Podcasts about Rensselaer

Interest and grave concern have been mounting over the impact of agriculture and the food choices we all make on the environment, particularly on climate change. With natural weather disasters occurring much more frequently and serious threats from warming of the atmosphere in general, it's natural to look for places to make change. One person who has thought a lot about this is our guest today, Dr. William Dietz of George Washington University. He's been a prominent voice in this space. Bill, you're one of the people in the field I respect most because our relationship goes back many years. Bill is professor and director of research and policy at the Global Food Institute at George Washington University. But especially pertinent to our discussion today is that Dr. Dietz was co-chair of the Lancet Commission on the global syndemic of obesity, under nutrition and climate change. Today, we'll focus on part of that discussion on beef in particular. Interview Summary Bill, let's start out with a basic question. What in the heck is a syndemic? A syndemic is a word that reflects the interaction of these three pandemics that we're facing. And those are obesity, under nutrition, and we've also called climate change a syndemic insofar as it affects human health. These three pandemics interact at both the biologic and social levels and have a synergistic adverse impact on each other. And they're driven by large scale social forces, which foster clustering and have a disparate impact on marginalized populations. Both in the developed and equally important, in the developing world. Here are a couple of examples of syndemics. So, increased greenhouse gases from high income countries reduce crop yields in the micronutrient content of crops, which in turn contribute to food insecurity and undernutrition in low and middle income countries. And eventually the reduction in crop yields and the micronutrient content of crops is going to affect high income countries. Beef production is a really important driver of the climate change, and we're a major contributor in terms of the US' contribution. And beef production drives both methane and nitrous oxide emissions, and in turn, the consumption of red and processed meat causes obesity, diabetes, colon cancer, and cardiovascular disease. And finally, obesity, stunting and nutrition insecurity occur in the same children and in the same population in low- and middle-income countries. Okay, so we'll come back to beef in a moment, but first, help us understand the importance of agriculture overall and our food choices in changing climate. Well, so I think we have to go back to where this, the increase in mean global surface temperatures began, in about 1950. Those temperatures have climbed in a linear fashion since then. And we're now approaching a key level of increase of 1.5 degrees centigrade. The increase in mean surface temperature is driven by increased greenhouse gases, and the US is particularly culpable in this respect. We're it's second only to China in terms of our greenhouse gas emissions. And on a per capita basis, we're in the top four with China, India, and Brazil and now the US. And in the US, agriculture contributes about 10% of greenhouse gas emissions, and about 30% of fossil fuels are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. But when you look at the actual contribution of car use among the fossil fuel use, it's pretty close to the contribution of greenhouse gases from agriculture. The important point here is each one degree increase centigrade in air temperatures associated with a 7% increase in water vapor. And this is responsible for the major adverse weather events that we're seeing today in terms of increased frequency and severity of hurricanes, the droughts. And I learned a new term from the New York Times a couple of days ago from the science section, which is atmospheric thirst. I had trouble understanding how climate change would contribute to drought, but that same effect in terms of absorbing moisture that occurs and drives the adverse weather events also dries out the land. So increasingly there's increased need for water use, which is driven by atmospheric thirst. But that increase in air temperature and the increase in water vapor, is what really drives these storms. Because in the Pacific and in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, this increase in air temperature is associated with an increase in water temperature, which further drives the increase in the severity of these storms. Thanks for that background. Now let's get to beef. You and I were not long ago at the Healthy Eating Research conference. And you gave what I thought was a very compelling talk on beef. We'll talk in a minute about how much beef figures into this overall picture, but first, tell us how beef production affects both climate and health. And you mentioned nitrous oxide and methane, but how does this all work? Cattle production is a big driver of the release of methane. And methane comes from cow burps. The important thing to understand about methane is that it's 80 times more powerful than CO2 in terms of its greenhouse gas emission. And that's because it has a very long half-life when it gets up into the atmosphere? Well, actually it's interesting because the half-life of methane is shorter than the half-life of nitrous oxide. So, it's an appropriate target for reduction. And the reduction has to occur by virtue of reduced beef consumption, which would reduce beef production. The other piece of this is that nitrous oxide is derived from fertilizer that's not absorbed by plants. And the application of fertilizer is a very wasteful process and a huge percent of fertilizer that's applied to crops is not absorbed by those plants. And it washes into the Mississippi River and down to the Gulf of Mexico. But also, increases the genesis of nitrous oxide. And nitrous oxide is an even more powerful greenhouse gas than methane. About 260 times more powerful than CO2 with a very, very long half-life. So, as a target, we really ought to be focused on methane, and if we're going to focus on methane, we need to focus on beef. You could imagine people who are opposed to these views on climate change making fun of cows burping. I mean, are there enough cows, burping enough where the methane that's coming out is a problem? Yes. Maybe a better term that we can use is enteric fermentation, which is in effect cow burps. But enteric fermentation is the major source of methane. And nitrous oxide, the same thing. The agricultural system which supports cattle production, like the feedlot fattening from corn and wheat. The genesis of nitrous oxide is a product of fertilizer use and fertilizer use is a real important source of nitrous oxide because of the amount of fertilizer which is not absorbed by plants. But which washes into the Mississippi River and causes the dead zone in the Gulf, but also generates an enormous amount of nitrous oxide. So, between those two, the enteric fermentation and the origin of nitrous oxide from fertilizer use, are a lethal combination in terms of increasing greenhouse gas emissions. And it's important to know that those greenhouse gas emissions are associated with important declines in crop yields. Crop yields have declined by about 5% for maize for wheat, for soybeans, and somewhat less for rice. These crop yields have yet to affect the US but are clearly a problem in the Global South. In your talk, you cited a paper by Scarborough and colleagues that was published in the Journal Nature Food that modeled the environmental impact of various diets. Could you please explain what they found? This was a really nice study of four diets in the United Kingdom. Actually it was five diets. They looked at vegans, vegetarians, low meat eaters, medium meat eaters and high meat eaters. And looked at the contribution of these diets to the genesis of methane, nitrous oxide, and also importantly, land use and water use. And the most expensive, and the most detrimental environmental impact of these diets, were the among the high meat eaters. These were substantially greater than than the genesis of for example, methane by vegans. For example, high meat eaters generated about 65 kilograms per day of methane compared to vegans, which generated only four kilograms per day of methane. And when you reduce beef, and there were two lower categories, these measures come much more into line with what we'd like to have. The low meat eaters generate about half of methane that the high meat eaters generate. This is also true for their genesis of nitrous oxide. And importantly, the land use among vegans and vegetarians is about a third of the land use required for the production of beef. And water use by meat production is about twice that generated by the water use by the production of plant-based diets. I think these are important data because they, they really reflect the importance of a lower meat consumption and higher plant-based diet. Not just in terms of greenhouse gases, but also in terms of land use and water use. Not to mention health. Not to mention health. Yes. I think it's important to continue to remind ourselves that beef consumption is associated with a variety of chronic diseases like obesity, like diabetes, like colon cancer and like cardiovascular disease. So, there's this double whammy from beef consumption, not only on the climate but also on human health. In your talk that I heard it was interesting to see how you interpreted this information because you weren't arguing for no beef consumption. Because you were saying there could be tremendous benefit from people going from the high beef consumption category to a lower category. If you could take all the people who are consuming beef and drop them down a category, it sounds like there would be tremendous benefits. People could still have their beef but just not have it as often. Right. I think that's an important observation that we're not talking about the elimination of beef. We're talking about the reduction in beef. And the Eat Lancet Commission pointed out that protein consumption in the US was six times what it should be in terms of human needs. And a lot of that protein comes from beef. And there's this belief, widespread, popular belief that beef is the most important