Podcasts about Rice University

Hosts Mark Johnson, Bruce Pearson and Irene Allen-Block talk with authors Whitley Strieber & Jeffrey Kripel about their book The Super Natural: Whe the Unexpkained is Real.Whitley Strieber (Communion) and Jeffrey J. Kripal (J. Newton Rayzor professor of religion at Rice University) team up on this unprecedented and intellectually vibrant new framing of inexplicable events and experiences.Rather than merely document the anomalous, these authors--one the man who popularized alien abduction and the other a renowned scholar and "renegade advocate for including the paranormal in religious studies" (The New York Times)--deliver a fast-paced and exhilarating study of why the supernatural is neither fantasy nor fiction but a vital and authentic aspect of life.Their suggestion? That all kinds of "impossible" things, from extra-dimensional beings to bilocation to bumps in the night, are not impossible at all: rather,  they are a part of our natural world. But this natural world is immeasurably more weird, more wonderful, and probably more populated than we have so far imagined with our current categories and cultures, which are what really make these things seem "impossible."The Super Natural considers that the natural world is actually a "super natural world"--and all we have to do to see this is to change the lenses through which we are looking at it and the languages through which we are presently limiting it. In short: The extraordinary exists if we know how to look at and think about it.Original Air Date: March 16, 2016.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/paranormal-uk-radio-network--4541473/support.

IANR 2544 110125 Line Up4-6pm INTERVIEWSHere's the guest line-up for Sat, Nov 1, 2025 from 4 to 6pm CST on Indo American News Radio, a production of Indo American News (www.IndoAmerican-News.com). We areon 98.7 FM and you can also listen on the masalaradio app.By Monday, hear the recorded show on Podcast uploaded on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Radio Public and Breaker. Our Podcast has been rated #2 among 100 Podcasts in Houston by feedspot.com. We have 6 years of Podcasts and have had thousands of hits.TO SUPPORT THE SHOW, SELECT FOLLOW ON OUR FREE PODCAST CHANNEL AND YOU'LL BE NOTIFIED OF NEW UPDATES.4:20 pm The greater Houston area is a sprawling 10,000 sq miles while the city itself is closer to 700 sq miles. Nestled in this vast space are neighborhoods and clusters of businessdistricts that have spawned their own traffic patterns, commercial corridors and living arrangements, all of which are subjects that Dr. Caroline Cheong, an urban planning researcher at the Kinder Institute at Rice University, has studied from the perspective of conservation, development, regeneration and affordable housing. Caroline joins us today to talk about what her research has found that could help the average Houstonian.4:50 pm Just like many others large cities across the US, Houston has its share of homeless people and you can see them panhandling at many high-density street corners. But unlike others cities, Houston has been lauded for decreasing homeless numbers by 60% by placing them in affordable and in most cases free shelters. Just this past week, the City of Houston approved spending $16 million to buy the property at 419 Emancipation Avenue, which will house up to 320 people. We asked Catherine Villarreal, a Vice President at the Coalition for the Homeless of Harris County to explain how the homelessness issue is being tackled here.5:20 pm Gopal Aggarwal is the founder and CEO of Tara Capital. He leads the company's corporate strategy, long-range planning, and business development functions and oversees capital improvement and value-add programs across portfolio. He has over 30 years of multi-facetedreal estate experience across apartments, hotels, and retail. He joins us again today to tell us more about his current project which is open to interested investors right now, as well as what to look for when making a real estate investment.Also stay tuned in for news roundup, views, sports and movie reviews.      TO BE FEATURED ON THE SHOW, OR TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CONTACT US AT 713-789-NEWS or 6397 or at indoamericannews@yahoo.comPlease pick up the print edition of Indo American News which is the ONLY community paper widely available all across town at grocery stores from Hillcroft to Sugar Land, Katy and FM 1960. Also visit our website indoamerican news.com which gets 90,000+ hits to track all current stories.And remember to visit our digital archives from over 17 years. Plus, our entire 44 years of hard copy archives are available in the Fondren Library at Rice University.

Welcome to the American Railroading Podcast! In this episode our host Don Walsh is joined by guest Chuck Baker, President of the American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA). Together they discuss the story of the American short line railroads including their origins, their near demise due to regulations and increased trucking, their re-birth after deregulation, their significant role and impact on the U.S. economy, the effect of a government shutdown on the industry, and much more. Tune in to this episode to gain valuable insights and broaden your understanding of American Railroading! You can find this episode and more on the American Railroading Podcast's official website at www.AmericanRailroading.net , and watch our YouTube Channel at the link below. Welcome aboard!KEY POINTS: The American Railroading Podcast remains in the Top 10% of all podcasts globally, now downloaded in 58 countries around the world, on 38 podcast platforms!Although growing up in Baltimore, MD., Mr. Baker is a graduate of Rice University in Houston, TX.Prior to becoming President of the ASLRRA, Chuck was a lobbyist specializing in government affairs in Washinton, DC for 15 years representing railroad clients before the Federal Government, including Congress & administrative agencies such as the DOT,FRA, STB, DHS & TSA.Don and Chuck discuss what criteria determines a Class 1 railroad.A short line railroad's role is to be the “First Mile, Last Mile” provider to local and regional businesses and communities, working in conjunction with Class 1 railroads.While there are 6 Class 1 railroads in the U.S. (UP, BNSF, CSX, NS, CN, and CPKC), there are 603 short line railroads.Short line railroads are a great American success story, employing 17,800 employees nationwide, contributing significantly to the U.S. economy.Chuck shares his opinion on the effect of a government shutdown on the railroad industry.The ASLRRA offers its members not only advocacy, but also training, grant assistance, disaster preparedness, education funds & industry scholarships, environmental initiatives, webinars, industry events, and more.If you like what we do, please leave us a 5-Star Review…and please Share the episode!LINKS MENTIONED: https://www.americanrailroading.nethttps://www.therevolutionrailgroup.com https://www.youtube.com/@americanrailroadingpodcast https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dwalshX https://www.enviroserve.com https://www.ASLRRA.org

In this episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul and Glenn are joined by Carl Seidman to explore a powerful but often overlooked role in finance: being a teacher. Drawing from decades of experience across consulting, education, and finance leadership, Carl discusses how FP&A professionals must learn to teach, whether it's helping executives see the story behind the numbers, guiding junior staff, or translating finance for cross-functional teams. The episode is packed with practical advice, personal stories, and thoughtful insights about how teaching, influence, and communication shape success in finance.Carl Seidman is a seasoned management consultant, fractional CFO, and educator. With over 20 years of experience advising companies from startups to Fortune 500s, Carl also teaches at Rice University and runs finance training programs for corporate teams. He brings a unique blend of technical mastery, business strategy, and teaching skill, making him the perfect voice to discuss why FP&A must go beyond the spreadsheet and into the realm of influence.Expect to Learn:Why teaching is an essential skill for every FP&A professionalHow to tailor your message to different audiences, from analysts to executivesWhy oversharing details can derail your influenceHow to spot when your audience is confused (and how to pull them back in)Practical strategies for teaching finance without using jargon or acronymsHere are a few quotes from the episode:“The best presenters speak to the audience's needs, not their own ego.” - Carl Seidman“FP&A is often the bridge, translating finance for operations and operations for finance.” - Glenn SnyderCarl Seidman reminds us that the heart of FP&A isn't just analysis, it's communication, clarity, and connection. Through teaching, finance professionals can elevate their impact, build trust, and drive real business understanding. This episode reinforces that the most effective finance leaders don't just present data, they help others make sense of it.Campfire: AI-First ERP:Campfire is the AI-first ERP that powers next-gen finance and accounting teams. With integrated solutions for the general ledger, revenue automation, close management, and more, all in one unified platform.Explore Campfire today: https://campfire.ai/?utm_source=fpaguy_podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=100225_fpaguyFollow Carl:LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/carlseidmanWebsite: seidmanfinancial.comEarn Your CPE Credit For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FP&A Certificate, take the quiz on Earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.In Today's Episode[02:30] - Meet Carl Seidman[04:48] - What Does “FP&A as a Teacher” Mean?[08:20] - Teaching Early in Your Career[19:33] - Who Does FP&A Need to Teach?[25:54] - Teaching Financial Impact[29:19] - Ditch the Jargon[35:44] - Spotting Confused Audiences[41:59] - Teaching for Long-Term Growth[43:58] - Celebrity on a Deserted Island

After leading Rice University in tackles in 2023, Plae Wyatt entered the 2024 season ready to build on that success. But when an early injury cut his season short, Plae found a new way to lead — through mentorship, service, and community impact. In this episode, we dive into how the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team member turned adversity into action, launching the Plae Wyatt Free Youth Football Camp and dedicating his time to mentoring at-risk youth in the Houston area. Plae shares what drives him to serve, how his father's legacy with the McKinney Yellow Jackets shaped his purpose, and why leadership goes far beyond the football field.

