Podcasts about urbana champaign

A massive oil spill in the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, California, in 1969 quickly became a landmark in the history of American environmentalism, helping to inspire the creation of both the Environmental Protection Agency and Earth Day. But what role did the history of Santa Barbara itself play in this? In Natural Attachments: The Domestication of American Environmentalism, 1920–1970 (U Chicago Press, 2025), Pollyanna Rhee shows, the city's past and demographics were essential to the portrayal of the oil spill as momentous. Moreover, well-off and influential Santa Barbarans were positioned to “domesticate” the larger environmental movement by embodying the argument that individual homes and families—not society as a whole—needed protection from environmental abuses. This soon would put environmental rhetoric and power to fundamentally conservative—not radical—ends. Pollyanna Rhee is assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and affiliate faculty in history, sustainable design, and theory and interpretive criticism. Twitter.  Brian Hamilton is chair of the Department of History and Social Science at Deerfield Academy. Twitter. Website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Henry has a background in ecology and conservation with a strong focus on quantitative, data-driven science and practice. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Ecology, Evolution, & Conservation Biology and nearly 15 years' experience as a wildlife biologist and academic researcher. He is dedicated to gaining ground for prairie […] Read full article: Episode 149: Rewilding The American Serengeti With Henry Pollock from Southern Plains Land Trust

Kelvin Droegemeier, a longtime leader in science policy, joins host Megan Nicholson for this installment of Science Policy IRL. Droegemeier began his career as a research meteorologist and went on to serve in many different leadership roles in state and federal government. He directed the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2019–2021, served on the National Science Board from 2004–2016, and served on the Oklahoma Governor's Science and Technology Council from 2011–2019. He is currently a professor and Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Science and Policy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. On this episode, Droegemeier shares what it's like to work on science policy at the state and federal levels, discusses what he sees as the pressing science policy issues of our time, and reflects on his leadership roles in academia and government. Resources:Read Kelvin Droegemier's book, Demystifying the Academic Research Enterprise: Becoming a Successful Scholar in a Complex and Competitive Environment, to gain a better understanding of how the academic research enterprise works. Check out the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine project on Improving the Regulatory Efficiency and Reducing Administrative Workload to Strengthen Competitiveness and Productivity of US Research. Read Science, the Endless Frontier by Vannevar Bush and Issues's project marking the anniversary of that report, The Next 75 Years of Science Policy, to learn more about the structure of scientific research in the United States. The National Science Board's Science and Engineering Indicators provide important metrics to understand the current state of science and engineering. What is the future of American science and technology? Check out Vision for American Science and Technology (VAST) for a potential roadmap. 

Luvell Anderson (Philosophy prof. at U of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign) joins Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al to discuss Ryan Coogler's new vampire siege/black studies film starring Michael B. Jordan. We talk about the film's comments on black freedom, black music, the church, why the film needed twins, whether the vampires were even necessary, the film's humor and structure, and more. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com. Hear this ad-free with bonus content at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by subscribing via Apple Podcasts to the Mark Lintertainment Channel.

A massive oil spill in the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, California, in 1969 quickly became a landmark in the history of American environmentalism, helping to inspire the creation of both the Environmental Protection Agency and Earth Day. But what role did the history of Santa Barbara itself play in this? In Natural Attachments: The Domestication of American Environmentalism, 1920–1970 (U Chicago Press, 2025), Pollyanna Rhee shows, the city's past and demographics were essential to the portrayal of the oil spill as momentous. Moreover, well-off and influential Santa Barbarans were positioned to “domesticate” the larger environmental movement by embodying the argument that individual homes and families—not society as a whole—needed protection from environmental abuses. This soon would put environmental rhetoric and power to fundamentally conservative—not radical—ends. Pollyanna Rhee is assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and affiliate faculty in history, sustainable design, and theory and interpretive criticism. Twitter.  Brian Hamilton is chair of the Department of History and Social Science at Deerfield Academy. Twitter. Website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Dr. Josh Levy is a historian of science and technology at the Library of Congress. In this episode of AMSEcast, he highlights key figures and artifacts from all across America's innovation history. From Samuel Morse's early telegraph designs to George Washington Carver's advocacy for sustainable farming, Levy reveals stories of invention and resilience. He also discusses aviation pioneer Lt. Thomas Selfridge and Claude Shannon's groundbreaking work in information theory. Josh and Alan finish with Gladys West, whose geoid calculations became foundational for GPS. Her later recognition reflects how major technological advances often depend on unsung, collaborative contributions across generations.     Guest Bio Dr. Josh Levy is the historian of science and technology in the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress, where he helps uncover and share the stories behind key figures in American innovation. He holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Illinois and brings years of teaching experience at both high school and college levels, including the University of South Florida, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the College of Micronesia. Since joining the Library of Congress in 2020, Dr. Levy has curated collections that illuminate the complex, collaborative nature of scientific and technological breakthroughs.     Show Highlights (1:50) What led Samuel Morse to invent the telegraph (4:03) Morse's letter regarding the telegraph (7:36) Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver (8:47) Carver's letter to John Washington, Booker T. Washington's brother (12:02) Alfred Graham Bell's interest in aviation (15:02) Thomas Selfridge (17:28) Claude Shannon, the Father of the Information Age (18:46) Shannon's schematic of Theseus, the maze-solving robotic mouse (20:11) Gladys West's impact on GPS technology     Links Referenced Library of Congress website: https://loc.gov For specific questions about manuscripts at the Library of Congress: https://ask.loc.gov/manuscripts