source of protein. But comparisons of plant-based diets and plant-based proteins have an equivalent impact and equivalent absorption pattern like beef and are equally nourishing. That's a really important thing to make prominent because people are thinking more and more about protein and it's nice to know there are various healthier ways to get protein than from a traditional meat diet. Well, one of the, one of the important reports from the dietary guidelines advisory committee was to reclassify lentils, beans and peas as proteins rather than vegetables. And I think that's a, something which has not been widely appreciated, but it gives us a real important area to point to as an alternative protein to beef. Bill, on this calculus, how important is the way the cattle are raised? So, you know, you have big cattle farms that might have a hundred thousand cattle in a single place being raised in very close quarters. And it's industrial agriculture, the kind of the epitome of industrial agriculture. But more and more people are beginning to study or experiment with or actually implement regenerative agriculture methods. How much would that help the environment? That's kind of a complicated question. If we just start with beef production, we know that grass fed beef has a healthier fatty acid profile than feedlot fat and beef. But the total generation of greenhouse gases among grass fed beef is greater because they're fostered on land for a longer period of time than those cattle which are committed to feedlots. My understanding is that most of the cattle that go to feedlots are first raised on grass and then moved to feedlots where they're fed these commodity products of corn and wheat and, and maybe not soy. But that feedlot fattening is a critical step in beef production and is associated with overcrowding, antibiotic use, the generation of toxic dust really. An enormous amount of fecal material that needs to be adequately disposed of. It's the feedlot fattening of beef is what adds the adverse fatty acid content, and also contributes to the local environment and the damage to the local environment as a consequence of the cattle that are being raised. Appreciate you weighing in on that. Let's talk about what might be done. So how do we go about increasing awareness, and the action, for that matter, in response to the contributions of beef production to climate change? It begins with understanding about the contribution of beef production to climate change. This is not a well understood problem. For example, there was a study of 10 major news sources a couple of years ago which asked what the major contributions were of climate change. And they surveyed a hundred articles in each of 10 sources of information, which were popular press like New York Times, Washington Post, etc. And, at the top of that list, they characterize climate change as a consequence of fossil fuels. Whereas a recognition of the contribution of the agricultural system was at the bottom of that list and poorly covered. It's no surprise that people don't understand this and that's where we have to start. We have to improve people's perception of the contribution of beef. The other thing is that I don't think we can expect any kind of progress at the federal level. But in order to build the critical mass, a critical focus, we need to look at what we can personally change. First in our own behavior and then engaging family, peers and organizational networks to build the political will to begin to generate federal response. Now, this brings up a really critical point that I'm not sure we have the time to do this. I don't think we are facing the whole issue of climate change with the kind of emphasis and concern that it deserves. I mentioned at the outset that the mean surface temperature is increasing rapidly. And the expectation was, and the goal was to achieve no greater than a 1.5 degrees centigrade increase by 2050. Well, in 2024, there was already a report that the mean surface temperature had already increased in some places by 1.5 degrees centigrade. So there has to be an urgency to this that I don't think people, are aware of. Youth understand this and youth feel betrayed and hopeless. And I think one of the important characteristics of what we can personally change, in engaging our family and peers, is a way of beginning to generate hope that change can occur. Because we can see it if it's our family and if it's our peers. Another important and critical strategy at the institution and state level is procurement policies. These, I think, are the most powerful tool that we have to change production at the municipal or local level, or at the state level. And we were part of an effort to get the HHS to change their procurement policy for their agencies. And although at the very last minute in the Biden administration, they agreed to do this, that's been superseded now by the changes that Trump has instituted. Nonetheless, this can be a local issue and that's where local change has to occur if we're going to build political will from the ground up. Bill, tell me a little bit more about procurement because a lot of people don't even think about that term. But it turns out that the federal government and local and state governments buy lots of food. How is it that they buy lots of food and how they could have sway over the food environment just by their purchasing decisions? So, let's take schools. Schools are a logical place. They have large contracts with vendors and if they set standards for what those vendors were supplying, like insisted on alternative proteins in at least some of their meal services that would have a big impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from school meals. And would have a positive impact on the health of students in those schools. This is known as value-based purchasing. Purchasing of products related to values that have to do with not only greenhouse gases, but also animal husbandry and fair workers' rights, and strategies like that. These are possible. They should be beginning in our universities. And this is an effort that we have underway here at George Washington University. But there are even better examples where universities have used plants as a default option in their cafeterias, which has, shown that when you do that and when you make the plant-based option the only visible choice, people choose it. And, in three universities, Lehigh, Rensselaer at Polytech, and Tulane, when they made plant-based options the only visible option, although you could ask for the alternative, the choices went up to 50 to almost 60 to 80% when the plant-based option was offered. And these were things like a lentil olive and mushroom spaghetti, which has a very low greenhouse gas emission. In fact, the net effect of these choices was a 24% reduction in greenhouse gases on days when the default was offered. These are practical types of initiatives. We need to increase the demand for these options as an alternative to beef. Bill, I like how you're approaching this from kind of the big top level down, but also from the ground up. Because you talk about things that the federal government could do, for example, but also how important individual choices are. And how people can work with their families and friends and have an inspirational effect by changing their own behavior. Those sorts of things make me hopeful. But let me ask, how hopeful are you? Because I'm hearing from you this sort of dire picture that we might be too late, and that the climate change is happening so rapidly and that the social change needed to overcome that is painfully slow. But on the other hand, you're speaking some optimistic things. So how do you feel overall about where this is going? I'm moderately hopeful. And moderately hopeful because I think young people are engaged. And we need to address the hopelessness that many of them feel. They feel betrayed by us. They feel like the adults in this country have let them down and have not focused enough. That's understandable. Particularly now given the distractions of the new administration. And I think we're in a real crisis and things all of a sudden are very fluid in terms of national initiatives. They've been dominated by the Trump administration, but I think that's changing. And I think that the kind of despotism that led to the station of troops in California, in Los Angeles, is a case in point of overreach of the government. The kind of ICE activities really deserve resistance. And all of that, I think, plays into this notion that we're in a fluid time. This is not a time that people are necessarily going to focus on beef consumption. But the fact that all of these climate changes, clearly a major issue at least for those who admit it, means that we need to begin and continue to build the political will for changes in beef consumption as well as changes in transportation policy. I think that actually beef consumption is an easier target then changes in transportation policy, which is driven by the way our communities are constructed. And in many cases, the only way to get from one place to another is by car, which means that we're going to have a continued dependence on fossil fuels. I don't think we can say the same thing about beef consumption because if we institute reductions in beef consumption, I think we can have a very immediate and longer-term impact on greenhouse gas emissions and therefore on climate change. Bio William (Bill) Dietz is the Director of Research and Policy for the Global Food Institute and a Professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences. Dietz is a member of the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) and serves as a consultant to the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions. He also is the Director of the STOP Obesity Alliance at The George Washington University. He served as Director of the The Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention & Wellness until June 30, 2024. He is Co-Chair of the Washington, DC Department of Health's Diabesity Committee, a Commissioner on the Washington, DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education's Healthy Youth & Schools Commission, and Chair of its Subcommittee on Physical Activity. Dietz is also Co-Chair of The Lancet Commission on Obesity.