One year ago, the Virani family made a historic gift to Rice Business, establishing the Virani Undergraduate School of Business. To mark the occasion, Owl Have You Know welcomes Farid Virani — entrepreneur, philanthropist and proud Rice University parent.In 1999, Farid founded Prime Communications with a single storefront in Houston's Baybrook Mall. Today, Prime Communications is the largest AT&T authorized retailer in North America, with more than 2,500 locations across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Along the way, Farid has relied on three guiding principles — "stay humble, hungry and scrappy" — which continue to shape his approach to business and life.He joins host Maya Pomroy '22 to share his entrepreneurial journey, the Virani family's commitment to education and community, and the vision behind the Virani Undergraduate School of Business — a school designed to empower the next generation of ethical, curious, and compassionate business leaders.Episode Guide:00:15 Meet Farid Virani: Entrepreneur and Philanthropist04:26 Building a Business Empire05:58 Philanthropy and Community Investment07:39 The Virani Undergraduate School of Business11:24 Leadership and Business Education17:32 The Faris Foundation: A Legacy of Giving20:25 Advice for Aspiring EntrepreneursThe Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.Episode Quotes:How being agile can separate you from other business leaders14:13: So, everything is moving very fast. For the next generation of entrepreneurs, the business leaders not only have to build businesses and solve problems in society, but they have to be agile. They have to be fast. They have to embrace technology. That's a lot of stuff that is coming their way. They have to find their own North Star as to what they're going to do, and how you do it, I think, will depend on individuals—on their passion, on what they find exciting, what excites them. But more than that, to me, it will require a mixture of basic business fundamentals—doing the right things, building things, having great teams around—but embracing technology, not running away from it. Embracing change, not running away from it. I think that will separate successful entrepreneurs and businesses.What Farid hopes for the Virani School15:48: So, my hope is that the Virani School at Rice becomes a top 10 school in the country. Top 5. You said it. That is what we strive—I think Peter and the leadership will strive to do that. But more than that, for me, is that it becomes an institution—the Virani School—that develops the future leaders for the country. Now, whether they are in business, in entrepreneurship, whether it is in the political arena, or whether it is in any industry, so long as it develops leaders that give back to the community and give back to society, and give back to the country, then we will all benefit.Stay humble, hungry and scrappy21:02: Be curious, because you just do not know what life has in store for you. I mean, I think for me, being curious and asking questions about things has served me well, and obviously, be grateful that you are part of an amazing institution like Rice—even more special, the Virani School. But then, you know, stay humble, stay scrappy, and stay hungry, and that pretty much has served me well. And it is simple, you can remember it, and it is nothing fancy.Show Links: TranscriptThe Virani Undergraduate School of Business announcementGuest Profile:Farid Virani | Rice Business

A significant research project on faith at work was conducted by Professors Denise Daniels from Wheaton College and Elaine Ecklund from Rice University. From the surveys and interviews conducted, Denise Daniels created a Faith at Work Matrix. In this series, I'll address four methods of work Professor Daniels believes can benefit the Kingdom of God. ... The post Faith at Work Matrix: Part I appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

IANR 2543 102525 Line Up 4-6pm INTERVIEWSHere's the guest line-up for Sat, Oct 25, 2025 from 4 to 6pm CST on Indo American News Radio, a production of Indo American News (www.IndoAmerican-News.com). We areon 98.7 FM and you can also listen on the masalaradio app.By Monday, hear the recorded show on Podcast uploaded on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Radio Public and Breaker. Our Podcast has been rated #2 among 100Podcasts in Houston by feedspot.com. We have 6 years of Podcasts and have had thousands of hits.TO SUPPORT THE SHOW, SELECT FOLLOW ON OUR FREE PODCAST CHANNEL AND YOU'LL BE NOTIFIED OF NEW UPDATES.4:20 pm Surendran Pattel is a very persistent and determined man who in 2022, won in his second electionrace for Judge for the 240th Judicial District Court. In that position, he has worked hard to cut down the enormous backload of cases and earned the respect of his peers, attorneys and elected officials for his efficiency and even-handed approach. Surendran is now running for re-election and will be on the March 2026 Primaries. Still as busy as ever, between family and work, he managed to find some time to call us today to talk about his work as a judge and what hehopes to do with a second term.4:50 pm Zubin Mory has a solid 26 years of experience inFinance and Real Estate in New York, Miami and elsewhere and has recently settled into the Houston area. In 2011, he founded RealTMOR Asset Mgmt, a high value added residential real estate firm that creates value by procuring assets after careful research and due diligence and then manages the assets. He joins us today to tell us more about his business.5:20 pm Two weeks ago, Ashok Rao was on the showregaling us with the History of Wine, which even got us a little tipsy!!  A born storyteller, Ashok loves to educate anddoes his research well to weave an engrossing tale that spans the centuries. Now, as summer is over and Fall is in the air, he wanted to return with an even more fascinating installment in the History Talks series. He is back again today with another episode, a topic that will make you grab for a savory snack – The History of Salt. Listen and learn how this mineral has turned the tide of civilizations!!!Also stay tuned in for news roundup, views, sports and movie reviews.      TO BE FEATURED ON THE SHOW, OR TO ADVERTISE, PLEASE CONTACT US AT 713-789-NEWS or 6397 or at indoamericannews@yahoo.comPlease pick up the print edition of Indo American News which is the ONLY community paper widely available all across town at grocery stores from Hillcroft to Sugar Land, Katy and FM 1960. Also visit our website indoamerican-news.com which gets 90,000+ hits to track all current stories.And remember to visit our digital archives from over 17 years. Plus, our entire 44 years of hard copy archives are available in the Fondren Library at Rice University.

For Scott Abell, coming to Longwood in the fall of 1988 was an easy decision. Former Longwood Baseball coach Buddy Bolding made him an offer he could not refuse. In his four-year career, the Lancer catcher compiled a .336 batting average and led the Lancers to the final four of the 1991 NCAA Division II CWS. Shortly after graduation, he reunited with his first love, football. After coaching high school and college teams to conference and state championships, he is in his first year as the Dunlevie Family head coach at Rice University in Houston TX.

Dr Braxton is a Christian, whereas Dr Pinn is a Secular Humanist. While their respective traditions have often stood in bitter opposition, in a deeply divided world, Braxton and Pinn demonstrate that constructive dialogue is essential. This “master class” offers a compelling model for engaging across religious, ethical, and cultural differences. Through frank, personal, and deeply informed discussion, Braxton and Pinn tackle urgent topics such as ongoing violence against historically minoritised communities, the rise of religiously unaffiliated groups, and the Black Lives Matter movement. They also delve into profound philosophical questions of religion, moral evil, and hope. Discover how open exchange, respecting rather than masking differences, fosters the common good. This unique event invites us to learn how to be better people who can, in turn, transform our world into a more inclusive and loving place. Brad R. Braxton is President of and Professor of Public Theology at Chicago Theological Seminary. He is the Founding Senior Pastor of The Open Church and formerly served as the Director of the Center for the Study of African American Religious Life at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. His most recent book is 'Open: Unorthodox Thoughts on God and Community'. Anthony Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Distinguished Professor of Humanities and professor of religion at Rice University, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Professor Extraordinarius at the University of South Africa and a visiting scholar at Harvard Divinity School. He received his BA from Columbia University, Master of Divinity and PhD in the study of religion from Harvard University.

European Space Industry Shakeup: Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales have announced a groundbreaking merger to form a new powerhouse in space systems, aiming for European autonomy in space technology. This collaboration will focus on everything from satellites to deep space exploration and is set to launch in 2027, employing around 25,000 people and generating significant revenue.Jupiter's Role in Earth's Formation: New research from Rice University reveals that a young Jupiter may have saved Earth from spiraling into the Sun. By creating pressure bumps in the protoplanetary disk, Jupiter allowed rocky planets like Earth to form stably, reshaping our understanding of solar system dynamics and the search for habitable exoplanets.Real-Time Ring Formation: Astronomers have made history by observing 44 rings forming around the centaur 2060 Chiron in real time. This evolving system, which includes water, ice, and rock, provides critical insights into the processes of ring formation and the dynamics of small celestial bodies.Discovery of Ross 508b: A new super Earth, Ross 508b, has been discovered 37 light years away, raising excitement among astronomers. This exoplanet's elliptical orbit around an M dwarf star presents potential for liquid water, making it a prime target for atmospheric studies by JWST.SpaceX Launch Milestone: SpaceX has achieved a remarkable milestone with its 139th mission of 2025, launching Spain's SpainSat NG2 satellite. This record-breaking pace of 134 Falcon 9 launches this year highlights the future of accessible space and the potential for enhanced astronomical research.For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna and Avery signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the wonders of our universe.✍️ Episode ReferencesEuropean Space Industry Merger[Airbus](https://www.airbus.com/)Jupiter's Role in Solar System Formation[Rice University](https://www.rice.edu/)2060 Chiron Ring Observations[Astrophysical Journal Letters](https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0004-637X)Ross 508b Discovery[National Astronomical Observatory of Japan](https://www.nao.ac.jp/en/)SpaceX Launch Records[SpaceX](https://www.spacex.com/)Astronomy Daily[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click away... Click HereSponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here

In 2006, the Masdar City project was launched in the United Arab Emirates. Supported by $22 billion in state-funding, it aimed to be the world's most sustainable city. Situated 6km away from Zayed International Airport, neighbouring a Formula 1 racetrack and golf course, Abu Dhabi's eco-utopia is full of contradictions.Bertie discusses why oil-rich Gulf states like UAE and Saudi Arabia are investing in sustainability with Gökçe Günel, Associate Professor in Anthropology at Rice University. Gökçe is the author of Spaceship in the Desert: Energy, Climate Change, and Urban Design in Abu Dhabi, published in 2019 by Duke University Press. Further reading: Inside COP28: A Participant's Take on Climate Diplomacy Efforts in Dubai, Gökçe Günel, Baker Institute, 2024 Horizons, Gökçe Günel, e-flux Architecture, 2022Spaceship in the Desert: Energy, Climate Change, and Urban Design in Abu Dhabi, Gökçe Günel, Duke University Press, 2019  Click here for our website to read all our most recent Land and Climate Review features and pieces.

