Podcasts about illinois urbana champaign

Illinois football's new 3-3-5 defense faced a major test against Duke—and the results raised serious questions. What went wrong, and can Bret Bielema and defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck fix the Illini defense before Big Ten play? On this episode of I on the Illini, Mike Cagley, Matt Stevens, and Steve Sturm deliver an honest Illinois-Duke postgame breakdown, including: Why Duke's fake punt changed the game Illinois' tackling and communication problems Concerns surrounding the new 3-3-5 defensive scheme Duke's second-half adjustments against the Illini offense NIL, transfer portal, and defensive recruiting challenges Katin Houser, the offensive line, and encouraging takeaways What this loss means for Bret Bielema and the rest of the season Can Illinois football correct its defensive issues, or did this loss reveal deeper roster and coaching concerns? Share your reaction in the comments. Subscribe to the IlliniGuys YouTube channel for Illinois football analysis, basketball coverage, recruiting news, postgame reactions, and exclusive Fighting Illini discussions. Get premium Illini coverage and join the conversation at https://illiniguys.com IlliniGuys.com subscriptions are available for $99 per year—just 27 cents per day. I on the Illini is powered by IlliniGuys.com, your source for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign sports coverage. #IllinoisFootball #IlliniFootball #FightingIllini #IllinoisFightingIllini #BretBielema #BigTenFootball #CollegeFootball #IlliniGuys #DukeFootball #IllinoisAthletics Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today, I'm sitting down with our good friend, the Armchair Attorney Matt Leffler, to tackle the massive $604 million Lupus Superior case against C.H. Robinson and what it actually means for freight broker liability moving forward! We discuss the reality of vicarious liability in logistics, especially how using third-party driver tracking apps can legally blur the lines between an independent motor carrier and a direct employee.  We also take a hard look at the FMCSA's role in highway safety, the desperately needed updates to the outdated 1985 minimum trucking insurance requirements, and why the transportation industry must demand genuine accountability from government regulators instead of just throwing more money at broken systems.  It's a straightforward breakdown of the biggest precedent-setting case in the brokerage industry right now, giving you exactly what you need to know without the fluff. How do you think this massive court ruling will ultimately impact your daily freight operations?   About Matthew Leffler Matthew is a 3rd generation supply chain executive with over fifteen years of experience in safety, law, & maintenance. Matthew currently serves as Vice President of Strategic Accounts at Contract Leasing Corp. He is also an attorney that provides legal commentary on various supply chain issues & operates a popular podcast. In addition, Matthew has served as a senior leader with some of the nation's most admired maintenance, repair, & fleet management firms. Matthew entered the industry as an attorney defending trucking companies in civil litigation in 2010, but cut his teeth helping build & later selling his family's maintenance firm, Outsource Fleet Services, Inc. Matthew earned his J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law, Magna Cum Laude, and his B.A. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois; & 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. Matthew is the proud father of Michael, Rowan, Elise, & Elijah & has been happily married to his wife, Holly, since 2008.  

Sean and Andrew are finishing up their conversation about nitrogen with Iowa State University's Dr. Mike Castellano and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Dr. Andrew Margenot. This time, they're focusing on how you can manage nitrogen on your acres to achieve high yields, reduce environmental impact and improve your bottom line.   The crew discusses: ✅ How to be stewards of the land while chasing high yields ✅ Understanding nitrogen availability throughout the growing season ✅ Trials you can do on your acres to expand your farm's  database ✅ Replenishing the nutrient pool in your soils ✅ Ideal nitrogen timing and application rates across the Midwest  

Welcome to IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular on YouTube—your weekly home for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign sports talk! In this episode, Larry Smith, Mike Cagley, and Brad Sturdy break down Illinois' season-opening win over UAB, including: Katin Houser's standout quarterback performance (decisions, arm strength, and chemistry) The offense's big-play potential and what it means going forward Early defense questions and what must improve before tougher matchups What to watch next vs. Duke Plus, a deeper conversation with Michael Leroy (sports law expert) on NIL, eligibility, transfer rules, and where college sports may be headed If you're a Fighting Illini fan, this is the place to stay locked in. Subscribe to IlliniGuys and join the community at IlliniGuys.com (subscription-based coverage). Like, Subscribe, and comment your thoughts—Who's the biggest key for Illinois vs. Duke? #IlliniGuys #IllinoisFightingIllini #IlliniFootball #CaytonHouser #BretBielema #UAB #Duke #NCAAFootball #CollegeFootball #BigTen #UIUC #NIL #SportsLaw #CollegeSports #Subscribe Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're proud to welcome Dr. Brooke Elliott, Dean of the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois to the show this week. She shares her perspective on leading with purpose during a time of rapid change in higher education. Dean Elliott discusses how a mission-driven culture, intentional innovation, and a commitment to expanding access have helped Gies grow its impact while preparing students for an increasingly dynamic workforce. Rather than chasing trends, Dean Elliott makes the case for building durable systems that empower faculty, strengthen student outcomes, and ensure institutions remain adaptable while staying true to their core mission. Guest Name: Dr. Brooke Elliott - Dean of Gies College of Business at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Guest Social: LinkedIn Guest Bio: Dr. Brooke Elliott is the Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor in Business and Dean of Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She leads the College in developing a compelling, strategic vision while continuing to build upon its distinctive brand and identity. This includes assessing and expanding Gies Business' portfolio of on-campus and online programs to strengthen its position as an innovative leader among the nation's best business schools. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you'll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Klara Nahrstedt is a Computer Science Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign whose research has spent decades asking a deceptively simple question: how can technology make communication between people feel more real?Long before that became her career, Klara grew up in a world where communication itself was restricted.Her mother left Czechoslovakia for Stanford in the late 1960s, expecting the rest of the family would eventually follow. Then the political situation changed and the borders closed. Klara stayed behind and later studied and worked in East Germany.She remembers living in East Berlin, seeing the Berlin Wall, and knowing she could not cross it. When her mother visited, they eventually had to say goodbye at Friedrichstraße. Her mother could leave. Klara could not.Even access to scientific information had limits. Klara recalls Western journals that were available only to Communist Party members. If you were outside that system, certain knowledge could remain out of reach.Then, in January 1990, she left East Germany for the United States. She calls it the best decision she ever made.America felt almost surreal. After growing up with shortages, she saw aisle after aisle of choices in a Philadelphia grocery store. At the University of Pennsylvania, she encountered computers, networks, and robotics systems far beyond what she had previously used.That transition led to a career working on high-speed networks, real-time video, tele-immersion, 3D video, virtual reality, augmented reality, and distributed computing.The challenge is often the same: moving increasingly rich information across networks fast enough that humans do not notice the delay.Later, Klara helped develop tele-immersion systems where dancers at Illinois and Berkeley could appear in the same virtual 3D environment and perform together thousands of miles apart.Today, she is thinking about what comes next.What if a remote student could appear to sit in an empty chair inside a classroom? What if people physically present could meet alongside others rendered into the room through augmented reality? What if the internet could transmit not only video and audio, but touch and even smell?A digitally generated smell still has to travel through the air to your nose. Haptic systems may require responses faster than ordinary operating systems can provide. Virtual reality must update quickly enough that differences between what your eyes see and your body feels do not make you sick.At the center of it all is one of multimedia's hardest questions: what information does a person actually need?If you are looking at one part of a virtual room, why transmit every pixel in the rest of it at full resolution?That is where machine learning becomes useful.But when asked why she has not spent the entire conversation talking about AI, Klara gives a simple answer: AI is a tool.For her, the mistake is starting with whatever technology is fashionable and then searching for a problem to attach it to. She starts with the problem. If machine learning helps, use it. If the problem requires networking, optimization, computer vision, or distributed systems, use those instead.She gives similar advice to students: knowing AI alone is not enough. Become useful across several domains. Study outside your major. Read beyond engineering. Travel. Meet people from different cultures. Learn how other people think.Scientific knowledge matters, but understanding people and knowing how to communicate with them may matter just as much.Klara grew up in a system where borders separated families and access to information could depend on politics. She came to America and found a world overflowing with information, technology, people, and possibility.She has spent much of her career trying to remove another kind of distance.Not the Berlin Wall this time, but the technological distance between one human being and another.