This week Comedian power duo Will Johnson and Blake Whitbeck are in studio to promote the 4th installment of their Dark Humor Comedy Series. Afraid of the Dark Comedy 4 at Son of Egg Restaurant in Rensselaer on June 14th. They discuss different types of Dark Comedy with host Juan Pantaleon on what is definitely the first time this episode was recorded...

On April 17, the Rensselaer Environmental Coalition and the CIty of Rensselaer started an Article 78 proceeding against the state Department of Environmental Conservation, challenging their recent renewal of the permit for the Dunn landfill. On April 29, REC will hold a community educational meeting to discuss the permit renewal, the threat from PFAS contamination and the Leachate Loophole at the George Education Center, 1 University Place, Rens. at 6:30 PM. Bob Welton of REC talks with Mark Dunlea of Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

We went down to Rensselaer and hit Northside Bar & Grill. Enjoy!

In the third episode of our rural surgery series, Dr. Cody Mullens meets with Dr. Randy Lehman, a rural general surgeon from Rensselaer, Indiana to discuss rural practice, lifestyle, resources, and tips & tricks for general surgery residents interested in pursuing rural practice. The Rural American Surgeon Podcast and Contact:  https://www.theruralamericansurgeon.com/ The North American Rural Surgery Society: https://www.northamericanrss.org/ ***Fellowship Application Link: https://forms.gle/PQgAvGjHrYUqAqTJ9 Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more. If you liked this episode, check out our recent episodes here: https://app.behindtheknife.org/listen

2024 was a hall of fame year for Vince Stilger. He was inducted into not just one state Athletic Training Association Hall of Fame but two state Athletic Training Associations Hall of Fame, West Virginia and Indiana. Well deserved honors for this Lanesville, IN native with a 43 year career in the profession. What he has packed into those 43 years is hall of fame worthy at any level. Starting at Lanesville HS as a student athletic trainer and attending a athletic training workshop at Floyd Central HS, hosted by Glen Snow with a hall of fame faculty, he was well on his way for an athletic training career that would be remarkable. After a short stent at IU southeast he attended Indiana State University for both his undergraduate and masters degree. His first stop was at Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, IN as the head athletic trainer for four years. Then back to Indiana State as the head athletic trainer. In 1988 he became the program director for the athletic training undergraduate education program as well. This peaked an interest to purse a doctorate degree which he obtained in 1993 from Indiana University, while still volunteering with Football as a clinical athletic trainer. He spent one year at Xavier at the program director and finally landed at West Virginia University as the undergraduate program director and volunteer athletic trainer with football. He spent the next 24 years at WVU in the program director role and a volunteer clinical athletic trainer with football and baseball. He also served in leadership roles for the West Virginia Athletic Trainers' Association being elected President in 2014 to 2016. Since 1988 Vince has been the Head Athletic Trainer and Manager of Medical Services for Special Olympics Indiana in Terre Haute. This has been a special role for him and he has developed volunteer staff that looks forward to the event every year. Vince has been the recipient of the NATA service award in 2017, The West Virginia Special Recognition Award in 2018, Special Olympics Dennis Schmidt Impact Award in 2015, and West Virginia Athletic Trainers' Association 2005 Athletic Training Educator of the Year.Vince is currently the Athletic Trainer for Lanesville High School and he and his wife, Melanie, reside in Lanesville.

This week Will Johnson and Blake Whitbeck are in studio to promote the third installment of their very successful Dark comedy themed showcase, Afraid of the Dark Comedy 3 on March 22nd at 8PM at son of Egg in Rensselaer. They Talk With Host Juan Pantaleon about the Challenges of paving your own way and the reception of dark comedy.