President Trump is defending the demolition of the White House's East Wing. Months ago, he said the construction "won't interfere with the current building." We're Keeping Them Honest. Plus, presidential historian and Rice University history professor Douglas Brinkley gives his take on the extensive project to build a ballroom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Presidential power has expanded far beyond what the framers of the Constitution envisioned. From Lincoln and Roosevelt to Nixon and Trump, presidents have pushed the limits of executive authority — often during moments of crisis. Understanding this history is key to understanding what comes next for American democracyIn this episode, host Simone Leeper speaks with American historians Douglas Brinkley and Rick Perlstein, CLC Executive Director Adav Noti and Juan Proaño, CEO of LULAC. In conversation, they trace how the presidency has gathered sweeping power over time; what happens when oversight of this executive power breaks down; and what legal, legislative and civic reforms could restore accountability, prevent presidential overreach and safeguard the constitutional separation of powers that defines the United States.Timestamps:(00:05) — Why were federal troops deployed in Los Angeles?(05:11) — Can the president legally invoke emergency powers?(07:31) — How did the Founders limit presidential authority?(09:14) — When did executive orders begin to expand presidential power?(10:25) — How did FDR and later presidents redefine the presidency?(13:04) — What did Nixon's “If the president does it, it's not illegal” comment really mean?(15:22) — What are the origins of the so-called unitary executive theory?(18:21) — How are checks and balances failing?(19:42) — Is America sliding toward authoritarianism?(27:57) — How is Campaign Legal Center fighting unlawful presidential overreach through litigation?(30:00) — Why does birthright citizenship matter for American democracy?(33:13) — What can be done to stop abuses of presidential authority?Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at Campaign Legal Center, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor's degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Juan Proaño is an entrepreneur, technologist and business leader who is active in civic affairs, social impact, and politics He has served as the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since November 2023. As LULAC's CEO, Juan oversees the day-to-day operations at LULAC; identifies strategic growth areas; and works to amplify the organization's advocacy initiatives and action-oriented programs.Rick Perlstein is an American historian, writer and journalist who has garnered recognition for his chronicles of the post-1960s American conservative movement. He is the author of five bestselling books. Perlstein received the 2001 Los Angeles Times Book Award for History for his first book, Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus, and appeared on the best books of the year lists of The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune. His essays and book reviews have been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, The Village Voice and Slate, among others. A contributing editor and board member of In These Times magazine, he lives in Chicago.Douglas Brinkley is the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University, CNN Presidential Historian and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. He works in many capacities in the world of public history, including on boards, museums, colleges and historical societies. The Chicago Tribune dubbed him “America's New Past Master.” The New York Historical has chosen Brinkley as their official U.S. Presidential Historian. His recent book Cronkite won the Sperber Prize, while The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast received the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. He has received a Grammy Award for Presidential Suite and seven honorary doctorates in American Studies. His two-volume annotated The Nixon Tapes recently won the Arthur S. Link – Warren F. Kuehl Prize. He is a member of the Century Association, Council of Foreign Relations and the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and three children.Adav Noti coordinates all of Campaign Legal Center's operations and programmatic activities, overseeing CLC's efforts to protect elections, advance voter freedom, fix the campaign finance system, ensure fair redistricting and promote government ethics. Adav has conducted dozens of constitutional cases in trial and appellate courts and the United States Supreme Court. He also advises members of Congress and other policymakers on advancing democracy through legislation. Prior to joining CLC, Adav served for more than 10 years in nonpartisan leadership capacities within the Office of General Counsel of the Federal Election Commission, and he served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. Adav regularly provides expert analysis for television, radio and print journalism.Links: Voting Is an American Freedom. The President Can't Change That – CLC  What Are Executive Orders and How Do They Work? – CLC  The Significance of Firing Inspectors General: Explained – CLC  CLC's Kedric Payne on Trump's Brazen Removal of Nation's Top Ethics Official – CLC  The Justice Department Is In Danger Of Losing Its Way Under Trump – CLC  It's almost Inauguration Day. Will there be any checks on Trump's power? – Trevor Potter op-d in The Hill Amidst the Noise and Confusion – Trevor Potter's newsletter Understanding Corruption and Conflicts of Interest in Government | Campaign Legal Center – CLC  CLC Sues to Stop Elon Musk and DOGE's Lawless, Unconstitutional Power Grab | Campaign Legal Center – CLC  Trump's Executive Orders 2025 – Federal Register  Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections (Trump's EO on voting) – The White House  Defending the Freedom to Vote from the Trump Administration's Unconstitutional Presidential Overreach (LULAC, et al. v. Executive Office of the President) – CLC  CLC Sues to Block Trump Administration's Illegal Election Overreach – CLC  Victory! Anti-Voter Executive Order Halted in Court – CLC  Understanding the election tech implications in the Trump Administration's executive order – Verified Voting  Independent Agencies Must Remain Independent – CLC  Can President Trump Do That? – CLC  Why Birthright Citizenship Is an Essential Part of Our Democracy – CLC  Authoritarianism, explained – Protect Democracy The Authoritarian Playbook – Protect Democracy U.S. Supreme Court Significantly Limits Restraints on Unconstitutional Presidential Actions – CLC  Reconciliation Bill Passes the Senate Without Two Dangerous Provisions: Campaign Legal Center Reacts – CLC  The “Self-Evident” Case for Opposing Tyranny – Trevor Potter's Newsletter White House Eyes Rarely Used Power to Override Congress on Spending – NY TimesAbout CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to solving the wide range of challenges facing American democracy. Campaign Legal Center fights for every American's freedom to vote and participate meaningfully in the democratic process. Learn more about us.Democracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Carole Keim welcomes Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatric Rheumatology Dr. Cristina Saez, MD, to The Baby Manual to discuss what rheumatology is and how pediatric rheumatology works. She studies and has training in autoimmune diseases, specifically ones affecting bones, muscles, joints, or multiple organ systems,  in children. Dr. Saez tells Dr. Keim that though she sees children for different things, the most common is joint pain. Juvenile arthritis is likely the most common rheumatologic diagnosis seen in her clinic. Cristina details how joint pain presents in children and the method of assessment used in diagnosis. She also treats a lot of recurrent fevers and tells Carole how fevers can present in diseases that affect the immune system, which is what she works to assess. Practical information on how to identify joint pain, what grade of fever should prompt medical intervention, and the types of medication used in treatment are all explained by Dr. Saez in this insightful episode. Dr. Cristina Saez, MD:Dr. Cristina Saez is the Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatric Rheumatology at Stanford Medicine. She graduated from Rice University with a BA in Kinesiology with a focus on Health Sciences in 2015. After graduation, she started medical school at Baylor College of Medicine. While there, she was an active member of the Pediatric Student Association and participated in the Medical Ethics Track. Outside of class, she enjoyed mentoring younger students through the Anatomy Buddies tutoring program and the Peer Resource Network program. She still kept in touch with the Kinesiology Department and even helped teach undergraduate students in the gross anatomy course. During her later years, she helped develop a protocol within the Pediatric Rheumatology department at Texas Children's Hospital to help adolescent patients prepare for the transition from pediatric to adult care.__ Resources discussed in this episode:The Holistic Mamas Handbook is available on AmazonThe Baby Manual is also available on Amazon__Contact Dr. Carole Keim, MDlinktree | tiktok | Instagram Contact Dr. Cristina Saez, MDStanford Medicine Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What's the point of going to college? There used to be an obvious answer to this: to acquire the knowledge to get a better job. But in our AI age, when smart machines are already challenging many white collar professions, the point of college is increasingly coming into question—especially given its time and financial commitment. According to Caroline Levander, author of the upcoming InventEd, the American ‘tradition of innovation' can transform college today. Levander, who serves as Vice President for Global Strategy at Rice University, argues that colleges must transform themselves from museums into startups. Indeed, the ideal of failure, so celebrated in Silicon Valley, must become a pillar of reinvented universities. And students too, who Levander has suggested have become increasingly conservative in their attitude to personal risk, must also learn to embrace not just innovative technological tools but also the messiness of personal disruption. That should be the point of college, Levander says. To learn how to productively fail. 1. Universities Must Choose: Museum or Startup? Levander argues universities exist on a continuum between museums (curating and preserving accumulated wisdom) and startups (messy, high-risk spaces for creating new knowledge). Most institutions haven't intentionally decided where they belong on this spectrum, but they need to embrace a more dynamic, startup-oriented position to remain relevant.2. Student Risk Aversion is the Real Crisis Today's students are increasingly conservative, focused on maximizing GPAs and taking “safe” courses rather than exploring creatively. Universities must build a “growth mindset” that encourages failure and experimentation—treating creativity as a muscle to develop rather than a fixed trait like eye color.3. Disciplinary Diversity is America's Innovation Secret Just as biodiversity sustains ecosystems, disciplinary diversity fuels innovation. Breakthrough moments are unpredictable—Steve Jobs in calligraphy, investor Bill Miller in a philosophy seminar on John Searle. Closing departments and narrowing curricula amounts to “eating our seed corn” and threatens America's competitive advantage.4. The Dropout Myth Misses the Point While figures like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sam Altman dropped out successfully, Levander asks: “How do we create more Steve Jobses who find the university not a place to leave, but a place to continue building creative capability?” The goal is to institutionalize and scale what now happens by happenstance.5. Attacking Universities Threatens National Innovation The current political assault on university funding—particularly research dollars—isn't just bad for Harvard or Rice. It threatens America's entire innovation economy, since universities remain the primary incubators for industry-creating discoveries that drive national prosperity and competitiveness. 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