What does it really take to reach your potential—and what separates the pursuit of excellence from simply being "good enough"? In this episode, I'm joined by Mike "Frog" Frogley, one of the most highly regarded minds in wheelchair basketball, for a conversation about high performance, leadership, culture, curiosity, failure and what it really means to pursue your best. Mike represented Canada at the 1992 Paralympic Games before moving into coaching, where he would help guide Canada to back-to-back Paralympic gold medals in 2000 and 2004. Across 21 years coaching in the US collegiate system, his teams also won a combined 12 national championships. But this conversation isn't simply about medals or basketball. It's about the process behind excellence. In this episode, you'll discover:

In this episode, Dave and Andrew explore an opera by the composer of our podcast theme, Zhou Long. It's been fifty years since another staged opera won the prize. Is this a worthy work to break that streak? They discuss the opera's synopsis, the music, and how Zhou Long blends Eastern and Western music and themes in the opera. If you'd like more information about Zhou Long and Madame White Snake, we recommend: Tong Cheng Blackburn, “In Search of Third Space: Composing the Transcultural Experience in the Operas of Bright Sheng, Tan Dun, and Zhou Long” PhD diss., Indiana University, 2015. Fang Bo [方博], “The Transtextual Gender Construction in the Opera Madame White Snake.” Asian-European Music Research Journal 7 (Summer 2021): 1–18. Lu Tan, “The Integration of Chinese and Western Elements in Zhou Long's Opera Madame White Snake” DMA essay, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2024. Zhou Long's publication site.

Sean and Andrew are back with two of the leading nitrogen experts in the field, Iowa State University's Dr. Mike Castellano and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Dr. Andrew Margenot, to dig into the science of nitrogen in row crop systems.   The crew discusses: ✅ The relationship between nitrogen and phosphorus ✅ Trials used to evaluate nitrogen use and loss ✅ How nutrients are lost from the soil and how soil is lost from the field ✅ Responsibly managing inputs in a tight economy ✅ What happens to nitrogen in the soil after application  

Peter Abbamonte is a Physics Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the founder of Inprentus, which manufactures precision diffraction gratings.For years, Abbamonte had one plan: work at Bell Labs and never leave.Bell Labs was one of the engines of twentieth-century science, where discoveries like the transistor and Unix emerged. Abbamonte did his PhD research there and imagined spending his career between basic science, industrial R&D, and turning discoveries into useful technology.Then Bell Labs disappeared.With that future gone, Abbamonte moved to the Netherlands, worked at Brookhaven National Laboratory, then returned to Illinois. Years later, he started Inprentus partly to recreate what fascinated him about Bell Labs: fundamental science close enough to industry that ideas could become things.But this conversation is about what happens behind the clean image we have of science.Abbamonte talks openly about status, competition, rejection, luck, and the uncomfortable fact that scientists are still human. Early in his career, he says status motivated almost everything. Over time, his priorities shifted from proving himself to leaving something useful behind.One of the most revealing stories is about graphene. At the height of the excitement around it, Abbamonte published a paper arguing against the idea that ordinary graphene was the exotic strongly correlated system many researchers hoped it would be. He says he became “persona non grata” in parts of the graphene community and lost invitations and friends.His explanation is the idea of a silent majority.Imagine a room where a handful of people are shouting about beautiful elves that nobody else can see. Hundreds of others think the same thing, but nobody speaks up. Then one person raises his hand and says, “There are no elves.”He also tells the story of a research technique that drew heavy criticism, including from a prominent scientist who challenged his work to his Department of Energy program manager and put his funding at risk.The experience taught him that science is a pursuit of truth, but also a human enterprise. Researchers have grants, careers, reputations, friendships, and years invested in ideas. Being correct does not guarantee people will be happy to hear what you discovered.We also discuss scientific fraud and the limits of peer review. Reviewers can judge the evidence they are given, but they cannot always know whether it was fabricated. One of science's strongest safeguards is replication: if a result is real, others should be able to reproduce it and build on it.Abbamonte also explains why strange metals may require a new framework for understanding matter. In ordinary metals, electrons behave according to principles physicists understand reasonably well. Strange metals violate some of those expectations so badly that the electron itself may no longer be the right object for describing what is happening.The same lesson appears throughout the conversation: don't overplan your life, don't assume the fashionable idea is correct, don't expect your first attempt to work, and don't confuse being exceptional with being superhuman.His advice to young people is simple: at 18 or 22, prove to yourself that you can do something. Build skills, credibility, relationships, and the ability to recover when things go wrong.Fall down. Get up. Do it again.And perhaps most importantly: deal with the world as it actually is, not as you wish it were. That does not mean accepting it. It means understanding reality clearly enough that you might actually be able to change it.EPISODE LINKS:Peter Abbamonte's UIUC Website: https://physics.illinois.edu/people/directory/profile/abbamontPeter Abbamonte's Research Group: https://abbamonte.physics.illinois.edu/Peter Abbamonte's Company: https://inprentus.com/Peter Abbamonte's Vision For The University: https://www.juandavidcampolargo.com/peter-abbamonte-vision-talk

Christy Gibson, an Illinois Distinguished Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, kept noticing the same thing on her research travels: farm fields across the Midwest standing in water after increasingly intense storms. That observation led to more questions: How do farmers work with or around waterlogged fields? How do mitigation tactics, like replanting, create inefficiencies? And what solutions can actually make a difference? Guest host Trey Allis talks with Christy about her decision to study field inundation and her work helping farmers expand their toolbox for managing wet fields. They dig into one amendment getting a lot of attention, biochar, and discuss what it would take to use it at a farm scale. Christy also shares why a water management plan matters and what her research team hopes to learn next.Note: This episode was recorded on June 8, 2026.Chapters:00:00 Introduction00:43 What it means to be a distinguished postdoc02:32 From the Bahamas to Midwest ag research08:22 Defining field inundation09:46 How farmers cope with wet fields today12:11 A tiered approach to water management14:34 Expanding the toolbox for every landscape16:37 Biochar as a targeted soil amendment20:58 What exactly is biochar?25:05 The challenge of scaling up biochar28:22 Storms rolling in31:00 What's next for the researchRelated Content:#142: Minnesota's coolest drainage plots#110: Bridging the gap between water management research and application#55: How changing weather patterns impact the stability of your farm Find us on social media!Facebook X InstagramListen on these podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube MusicYouTubeVisit our website to explore more episodes and water management education.

In this episode, Andrew Soren is joined by developmental psychologist Kaylin Ratner to talk about eudaimonic utility, a concept that flips a familiar question on its head. Instead of asking whether an activity feels personally meaningful, Kaylin asks whether the environment around that activity is actually built to help someone become who they're meant to be.The idea grew out of Kaylin's research on GripTape, a youth program that hands participants ten weeks, a small stipend, and full ownership over something they want to learn: no curriculum, no grades, no adult steering the outcome. Andrew and Kaylin dig into what the research found, why traditional measures of success can completely miss a young person who's actually thriving, and how the same four-part framework might apply just as easily to adult workplaces. They also talk candidly about the dark side of getting this right: what happens when a person becomes so fused with a meaningful role or organization that they lose any sense of who they are outside it.Key TakeawaysEudaimonic utility is the perception that an environment (a school, a program, a job) actually supports someone's growth into who they're trying to become.A young person disengaging from an unsupportive environment isn't necessarily failing; they may be correctly sensing that the environment has little to offer their development.Four things people check for in an environment: whether it lets them pursue personally significant goals, act authentically, grow, and work toward their own excellence.Self-determination theory's three basic needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) sit underneath eudaimonic utility, though the two concepts aren't identical.In GripTape's research, day-to-day sense of purpose and day-to-day progress toward a goal reinforced each other, giving empirical support to a long-assumed but rarely tested link.The eudaimonic utility scale was built to be adapted across contexts, including workplaces, though workplace-specific research is still early.The risk Kaylin worries about most is "engulfment," or losing your sense of self entirely inside a role, job, or organization that feels deeply meaningful.Why This Episode Matters Most conversations about meaningful work focus on finding the right role or the right purpose. This episode asks a less common question: is the environment around you actually capable of supporting that purpose once you've found it? Kaylin Ratner's research suggests that a lot of disengagement, at school and possibly at work, isn't a motivation problem. It's an environment that isn't built to help someone grow into who they're trying to be. For leaders shaping teams and cultures, and for anyone evaluating their own workplace, this conversation offers a concrete, four-part way to ask whether a given environment deserves the time being spent in it, and a clear-eyed warning about what happens when that environment starts asking for too much of someone's identity in return.About Our Guest Dr. Kaylin Ratner is an Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she advises doctoral students across the divisions of counseling psychology and developmental science and leads the Self and Psychological Well-Being Lab. Her research focuses on adolescent and young adult well-being, particularly the transition to adulthood and the role that identity, purpose, and meaning play in it. She earned her Ph.D. in Human Development from Cornell University in 2020, working with developmental psychologist Anthony Burrow, with whom she later completed a postdoctoral fellowship. Her research on eudaimonic utility, developed in partnership with the youth program GripTape, is the focus of this conversation.Mentioned in This EpisodeGripTape, the youth learning program at the center of Kaylin's researchKaylin Ratner's research on eudaimonic utilitySelf-determination theory, developed by Edward Deci and Richard RyanAnne Brafford on self-determination theoryVeronica Huta and Alan Waterman's review of the core components of eudaimoniaErik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, including identity, generativity, and integrity vs. despairDr. Anthony Burrow, Cornell University