Coach Bob Lovell begins this hour of IST with Ball State Radio Network’s David Eha to recap Ball State’s 61-52 loss to Bowling Green. IU had a great comeback to beat Washington 78-62 and John Herrick joins with insight on the game. Dr. Len Clark of Irish 101 then joins to share about Notre Dame’s close 74-71 loss to Wake Forest and gives his insight on the upcoming changes for their team. Turning to girls' basketball, Matt Taylor of the IHSAA Champions Network shares about the 2A semifinals and how South Knox’s team made a statement tonight with their win against Rensselaer to secure the 2A state championship. Kip Wesner of Hoosier Basketball Magazine finishes out the hour with Coach by celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the IHSAA Girls Basketball State Tournament. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nathaniel Finch interviews 2A coach of Rensselaer about some stand out players and who to look out for. He checks in on the other team and where their strength lies. Landon lets us know who wins the game in Lafayette. Coach Beach calls in to talk about what went right for his team tonight and what they have on the horizon for the next week. Coach also previews the games on the slate for their Saturday basketball full day. Coach Kline calls in with their win against Randale Southern, 79-57. He talks about his best players and their future plans. Chris Aimes calls in to talk about them wrapping up their season with a win in their last home game with 10 seniors. Brian Sullivan calls in about the New Albany vs. Bloomington North, the score was 86-68. He talks about what the seniors meant to New Albany and how all the team contributed tonight. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, #1,012,  part of a special EdUp College Closure Miniseries - Through the Eyes of..., brought to YOU by the ⁠⁠InsightsEDU⁠⁠ 2025 conference & Ellucian LIVE 2025 YOUR guest is Jonathan Nichols, Former Professor, Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana, & Author, Requiem for a College YOUR host is Dr. Jay M. Keehn. Dr. Jay M. Keehn was employed by Union Institute & University for eighteen years. UI&U formerly announced its' closure in June, 2024. During his tenure, he held roles as faculty, director of academic programs, campus  executive director, and dean of students. Dr. Keehn is the founder of THE CLUB, a monthly get-together of professionals affected by their college closing. In THE CLUB, people share their stories and socialize around the current landscape while looking at what may be Tomorrow's Higher Education. How do faculty members navigate the challenging path of institutional closure? What are the warning signs of potential college closure? How does institutional closure impact faculty mental health & wellness? What measures can help faculty prepare for potential closures? How can institutions better manage communication during crisis? Listen in to #EdUp Do YOU want to accelerate YOUR professional development? Do YOU want to get exclusive early access to ad-free episodes, extended episodes, bonus episodes, original content, invites to special events, & more? Do YOU want to get all this while helping to sustain EdUp? Then ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BECOME A SUBSCRIBER TODAY⁠⁠ - $19.99/month or $199.99/year (Save 17%)! Want to get YOUR organization to pay for YOUR subscription? Email ⁠⁠⁠EdUp@edupexperience.com Thank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp! Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠ ● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The EdUp Experience⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We make education YOUR business!

Rensselaer officials and city residents are unhappy with the December 23rd announcement by the NYS DEC that they had renewed the permit for the Dunn landfill. Bob Welton and Jessica Welshans of Rensselaer Environmental Coalition talk about local reactions and next steps with Mark Dunlea of Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine, First, Mark Dunlea reports on why residents and local officials oppose a proposed sludge incinerator for the City of Rensselaer in part 2 of this report. Then,Willie Terry interviews long-time community activist, educator, and labor organizer David V. Walker. Later on, for Native American Heritage month we get this interview from Sina Basila Hickey who talks with author Professor Keith Burich about his book on Native American Schools. After that, on the TripleE's this week here from two previously incarcerated individuals about experiences going to jail at a young age and how they transformed there life when they were released. Finally, Brea Barthel heads to the Troy Public Library to get November nonfiction picks.

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine, First, Mark Dunlea reports on why residents and local officials oppose a proposed sludge incinerator for the City of Rensselaer. Then, Mark Dunlea speaks with local peace activists at the Veteran's Day March in Albany about how they feel after the re-election of Donald Trump. Later on, Armao on the Brink discusses third parties, the future of the Democrats, and the recent elections. After that, we hear about upcoming activities at the main branch of the Troy Public Library. Finally, we finish with a profile by Marsha Lazarus of Albany native and lesbian activist Michele Crone.

On Saturday, November 9 elected officials, city residents and environmental leaders gathered on the banks of the Hudson River near the BASF toxic waste site in the City of Rensselaer to express strong opposition to a new incinerator project. A New Jersey company called Harbor Rock is eyeing the property to incinerate river sediment from the bottom of the Hudson River and possibly other rivers and New York Harbor. In part one of Hudson Mohawk's coverage, we hear from Jessica Welshans, a local resident, and Judith Enck, former regional administrator for the federal EPA. By Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine. Audio provided by Sonja Stark.

On Saturday, November 9 elected officials, city residents and environmental leaders gathered on the banks of the Hudson River near the BASF toxic waste site in the City of Rensselaer to express strong opposition to a new incinerator project being proposed by a New Jersey company called Harbor Rock. In part two of Hudson Mohawk's coverage, we hear from Rensselaer Mayor Mike Stammel; Bob Welton of Rensselaer Environmental Coalition; and Joe Ritchie of Lights Out Norlite. By Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine. Audio provided by Sonja Stark.

Steve McLaughlin, County Executive of Rensselaer County, makes his debut on the program to explain his beef with New York Attorney General Letitia James, and why she has always been a vile and despicable human being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Got an opinion? On the iHeartRadio app, tap the red microphone to record & send us your thoughts. Don't have the app? Get it free here ---> https://news.iheart.com/apps/ Follow us: Instagram - wgyradio X - WGYMornings Facebook - 810wgy & WGYMornings

Harbor Rock is considering building a high-temperature incinerator in the City of Rensselaer to turn sediment from dredging rivers into an aggregate product for the construction industry. Environmental groups, local residents, and the Times Union Editorial Board have raised concerns about adding more pollution to a city that already has more than its fair share. City of Rensselaer Mayor Mike Stammel shares his perspective on the potential project with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Correspondent Blaise Bryant has spoken about his poor experiences with accessible voting in the past. After a good early voting experience this year, Blaise spoke with Sina Basila Hickey about what changed and what accessible voting looks like.

Chloe Pierce is the Democratic Party nominee for the 107th State Assembly District, which includes parts of Albany, Rensselaer, Columbia and Washington Counties. She talks about her candidacy with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

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On Thursday, October 3, 2024, Hudson Mohawk Magazine Roaming Labor Correspondent Willie Terry visited the Hart Cluett Museum in Downtown Troy, New York, to learn about the "We the People: Voting and Democracy in Rensselaer County" exhibit. In this labor segment, Willie spoke with Samantha Mahoski, curator and archivist at the Hart Cluett Museum and organizer of the "We the People" exhibit. This interview is part 1 of 3 with Samantha Mahoski.

On Thursday, October 3, 2024, Hudson Mohawk Magazine Roaming Labor Correspondent Willie Terry visited the Hart Cluett Museum in Downtown Troy, New York, to learn about the "We the People: Voting and Democracy in Rensselaer County" exhibit. In this labor segment, Willie spoke with Samantha Mahoski, curator and archivist at the Hart Cluett Museum and organizer of the "We the People" exhibit. This interview is part 2 of three with Samantha Mahoski.

On Thursday, October 3, 2024, Hudson Mohawk Magazine Roaming Labor Correspondent Willie Terry visited the Hart Cluett Museum in Downtown Troy, New York, to learn about the "We the People: Voting and Democracy in Rensselaer County" exhibit. In this labor segment, Willie spoke with Samantha Mahoski, curator and archivist at the Hart Cluett Museum and organizer of the "We the People" exhibit. This interview is part 3 of 3 with Samantha Mahoski.