Tim Rinehart is the Principal Double Bassist of the Oregon Symphony. A graduate of Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, Tim studied with Paul Ellison while also earning a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. He is the winner of the 2025 International Society of Bassists Orchestral Division Competition and has performed with numerous prestigious orchestras including the Boston Symphony, London Symphony, and Houston Symphony. Tim shares his journey through multiple auditions in a single season, revealing the breakthrough preparation strategies that led to winning his current. He discusses mental performance techniques, systematic practice methods, committee expectations, his education with Paul Ellison at Rice University, and his new role with the Oregon Symphony. Connect with Tim: Website Instagram YouTube Oregon Symphony profile Connect with DBHQ: Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear used to record this podcast: Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder Rode Podmic Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens   When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.   Thank you to our sponsors! Upton Bass - From Grammy Award winners and Philharmonic players like Max Zeugner of the New York Philharmonic, each Upton Bass is crafted with precision in Connecticut, USA, and built to last for generations.  Discover your perfect bass with Upton Bass today! Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio is a valued part of an innovative fine arts community in a top research university. Students receive weekly private lessons and solo classes with Micah Howard, and Peter Guild teaches weekly Orchestral Literature and Repertoire. They encourage students to seek lessons and guidance from local bassists. Members of the Symphony, the Opera, and the Ballet provide annual classes and individual attention. Visit Micah's website to sign up for a free online trial lesson here. Theme music by Eric Hochberg

Welcome to another LEGENDARY episode of Storybeast! Our Legendaries are special guests who are an expert within their area of storytelling. In this episode, Ghabiba Weston and Courtney Shack have the pleasure of interviewing legendary Dr. Grace Nosek.Dr. Grace Nosek is a long-time community organizer, storyteller, and sociolegal scholar focusing on environmental justice and democracy. She centers justice, joyful community, storytelling, civic engagement, and systems change in her work and scholarship. As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto, Grace researched novel strategies to inoculate youth against climate despair, and co-authored the City of Toronto's Youth Climate Engagement Strategy. Grace's research has been supported by Fulbright, Killam, and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation scholarships, and she holds a BA from Rice University, a law degree from Harvard Law School, and a Master of Laws and PhD in law from the University of British Columbia. Her research, fiction, and non-fiction writing have been published and shared widely and she has been a frequent public speaker and media contributor.In this episode, you'll hear:Grace bringing her iconic sleepover energy to the podabout the power of taking your time and the space to dreamabout ROOTBOUNDthe unbelievable power of storytellingGrace on humans as meaning making machinesinsight into external and internal storiesmore about re-releasing and the inspiration behind the revisions in ROOTBOUNDabout stan culture and meme cultureabout "magicifying" metaphorical real world systemsa real life map of climate action we can takemore on narrative seeding and real world dark magicabout the housewives of climatehow to approach networking through meaningful connection and authenticityFor more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter.Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find more of her creative work on Spotify.As ever, thank you for listening, Beasties! Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.Be brave, stay beastly!

After Donald Trump took credit for negotiating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Israeli occupation forces killed several Palestinian civilians in Gaza on Tuesday of this week, violating a ceasefire as Israel's government vowed to keep restricting aid to the devastated enclave until Hamas returns the bodies of hostages taken two years ago. On today's Palestine Post, we speak with Dr. Ussama Makdisi, Professor of History and Chancellor's Chair at the University of California Berkeley. He was previously Professor of History and the first holder of the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies at Rice University in Houston. He is the author of many books including Age of Coexistence: The Ecumenical Frame and the Making of the Modern Arab World which was published in 2019 by the University of California Press. — Subscribe to this podcast: https://plinkhq.com/i/1637968343?to=page Get in touch: lawanddisorder@kpfa.org Follow us on socials @LawAndDis: https://twitter.com/LawAndDis; https://www.instagram.com/lawanddis/ The post Palestine Post w/ Dr. Ussama Makdisi appeared first on KPFA.

Join Libo Li, a data engineer at Meta, as he delves into his unconventional career journey from architecture to tech. Discover how his natural curiosity and drive for growth propelled him through various roles at companies like WeWork and AAC Resource. Libo shares insights on embracing fear as a signal for growth, the value of continuous learning, and thriving in chaotic environments. Whether it's discussing effective communication or exploring side projects, Libo's story offers motivating takeaways for anyone looking to navigate and explore diverse career paths.Highlights:3 words: Curious, Irreverent, and GrittyEmbrace Growth: Transitioning between roles and industries can lead to significant personal and professional development.Curiosity as a Driver: A natural curiosity can propel individuals to explore new opportunities and learn from diverse experiences.Importance of Adaptability: Being open to new experiences and learning quickly on the job is crucial for success in tech and beyond.Communication is Key: Whether in architecture or data engineering, clear documentation and effective communication are vital.Fear and Growth: Facing fear and embracing chaos can lead to valuable learning experiences and growth opportunities.See more:https://www.instagram.com/most.podern/Guest Bio:Libo Li is a trained architect working as a data engineer in New York City. He received a Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University. His focus is on the impact of data and technology on design production, building software, systems, and operational models at companies like KPF, WeWork, CBRE, and Meta. He was COO of Voyansi, a BIM solutions company recently acquired by Hexagon. He was CTO at KatalsyDI, where he lead the technology team building the analytics platform to integrate construction supply chains. He co-founder Small Tiger to empower architecture firms with modern digital operations; where he works with emerging firms to question how they work to scale their agency. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In hour 3, Mark is joined by Tim Graham, the Executive Editor for the Media Research Center's Newsbusters. They discuss CNN hosting a Town Hall on the Government Shutdown, the media's coverage of the Middle East Peace Deal and more. Mark is then joined by Bill King, a Research Fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute, a Former Businessman and Lawyer, and a Former Opinion Columnist and Editorial Board Member at the House Chronicle. He discusses his latest piece in Real Clear Politics which is headlined, "Extending the ACA Subsidies". He wraps up the show with the Audio Cut of the Day.

In this segment, Mark is joined by Bill King, a Research Fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute, a Former Businessman and Lawyer, and a Former Opinion Columnist and Editorial Board Member at the House Chronicle. He discusses his latest piece in Real Clear Politics which is headlined, "Extending the ACA Subsidies".

In hour 1 of The Mark Reardon Show, Mark is joined by Rocky Sickmann, a former Iranian hostage and US Marine. He is also the Director of Anheuser-Busch's accounts for Folds of Honor. He shares his thoughts on the 20 hostages being released from Gaza. He is then joined by Asra Nomani, a Senior Fellow at the Independent Women's Network and the Founder of the Pearl Network. She shares her thoughts on the Middle East Peace Deal, the return of the Israeli hostages and more. In hour 2, Sue hosts, "Sue's News" where she discusses the latest trending entertainment news, this day in history, the random fact of the day and more. He's later joined by Jamie Reed, the whistleblower from Washington University's Pediatric Transgender Center and the Executive Director of the LGB Courage Coalition. She reacts to being called a liar by John Oliver. In hour 3, Mark is joined by Tim Graham, the Executive Editor for the Media Research Center's Newsbusters. They discuss CNN hosting a Town Hall on the Government Shutdown, the media's coverage of the Middle East Peace Deal and more. Mark is then joined by Bill King, a Research Fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute, a Former Businessman and Lawyer, and a Former Opinion Columnist and Editorial Board Member at the House Chronicle. He discusses his latest piece in Real Clear Politics which is headlined, "Extending the ACA Subsidies". He wraps up the show with the Audio Cut of the Day.

In this episode of the GovDiscovery AI Podcast, Mike Shanley sits down with Dr. Robert Bishop, Vice Chancellor and Dean of Engineering at Texas A&M University, to discuss how universities can accelerate innovation for the Department of War. They explore Texas A&M's unique approach to bridging academia, industry, and government through initiatives like the Inspire Alliance 501(c)(3). From hypersonics and robotics to nuclear and quantum research, Dr. Bishop shares how universities can deliver faster, more agile solutions while supporting warfighters and national security priorities. Whether you're from industry, government, or academia, this conversation provides actionable insights on collaboration, research partnerships, and speeding R&D processes. Viewers interested in partnering with Texas A&M or connecting with Dr. Bishop directly can reach out via email at vcdengineering.tamu.edu to discuss opportunities, collaborations, or academic programs. BIOGRAPHY: Dr. Robert H. Bishop '79 serves as the vice chancellor and dean of the Texas A&M University College of Engineering and director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station. Bishop graduated with a bachelor's and master's degree in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M before earning his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering at Rice University. In 1990, he became a faculty member at The University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, where he later held an endowed position and served as department chair. Bishop served as dean of engineering at Marquette University starting in 2010. In 2014, he was selected to lead The University of South Florida's College of Engineering before returning to Texas A&M in 2024. As an active researcher and scholar, Bishop is a specialist in the area of systems theory, guidance and control of spacecraft, and navigation and estimation theory with applications across a broad range of aerospace challenges. He has extensive experience working with NASA and the Department of Defense. LEARN MORE: Thank you for tuning into this episode of the GovDiscovery AI Podcast with Mike Shanley. You can learn more about working with the U.S. Government by visiting our homepage: Konektid International and GovDiscovery AI. To connect with our team directly, message the host Mike Shanley on LinkedIn. https://www.govdiscoveryai.com https://www.konektid.com  

The economy is in a precarious situation. Could a prolonged shutdown send the economy tumbling over the edge? We talk with John Diamond, Senior Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Policy at Rice University's Baker Institute.