Illinois Fighting Illini fans — welcome back to I on the Illini, powered by IlliniGuys.com, your home for in-depth coverage of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign athletics. In this Illini Football Q&A Session #605, Mike Cagley and Matt Stevens tackle fan questions and break down some of the biggest storylines surrounding Illinois football, Bret Bielema, NIL strategy, recruiting, roster depth, and the upcoming Big Ten season. In this episode, we discuss: Illinois football's NIL budget and roster-building challenges Bret Bielema, Embleton, and the role of a modern college football GM The Illini's move toward the 3-3-5 defense and what it means for the roster Concerns about defensive line depth and front-seven recruiting Why Illinois must keep improving near the line of scrimmage Bart Miller, offensive line development, and NFL credibility Desmond Schuster's health, eligibility, and potential impact Defensive depth concerns by position group Illini players with future NFL Draft potential Big Ten football thoughts, including Michigan, USC, and conference contenders If you love Illinois Fighting Illini football, recruiting analysis, Big Ten discussion, and insider-style breakdowns, make sure to like this video, subscribe to IlliniGuys.com on YouTube, and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. Get more Illini coverage, message boards, insider analysis, recruiting updates, and year-round Illinois sports content at: https://IlliniGuys.com Interested in advertising with IlliniGuys? Email: mike@illiniguys.com Thanks for listening — and as always, Go Illini! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Illinois Fighting Illini football is entering a massive 2026 season — and the expectations are rising fast. On this episode of I on the Illini LIVE, powered by IlliniGuys.com, Mike Cagley and Matt Stevens break down whether Bret Bielema's Illini are ready to take the next big step in the Big Ten. In this episode, we discuss: The biggest questions facing Illinois football in 2026 Bret Bielema's impact and the future of the Illini program The transition to a new-look 3-3-5 defense Concerns and upside on the defensive front and linebacker group How the offensive line is coming together The importance of transfer QB Katin Houser replacing Luke Altmyer Why the early-season schedule could define the Illini's year Big Ten football expectations and breakout players to watch If you're an Illinois Fighting Illini fan, this is your home for in-depth Illini football analysis, recruiting talk, basketball coverage, Big Ten breakdowns, and everything happening around the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Subscribe to IlliniGuys.com on YouTube for more Illinois football and basketball coverage, insider analysis, live shows, interviews, and game previews all season long. Like this video, drop your thoughts in the comments, and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of I on the Illini! #Illini #IllinoisFootball #FightingIllini #IlliniFootball #BigTenFootball #BretBielema #IllinoisFightingIllini #IOnTheIllini #IlliniGuys #CollegeFootball #UniversityOfIllinois #BigTen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular is back with a loaded episode covering everything happening around Illinois Fighting Illini sports! In this episode, Larry Smith, Brad Sturdy, Mike Cagley, Matt Stevens, and Kedric Prince break down the latest from Illinois football, including the massive new Memorial Stadium scoreboard, the upcoming 2026 season, the quarterback transition to Katin Houser, concerns around the defensive line, Bobby Hauck's new-look defense, and the latest on transfer wide receiver Josh Lorick. We also dive into major Illini basketball recruiting news, including Brad Underwood's momentum after the Final Four run, top national prospects visiting Champaign, and the latest buzz around players like Dylan Betts, Navarro Bowman Jr., and more. Plus, the crew talks Illini soccer, the WNBA, the Lakers sale, and the biggest stories across the sports world. Subscribe to both IlliniGuys.com for only 27 cents a day to get inside information first & IlliniGuys.com on YouTube for year-round coverage of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign athletics, including Illini football, basketball, recruiting, analysis, interviews, and insider discussion with our videos. Like this podcast, comment your biggest takeaway, and subscribe so you never miss an IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular episode! #Illini #IllinoisFootball #IlliniFootball #IllinoisBasketball #IlliniBasketball #FightingIllini #UniversityOfIllinois #BigTenFootball #BigTenBasketball #IlliniGuys #SportsSpectacular #CaytonHauser #BradUnderwood #BretBielema #CollegeFootball #CollegeBasketball #NCAA #IlliniRecruiting #MemorialStadium #Champaign #UIUC Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Baltic Ways, recorded on the sidelines of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS) conference at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, host Indra Ekmanis speaks with Inta Mieriņa, a political sociologist and director of the Center for Diaspora and Migration Research at the University of Latvia. Dr. Mieriņa discusses her path to being awarded a prestigious European Research Council grant and unpacks her new project comparing how European societies received Ukrainian refugees. The conversation also traces her groundbreaking work surveying the Latvian diaspora, from a landmark 14,000-person study to plans for a permanent diaspora consultation panel that could give emigrant communities a stronger voice in policymaking.Baltic Ways is a podcast from the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, produced in partnership with the Baltic Initiative at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AABS or FPRI.Image: A mural in Riga, Latvia, titled "Kopā Mēs Esam Spēks," meaning “Together We Are Strong.” Artwork by Dainis Rudens, Ēriks Caune, and Beatrise Bīriņa. (liveriga.com) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fpribalticinitiative.substack.com

Pastor Michael Schuermann talks with Mark and Julianna about how youth leaders can support graduates who are moving away to college.  Bio:  Michael Schuermann is the pastor of University Lutheran Church and Student Center in Champaign, IL (a campus ministry congregation serving the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign). He has served there since the beginning of 2020, and previously served congregations in Sherman, IL and Dallas, TX. He also currently serves on the LCMS Board for National Mission. He is married to Katie. He loves music (especially the music of J. S. Bach and Johannes Brahms), reading, photography, the outdoors, and birds. He strongly dislikes squirrels. Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com