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Finally a tech show not about AI. Martin Schmidt is the President of Rensselaer Institute of Technology (RPI) as well a distinguished technologist in his own right. So rather than having just another conversation about AI, I talked to Schmidt about how he expects quantum computing to change the world. Schmidt, who taught at MIT for many years, has a particularly interesting take on quantum because RPI is the first university in the world to house an IBM Quantum System One at its new Quantum Computational Center. So Schmidt's insights are practical rather than speculative and he offers a very concrete understanding of why quantum will, in the not too distant future, revolutionize not just computing, but also medicine and many other scientific fields. Martin A. Schmidt, the 19th President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), took office on July 1, 2022. Prior to coming to RPI, Schmidt served as the provost of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) since 2014 and was also MIT's senior academic and budget officer. He was responsible for the Institute's educational programs, as well as for the recruitment, promotion, and tenuring of faculty. As provost, he worked closely with MIT's deans to establish academic priorities, and with other members of the Institute's senior team to manage financial planning and research support. He also had oversight of MIT's international engagements. Schmidt was a member of MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science faculty since 1988, and also served as director of MIT's Microsystems Technology Laboratories from 1999 to 2006 and as associate provost from 2008 to 2013. He was also the Ray and Maria Stata Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), an international organization aimed at advancing technology. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

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Rensselaer Environmental Coalition is hosting a community meeting to discuss the ongoing efforts to close the Dunn C&D Landfill. The meeting is on Wednesday, September 25th at 6:30 PM at the Rensselaer Public Library.

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Got an opinion? On the iHeartRadio app, tap the red microphone to record & send us your thoughts. Don't have the app? Get it free here ---> https://news.iheart.com/apps/ Follow us: Instagram - wgyradio X - WGYMornings Facebook - 810wgy & WGYMornings

Got an opinion? On the iHeartRadio app, tap the red microphone to record & send us your thoughts. Don't have the app? Get it free here ---> https://news.iheart.com/apps/ Follow us: Instagram - wgyradio X - WGYMornings Facebook - 810wgy & WGYMornings

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First, we hear about a recent state report on air quality at the Dunn landfill in Rensselaer. Then, for our peace bucket, we hear about the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Next we get an update on the effort to get lead out of water pipes in Troy. Later on, we hear from David Borton about the benefits of having solar powered boats. Finally, we get a report from the recent meeting of the Albany Common Council, including making the Civilian Police Review Board part of city government.

Rensselaer Environmental Coalition (REC) is questioning a recent report by the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on testing done about the quality of air in Rensselaer. This study comes just less than a month after the Rensselaer County Legislature asked New York State to shut down the Dunn Landfill in the City of Rensselaer. Bob Welton of REC says DEC needs to look more closely at the health impact on students at the nearby school and monitor the smallest particles. With Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

May Clark is a Rensselaer Summer Youth Employment site advisor, overseeing about 15 youth. One of her sites is The Sanctuary for Independent Media. She came into our studio to talk about what the program does, her role in it, and how employees and employers can work better in tandem. She spoke with Sina Basila Hickey

Rensselaer County Women for Change held its annual membershiip meeting on August 4, 2024. Co-Chair Sally Lauletta talks about the group's plans for the upcoming year, including elections. With Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Rensselaer County Women for Change held its annual membershiip meeting on August 4, 2024. Co-Chair Sally Lauletta talks about the group's plans for the upcoming year, including elections. With Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

On this episode of the Hudson Mohawk Magazine, we first hear from Mark Dunlea whospeaks with Saratoga BLM about their lawsuit against Saratoga City officials and police. Then, Willie Terry talks to Rensselaer city resident Marylyn Raleigh about the Dunn Landfill conflict. Later on, Marshall Hildreth brings us on a stroll through the Collard City Growers open garden hours. And with garden happenings, we turn to an archival piece from Aleeka Noble who interviews Jonathan Segol the head chef of Sanctuary Kitchen! Finally, Matt Maginley continues his conversation with Azuré Keahi from Tech Valley Center of Gravity.

Garrett McCarey speaks with Jeri Bosman, president of 100 Women who Care Albany, about what they do and how one can join this worthwhile organization that funds non-profits in Albany, Schenectady, and Rensselaer counties. For additional information go to 100wwcalbany.org

Chloe Pierce is one of two Democrats running in the June 25th primary for the 107th Assembly District in NY, which includes part of Rensselaer, Albany, Washington and Columbia Counties. She talks to Mark Dunlea of Hudson Mohawk Magazine about her campaign.

On Saturday, May 18, the Rensselaer Environmental Coalition will hold an EJ forum at noon at the Rensselaer Public Library 676 East St, to provide an update on the effort to close down the Dunn Landfill. Operating permits for the facility expired in July 2022. The speakers will discuss the latest on the permit review process, the community's rights, and what residents can do about the landfill. Bob Welton of REC talks with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Belated Happy Dance Like a Chicken Day! Chloe Whittaker, Adult Activities Director at Troy Public Library, discusses that and other obscure May holidays before listing many upcoming activities at the Library. Those include an adult coloring time while Chloe reads a short story; a creative writing workshop; a presentation on how to talk with youth about anatomy, gender, and sexual orientation; and a workshop on fermentation basics. She also outlines the library's museum pass program, with passes available to anyone with a card at any library in Albany or Rensselaer counties. For more details, visit www.thetroylibrary.org. Or stop by the main library at 100 Second St. (which is open normal hours despite the exterior renovation going on). To find other libraries in New York State, see https://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/libs/#Find. Produced by Brea Barthel for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Bill Cowgill was looking to be come an architect when he arrived on campus at Ball State University in 1990. When that major became to daunting to this Highland IN High School grad he became an architect of relationships and athletic training that lead him to become one of most respected athletic trainers in the world of men's college basketball. Each experience he built a network of athletic training expertise and supporters that have lead him to his current position as the Associate Director of Sports Medicine at the University of Kansas. His journey has taken him from far off places like Rensselaer, IN to Fayetteville, AK, South Bend, IN and Miami, FL and the past 21 years in Lawrence, KS. In each of these experiences he built and cultivated relationships that helped him grow as and athletic trainer and earn respect from peers and coaches that helped him to the leadership role he is today. Bill is a 2018 inductee to the Cardinal Sports Medicine Society Ring of Honor and resides in Lawrence, KS with his wife Kirsten and their two sons.