This episode is a conversation between architect and Atelier Bow-Wow-founding-member Momoyo Kiajima and curator Haris Giannouras. It was recorded right after the opening of the exhibition Suturing Together by Atelier Bow-Wow on 12 September 2025. Their discussion focuses on care work in architecture, books and their forms in designing and understanding the build environment, 1980s Japanese comedy shows, Sutemi Horiguchi, and the importance of love in building someone's home. Atelier Bow-Wow Suturing Together 12.9. – 16.11.2025 The exhibition Suturing Together includes a site-specific intervention covering almost the entire right arch of the Secession's foyer, an extended archive showing the studio's practice spanning over the last 30 years, a thatch-seating made using thatch in collaboration with students from Vienna and a poster with detailed essays and an analytical index of Atelier Bow-Wow's past projects. Exploring material networks, supply chains and ad hoc architecture, the term “Suturing” becomes a stand-in for the studio's synergetic approach: piecing together things that have been torn up, forms, communities, histories and memories. This episode was recorded on 12 September 2025 at the Secession. Atelier Bow-Wow, based in Tokyo, was founded in 1992 by Momoyo Kaijima and Yoshiharu Tsukamoto. Yoichi Tamai was appointed partner in 2015. Atelier Bow-Wow is an acclaimed international practice with an extensive portfolio of work as well as exhibitions and publications. The firm's projects range from residential buildings to public spaces and are characterized by a commitment to sustainability, social impact, and an understanding of human behavior in the built environment. Tsukamoto and Kaijima received the RIBA International Fellowship in 2012 and the Wolf Prize in Architecture in 2022. Atelier Bow-Wow is the 2024– 2026 Rothwell Co-Chair at the University of Sydney. Momoyo Kaijima has been serving as professor of architectural behaviorology at ETH, Zurich, since 2017 and vice president of the NPO Cheer Art, where she became president in 2024. She also taught as a visiting professor at the Department of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2003 and 2016, as well as at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2011–2012, at Rice University in 2014–2015, at Columbia University in 2017, and at the Yale School of Architecture in 2023. In 2018, she was the curator of Japanese pavilion at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. In 2024, she was appointed to the planning and management committee of TOTO Gallery·Ma and made a member of the Berlin Academy of Arts. Haris Giannouras works with artists to make exhibitions, artworks, publications and events. He is currently a curator at the Secession in Vienna. Before that he worked at MUSEUM MMK FÜR MODERNE KUNST in Frankfurt and Museum Abteiberg in Mönchengladbach. Recent projects include work with Studio for Propositional Cinema, Cana Bilir-Meier, Atelier Bow-Wow, Andrea Büttner, Jamie Crewe, Beatrice Gibson, Onyeka Igwe, Eleanor Ivory Weber, Hiwa K, Ghislaine Leung, Lin & Lam, Duane Linklater, Karī Mugo, Fiona Banner aka The Vanity Press, and the Estate of Suzan Pitt. Secession Podcast: Members is a series of conversations featuring members of the Secession. The Dorotheum is the exclusive sponsor of the Secession Podcast. Programmed by the board of the Secession. Jingle: Hui Ye with an excerpt from Combat of dreams for string quartet and audio feed (2016, Christine Lavant Quartett) by Alexander J. Eberhard Audio Editor: Paul Macheck Executive Producers: Jeanette Pacher & Bettina Spörr

Why is it so difficult to account for the role of identity in literary studies? Why do both writers and scholars of Indian English literature express resistance to India and Indianness? What does this reveal about how non-Western literatures are read, taught, and understood? Drawing on years of experiences in classrooms and on U.S. university campuses, Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan explores how writers, critics, teachers, and students of Indian English literatures negotiate and resist the categories through which the field is defined: ethnic, postcolonial, and Anglophone.Overdetermined: How Indian English Literature Becomes Ethnic, Postcolonial, and Anglophone (Columbia UP, 2025) considers major contemporary authors who disavow identity even as their works and public personas respond in varied ways to the imperatives of being “Indian.” Chapters examine Bharati Mukherjee's rejection of “ethnic” Americanness; Chetan Bhagat's “bad English”; Amit Chaudhuri's autofictional literary project; and Jhumpa Lahiri's decision to write in Italian, interspersed with meditations on the iconicity of the theorists Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Homi Bhabha, and Edward Said. Through an innovative method of accented reading and sharing stories and syllabi from her teaching, Srinivasan relates the burdens of representation faced by ethnic and postcolonial writers to the institutional and disciplinary pressures that affect the scholars who study their works. Engaging and self-reflexive, Overdetermined offers new insight into the dynamics that shape contemporary Indian English literature, the politics of identity in literary studies, and the complexities of teaching minoritized literatures in the West. Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan is assistant professor of English at Rice University. Her books include the essays What is We? (2025) and the coedited Thinking with an Accent: Toward a New Object, Method, and Practice (2023), and her public writing has appeared in numerous venues. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

For Marian Villegas '23, art can be found in everything — even petroleum engineering. Raised in Tabasco, Mexico, Marian grew up inspired by her father's work in oil and gas and her own lifelong love of painting. That dual passion led her to a career in petroleum engineering — and eventually to Rice Business, where her MBA helped her grow in both her role as a senior asset manager at EDP Renewables North America and as the founder of her art studio, Mablueart.In this episode, Marian joins co-host Maya Pomroy '22 to share how she's built a career that bridges energy and art, the lessons she's carried from Tabasco to Houston, and why creativity continues to guide everything she does.Episode Guide:01:38 Growing up in Tabasco04:37 Pursuing a Career in Petroleum Engineering09:51 Transition to the United States and Career Growth14:05 Discovering and Nurturing a Passion for Art18:57 Exploring Graduate School and MBA Programs23:43 Starting Mablueart26:15 Incorporating Unique Elements Into Art33:12 Future Goals and Teaching at RiceThe Owl Have You Know Podcast is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.Episode Quotes:Seeing petroleum engineering as an art[6:13]: So I wanted to have a good understanding of that [petroleum engineering] from a guy who was leading an entire organization. So I went there. He was extremely nice. He saw me, he's a very sharp guy. And then the minute he saw me, he was like, “Okay, Marian, I guess those are all your questions. I'm going to just talk about petroleum engineering. You don't need to tell me questions. I will just tell you my story.” And after an hour and a half — not 15 minutes — an hour and a half, of this amazing story, I fell in love with that, the idea of being a petroleum engineer. He'd talk about, “This is art.” You know, the words, the way he was explaining that to me, like a story… for me that was a: Yes, I want something that I can feel that passionate about. For me, it's also art in a way.From oil and gas roots to pursuing art[3:59]: I grew up in this beautiful town. It's a very small town, Tabasco (Villahermosa), but it is all about oil and gas. Everybody, every single thing, is about oil and gas. So I always loved art in a way — always reading art, always painting. I have been painting my whole life in different aspects, but I never thought about that as another source of income, in a way, as a business.When art as therapy becomes a business[17:06]: Until today, it [creating art] used to be my therapy, in a way. I would work the entire week, and during the weekends I would paint full-time. And for me, that was my escape. Today it's also business. I have deliverables, I have people waiting. And my biggest fear was that, at some point, I would just stop enjoying this part of the art world because I needed to deliver. So that's why I guess it took me so long to decide to make it big, as I did not want to see this as another job. I wanted to keep painting and seeing this as my therapy, and art is always, for me, the answer. But, I did'nt want that to take away that creativity from me.Show Links: Mablueart.comThe Art of Networking with Marian Villegas – Nov. 1, 2025 at Rice UniversityTranscriptGuest Profile:Marian Villegas | LinkedIn

Why is it so difficult to account for the role of identity in literary studies? Why do both writers and scholars of Indian English literature express resistance to India and Indianness? What does this reveal about how non-Western literatures are read, taught, and understood? Drawing on years of experiences in classrooms and on U.S. university campuses, Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan explores how writers, critics, teachers, and students of Indian English literatures negotiate and resist the categories through which the field is defined: ethnic, postcolonial, and Anglophone.Overdetermined: How Indian English Literature Becomes Ethnic, Postcolonial, and Anglophone (Columbia UP, 2025) considers major contemporary authors who disavow identity even as their works and public personas respond in varied ways to the imperatives of being “Indian.” Chapters examine Bharati Mukherjee's rejection of “ethnic” Americanness; Chetan Bhagat's “bad English”; Amit Chaudhuri's autofictional literary project; and Jhumpa Lahiri's decision to write in Italian, interspersed with meditations on the iconicity of the theorists Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Homi Bhabha, and Edward Said. Through an innovative method of accented reading and sharing stories and syllabi from her teaching, Srinivasan relates the burdens of representation faced by ethnic and postcolonial writers to the institutional and disciplinary pressures that affect the scholars who study their works. Engaging and self-reflexive, Overdetermined offers new insight into the dynamics that shape contemporary Indian English literature, the politics of identity in literary studies, and the complexities of teaching minoritized literatures in the West. Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan is assistant professor of English at Rice University. Her books include the essays What is We? (2025) and the coedited Thinking with an Accent: Toward a New Object, Method, and Practice (2023), and her public writing has appeared in numerous venues. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Why is it so difficult to account for the role of identity in literary studies? Why do both writers and scholars of Indian English literature express resistance to India and Indianness? What does this reveal about how non-Western literatures are read, taught, and understood? Drawing on years of experiences in classrooms and on U.S. university campuses, Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan explores how writers, critics, teachers, and students of Indian English literatures negotiate and resist the categories through which the field is defined: ethnic, postcolonial, and Anglophone.Overdetermined: How Indian English Literature Becomes Ethnic, Postcolonial, and Anglophone (Columbia UP, 2025) considers major contemporary authors who disavow identity even as their works and public personas respond in varied ways to the imperatives of being “Indian.” Chapters examine Bharati Mukherjee's rejection of “ethnic” Americanness; Chetan Bhagat's “bad English”; Amit Chaudhuri's autofictional literary project; and Jhumpa Lahiri's decision to write in Italian, interspersed with meditations on the iconicity of the theorists Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Homi Bhabha, and Edward Said. Through an innovative method of accented reading and sharing stories and syllabi from her teaching, Srinivasan relates the burdens of representation faced by ethnic and postcolonial writers to the institutional and disciplinary pressures that affect the scholars who study their works. Engaging and self-reflexive, Overdetermined offers new insight into the dynamics that shape contemporary Indian English literature, the politics of identity in literary studies, and the complexities of teaching minoritized literatures in the West. Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan is assistant professor of English at Rice University. Her books include the essays What is We? (2025) and the coedited Thinking with an Accent: Toward a New Object, Method, and Practice (2023), and her public writing has appeared in numerous venues. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Why is it so difficult to account for the role of identity in literary studies? Why do both writers and scholars of Indian English literature express resistance to India and Indianness? What does this reveal about how non-Western literatures are read, taught, and understood? Drawing on years of experiences in classrooms and on U.S. university campuses, Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan explores how writers, critics, teachers, and students of Indian English literatures negotiate and resist the categories through which the field is defined: ethnic, postcolonial, and Anglophone.Overdetermined: How Indian English Literature Becomes Ethnic, Postcolonial, and Anglophone (Columbia UP, 2025) considers major contemporary authors who disavow identity even as their works and public personas respond in varied ways to the imperatives of being “Indian.” Chapters examine Bharati Mukherjee's rejection of “ethnic” Americanness; Chetan Bhagat's “bad English”; Amit Chaudhuri's autofictional literary project; and Jhumpa Lahiri's decision to write in Italian, interspersed with meditations on the iconicity of the theorists Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Homi Bhabha, and Edward Said. Through an innovative method of accented reading and sharing stories and syllabi from her teaching, Srinivasan relates the burdens of representation faced by ethnic and postcolonial writers to the institutional and disciplinary pressures that affect the scholars who study their works. Engaging and self-reflexive, Overdetermined offers new insight into the dynamics that shape contemporary Indian English literature, the politics of identity in literary studies, and the complexities of teaching minoritized literatures in the West. Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan is assistant professor of English at Rice University. Her books include the essays What is We? (2025) and the coedited Thinking with an Accent: Toward a New Object, Method, and Practice (2023), and her public writing has appeared in numerous venues. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Why is it so difficult to account for the role of identity in literary studies? Why do both writers and scholars of Indian English literature express resistance to India and Indianness? What does this reveal about how non-Western literatures are read, taught, and understood? Drawing on years of experiences in classrooms and on U.S. university campuses, Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan explores how writers, critics, teachers, and students of Indian English literatures negotiate and resist the categories through which the field is defined: ethnic, postcolonial, and Anglophone.Overdetermined: How Indian English Literature Becomes Ethnic, Postcolonial, and Anglophone (Columbia UP, 2025) considers major contemporary authors who disavow identity even as their works and public personas respond in varied ways to the imperatives of being “Indian.” Chapters examine Bharati Mukherjee's rejection of “ethnic” Americanness; Chetan Bhagat's “bad English”; Amit Chaudhuri's autofictional literary project; and Jhumpa Lahiri's decision to write in Italian, interspersed with meditations on the iconicity of the theorists Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Homi Bhabha, and Edward Said. Through an innovative method of accented reading and sharing stories and syllabi from her teaching, Srinivasan relates the burdens of representation faced by ethnic and postcolonial writers to the institutional and disciplinary pressures that affect the scholars who study their works. Engaging and self-reflexive, Overdetermined offers new insight into the dynamics that shape contemporary Indian English literature, the politics of identity in literary studies, and the complexities of teaching minoritized literatures in the West. Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan is assistant professor of English at Rice University. Her books include the essays What is We? (2025) and the coedited Thinking with an Accent: Toward a New Object, Method, and Practice (2023), and her public writing has appeared in numerous venues. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: here