Welcome to the I on the Illini from IlliniGuys.com, your home for in-depth coverage of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign sports! In this episode, Mike Cagley and Brad Sturdy break down the latest in Illinois Fighting Illini football and basketball, including: Bret Bielema's confidence, Big Ten positioning, and roster-building strategy Illinois football's defensive changes, NIL challenges, and recruiting momentum Kayton Hauser, Luke Altmyer, and expectations for the upcoming Illini football season The impact of the Busey Bank partnership and the future of college athletics Brad Underwood's loaded Illinois basketball roster and why expectations are rising Illini basketball recruiting updates, including Quentin Coleman and Ethan Brown Big Ten, SEC, NIL, transfer portal, and super conference discussion If you love Illini football, Illini basketball, Big Ten sports, and honest analysis from people who follow the program closely, this is the show for you. Subscribe to IlliniGuys at your favorite podcast distributor for more Illinois Fighting Illini coverage, recruiting updates, interviews, analysis, and game breakdowns. Visit IlliniGuys.com for premium Illini coverage, message boards, and insider discussion. Like this podcast, comment your thoughts, and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of I on the Illini Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Get the latest University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign sports coverage on the IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular, powered by IlliniGuys.com. This episode dives into Illini football as Bret Bielema, Katin Houser, and the Fighting Illini prepare for Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. The crew breaks down Illinois' recent football success, Josh Whitman's impact on Illini athletics, recruiting momentum, and expectations for the upcoming season. Plus, we cover Illinois basketball updates, rising Illini talent, women's basketball storylines, and a special look at the WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago with CBS Sports' Isabel Gonzalez. Follow and subscribe for weekly insight, analysis, interviews, and passionate coverage of Fighting Illini football, basketball, recruiting, and Big Ten sports. Subscribe now to IlliniGuys and never miss the latest in Illini Orange & Blue sports coverage. #IlliniGuys #FightingIllini #Illini #IllinoisFootball #IlliniFootball #IllinoisBasketball #IlliniBasketball #BigTen #BigTenFootball #BigTenMediaDays #BretBielema #KaidonHouser #JoshWhitman #UniversityOfIllinois #UIUC #ChampaignUrbana #CollegeFootball #CollegeBasketball #WNBA #WNBAAllStar #SportsPodcast #IlliniNation Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A life transition like divorce can also be a time to make other changes and shifts. Whether you're considering a career change, launching a business, or turning a lifelong passion into an income stream, today's technology offers opportunities that simply didn't exist a few years ago.In this episode of The D Shift, Mardi Winder sits down with business strategist Dr. Steven Kirch to explore how artificial intelligence can become a valuable thinking partner for anyone rebuilding their professional life after divorce. Rather than replacing human creativity, AI can help organize ideas, explore possibilities, challenge assumptions, and support better decision making. Together they discuss practical ways AI can help evaluate business ideas, create business plans, brainstorm marketing strategies, identify blind spots, and even prepare for conversations with potential investors. They also explain why AI should always be viewed as a tool to support your thinking rather than replace your judgment, and why reviewing and verifying information remains essential. Whether you're dreaming about a side business, returning to the workforce, or exploring an entirely new direction after divorce, this conversation will give you practical ideas for using AI to support your next chapter.In this episode you'll learn:• How AI can become a brainstorming and strategic thinking partner. • Ways to explore new business ideas before investing significant time or money. • How AI can help organize business plans and identify potential gaps. • Why asking better questions produces better AI responses. • What AI hallucinations are and why you should always verify important information. • Privacy considerations when using AI for business planning. Artificial intelligence is changing how entrepreneurs work, but success still depends on thoughtful planning, critical thinking, and informed decision making.About the Guest:Dr. Steven Kirch's path to Profit Minds began with a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, followed by more than 25 years in high tech, first at IBM, where he pioneered Focused Ion Beam techniques for failure analysis, before moving to Intel. His roles at Intel were many and varied, among them, running an analytical lab, serving as Chief of Staff to the VP managing Intel's most productive factory, and leading a 40-person international team. And along the way, he became a co-inventor on 10 U.S. patents across 5 technical fields, most of them earned as a manager contributing outside his own domain of expertise. After Intel, he founded Business Culture Advantage and then Profit Minds in 2020, where he has now served 50+ clients ranging from solopreneurs to mid-market firms.Now partnering with his daughter, Suzy, at Profit Minds, they have shifted the focus to help businesses transform through the power of AI. Steve's mission is to take what he learned inside two of the most demanding companies on earth and put it to work for the leaders and teams of small and mid-sized businesses. For Steve's gift: https://aiisnothard.com/To connect:Website: https://profitminds.net/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevekirch/About the HostMardi Winder is a Strategic Divorce Consultant and High-Conflict Divorce Coach who helps high-achieving individuals navigate divorce with clarity, confidence, and control. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in mediation, divorce coaching and conflict resolution, she supports clients in making smart decisions while reducing emotional and financial fallout, particularly in high-conflict, high-asset and complex divorces. Mardi is the founder of Positive Communication Systems, LLC, and the Strategic Divorce Directory, LLC.For Mardi's gift: The Resilience Building Blueprint: A 28-Day Journey To A Stronger You https://www.divorcecoach4women.com/rbbConnect with Mardi on Social Media:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Divorcecoach4womenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mardiwinderadams/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divorcecoach4women/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@divorcecoach4womenThanks for Listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!Subscribe to the PodcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.Leave an Apple Podcast ReviewRatings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

In this episode of Capital for Good we speak with Julie Samuels, the founder, president, and CEO of Tech:NYC, a network of technology leaders dedicated to fostering a dynamic, diverse, and creative New York. Launched in 2016, Tech:NYC operates at the intersection of business, government, academia, and philanthropy, convening leaders to strengthen New York's innovation economy through policy, partnerships, and programs. We begin with some of Samuels's formative experiences at the intersection of technology and policy: a college internship at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, work as an IP lawyer and at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and her leadership of Engine, the national nonprofit focused on technology entrepreneurship and advocacy. We also discuss the context and conditions that would inform the launch of Tech:NYC: the groundwork laid by the Bloomberg Administration to foster the growth of the city's tech sector, a critical mass of tech firms in the city, and industry leaders like Fred Wilson, Kevin Ryan and Tim Armstrong who recognized that better and coordinated leadership could help shape New York's continued growth as the country (and world's) number two tech hub behind Silicon Valley. Samuels is passionate about the technology-city nexus. "Tech culture and tech zeitgeist really lend themselves to an urbanist way of seeing the world," she says. "People in tech have a systems framework, and big urban centers like New York are all about systems — think about things like public transit. This makes for natural connection between tech and urban centers." She notes that New York has been particularly successful in tech because of the diversity of its other industries: companies can apply and test technologies developed on the West Coast to other markets, from financial services and health care to real estate, hospitality, media, fashion, or wherever New York is the world's "center of gravity." According to Samuels, these dynamics underpin the sector's extraordinary growth: today technology is the city's fastest growing industry with over $30 billion in annual venture capital flowing to 25,000 startups and accounting for 300,000 jobs (64 percent growth over the last decade, 41 percent of net job growth since 2019) and nine percent of the Gross City Product. Samuels underscores the cultural reasons this growth is durable: "Tech is a creative industry," she explains. "It benefits from the creative energy of a big city… density, networks of different kinds of people, cultural institutions, night life. When I lived in San Francisco, I would meet tech people who lived in SF. Here, we have New Yorkers who work in tech." Tech:NYC's work has evolved over the last ten years, while remaining true to its mission "to ensure New York City is the best place to start and grow a tech company." For Samuels, this mission is two-fold: create the conditions for the tech industry to thrive and integrate technology into the life of the city in ways that uplift everyone. "As tech radically changes how all of us live and work," Samuels says, "Tech:NYC exists to ensure transition is as smooth as possible." As a research and policy advocacy organization, Tech:NYC focused its early years primarily on technology policy and the role of the tech sector in the city and state's larger economy. Today, Samuels notes, while Tech:NYC still works closely on tech policy — things like data privacy, broadband, or public private partnerships like Empire AI, which will provide state-of-the-art power for New York's top University researchers to develop safe, equitable, and responsible AI — it is also focused more broadly on basic "livability" issues like housing, education, and public safety that allow people to live, work and raise families in New York.  Tech:NYC's work also extends to programs like Decoded Futures, a capacity-building AI initiative that equips leaders from the social sector with the tools and skills to use AI to scale their impact, and the Grid Fellowship, which connects technology leaders with New York's public sector. And since its earliest days, Tech:NYC has undertaken many initiatives in K-12 and higher education and workforce development to invest in the participation of all New Yorkers in the tech economy. We discuss the challenges of the current moment, including the advent of AI and its attending economic and political complexities. Ultimately, Samuels says, "Progress is real; we're strivers, builders, creators. Let's lean into that, and make sure growth happens with intention and with the right guardrails. New York can lead on this."   Mentioned in this episode: Tech:NYC Built to Lead: New York's Momentum Toward Global Leadership in Applied AI, (Tech:NYC and Accenture, 2025)

