. Smith chair and senior research strategist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, joins Federalist Elections Correspondent Matt Kittle to discuss Virginia's looming gerrymandering referendum and explain why the Commonwealth's congressional map problem runs deeper than naked partisanship. The […]

In this episode of Positive Philter, I'm joined by Stephanie Liberatore, a professor in the Creative Writing Department at George Mason University. We discuss the power of creative writing, especially nonfiction, and how it can serve as an outlet for self-expression far beyond traditional English or literature paths. Stephanie also shares her journey to becoming a professor in this field and the lessons she has learned about writing, voice, and storytelling along the way. This conversation is a reminder that creative writing is not just an academic discipline, but a tool anyone can use to reflect, process, and express their lived experiences. Shout Outs and Plugs InShort Website: https://inshortjournal.com/ FoxCity Lit Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/965321022351911 Creative Writing Program at GMU: https://creativewriting.gmu.edu/ If you have a question for the podcast call 571-336-6560 or leave a question via this Google Form. Five Minute Journal by Intelligent Change Affiliate Code: https://www.intelligentchange.com/?rfsn=4621464.017186 Tappy Card "Electronic Business Card" Affiliate Code:  https://tappycard.com?ref:philip-wilkerson Please leave a rating/review of the Podcast https://lovethepodcast.com/positivephilter Intro music provided by DJ BIGyoks. Check out his Instagram and Soundcloud channel can be found here:  https://www.instagram.com/beats.byyoks/ https://soundcloud.com/dj-bigyoks Outro music provided by Ryan Rosemond. Check out his Soundcloud channel here: https://soundcloud.com/brothersrosemond/albums  Purchase "Forty Years of Advice" by Philip Wilkerson: https://a.co/d/2qYMlqu Leave Your Feedback by filling out this audience survey: https://forms.gle/ncoNvWxMq2A6Zw2q8 Sign up for Positive Philter Weekly Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/g-LOqL Please follow Positive Philter: Positive Philter Facebook Page Positive Philter Twitter Positive Philter Instagram  If you would like to support the podcast, please consider donating to the Positive Philter Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/positivephilter Positive Philter was selected by FeedSpot as Top 20 Positive Thinking Podcasts on the web. https://blog.feedspot.com/positive_thinking_podcasts/ Jeff's Anti-Hunger Fund The Positive Philter Podcast is dedicated to Jeff Kirsch. A long-time supporter of the show and a major influence on this show's growth. Please support the careers of future advocates by donating to the Jeff Kirsch Fund for Anti-Hunger Advocacy. This fund was named after Jeff Kirsch for his decades of service in fighting hunger and inequality. Link to fund: https://frac.org/kirschfund Pats for Patriots  If you are a member of the #MasonNation, please consider sending a Pats for Patriots. Pats for Patriots are a free and easy way to thank, recognize, show appreciation for a Mason colleague or student who has taken the time to do something kind, generous or thoughtful towards others. For more information, visit: https://forms.office.com/r/HRZGvhdJEA We have received more than 3,000 nominations from the Mason community so far. Keep those nominations coming in!