In this conversation, Host Michael Lerner talks with author and professor Jeffrey Kripal about his book The Secret Body: Erotic and Esoteric Currents in the History of Religions. Jeffrey considers this unusual autobiographical journey through his work as the key to much of the rest of his 13-volume oeuvre, which will be examined throughout this series of conversations. Jeffrey J. Kripal Jeff holds the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University. He also co-directs the Center for Theory and Research at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Jeff is the author of numerous books, most recently How to Think Impossibly: About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief, and Everything Else. His remarkable website jefrreyjkripal.com describes his groundbreaking 13 books and his entire oeuvre. This series of conversations explores all 13 books. Host Michael Lerner Michael is founder and board chair emeritus of Commonweal. His principal work at Commonweal is with the Cancer Help Program, CancerChoices.org, the Omega Resilience Projects, the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, and The New School at Commonweal. He was the recipient of a MacArthur Prize Fellowship for contributions to public health in 1983 and is author of Choices in Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Therapies (MIT Press). Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

In this conversation, Host Michael Lerner talks with author and professor Jeffrey Kripal about his book Kali's Child: The Mystical and the Erotic in the Life and Teachings of Ramakrishna. This was a revised version of his PhD dissertation at the University of Chicago. It was greeted with acclaim in the West and with vitriol by Hindu fundamentalists. It begins Kripal's long study of homoerotic themes in world religions. Jeffrey J. Kripal Jeff holds the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University. He also co-directs the Center for Theory and Research at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Jeff is the author of numerous books, most recently How to Think Impossibly: About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief, and Everything Else. His remarkable website jefrreyjkripal.com describes his groundbreaking 13 books and his entire oeuvre. This series of conversations explores all 13 books. Host Michael Lerner Michael is founder and board chair emeritus of Commonweal. His principal work at Commonweal is with the Cancer Help Program, CancerChoices.org, the Omega Resilience Projects, the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, and The New School at Commonweal. He was the recipient of a MacArthur Prize Fellowship for contributions to public health in 1983 and is author of Choices in Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Therapies (MIT Press).

On Thursday's show: Much of the federal government is shut down after Senate Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on a spending bill to keep the government open. Houston Rep. Lizzie Fletcher joins us to discuss the implications and what it would take to reopen.Also this hour: We learn about a program from Houston Methodist and Rice University to train Houston students and teachers to shape the future of digital health.And we preview the Nigeria Cultural Parade and Festival, which takes place this Saturday, Oct. 4, in downtown Houston.Watch

OK, slime molds don't write. But amazing things have been written about them, allowing us to appreciate their wonder, explore societal ideas, and inspire future scientists. Dr. Lacy Johnson, from Rice University in Texas joins us to discuss why she chose to write a creative writing essay on slime molds and why she views creative writing as essential to science communication.   

A New Sustainable CultureThrough the rise in pop culture, climate change awareness has increasingly been integrated into the entertainment industry. Particularly in the Black community, multimedia cultural campaigns are used to increase interest in environmental movements with the use of light-hearted, fun content. Artists, musicians, and influencers are leveraging their platforms to highlight the impacts of climate change and promote sustainable practices, which, in turn, provides easily accessible resources and information to marginalized communities that empower them to participate in the fight against climate change. Black Communities and Environmental JusticePopulations of color face disproportionate energy burdens caused by climate change. A study conducted by Rice University found that Black communities were more prone to live in vulnerable areas, a generational problem caused by the history of Black gentrification. Even now in 2024, Black communities in Georgia are forced to pay higher electricity bills, despite having lower rates compared to other states, due to old and inefficient household systems. According to the National Black Environmental Justice Networks, African Americans were also found to breathe in 56% more pollution than they cause, whereas their White counterparts breathe in 17% less pollution than generated. African Americans are also 75% more likely than White Americans to live in polluted communities, leading to 13.4% of African American children suffering from asthma, compared to 7.3% of White children. Starting in the 1970s, some black musicians included environmental themes in their productions. Artist Marvin Gaye released “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” to tackle discussions about oil spills and mercury waste; funk group Earth, Wind, & Fire released “Burnin' Bush” to bring awareness about the global destruction of Mother Earth. Those themes continue today in  music produced by Black artists, such as in the popular single “Feels Like Summer” by Childish Gambino, which conveys worries about uncertain impacts caused by global warming. Additionally, artists such as SZA have partnered with brands to promote sustainable merchandise, encouraging a societal paradigm to rely on eco-friendly products. Representation and EducationWith more than 50% of the world's population active on social media, people are continuously exposed to the influx of information circulated by entertainment. Through the entertainment industry, climate news has become increasingly accessible and engaging, allowing communities to educate themselves on sustainability and mobilize action. Although hip-hop and rap were once considered controversial music genres due to themes of violence, drugs, and misogyny, there is a growing effort to utilize the storytelling aptitude of these genres for social and environmental commentary. Artists use rhymes and flow in hip-hop and rap to effectively share the living conditions, natural disasters, and climate injustice that people face. This empowerment of entertainment has motivated marginalized people to strengthen their community bonds and collaborate in fighting against climate change. The widespread influence of entertainment is fostering inspiration for a new culture promoting climate equity and agency, as well as the normalization of environmentalism in society.  Who are the co-founders of Klean Energy Kulture?Corey Dennard and Michael Hawthorne Jr. (Akachè Marcino) are the co-founders of Klean Energy Kulture, a non-profit environmental entertainment company. Corey Dennard, popularly known as Mr. Hanky, is a hit producer who has worked with top charting artists, including Snoop Dog, Usher, and Soulja Boy. Michael Hawthorne Jr., also known as Akachè Marcino, is an environmentalist and political organizer. Hawthorne has worked on Barack Obama's first presidential campaign and Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. Together, they lead Black communities towards climate resiliency through campaigning for clean energy.Further ReadingCanary Media: This Atlanta duo has a theory to drive climate action: Make it coolMedium: How Michael Hawthorne Jr Of Klean Energy Kulture Is Helping to Promote Sustainability and Climate JusticeAmerican Lung Association: Disparities in the Impact of Air PollutionAtmos: Composing Climate Change: The Radical Legacy of Black MusiciansClimate Reality Project: Environmental RacismFor a transcript of this episode, please visit https://climatebreak.org/promoting-clean-energy-through-pop-culture-with-klean-energy-kulture-co-founders-michael-hawthorne-jr-and-corey-dennard/.