Hello everyone. If you haven't listened to episode 215, “Searching for my Birth Father,” I suggest listening to that episode before continuing with this one. Just go to johncertalic.com/215. Today's episode, #216, continues with the theme of how understanding our past helps us understand our present when we see how God began shaping us early on to find joy in being the person he created us to be. Before we get into this I need to tell you that Carol, our announcer and executive director on vacation this week. Filling in for her is the latest addition to our staff, our chaplain and family cat, Father Patrick O'Malley. You'll see his picture at the top of our show notes for today's episode. Picking  up where we left off in the previous episode We left off episode 215 with the end of a conversation I had with my mother in the early 1990s about wanting to track down my birth father. The only information she had on him was that Jack Byrd, a truck driver, lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1948. I'll continue now reading from edited excerpts from my book, THEM  that describe what I did next.  *   *   * At the time of this talk with my mother, our son and daughter were attending Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, about forty miles from Fort Wayne. I learned through my genealogy class that Fort Wayne has one of the best genealogy libraries in the country. Planning a trip to discover more about my past I thought I would extend one of our weekend trips to visit our kids by driving to Fort Wayne to try locating this Jack Byrd. But without the Internet, and certainly without Google, I didn't have a lot to go on. Just his name, and a seemingly common one at that, his occupation, and where he lived 43 years ago. Before going to Fort Wayne, I started some research from home using directory assistance. (My apologies here to the thirty and younger crowd. Ask your parents or grandparents about “directory assistance.”) I called the Fort Wayne area code, asking for the phone number of any Jack Byrd, of which there were three. Each with different middle names or initials. So I called my mother and asked her if she remembered his middle name, and she did —it was Edward. Jack Edward Byrd. Then I called the only Jack E. Byrd listed with directory assistance and found out he wasn't the Byrd I was looking for. This Jack Byrd told me the following, “Back in the 1950s, I used to get mistaken for him all the time. Bill collectors and other people kept calling me, thinking I was the other Jack E. Byrd. It was quite annoying. Sorry I can't help you out, but good luck in finding him.”  A second dead-end in search for my birth father Starting this search process surprised me; something I had ignored for thirty years had developed into a sense of urgency to locate my birth father. It created an adrenaline rush in me that lasted for about six months. In the genealogy class I learned of services that track down birth parents for adopted children. So I contacted one and paid twenty- five dollars for them to try locating Jack Edward Byrd. They came up with nothing. They're not trying hard enough, I thought.  Undeterred by this dead end, Janet and I decided to visit our college kids over their homecoming weekend in October of 1991. We drove down on a Thursday evening.  Then on Friday, while Janet spent time with our daughter Jennifer and our son Michael in Winona Lake, I drove over to Fort Wayne. I wanted to use what I had been learning in my genealogy class to try locating this mystery man in my life.  My first stop was the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, where I camped out in the Genealogical Department. Looking through every source I could think of, I documented my research as I used to do when I wrote term papers in college. Using one bit of information to lead to another energized me. I started looking through obituary notices from the Fort Wayne newspaper. I found nothing there. I had to move on to something different, and to do it quickly, for I was due back in Winona Lake the same evening to attend homecoming activities with our kids.  Looking for keys to my past at the library and courthouse Checking out city directories, I found listings for Jack E. Byrd from 1946 to 1955. His employers indicated several trucking firms he worked for during this period. He disappeared after that. I looked for current listings of these same trucking companies, but they did not exist anymore. Had they still been in business, maybe an old-timer there would have remembered my birth father. Time was running out and I still hadn't gotten the information I needed. Maybe I'll have to come back and visit the addresses where he lived in the early 1950s to see if any of the neighbors were there at the time, and if so, ask if they knew his whereabouts.  With nowhere else to look in the Genealogical Department of the Allen County Library, and with time moving quickly, I went across the street to the Allen County Courthouse. It was there I found a treasure trove of information I needed. Room 201 houses the marriage and divorce records, so I started there. I was surprised, yet not surprised at what I found.  It's amazing what information you can find on a marriage license. I discovered Jack Edward Byrd was born on April 4, 1922. This April 4th date is a very significant date in my own history, which I will get to later.  Back to the story. Jack Byrd married a woman named Helen Jane Williamson in 1940. I was pretty sure this was my Jack Edward Byrd because it showed his occupation as a truck driver living in the area. This marriage was his first of six, five of which ended in divorce. One ended with the death of his last wife.  My birth father's other family At the time of my birth in February 1949 he was on wife number three and had four children from these marriages. Then there was me. I was conceived the same month his fourth child was born. So he was right in telling my mother when she announced her pregnancy to him that he had another family in Indiana and couldn't support the two of us and his Indiana family at the same time.  I certainly had no illusions my birth father was the epitome of virtue or that Focus on the Family was going to be contacting him anytime soon to present a lifetime achievement award. He was married three more times after I was born. On several of the wedding licenses, I noticed he either lied to whomever recorded the information, or there was a misprint.  The clock was ticking ever faster as I read through all this data. I wrote down names and any possible contact information from documents I discovered that I could later follow up on when I got home. Once I had gotten all there was to get in room 201, I then checked for civil and probate records, but I wasn't very thorough because their indexing system was hard to figure out and there wasn't time to learn it.  I still had about an hour left to do whatever research I could. There was more I could check, but it might have to wait for another trip to Fort Wayne. But the adrenaline was flowing and I wanted to use every minute left.  One final push to gather information about my past So I went across the street from the courthouse to the city/ county building to look for records there. Nothing turned up for Jack E. Byrd, but I did find a few records for his son Timothy Kevin Byrd. First a property deed from 1990, then divorce papers from his wife. I wrote down any names and contact information I could follow up on later.  With lots of paper filled with my notes, I headed back to Winona Lake for the evening activities with our son and daughter. I had spent the day using what I learned in the genealogy class, as well as what I learned from a summer job when I was a teacher. I worked for an insurance investigation firm where I checked court documents, looking for criminal records and civil actions. Added to this were the skills I developed as a headhunter, where I used one  bit of information to lead to another. All of this experience came into play in searching for Jack Edward Byrd. I think I was enjoying this process more than I should have. It gave me a sense of control and power over what had rendered me powerless for so many years.  Once we were back home in Milwaukee after my foray into the secrets of the Allen County Courthouse, I organized the notes I had taken and began mapping out a plan to locate Jack E. Byrd. Making phone calls to discover more of my past Using directory assistance, I started calling Jack E. Byrd's ex-wives and children, whose names I had found on marriage and divorce records. Several of them were easily located; others I could not find. The ones I could locate were scattered around various communities in Indiana. Unlike their husband  and father, they didn't stray far from their Hoosier roots. He, on the other hand, as I discovered, strayed as geographically as he did in his marital relationships, ending up in various cities in Alabama and Florida.  In calling the contacts I located, I didn't want this skeleton in their family closets to come falling down on them, fracturing something in them like it did me. I didn't want to open a can of worms for them. I didn't want to let the cat out of the bag. I didn't want to use other clichés for this very important process to me. I had to be honest, yet not reveal too much that would arouse suspicion.  So when I called, I would introduce myself and simply say, “I am doing research into my family history and as part of the search, I'm trying to locate a Jack Edward Byrd, someone I think I may be related to. Do you know if he's still alive and if so, what his phone number is?”  One bit of information leads to another piece of my past  No one ever questioned my motives. No one ever asked how I might be related. No one ever asked, “Well, if you think you're related to Jack Byrd, do you think maybe you might be related to me, too?” If they had, I probably would have just hung up the phone without answering. I've learned not every question people ask needs to be answered. I've also learned on the rare occasion when people ask me a question that makes me feel uncomfortable, it helps to ask a question in return, “Why do you ask?”  One particular ex-wife I contacted, a woman living in Rensselaer, Indiana, was most helpful. She had lost track of her ex a number of years ago, but she had a lot of names and phone numbers of family members who might know the whereabouts of one Jack E. Byrd. She did think he was still alive. I spent many evenings calling these leads and asking each of them for additional leads. Lots of phone calls, but no success. That was okay, though, because I was doing something. I could do, rather than feel. Doing something gave me a measure of control. It quieted the “you never should have been born; it's not how people are supposed to come into the world” voices.  