Content Warning: Graphic descriptions of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) file names.In this episode of 'One in Ten,' host Teresa Huizar interviews Dr. Ted Cross of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign about how child sexual abuse material (CSAM) reflects and perpetuates ongoing abuse. Cross explains why CSAM replaces “child pornography,” emphasizing that its creation requires contact abuse and its dissemination retraumatizes victims for years. To study CSAM without viewing traumatic content or violating privacy, his team partnered with the Child Rescue Coalition and analyzed nearly 3,000 highly descriptive filenames as a proxy for content. Findings included a predominance of videos, victims across all ages (including infants), a large share depicting ages 5–12, and common incest/familial cases (over 40%) that tended to involve more severe abuse. Filenames referencing children of color were more likely to include penetration. Cross urges CACs and MDTs to investigate possible online abuse in contact cases, secure devices, and strengthen partnerships with state ICAC task forces.  Time Stamps Time Topic 00:00 Episode Introduction 01:26 Meet Dr Ted Cross 02:48 What CSAM Means 04:10 Who Produces CSAM 05:30 Ethical Study Design 06:50 Filenames As Proxy Data 10:08 Victim Demographics 11:50 Incest And Severity 12:52 Penetration And Harm 14:27 Practice Implications 16:19 Trauma And Disclosure 18:25 Policy And Prevention 19:34 Future Research Directions 22:25 Final Takeaways 23:52 Closing And Resources  ResourcesChild Rescue CoalitionCharacteristics of Child Sexual Abuse Material in Peer-to-Peer Networks and Predictors of its Severity: Insights From Filenames - Theodore P. Cross, Elizabeth M. Cross, Camille Cooper, Daphne Pellegrino, Glen Pounder, Stefan Turkheimer, Simon Bailey, 2025Support the showDid you like this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

For this episode of The Agronomists, Joseph Ikley of North Dakota State University, Mike Cowbrough of OMAFA and Aaron Hager of the University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign join host Lyndsey Smith to discuss the rising threat of Palmer amaranth and the problem that is waterhemp, what we know (and don't) about control and control costs,... Read More

"Growth happens when you're uncomfortable, because you push yourself into things you wouldn't normally do." — Dr. Shola SulaimonThere's a kind of tiredness that comes from being everything to everyone — and never quite getting around to asking what fills your own cup. For Dr. Shola Sulaimon, that question sat quietly for almost 20 years before she finally let herself answer it.In this episode, Dr. Shola shares what it was like being the first Black woman PhD student in her program, the quiet weight of representing more than herself in corporate America, and the slow internal pull that eventually led her to step away from nearly two decades of corporate leadership. We talk about the difference between being nice and being kind, what it means to leave something on your own terms, and why finding an outlet outside of work and family might be the thing that saves you.If you've ever wondered whether it's safe to want something different than what you built, this one's for you. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeHighlights00:00 Cold open — Dr. Shola on finding an outlet outside work and family 0:54 Heather welcomes listeners to Her Story Unscripted 1:20 Heather introduces Dr. Shola and the story of how they met 4:23 The phases of a woman's life — and what it feels like to hit “stuck” 9:24 Heather opens up about feeling stuck in her own routine 11:19 Leaving things on your own terms, and knowing who your tribe is 12:36 Kindness vs. niceness — and learning not to be a pushover 16:07 Where her boldness came from — her mother's influence 19:00 Being a woman of color in corporate, and the pressure of representation 23:05 What's within your influence vs. what's out of your control 25:57 The slow build toward finally leaving corporate after almost 20 years 31:50 Advice for moms re-entering the workforce after raising kids 37:39 Advice for women who feel stuck but are afraid to leave 47:15 What she's building now — ShoTune Medical Consulting Group and Voice to Value 51:28 Closing reflection — “you are not alone” 53:48 OutroAbout Dr. Shola SulaimonDr. Shola Sulaimon was born and raised in Nigeria, trained and practiced as a veterinarian, then moved to the United States to pursue her PhD at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — where she became the first Black woman to do so in her program. She spent close to 20 years in corporate leadership in clinical, regulatory, and quality roles before founding ShoTune Medical Consulting Group, where she advises medical device companies on regulatory, clinical quality, and commercialization risk. She's now building Voice to Value, a Sonoma County community and coaching space for professional women centered on leadership, mentorship, and helping women find the confidence to speak up in rooms where they once stayed quiet.WebsiteLinkedInSupport the show

In a 2025 WHO report on global antibiotic resistance, they revealed that one in six bacterial infections worldwide in 2023 were completely resistant to standard antibiotic treatments. Between 2018 and 2023, antibiotic resistance increased in over 40% of the monitored pathogen-antibiotic combinations. The average annual increase in resistance sits between 5% and 15%. Bacterial AMR was directly responsible for an estimated 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths. Projections indicate that without massive interventions, deaths could surge by 70% by 2050, claiming nearly 10 million lives annually. Joining me today to discuss antibiotics, how they work, their history and antimicrobial resistance is Brenda A Wilson, PhD. Dr Wilson is a professor of microbiology and adjunct professor of pathobiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is also the coauthor of the fantastic book, Revenge of the Microbes, 2nd ED

Robert Vanderbei is a Professor in the Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering at Princeton University. From 2005 to 2012, he was chair of the department. In addition, he holds courtesy appointments in the Departments of Mathematics, Astrophysics, Computer Science, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He is also a member of the Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics, is a founding member of the Bendheim Center for Finance, and a former Director of the Engineering and Management Systems Program. Beyond Princeton, he is a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the Society for Applied and Industrial Mathematics (SIAM) and the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). Within INFORMS, he has served as President of the Optimization Society and the Computing Society and is the 2017 winner of the Khachiyan Prize for his work in optimization. He also serves on the Advisory Board for the journal Mathematical Programming Computation. He has degrees in Chemistry (BS), Operations Research and Statistics (MS), and Applied Mathematics (MS, PhD). After receiving his PhD from Cornell (1981), he was an NSF postdoc at the Courant Institute for Mathematical Sciences (NYU) for one year, then a lecturer in the Mathematics Department at the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign for two years before joining Bell Labs in 1984. At Bell Labs he made fundamental contributions to the field of optimization and holds three patents for his inventions. In 1990, he left Bell Labs to join Princeton University where he has been since. In addition to hundreds of research papers, he has written four books: (i) a textbook entitled Linear Programming: Foundations and Extensions now in its fifth edition and published by Springer, (ii) Welcome To The Universe in 3D, an astronomy book written jointly with Neil deGrasse Tyson, J. Richard Gott and Michael Strauss and published by Princeton University Press, (iii) Sizing Up The Universe, an introductory astronomy book written jointly with J. Richard Gott and published by National Geographic, and (iv) Real and Convex Analysis, a textbook written jointly with Erhan Cinlar and published by Springer.

In this episode, Vanessa Spina interviews Dr. Hans H. Stein, Professor of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, about protein quality, amino acid digestibility, and why "grams of protein" on a label do not always reflect what the body can actually use. The PSMF Library is officially live

Redefining “Normal” After Traumatic Brain Injury: Dr. Maria Stella Bonn on Disability, Advocacy, and ChecklistsOn The Girl Doc Survival Guide, Dr. Maria Stella Bonn, Associate Professor of Information Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, discusses her 2011 bicycle accident–related traumatic brain injury and her writing on disability and “normal,” including the idea that everyone's baseline varies. She reflects on unpredictable health changes, including a breast cancer diagnosis two years after her TBI, and how recovery reshaped her views on capability and judgment. Bonn says she wishes others would assume people are okay and let actions demonstrate abilities, offering a story of walking her kindergarten-aged child to school during recovery. She emphasizes the importance of an advocate, describing how her husband ensured therapies occurred, pushed her to persist, and helped expedite replacement of her skull flap after an emergency craniectomy. She also discusses improving information handoffs in healthcare and co-parenting through simple checklists.00:00 Meet Dr Maria Bonn00:35 The Bike Accident01:27 Normal Versus Disabled03:26 Life Can Change Fast05:05 Cancer After TBI07:02 What Disability Means08:37 Recovery With Her Child09:17 Why You Need An Advocate11:29 Medical Handoffs And Checklists13:28 Closing Thanks