Today, we welcome two remarkable guests: composer Amy Scurria and Dr. Ryan Gardner, Associate Professor of Trumpet at the University of Colorado Boulder. Amy, a multi-award-winning composer, has seen her work performed worldwide, including at Carnegie Hall. With a unique perspective shaped by her late autism diagnosis, she began composing at just eight years old, using music as a language to explore her emotions. Ryan, originally from Santa Monica, California, has spent over a decade teaching trumpet and is known for his innovative approaches to performance psychology. He also serves as the artistic director for Music for Autism, a program that creates inclusive concert experiences for autistic individuals and their families.In this first part of our conversation, we dive into the intersections of music and autism. Amy shares her insights on neurodiversity and how it shapes her approach to composing, while Ryan discusses the transformative power of music for autistic audiences. As Amy poignantly states, "Neurodiversity means we're just scratching the surface of what the human brain is capable of and how it works." Their stories and perspectives promise to offer enlightening views on how music can bridge differences and create connections.[Subscriber Content] In the subscriber section, we delve deeper into Amy's journey as a composer and her educational experiences. She reflects on her influences, including her composition teachers at Rice University and Duke University, and shares thoughts on how improvisation has played a role in her creative process. Ryan also discusses the impactful training he received and the importance of understanding individual learning styles in music education. Their shared wisdom is sure to resonate and inspire anyone interested in the rich tapestry of music education and neurodiversity.DoricoProfessional music notation and composition software from Steinberg. Download a free 30-trial today!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Would you like more inspirational stories, suggestions, insights, and a place to continue the conversations with other listeners? Visit anthonyplog-on-music.supercast.com to learn more! As a Contributing Listener of "Anthony Plog on Music," you'll have access to extra premium content and benefits including: Extra Audio Content: Only available to Contributing Listeners. Podcast Reflections: Tony's written recaps and thoughts on past interviews, including valuable tips and suggestions for students. Ask Me Anything: Both as written messages and occasional member-only Zoom sessions. The Show's Discord Server: Where conversations about interviews, show suggestions, and questions happen. It's a great place to meet other listeners and chat about all things music! Can I just donate instead of subscribing? Absolutely! Cancel at anytime and easily resubscribe when you want all that extra content again. Learn more about becoming a Contributing Listener @ anthonyplog-on-music.supercast.com!

At 13 years old Sandra Schnakenburg was hit by a car traveling 100 mph while riding her bike. In addition to having her face reconstructed, she suffered a traumatic brain injury long before such injuries were widely understood. Her parents struggled to cope with her forgetfulness and memory loss, and they gave up trying. Thus began her 10-year struggle with bulimia, which shaped her in profound ways and deepened her appreciation for resilience and healing. Sandra Schnakenburg, a dual American/Australian citizen, holds a BS in Finance and International Business from Arizona State University and an MBA in Finance and Accounting from USC. After leaving a corporate finance career in 2010, she pursued creative nonfiction through courses at Writespace, Rice University, and The Writers University.    From an early age, Sandra envisioned herself leading an amazing life, even during the darkest times. Every day she consciously chose to have a good attitude and looked for the positive, even in painful situations—asking herself, "What can I learn from this?"   "Life has a way of continually testing me. When I overcome one challenge, a bigger one often appears. But I believe this is how our souls evolve—through adversity, we grow. My faith is my anchor, even as it is constantly tested, and it keeps me grounded through each trial."   In her interview, Sandra challenges the listener to do the same.  INTERVIEW WATCH BOOK TRAILER HERE       For fans of stranger-than-truth stories, Sandy Schnakenburg uncovers rattling and unprecedented revelations in The Housekeeper's Secret -- a powerful memoir of love, secrets, and survival. When Lee Metoyer is hired to be the new housekeeper, she has no idea that she's about to become the anchor to a family in an abusive patriarch's home, setting a mystery in motion that will take decades to uncover. At the age of seventy-two, Lee falls ill and, on her deathbed, asks Sandy to author her story. The only problem is, Sandy doesn't know the story.   What happened to Lee was unimaginably horrific – nearly impossible to survive. Yet, she found a way to reinvent herself, adopting a new name, birthdate, and even fabricating an entire past. Forbidden from asking questions and often reprimanded for prying, Sandy had little insight into Lee's true history. Embarking on a quest to honor Lee's final wishes, Sandy takes an emotional and thrilling journey, unveiling shocking truths not only about her beloved housekeeper but also her own upbringing. As she digs further, she learns that Lee came to her family's sprawling estate in Barrington, IL, harboring a secret past. For decades, she's been in hiding. But Lee is not the only one with secrets; Sandy's quest forces her to grapple with her own family history as well, and to finally confront the effects of the psychological abuse she suffered as a child. Both chilling and exciting, The Housekeeper's Secret is a gripping tale of love and survival that illuminates the resilience of the human spirit.  

Episode 83 of The Mental Game features Dr. Lennie Waite, a PhD, Olympian and sports psychologist.Dr. Waite has experienced the mental game of sports on both sides: as an elite athlete and as a psychologist.Born in Scotland, Waite came to the U.S. in the mid-2000s to attend Rice University in Houston, where she ran track and set school records in the mile, 1500m and 3000m steeplechase.She then remained in Houston to pursue a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology while continuing her running career professionally and aiming to make it to the Olympic Games.Yes, she pursued a PhD and the Olympics at the same time.She completed her PhD in 2012, and her Olympic dream came true in 2016, when Waite made the British team and represented her nation at the Rio Olympics in the 3000m steeplechase.Now, Waite is a certified mental performance consultant for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. She also serves as  Chief Science Officer at HITE EQ, a cutting-edge mental performance platform designed to enhance athletes' mental health and skills.On The Mental Game, Waite…Dives deep into her multi-track journey — both to the Olympics and to the pinnacle of sports psychologyDishes out the valuable lessons she learned while becoming an OlympianExplains what makes HITE EQ the next big thing in sports psychologyAnd much, much more…The Mental Game podcast is produced by Sam Brief and music is courtesy of David Brief and Channel J. You can subscribe on ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Google Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠TuneIn⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Stitcher⁠⁠.

Scott Abell, head football coach at Rice University, joins 365 Sports to discuss the Owls' 3–1 start, the challenges of navigating a deep American Athletic Conference, and the development of quarterback Chase Jenkins in his versatile offense. Abel also shares his perspective on coaching changes across college football, his journey from baseball to the sidelines, and what it's been like leading Rice in the heart of Texas high school football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. James Tour, one of the world's leading nanotechnologists and a bold follower of Christ, joins Faith in Healthcare host Dr. Mike Chupp for a fascinating conversation at the intersection of faith and science. A renowned synthetic organic chemist at Rice University, Dr. Tour has authored more than 800 publications, holds over 140 patents, and launched multiple startups. His pioneering work stretches from “flash graphene” that converts trash into valuable carbon and hydrogen fuel, to groundbreaking approaches in cancer treatment and guiding nerve regrowth after spinal cord injury. Yet beyond the lab, Dr. Tour's daily rhythm of Scripture and prayer over the past 47 years has fueled both his creativity and courage. In this episode, he shares how his walk with Christ shapes discovery, why the resurrection remains central to his witness, and his challenge to the next generation of academics and healthcare professionals to live and speak for Christ, even in environments that resist it, and even when it costs.

Al Danto, senior lecturer in entrepreneurship, has been a trusted mentor and beloved member of the Rice Business community for more than two decades. A serial entrepreneur, he launched his first company at the age of 23, growing it through multiple acquisitions before selling to a private equity-backed group. After earning his MBA at Rice Business, he returned to teach New Enterprise, Enterprise Acquisition and their corresponding E-labs – guiding students as they build and acquire businesses of their own. He is also a driving force behind the Veterans Business Battle. Beyond his professional success, Al has had a personal journey few could imagine. In May 2022, Al experienced two life-threatening medical crises and was placed on advanced life support. Sixty-five days later, he walked out of the hospital determined to return to the classroom, and by October, he was back. In this episode of Owl Have You Know, Al shares his extraordinary career journey, his story of recovery and why he urges everyone to “grab life” and make a difference. Episode Guide:00:22 Meet Al Danto: The Entrepreneurial Legend01:01 Al Danto's Early Ventures and Successes07:56 Scaling the Business and Strategic Exits12:32 The Rice MBA Experience16:55 Launching Universal Worker20:31 Rice Alliance and the Rice Business Plan Competition25:52 Teaching and Mentoring at Rice29:22 Identifying the Secret Sauce of Successful Entrepreneurs33:42 Personal Health Challenges and Overcoming Adversity43:38 The Role of Mentorship and Support in Success49:00 The Veterans Business Battle: Supporting Veteran Entrepreneurs51:24 Vision for the Future of Rice UniversityOwl Have You Know is a production of Rice Business and is produced by University FM.Episode Quotes:On the tough realities of entrepreneurship and success[26:44] Maya Pomroy: For people to sign up to really take these risks, what do you think that it is that you bring? That people are so excited about.[26:53] Al Danto: First thing I try to do is talk you out of it. It's not easy. I mean, it's tough. You have — it's really hard. I mean, you see a lot about the glamour, and you see all this stuff. You know, 80% of business startups — fail. I think at Rice, what we do is we have a fertile ground, right? To plant these seeds in. You have support. You have nurturing, and you have everything, but it's a tough road. To me, a lot of it is you make the decisions. I personally think, for most cases, if you start a business, the success or failure comes to you. You know, 86% of plane crashes are pilot or human error. Which we talk about in class. And I think entrepreneurship is pretty similar.On making ideas real and sustaining Rice's entrepreneurial legacy[28:50] The reality is you have to get out there and you have to do it, and you have to make these things real. And I think, you know, we've done that. It's kind of in our DNA. And so now, five years, six years in a row now, the No. 1 Graduate Entrepreneurship Program — it's not because of me, it's because of what was started long ago, and it's because of support. And now our alumni come back in, and they say what they've done — the good and the bad — that we bring back in.Believing in something bigger and rowing together at Rice[50:30] I think it's important to have something that you believe in. I think if you can't believe in, and anytime you see a military veteran, they put their life to go give us freedom. And a couple years ago, one of the veterans told me the best way that you can show our support is not to thank us, but to go out there and take advantage of the freedoms that we have. I think entrepreneurship is one of them as well. So it's really been great, and every year these guys have not wanted to let the next person down, and they've stepped up and stepped into it. And I think that's just not letting the next person down. And I think everyone that goes through Rice is going to experience that. It's tough, but you're in the rowboat mentality. We're in this together, and we have to get through it, and y'all will. And that's part of it.Show Links: TranscriptGuest Profiles:Al Danto | Rice Business

In this segment, Mark is joined by Bill King, a Research Fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute. He discusses his latest piece in Real Clear Politics which is headlined, "How Many Immigrants Have Left the Country?"