Acclaimed historians Mary Beth Norton, the Mary Donlon Alger Professor Emerita of American History at Cornell University, and Rosemarie Zagarri, distinguished university professor of history at George Mason University, examine how women influenced the political, social, and intellectual currents of the American Revolution. The conversation explores how women's experiences and contributions deepen and expand our understanding of America's founding. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.    This program was streamed live from Philadelphia on March 23, 2026, as a part of the NCC's America's Town Hall Series.  Resources  Mary Beth Norton, Founding Mothers & Fathers: Gendered Power and the Forming of American Society  Mary Beth Norton, 1774: The Long Year of Revolution  Rosemarie Zagarri, Revolutionary Backlash: Women and Politics in the Early American Republic  Rosemarie Zagarri, “The Declaration's Grievances Against the King”  Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Mills Kelly, a historian, podcaster, professor, and author. Mills taught at George Mason University for 24 years, produced the acclaimed podcast The Green Tunnel, and just published his latest book, A Hiker's History of the Appalachian Trail. In this one, Mills takes us deep into the stories most hikers never hear: why the AT was never designed for through hiking, the surprisingly dark history of some of its founding figures, and why the hundred-mile wilderness used to be a network of fishing camps and steakhouses. We also get into dynamite soup, onion sandwiches, copperheads in fire pits, and the original purism debate, which dates back to 1948. Anyone who loves history and/or the AT is guaranteed to enjoy this one. We wrap the show with a last call for the Denver Area hiker meetup, why- actually no- the trail won't always be there, a bang marry kill for rain, wind, and snow, the triple crown of potato foods, and some very important seafood tips from a listener. Topo Athletic: Use code "TREKWINTER15" at topoathletic.com. Gossamer Gear: Use code "BACKPACKERRADIO" for $20 off LT5 Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com.  Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code "BPRADIO15" for 15% of hyperlitemountaingear.com [divider] Interview with Mills Kelly Mills' Website Time stamps & Questions 00:05:14 - Reminders: Join us for the hiker meetup, apply to vlog or blog for the Trek, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon! 00:08:18 - Introducing Mills 00:10:48 - Did you ever thru-hike the AT? 00:18:45 - When you do hope to hike the Maine section? 00:20:04 - Who was Ed Garvey and why does he matter to AT history? 00:22:53 - What did backpacking gear look like in the early 1970s? 00:25:21 - What were onion sandwiches? 00:26:39 - What is Dynamite Soup? 00:28:32 - Discussion about Paul Fink's dark history and his connection to the AT's founding 00:29:20 - Discussion about race on the AT and what the historical record reveals 00:34:12 - Discussion about sundown towns and race on trail 00:39:22 - Discussion about women's early and prominent role in hiking clubs and trail building 00:41:20 - Tell us about the history and significance of trail clubs 00:45:50 - Discussion about Mills' course on historical hoaxes and internet misinformation 00:53:30 - How do you evaluate sources and verify truth as a historian? 00:58:15 - Are you scared about the future of truth in the age of AI and social media? 01:01:05 - Tell us about your experience with hearing loss 01:05:00 - Discussion about the history of killing snakes on the AT 01:10:30 - Discussion about the AT's trash problem in the 60s & 70s 01:16:00 - What does maintaining an AT shelter actually entail? 01:23:10 - What are your other pet peeves? 01:25:30 - What are your most popular podcast episodes? 01:28:25 - Why was southwestern Virginia the hardest part of the AT to route? 01:39:40 - Whas was Damascus like during its timber-industry heydey? 01:43:20 - How does the AT economically impact small rural towns? 01:45:40 - How did the trail come to start at Springer Mountain? 01:48:35 - What did Benton MacKaye actually intend tthe AT to be? 01:50:40 - What is the Warrior Path? 01:52:08 - Discussion about Katahdin's sacred history to the Abenaki 01:56:00 - Tell us about the history of the Katahdin sign 01:58:00 - How was the trail in Maine different historically than it is today? 01:59:42 - What was it like having to actually prove that you hiked the entire trail? 02:04:00 - Discussion about the original purism debate and Early Shafer's 1948 thru-hike 02:06:35 - What's next for you? 02:11:40 - Peak Performance Question: What's your top performance-enhancing or backpacking hack? Segments Trek Propaganda: Actually No, the Trail Won't Always Be There: Why You Should Thru-Hike Now by Claire Dumont QOTD:  Fuck marry kill: rain, wind, snow Triple Crown of potato foods Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)!  Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok.  Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Clint Sitler, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, Jason Kiser, Jason "The Snail" Snailer, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, The Saint Louis Shaman, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ackerman, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jak Hoquat, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lloyd Harris, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.

Newt talks with Jack Salmon, Gibbs Scholar and Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. They discuss the introduction of wealth taxes in several U.S. states, including California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, and Washington, which are targeting high net worth individuals. This has led to a migration of wealthy individuals to states with no such taxes, like Florida and Texas. Washington State, which previously had no income tax, has introduced a 9.9% tax on income over a million dollars, contributing to a significant exodus of high earners, including notable figures like Jeff Bezos. Their discussion highlights the economic consequences of such tax policies, including the loss of tax revenue and potential negative impacts on local economies. The also discuss the importance of fiscal responsibility at the state level and the need for states to prepare for potential federal funding reductions based on the increasing national debt.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.