Pellegrini, A. (2026, January 26). Comparing private student loans. University of Illinois System Student Money Management Center Blog. https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/54213092   Prior Relevant Episodes: Student Loan Management Transitioning in 2026 (ep. 126). https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/280186564 The Role of Loan Servicers (ep. 114). https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/681485881 Back to School: College and Credit (ep. 90). https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/1942070018 The Impact of Compound Interest (ep. 70). https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/650946740   Other References: Hanson, M. (2025, October 21). Total student loan debt in the United States. EducationData.org. https://educationdata.org/total-student-loan-debt   National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. (2024). You have questions, we have answers: Making sense of the student loan changes from OBBBA's RISE Committee. https://www.nasfaa.org/news-item/37700   U.S. Department of Education. (2024). U.S. Department of Education concludes negotiated rulemaking session to implement One Big Beautiful Bill Act loan provisions. https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-concludes-negotiated-rulemaking-session-implement-one-big-beautiful-bill-acts-loan-provisions     University of Illinois System Resources: University of Illinois System. Know what you owe. https://paymybill.uillinois.edu/student_loans/know_what_you_owe   University of Illinois Chicago, Office of Student Financial Aid. Alternative loans. https://financialaid.uic.edu/types-of-aid/loans/alternative-loans/   University of Illinois Springfield, Office of Financial Aid. Private student loans. https://www.uis.edu/financial-aid/types-aid/loans/private-loans   University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Office of Student Financial Aid. Alternative educational loans. https://osfa.illinois.edu/types-of-aid/loans/types-of-loans/alternative-educational-loans/    

Approximately one-third (about 30%–34%) of the world's seaborne fertilizer trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz.With the Strait closed for so long now, there is growing concern there will be insufficient fertilizer for the Northern Hemisphere harvest this year (which contains 87% of the world's population)Is another Arab Spring -- this time, worldwide -- likely as a result?To find out, we talk with Bruce Sherrick, Professor at the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at Univ of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.WORRIED ABOUT THE MARKET? SCHEDULE YOUR FREE PORTFOLIO REVIEW with Thoughtful Money's endorsed financial advisors at https://www.thoughtfulmoney.com#fertilizer #foodcrisis #iranwar _____________________________________________ Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It's important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer's unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.All the details on Thoughtful Money's relationship with the financial advisors it endorses, many of whom regularly appear on this program, can be found in the following documents. We highly recommend you review these documents as they cover the terms that will apply should you choose to work with one of these firms at any time after watching this video.Thoughtful Money Disclosure Document: https://thoughtfulmoney.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Thoughtful-Money-Disclosure-Document-12.6.23.pdf?pid=227Thoughtful Money Agreement: https://thoughtfulmoney.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Thoughtful-Money-Agreement-Agreement.docx?pid=227IMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security's or a firm's past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2026 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.

A blowing dust warning was issued Monday afternoon in rural Champaign County. Strong southerly winds combined with weakening storms kicked up thick plumes of blowing dust from the fields across central Illinois. The national weather service reported that there was near zero visibility reported on at least three interstate highways in Illinois.Although dust storms are common in Illinois, they can often be dangerous. Last year, Illinois experienced a dust storm early in the growing season. A blowing dust advisory was issued for parts of the Chicago area with wind gusts as high as 35 miles per hour.Three years ago a dust storm caused a 84-vehicle pileup along I-55 south of Springfield. Eight people died and dozens more were injured.Doctoral student in Physics at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Maddie Stover and Illinois State Climatologist with the Prairie Research Institute, Trent Ford taking a closer look into this week's dust storms that swept across central Illinois.​Funding for Weather Realness is partially provided by the Backlund Charitable Trust.  If you have a question for a local scientist on this program, please leave a voicemail at 217.333.2141 or email weatherrealness@illinois.edu- Maddie Stover, host and doctoral student - University of Illinois- Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist - ISWS PRI ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of That Tech Pod, we sit down with Greg Upah for a conversation that goes far beyond scripts, software, and sales tactics. With a career path spanning academia, advertising, Wall Street, and sales education, Greg brings a rare perspective on what actually influences decision-making and why human behavior still sits at the center of great selling.We explore what stays constant across industries, whether modern sales technology has changed the game or simply changed the packaging, and why the fundamentals of buyer psychology still matter. Greg also shares lessons from mentoring the next generation of sellers at Texas A&M, discusses the ideas behind his book Sales Talks: The Why, What, and How of Selling, and reflects on the hard-earned lessons that shaped his own career.  Whether you're leading a sales team, building technology, or trying to understand how people make decisions, this episode is a look at the timeless principles behind meaningful conversations and lasting results.To get a copy of the book, Sales Talks: The Why, What, and How of Selling, Greg asks readers to email him directly at GregUpah@gmail.com.Greg Upah has built a career that spans academia, advertising, finance, and sales education. He began as a marketing professor at Virginia Tech and later at NYU Stern School of Business, before moving into industry as an associate research director and new business team member at Young & Rubicam in New York. He then spent 15 years at Merrill Lynch in senior sales and marketing roles within its Asset Management Group. For more than a decade, he has mentored students in the Professional Sales Program at Texas A&M University. A graduate of University of Notre Dame with a Ph.D. in Marketing from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he has published in leading journals including the Journal of Marketing and is the author of Sales Talks.

Ed. note: Please be advised that there's some very heavy subject matter discussed in this episode. In Part 2, we pick up where we left off in Part 1. Jenny left San Francisco for college, heading east to go to school at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Part of it was wanting a change of scenery. As she says, she "wanted to see snow." But all it took was a few winters before she realized how good the weather in SF is. She also wanted to return to help take care of her mom, who was getting older. This was around the time that Jenny went to China and came back determined to spread the untold histories of what happened in her homeland during WWII. The nonprofit learning curve was steep, and it was almost certainly going to mean shifting gears lifestyle-wise, due to not having as much income. During the first year of Pacific Atrocities Education's life, it was fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts, an SF-based arts nonprofit. Jenny enrolled in and went to as many workshops as she could. She felt generally well-respected and taken care of. With her nascent nonprofit off and running, Jenny traveled to a part of China she had never been to before—Shanxi—to visit and talk with women who survived the war as so-called comfort women (think "sex slaves"). Jenny goes on a sidebar here to talk about some of the things the Japanese did to women during their occupation of China. It involved the Japanese not wanting their soldiers to pick up STDs while in a foreign country. If they could control the situation, i.e., enslave Chinese women to have sex with their soldiers, they could solve that "problem." So disgusting. Hearing these women's stories wasn't easy for Jenny. One story involved one of the women being pregnant after the war ended. She went back to live with her mother, who helped her along. When the baby was born, they abandoned it. Just horrible all around. We sidebar, a little, to talk about the ripple effect of wars and how it's not just tanks and bombs and guns and soldiers fighting other soldiers. There are untold numbers of innocent folks caught up in the destruction, folks whose lives are forever upended, if they even survive. Jenny says that the experience on that trip to China gave her perspective on her own childhood in the Tenderloin. She thought maybe it wasn't so bad after all. It wasn't only women in China. She went and spoke with women in California's Central Coast area about their own experiences as "comfort women." These were Filipinas who relocated to the US after the war. Most of their families didn't know their stories. And it wasn't until the Obama era that light started to be shone on them and what they'd been through. Obama's administration was the first to recognize them, but it was complicated, to say the least. Jenny talks about the delicacy of what she set out to do. Specifically, the difficulty of balancing the need to share these stories, but also to be respectful of the lives impacted by them. In addition to the research she was undertaking for Pacific Atrocities Education, Jenny was also writing a book on the topic. She was able to scan documents from the National Archives, documents the US has due to its occupation of Japan following World War II. One of the more alarming things she found in digging through archives was that the United States traded immunity with Japan's Unit 731 scientists, whose work involved developing biological weapons. Yikes. She goes on to describe other atrocious acts the Japanese undertook in China, stuff so horrible and inhumane I have trouble enumerating it here. I ask Jenny how she handles learning about such terrible stuff. She chalks it up to its being mission-driven work. We chat a little about how the people doing bad things never get held accountable, something true to this day. That immunity mentioned above was given to the Japanese scientists in exchange for the information contained in their research of biological weapons, naturally. You read that right: The US looked the other way while essentially poaching incredibly deadly weapons from its vanquished enemy. Please visit pacificatrocities.org to learn more and get involved. Their YouTube channel is called Pacific Front Untold. Follow them on Instagram @pacificatrocitiesedu. We recorded this episode at Fort Mason in April 2026. Photography by Jeff Hunt