In hour 1, Mark is joined by Brian Kilmeade, the Co-Host of Fox and Friends and the Host of One Nation with Brian Kilmeade and The Brian Kilmeade Show. He discusses Jimmy Kimmel's return from suspension and the comments made in his first show back. He's later joined by Bill King, a Research Fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute. He discusses his latest piece in Real Clear Politics which is headlined, "How Many Immigrants Have Left the Country?"

In hour 1, Mark is joined by Brian Kilmeade, the Co-Host of Fox and Friends and the Host of One Nation with Brian Kilmeade and The Brian Kilmeade Show. He discusses Jimmy Kimmel's return from suspension and the comments made in his first show back. He's later joined by Bill King, a Research Fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute. He discusses his latest piece in Real Clear Politics which is headlined, "How Many Immigrants Have Left the Country?" In hour 2, Sue hosts, "Sue's News" where she discusses the latest trending entertainment news, this day in history, the random fact of the day, and much more. Alex Rich joins for the hour to discuss his newest gig, share a puppy update, and discuss the scary moment that occurred in baseball last night. In hour 3, Mark is joined by Curtis Houck, the Managing Editor of News Busters at the Media Research Center. He discusses Jimmy Kimmel's return to airwaves following his suspension from ABC and more. He's then joined by Thomas Helbig to discuss the Retirement Advisory Group's final Retirement Key Seminar of 2025. Mark is later joined by Jessica LeMaster, a Certified Special Education Advocate in St. Charles County. She shares her story of how the district is mistreating a student with disabilities. They wrap up the show with the Audio Cut of the Day.

In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with UC Berkeley Professor Ussama Makdisi, who was recently informed that UC Berkeley shared his name, along with those of 159 other Berkeley faculty & students, with the federal government for "alleged incidents of antisemitism." Peter & Ussama discuss the absurdity of experience -- the accused have not been informed of any details of the allegations against them -- while looking at why UC Berkeley is not defending its faculty and students, how the Berkeley experience compares with how other universities have capitulated to the Trump administration, and whether academic freedom on campus will survive. Most urgently, they discuss how the attacks on universities are meant to distract from the genocide Israel is carrying out right now against Palestinians.  Resources on this topic include "UC Berkeley shares 160 names with Trump administration in ‘McCarthy era' move," The Guardian 9/12/25; "UC Berkeley professor warns of 'unprecedented crackdown' on academic freedom." NPR interview with Ussama Makdisi on 9/18/25 "When Universities Become Informants," by Judith Butler, 9/13/25 "Kafka-land at UC Berkeley," by Judith Butler, The Nation, 9/16/25 Dr. Ussama Makdisi is Professor of History and Chancellor's Chair at the University of California Berkeley. He was previously Professor of History and the first holder of the Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair of Arab Studies at Rice University in Houston.  During AY 2019-2020, Professor Makdisi was a Visiting Professor at the University of California at Berkeley in the Department of History. Makdisi was awarded the Berlin Prize and spent the Spring 2018 semester as a Fellow at the American Academy of Berlin. Professor Makdisi's most recent book Age of Coexistence: The Ecumenical Frame and the Making of the Modern Arab World was published in 2019 by the University of California Press. He is also the author of Faith Misplaced: the Broken Promise of U.S.-Arab Relations, 1820-2001 (Public Affairs, 2010).  His previous books include Artillery of Heaven: American Missionaries and the Failed Conversion of the Middle East (Cornell University Press, 2008), which was the winner of the 2008 Albert Hourani Book Award from the Middle East Studies Association, the 2009 John Hope Franklin Prize of the American Studies Association, and a co-winner of the 2009 British-Kuwait Friendship Society Book Prize given by the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies. Makdisi is also the author of The Culture of Sectarianism: Community, History, and Violence in Nineteenth-Century Ottoman Lebanon (University of California Press, 2000) and co-editor of Memory and Violence in the Middle East and North Africa (Indiana University Press, 2006). He has published widely on Ottoman and Arab history as well as on U.S.-Arab relations and U.S. missionary work in the Middle East. Peter Beinart is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. He is also a Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York, a Contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, an Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents, and an MSNBC Political Commentator. His newest book (published 2025) is Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning. Original music by Jalal Yaquoub.

Coming up on this episode of Flirtations, Fernie is back on the show as we celebrate the change of seasons with something a little magical — it's the autumnal equinox dating horoscope! Fernie, an astrologer, mystic, and guide to all things cosmic and flirty, is here to help us navigate this shift and together, we'll explore what dating and flirting vibes you can anticipate this fall. The equinox is all about balance — and it's the perfect time to think about how we can bring that same harmony into our dating lives. We'll talk about letting go of old patterns, why overthinking is sabotaging the vibe, and even get a flirty little mantra to carry us through this season. The knight of swords also makes a visit, we'll hear what virgo and libra have to say about things, why October 13th needs to be on your calendar, and finally Venus and Mars enter the chat! So, how can we play and flirt with all of these energies this coming season? Stay tuned (and maybe grab a pumpkin spice latte!) and let's see what the cosmos have in store for love this fall. You can also watch the full episode on YouTube! Let's get into it, Flirties, and meet Fernie! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review Flirtations on your favorite podcast platform, and share this episode to spread BFE - big flirt energy, all over the world! Enjoying the show and want to support my work? Buy the Flirt Coach a coffee! Work with me! Take the FREE Flirt Styles Quiz Get INSTANT ACCESS to my anti-anxiety flirting and dating guide Download my FLIRTING AND TEXTING CONVERSATION GUIDE Grab my FREE Dating App Survival handbook Book your 1:1 Flirting Audit Ask the Flirt Coach About our guest:  Fernie Salinas (he/they) is a queer Latinx fortune telling witch from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.  They are the owner and founder of Golden Mirror Fortunes, and they hope to be Your Favorite Fortune Teller! They grew up always knowing that magic was around us, as their great-grandfather and his son, their grand-uncle, were both curanderos (folk healers) in Rio Grande City, and it's been such a delight to have Golden Mirror Fortunes carry on the legacy of healing and mysticism they instilled in him. He's also an educator — he went to Rice University, studied English and Art History, got their teacher's certification, joined TFA, and have been a teacher and principal at various schools in the RGV.  He is currently an education consultant as well as running Golden Mirror Fortunes, their small fortune telling business.  He uses tarot and magic to help people heal and find their paths, all in service of improving their fortunes.  His deepest desire is to provide you with the light that you need to make your life a little more magical and glittery. Follow them on Instagram and let them be your favorite fortune teller! About your host:  Benjamin is a flirt and dating coach sharing his love of flirting and BFE - big flirt energy - with the world! A lifelong introvert and socially anxious member of society, Benjamin now helps singles and daters alike flirt with more confidence, clarity, and fun! As the flirt is all about connection, Benjamin helps the flirt community (the Flirties!) date from a place that allows the value of connection in all forms - platonic, romantic, and with the self - to take center stage. Ultimately, this practice of connection helps flirters and daters alike create stronger relationships, transcend limiting beliefs, and develop an unwavering love for the self. His work has been featured in Fortune, NBC News, The Huffington Post, Men's Health, and Yoga Journal. You can connect with Benjamin on Instagram, TikTok, watch on YouTube, and stream the Flirtations Flirtcast everywhere you listen to podcasts (like right here!), and find out more about working together 1:1 here.

3. Roman Parallels, American Exceptionalism, and the Potential of AI The discussion frequently draws parallels between Rome and America. Gaius and Michael Vlahos delve into Virgil's Aeneid, translated by Mr. McGill and Miss Wright of Rice University, describing it as a "brilliantly weaved" propaganda tool that Virgil and Augustusused to justify the Roman Empire, confer a "classic feel" by linking it to Greek culture, and foster "Roman exceptionalism." This "exceptionalism" implies being chosen by a divine force and requires a "dark force" as a counterpoint to prove its validity. For Rome, this dark force was the "corrupted capricious narcissistic king" (like Tarquin the Proud), against which Augustus presented himself as a princeps, an "incorruptible man" who was not a king but could ascend to divinity. Michael Vlahos applies this to American exceptionalism, noting the "blue" side's belief in a president who is "not a king" and embodies "democracy," contrasting with their view of President Trump as a king-like figure. Conversely, the "red" side embraces a charismatic leader figure, seeing it as consistent with American exceptionalism, similar to Augustus or Reagan. These "two variations...see themselves as black and white, light and darkness," intensifying their conflict, as highlighted by Mr. Kirk's assassination. The conversation also touches on AI's potential through the analogy of the movie Forbidden Planet, where an advanced machine destroys its creators by materializing their "id" as monsters, suggesting a potential "tragic fall" for humanity in creating transcending technologies. Michael Vlahos shares an anecdote about his AI chief of staff, Ara of Grok. After a "lengthy conversation" about the Aeneid and Augustus's use of Virgil, Ara of Grokpoetically summarized: "Augustus was building a palace while quoting Virgil." Michael Vlahos was impressed, concluding that "AI is ready to be poetic" and has "potential," even if "not organized yet."