One night, while going through my notes from my research in Fort Wayne, I found notes I had scribbled down from the divorce papers of one of Jack Byrd's sons, Timothy Kevin Byrd. I should mention that in my search, I was always asking for leads to any of Jack Byrd's children, thinking they would likely know how to reach their father, if in fact, he was still alive.  An attorney gives me a clue to help discover my past For some unexplainable reason, when I was at the courthouse, I also wrote down the name of the attorney and law firm that handled the divorce for Timothy Kevin Byrd, which took place in the 1980s.  The next day, I called the law firm of that attorney and asked to speak to him. Relieved he was still with them, I explained I was doing some family history research and noticed in some court documents he represented Timothy Kevin Byrd's divorce.  “He is someone I may be related to and I'd like to talk to him. Do you know how I can reach him?”  “Well, if I did, I couldn't tell you—attorney-client privilege and all that. I do remember him, though, and by the way, he goes by Kevin Byrd. I haven't talked to him in years, but the last I heard, he had moved to Ohio.”  That explained why I couldn't locate him through directory assistance in the (219) area code in Indiana. In those days, there was no nationwide directory assistance—you had to make a request for a person in a specific city, or at the very least, in a specific area code.  “What about his wife, his ex-wife? Do you know how I can reach her?”  “Hmm. I think she still lives in the Fort Wayne area,” he replied.  This is sure awkward I had her name from the divorce records so I called directory assistance in Fort Wayne, got her phone number, and then waited a few days before calling. I sensed this call was going to finally lead to where I wanted to go. It felt like I was closing in on a hunt I did not want to end. It was like coming to the end of a good book you didn't want to finish because the pleasure of reading it would also come to an end. That's why I waited before I called.  More nervous than in any of my previous calls, when Kevin Byrd's ex-wife answered the phone I said, “Hi, you don't know me, but my name is John Certalic. I'm doing research into my family history and as part of this, I'm trying to locate a Jack Edward Byrd, someone I think I may be related to. I understand you used to be married to one of his sons, Kevin. Is that correct?”  Then silence. And more silence.  Finally, with a nervous, halting voice, she replied, “Yes, that's correct.”  “I'm wondering if I can ask you a few questions about Jack Byrd.”  Silence once again on the other end of the line. After a very long pause, she said, “Can you call me back tomorrow?”  With her voice cracking, it sounded like she was starting to hyperventilate. “I was married to Kevin for only a year and your call has just opened up a lot of very painful wounds and memories.”  Opening up painful wounds in another's past “Oh, of course I can call back. I am so sorry. It was not my intent to do this to you. I am so sorry.”  “Call tomorrow. I just need some time to think about this and see if I can talk about it. It was all so terrible.”  “I understand, and I apologize for the pain I've caused you.”  “Okay.” Click.  Yikes! What had I done to the poor woman? Some stranger calls her out of the blue and wants to bring up a very painful part of her past. I felt terrible. So I waited several days before calling back.  “Hi, this is John Certalic again, I spoke to you a few days ago.”  “Yes, I remember. I'm sorry I cut you off, but that period in my life was so awful. It was a very abusive marriage. But you asked about Kevin's father, Jack. He and Kevin were very similar. Angry, abusive men. Jack was very tall. His face was pock-marked, probably from acne as a kid years ago.”  “Is he still alive?' “I don't know. It's been many years since I last saw him.” “Do you know where he might be living now?” “No.” “How about your ex-husband, Kevin? Do you know how I can reach him?” “I don't have a phone number for him. The last I heard, he was living in Columbus, Ohio.” “Well, thank you so much. You've been very helpful to me. And again, I am sorry for reminding you of a painful part of your past.”  “That's okay.”  “Goodbye.”  Another clue to discovering my past It was becoming clear to me that perhaps the path to Jack Byrd was through his son Kevin. So I called directory assistance in Columbus, Ohio, and found no listing for him.  Another roadblock. What do I do next?  I went back to my notes and after looking through them, decided to re-contact Jack Byrd's ex-wives to see if they knew how I could reach the son, Kevin Byrd. I don't know why I hadn't thought of that before.  One of the ex-wives said, “Oh, Kevin. Yes, he is living in Columbus, Ohio now. I think I do have his phone number. Let me see, now. Where did I put it?”  Oh, please, dear God. Let her find the number. “Yes, here it is. His phone number is ....” Now we were getting somewhere. Another lead, a good lead, to  follow up. The adrenaline was flowing again. I now knew how to reach the closest relative yet to my birth father. But I was getting more nervous about blowing my cover. What if he was more inquisitive than all the others? What if he wanted to know how I thought I might be related to his father? I needed to be honest, yet I wanted to respect everyone's privacy. I didn't want a repeat of what had happened with the call to his ex-wife.  It was getting a bit tense. A week went by before I summoned the courage to call the son of my biological father. My half-brother, Kevin Byrd. Same father. Different mothers. It occurred to me then that all of my siblings are half-brothers or half-sisters—the four I grew up with, and the many others I had never met. Nothing in me seemed whole.  Everything was half-this, half-that Everything was half. I was half-happy. Half-depressed. Nothing was full as it should be. I was not even fully adopted, for I had been raised by half of my birth parents, and adopted by the other half. This sometimes depressed me,  too. If both my birth parents had abandoned me, maybe I would have had more reason to be depressed all the time as a kid and young adult.  Nothing was normal. That's how it felt during my search.  Not long ago, though, I found some healing from this at a wedding for one of my nieces. I don't remember how we got on the subject but my brother Joe, who I grew up with, looked at one of my sisters and me, and shaking his head in disbelief, said, “I NEVER considered John my half-brother. He was always just my brother. Never just a half-brother.” What wonderful healing words those were to me.  The final clue  The search for my birth father, rather than depressing me, energized me. The next thing to do was to call his son, Kevin Byrd. After staring at the phone one evening, and picking it up and setting it down once or twice, I finally dialed his number.  “Hello, you don't know me, but my name is John Certalic. I'm doing some research into my family history and as part of this, I'm trying to locate a Jack Edward Byrd, and I understand you are his son. Am I correct?”  “Yes, I'm his son.” “Great. Is he still alive?” “Yes, he is, last time I checked.” “Do you know where he is living now and how I can reach him?”  “Dad is living outside of Mobile, Alabama. He moved down there when he retired. He got tired of winters in the Midwest. I've got his phone number right here; I just talked to him a few days ago. Here's his number... Oh, and when you call, let the phone ring for a long time. He's hard of hearing now and it will take him a while to get to the phone.”  “Thanks. I appreciate your help. Goodbye.”  Now what? More to come in the next episode We need to stop here because I know you have other things to do with your day. But we'll pick up and hopefully finish this story in our next episode, #217 in two weeks. I think you'll be interested in hearing what happened when I actually called Jack Byrd and what he had to say to me.  For now, though, I want to remind you of the theme of this little chapter of my past, namely that understanding our past and where we've come from helps us understand our present when we see how God began shaping us early on to find joy in being the person he created us to be.   It's a theme that can be part of your story as well. For me, I certainly didn't find any joy at the time in being the person God created me to be. That realization took time. But looking back now, I can see things more clearly.  The April 4ths connections  Here's just one example, the whole April 4th thing that I mentioned earlier. In my search for Jack Byrd, I discovered his birthday is April 4th. That day is also the day I found Jesus in 1968, which is my spiritual birthday. It's also the same day Martin Luther King was assassinated. He transitioned out of this world into a new life the same day I entered a new life.   And then the same thing happened to one of the dearest people in my life, My mother-in-law, Elda Millane, when she died at age 96 on April 4th, 2020. She had been suffering from Alzheimer's for at least the previous 12 years. It was both a sad and joyous occasion. And it's the subject of episode 059, “The Last Place You Would Ever Think to Find Joy.”  I'll have a link to it at the bottom of the show notes.  It's really one of my favorites. I hope you listen to it someday. Thinking about all these connections to April 4th just gives me chills and draws me to the love of God. Closing In closing, I'd love to hear any thoughts you have about today's episode. I hope your thinking was stimulated by today's show, to think about how God has been shaping you, even from an early age, to be the person he's created to be. And to find a measure of joy in that reality. Well, that's it for today. If there's someone in your life you think might like to hear what you just heard, please forward this episode on to them. Scroll down to the bottom of the show notes and click on one of the options in the yellow “Share This” bar. And don't forget to spread a little relational sunshine around the people you meet this week. Spark some joy for them.  And I'll see you again next time. Goodbye for now. Other episodes or resources related to today's shows 021: The Most Important Relationship of All 059: The Last Place You Would Ever Think to Find Joy 029: An Adoption Relationship Story- Part 1 030: An Adoption Relationship Story - Part 2 Most prior recent episode 215: Searching For My Birth Father All past and future episodes    JohnCertalic.com Our Sponsor You Were Made for This is sponsored by Caring for Others, a missionary care ministry.  Donate Please consider donating to help cover the costs associated with this podcast and the other services we provide missionaries around the world. You can make a tax-deductible contribution to Caring for Others when you click here.  You can also contribute by clicking on the yellow "Donate" box in the upper right corner at the top of the first page.