In this College Deep Dive Sarah Wigley (Clinical Professor of Voice) and Lara Brooks (Clinical Assistant Professor of Voice) at UIUC and MTCA Director Charlie Murphy Discuss:  The in's and out's of UIUC's unique program and BMA degree  What type of student UIUC's program might be right for  Exploring what campus life might look like  Diving deeper into the audition process and what UIUC is looking for If you have any questions about the college audition process, feel free to reach out at mailbag@mappingthecollegeaudition.com. If you're interested in working with MTCA for help with your individualized preparation for your College Audition journey, please check us out at mtca.com, or on Instagram or Facebook.  Follow Us!  Instagram: @mappingthecollegeaudition YouTube: @MTCA (Musical Theater College Auditions)  TikTok: @mtcollegeauditions  Charlie Murphy:@charmur7  About MTCA:  Musical Theater College Auditions (MTCA) is the leader in coaching acting and musical theater students through the college audition process and beyond with superlative results. MTCA has assembled a roster of expert artist-educators who can guide students artistically, organizationally, strategically, and psychologically through the competitive college audition process. MTCA provides the tools, resources, and expertise along with a vast and strong support system. They train the unique individual, empowering the artist to bring their true, authentic self to their work. MTCA believes that by helping students reveal their potential it allows each school to connect with those who are truly right for their programs, which in turn guides each student toward their best college fit.  About Charlie Murphy:  Charlie is a proud graduate of Carnegie Mellon University's BFA program. As an Actor he has performed with theaters such as: NY Public Theatre's “Shakespeare in the Park”, The Pearl Theatre Company, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Chautauqua Theatre Company, Kinetic Theatre Company, and the Shakespeare Theatre of DC. With MTCA [Musical Theater College Auditions -- mtca.com], he has been helping prospective theatre students through the college process for over 15 years. As a Teacher and Director, he is able to do a few of his favorite things in life: help students to find their authentic selves as artists, and then help them find their best fit for their collegiate journey. Through this podcast, he hopes to continue that work as well as help demystify this intricate process. This episode was produced adn edited by Kelly Prendergast and Socials by Jordan Rice. Episode theme music is created by Will Reynolds with Additional Vocals from Elizabeth Stanley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your Nebraska Update headlines for today, May 18, include: people at Lancaster County jail are waiting for placement at Lincoln Regional Center as concerns grow over psychiatric bed shortages, Nebraska voters are seeing rise in independent candidates running for office, Nebraska ranks last nationally for contested county prosecutor elections according to new University of North Carolina study, foresters are monitoring worsening drought conditions and urging Nebraskans to help protect tree health, U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to move two major seed banks from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Computer-based assessment can change how students practice, test, and learn. Craig Zilles, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, explains how PrairieLearn supports mastery-oriented teaching through immediate feedback, auto-grading, randomized question generators, and repeat practice. Zilles examines asynchronous exams, frequent small tests, retake opportunities, and question banks designed around specific learning objectives, helping clarify how assessment systems can reduce administrative overhead while giving students more chances to demonstrate learning. He also discusses fairness in randomized exams, the balance between auto-grading and manual grading, and the emerging role of AI in formative feedback. This work helps explain how digital testing tools can support flexible assessment without forcing instructors to simplify what they teach. Series: "Computer Science Channel" [Science] [Education] [Show ID: 41409]

Computer-based assessment can change how students practice, test, and learn. Craig Zilles, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, explains how PrairieLearn supports mastery-oriented teaching through immediate feedback, auto-grading, randomized question generators, and repeat practice. Zilles examines asynchronous exams, frequent small tests, retake opportunities, and question banks designed around specific learning objectives, helping clarify how assessment systems can reduce administrative overhead while giving students more chances to demonstrate learning. He also discusses fairness in randomized exams, the balance between auto-grading and manual grading, and the emerging role of AI in formative feedback. This work helps explain how digital testing tools can support flexible assessment without forcing instructors to simplify what they teach. Series: "Computer Science Channel" [Science] [Education] [Show ID: 41409]

Dr. Thomas Kuhnt, Chief Information Officer and Chief Operating Officer at HDI Global SE, joins hosts James Benham and Rob Galbraith to explore leading digital and AI transformation in corporate and specialty insurance — recorded live at Insurtech Insights London on March 18, 2026.Dr. Kuhnt's path is unlike most in insurance. A PhD in algebraic number theory from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 15 years at McKinsey building the European insurance practice, and now a dual CIO/COO seat overseeing technology, operations, and transformation at one of the world's oldest and largest industrial insurers. He brings a systems thinker's lens to one of the most complex transformation challenges in the industry.In this episode:• Why organizations must stop waiting for perfect conditions and start experimenting with AI now• How agentic AI is transforming input management and underwriting workflows at HDI Global• Why business leads — not IT — should own AI transformation in global insurance organizations• The process trap: how applying AI to broken workflows just accelerates the breaking• What the next 5–10 years really looks like for underwriters and claims professionals at the desk levelKey Quotes:"Don't wait. Start to experiment and iterate. This is not going to go away.""Business becomes IT — and IT becomes business.""We're overestimating the short-term impact — but underestimating it in the long term.""Seventy to eighty percent of an underwriter's work is just rekeying data. That's not really underwriting.""The first question should always be why — and that's an ops question, not a tech question."

In this special re-run episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, we bring back our conversation with Dr. John Jones from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, who explains how phosphorus and potassium recommendations are developed and why nutrient test methods vary by region. He explores nutrient behavior in soils, calibration approaches, and how agronomists can make better data-driven fertilizer decisions. Learn how to fine-tune your nutrient management strategies and why accurate soil testing matters. Listen now on all major platforms!"We treat phosphorus and potassium as more immobile nutrients that remain in the soil for years or even decades, which makes soil testing a reliable tool for guiding fertilization decisions."Meet the guest: Dr. John Jones is an Assistant Professor of Agronomy and Soil Fertility Extension Specialist at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. His work focuses on soil fertility, nutrient management, and water quality, with experience across major cropping systems. His research connects soil testing, nutrient cycling, and practical agronomic decisions to improve crop production. Liked this one? Don't stop now — Here's what we think you'll love!What you will learn:(00:00) Highlight(00:51) Introduction(02:05) Guest background(05:38) P and K calibration(08:26) Nutrient interaction effects(13:20) Regional test differences(18:51) Data-driven decisions(24:16) Final three questionsThe Crop Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:- Loam Bio- KWS

In this episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Rachel Vann, Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, shares how national soybean research networks deliver practical, science-based recommendations. Learn key topics including planting timing, seeding rates, fertility strategies, and multi-state trial design. Dr. Vann highlights cost-effective decisions under tight margins. Listen now on all major platforms!“Planting date selection strongly influences soybean yield outcomes across regions, requiring careful alignment with environmental conditions and avoiding extremes that reduce productivity potential.”Meet the guest: Dr. Rachel Vann is an Associate Professor of Cropping Systems at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, specializing in soybean production, applied research, and Extension outreach. With experience leading national initiatives like Science for Success, research focuses on improving crop management and farmer decision-making. Liked this one? Don't stop now — Here's what we think you'll love!What you will learn:(00:00) Highlight(00:48) Introduction(01:49) Career path(03:30) Initiative origin(06:08) Research focus(07:56) Biological results(13:55) Planting timing(22:45) Final QuestionsThe Crop Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:- Loam Bio- KWS

Hi, I'm Dr. John Ennis, CEO at Aigora. In this episode, I had a wonderful conversation with Dr. Damir Torrico, an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I particularly enjoyed our discussion on why curiosity is so vital, and specifically how "always asking" and pushing back on AI outputs is the key to achieving real fluency with these new tools. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, and remember to subscribe to AigoraCast to hear more conversations like this one in the future! Short Bio Dr. Damir Torrico is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, specializing in the intersection of food properties, human physiology, and consumer behavior. His research focuses on flavor perception, emotional responses to food, and salt/sugar reduction strategies. With a global academic background spanning Louisiana State University, the University of Melbourne, and the University of Costa Rica, Damir utilizes emerging technologies like virtual reality and biometrics to capture authentic consumer insights. His work aims to bridge the gap between laboratory testing and real-world eating experiences to create foods that are both nutritious and highly palatable. Social Links & Resources LinkedIn: Damir Torrico University Profile: UIUC Faculty Directory Expertise Areas: * Ingestive Behavior & Physiology Healthy Aging & Nutritional Sensory Science VR & Biometric Consumer Research  

Sara Gerke is an associate professor of law and at the European Union Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. S. Gerke, R.B. Parikh, and I.G. Cohen. Utah's Prescription-Renewal Pilot Program — Autonomous AI Managing Patient Care. N Engl J Med 2026;394:1561-1563.