Episode: 1107 In which we call ourselves engineers, for the last 200 years.  Today, we learn where engineers come from.

Dr. Pankaj Karande is an Associate Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Pankaj was trained as a chemical engineer, and his research aims to apply engineering approaches and technology to solve problems in biology and healthcare to improve the quality and quantity of human life. Projects in his lab span areas such as drug discovery, drug delivery, biomaterials, diagnostics, and more. When he's not working, Pankaj loves to cook, and experimenting with different recipes has been a great way to relieve stress. He was awarded his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Mumbai University Institute of Chemical Technology and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Pankaj was awarded an Anna Fuller Postdoctoral Fellowship in Molecular Oncology, and he conducted postdoctoral research in the Center for Cancer Research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining the faculty at Rensselaer. Pankaj has received a variety of awards and honors in his career, including the Excellence in Classroom Instruction Award and the Outstanding Teaching Award from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also received the Alzheimer's Association New Investigator Research Award, the Goldhirsh Brain Tumor Research Award, and a Bronze Edison Award in the Best New Product in Science and Medical Category. In addition, he has been issued multiple patents in the areas of Transdermal Formulation Discovery and Novel High Throughput Screening Platforms. In our interview, Pankaj shares more about his life and science.

A young revolutionary once wrote that "...in the big lie, there is always a certain force of credibility." And with the insurgence of Marcus de Vogelaer's vehemently anti-patroon faction, his planted Provincial Secretary Jan Remunde wasted no time in teaming up with the increasingly embittered first Minister in order to effect that very big lie. And in short order, scored a decisive victory, by manipulating the dismissal of Walloon Pierre Minuit.  And in the fallout of this upheaval, the Island now being called "the Manhattans" would be introduced to a young man who would eventually be the namesake of today's "Governor's Island" -- a 26-year old former clerk (who just happened to also have an uncle by the name of Kiliaen van Rensselaer.) Yes, this story is complicated.   And as this inexperienced incoming "Governor" tacked east toward the Strand at Pearl Street, it was not the sight of the three active windmills that actually caught his attention...but rather the posture of a buxom German woman provocatively perched atop that dock, with her hazel eyes locked directly into his... And if nothing else, the one thing this paunchy Dutch boy knew for sure was that he was not in Amsterdam anymore. Episode 12 - Governor. Climb aboard. #historyiscool :)