On this episode of Deans Counsel, hosts Ken Kring and Dave Ikenberry speak with Brooke Elliott, the Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor in Business and Dean of Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She leads the College in developing a compelling, strategic vision while continuing to build upon its distinctive brand and identity. This includes assessing and expanding Gies Business' portfolio of on-campus and online programs to strengthen its position as an innovative leader among the nation's best business schools.Prior to her current role, Brooke served as Executive Associate Dean of Academic Programs and EY Professor in Gies College of Business where she was responsible for providing strategic oversight of the Gies portfolio of academic degree and non-degree programs. Brooke also served as Associate Dean of Online where she was responsible for the development and execution of Gies' strategy in online education and Head of the Department of Accountancy in Gies, leading one of the most innovative and high ranked accounting departments in the world.This conversation with Brooke touches on several topics, including:- Managing continual innovation - Leveraging on-line learning  - AI and Accounting - Handling the drop in int'l students - Building a new business minor  - Revenue management Learn more about Brooke Elliott.Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note.Thanks for listening.-Produced by Joel Davis at Analog Digital Arts--DEANS COUNSEL: A podcast for deans and academic leadership.James Ellis | Moderator | Dean of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (2007-2019)David Ikenberry | Moderator | Dean of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado-Boulder (2011-2016)Ken Kring | Moderator | Co-Managing Director, Global Education Practice and Senior Client Partner at Korn FerryDeansCounsel.com

In this episode of Lab Rats to Unicorns, John Flavin sits down with Dr. Gene Robinson, a pioneering scientist in the biology of social behavior and a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Widely recognized for his groundbreaking work in genomics and neuroscience, Dr. Robinson has spent decades uncovering how genes influence behavior—using the complex societies of honeybees as his model system. From leading the sequencing of the honeybee genome to advancing our understanding of how environment and biology interact, Dr. Robinson's work has reshaped how scientists think about the relationship between genes and behavior. Now stepping into his role as Executive Director and CEO of the Discovery Partners Institute, he is focused on applying artificial intelligence and interdisciplinary collaboration to real-world challenges across industry and society. This conversation explores the evolution of genomics, the surprising plasticity of behavior at the molecular level, and the implications of this work for fields ranging from medicine to AI. At its core, this episode is about curiosity, persistence, and the power of following a question—from a beekeeping hobby at age 17 to discoveries that challenge how we understand human potential.

Scholar of science and technology studies and Associate Professor of Information Sciences and Media Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Anita Say Chan, is back to break down the fight between the Pentagon and Claude A.I., & explain big tech's increasingly obvious and ominous gestures to a techno feudalist future where intelligence is paywalled, human bodies exist to be rented by AI agents, and big tech runs the American military machine. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Ever wondered how a single Supreme Court case could reshape the entire freight brokerage industry? We're thrilled to have the Armchair Attorney Matt Leffler back on the show to break down the high-stakes broker liability landscape and the recent oral arguments that have everyone in transportation talking.  We dive deep into the legal nuances of the Montgomery v. CH Robinson case, exploring whether brokers should be held liable for the negligence of motor carriers and what the Solicitor General's support for the industry actually means for your daily operations.  Matt and I pull no punches as we discuss the "rotten" state of the supply chain, the critical need for updated FMCSA regulations, and why relying on outdated 1980s standards is a recipe for disaster in a modern freight market.  If you want a straightforward look at the potential for a "golden age" of high-standard operations versus the looming threat of an onslaught of lawsuits, you can't afford to miss this episode!   About Matthew Leffler Matthew is a 3rd generation supply chain executive with over fifteen years of experience in safety, law, & maintenance. Matthew currently serves as Vice President of Strategic Accounts at Contract Leasing Corp. He is also an attorney that provides legal commentary on various supply chain issues & operates a popular podcast. In addition, Matthew has served as a senior leader with some of the nation's most admired maintenance, repair, & fleet management firms. Matthew entered the industry as an attorney defending trucking companies in civil litigation in 2010, but cut his teeth helping build & later selling his family's maintenance firm, Outsource Fleet Services, Inc. Matthew earned his J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law, Magna Cum Laude, and his B.A. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois; & 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. Matthew is the proud father of Michael, Rowan, Elise, & Elijah & has been happily married to his wife, Holly, since 2008.  

In an effort to make their farms more environmentally and economically sustainable, some farmers are experimenting with agrivoltaics: growing crops underneath solar panels. This dual harvest is working for some, but what will it take for agrivoltaics to work on a larger, more industrial scale? Joining Host Ira Flatow are journalist Jana Rose Schleis and environmental economics expert Madhu Khanna.Guests:Jana Rose Schleis is a news producer at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri. Her podcast series, “The Next Harvest,” is available on podcast platforms.Dr. Madhu Khanna is a professor of environmental economics and director of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Thanks to the powerful force that is Lake Michigan and the urban heat island that is Chicago, the city has witnessed some unusual and extreme weather events. Last episode was about lake-effect snow and a phrase you hear all the time: “Cooler by the lake.” But Chicago weather definitely gets stranger than that. We're talking thundersnow, water spouts and even space weather. Why do these weather events happen, what makes them unusual and how can you have a little fun (safely!) when they come around? We talk with Jeff Frame, a teaching professor in the Department of Climate, Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Cancer can be seen as a seed that only sprouts in the right soil—the body's inner landscape. Today, that soil is changing fast, and cancer rates are climbing, especially among young people. Our modern diet—packed with sugar, processed foods, and nonstop snacking—keeps the body flooded with signals to grow, not heal. But there's good news: by eating real, colorful foods and giving the body time to rest between meals, we can calm inflammation, balance our gut, and make our inner soil far less welcoming to disease. The power to shift the story lies in every bite and every pause we take. In this episode, I discuss, along with Dr. Jason Fung and Dr. Thomas Seyfried, how modern diets and constant eating create a fertile soil for disease. Dr. Jason Fung is a physician, author, and researcher. His groundbreaking science-based books about diabetes and obesity, The Diabetes Code, The Obesity Code, and The Complete Guide to Fasting have sold over one million copies and challenged the conventional wisdom that diabetics should be treated with insulin. Dr. Fung is also the co-founder of The Fasting Method, a program to help people lose weight and reverse Type 2 Diabetes naturally with fasting. His work on fasting has been cited by CNN, Time, The Atlantic, Forbes, The Toronto Star, and many other media outlets. His latest book is The Cancer Code: A Revolutionary New Understanding of a Medical Mystery. Dr. Thomas Seyfried is an American professor of biology, genetics, and biochemistry at Boston College. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1976 and did his postdoctoral fellowship at the Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Seyfried has over 150 peer-reviewed publications, and his research focuses primarily on the mechanisms driving cancer, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases and calorie-restricted ketogenic diets in their prevention and treatment. He is the author of Cancer as a Metabolic Disease: On the Origin, Management, and Prevention of Cancer and presently serves on the Nutrition & Metabolism, Neurochemical Research, Journal of Lipid Research, and ASN Neuro editorial boards. This episode is brought to you by BIOptimizers. Head to bioptimizers.com/hyman and use code HYMAN to save 15%. Full-length episodes can be found here:Is Cancer Caused By Sugar? How Can My Diet Help Prevent Cancer? A Radical New Dietary Approach To Cancer Treatment