A massive oil spill in the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, California, in 1969 quickly became a landmark in the history of American environmentalism, helping to inspire the creation of both the Environmental Protection Agency and Earth Day. But what role did the history of Santa Barbara itself play in this? In Natural Attachments: The Domestication of American Environmentalism, 1920–1970 (U Chicago Press, 2025), Pollyanna Rhee shows, the city's past and demographics were essential to the portrayal of the oil spill as momentous. Moreover, well-off and influential Santa Barbarans were positioned to “domesticate” the larger environmental movement by embodying the argument that individual homes and families—not society as a whole—needed protection from environmental abuses. This soon would put environmental rhetoric and power to fundamentally conservative—not radical—ends. Pollyanna Rhee is assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and affiliate faculty in history, sustainable design, and theory and interpretive criticism. Twitter.  Brian Hamilton is chair of the Department of History and Social Science at Deerfield Academy. Twitter. Website. 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

A massive oil spill in the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, California, in 1969 quickly became a landmark in the history of American environmentalism, helping to inspire the creation of both the Environmental Protection Agency and Earth Day. But what role did the history of Santa Barbara itself play in this? In Natural Attachments: The Domestication of American Environmentalism, 1920–1970 (U Chicago Press, 2025), Pollyanna Rhee shows, the city's past and demographics were essential to the portrayal of the oil spill as momentous. Moreover, well-off and influential Santa Barbarans were positioned to “domesticate” the larger environmental movement by embodying the argument that individual homes and families—not society as a whole—needed protection from environmental abuses. This soon would put environmental rhetoric and power to fundamentally conservative—not radical—ends. Pollyanna Rhee is assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and affiliate faculty in history, sustainable design, and theory and interpretive criticism. Twitter.  Brian Hamilton is chair of the Department of History and Social Science at Deerfield Academy. Twitter. Website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

A massive oil spill in the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, California, in 1969 quickly became a landmark in the history of American environmentalism, helping to inspire the creation of both the Environmental Protection Agency and Earth Day. But what role did the history of Santa Barbara itself play in this? In Natural Attachments: The Domestication of American Environmentalism, 1920–1970 (U Chicago Press, 2025), Pollyanna Rhee shows, the city's past and demographics were essential to the portrayal of the oil spill as momentous. Moreover, well-off and influential Santa Barbarans were positioned to “domesticate” the larger environmental movement by embodying the argument that individual homes and families—not society as a whole—needed protection from environmental abuses. This soon would put environmental rhetoric and power to fundamentally conservative—not radical—ends. Pollyanna Rhee is assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and affiliate faculty in history, sustainable design, and theory and interpretive criticism. Twitter.  Brian Hamilton is chair of the Department of History and Social Science at Deerfield Academy. Twitter. Website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-west

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign computer science professor Dr. Sheldon Jacobson joins John Williams to talk about his Crain’s Op-ed that suggests that the U.S use tariffs on offshore customer service centers.

Today my guest is Rajmohan Gandhi, a historian and biographer involved in efforts for trust-building and reconciliation and author of more than fifteen books, of which the most recent is Fraternity: Constitutional Norm and Human Need. He taught history and politics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1997 until his retirement in 2022. His most recent initiative is We Are One Humanity (WAOH), a writers collective responding to the worldwide thrusts against democracy and equality. We spoke about his reflections on his biographies of the founding fathers, Vallabhai Patel, Mohandas Gandhi, C Rajagopalachari, and Gaffar Khan, their competing visions, debates with others like Ambedkar and Nehru, constitutional values, the civil rights movement, his faith, and much more.  Recorded April 18th, 2025. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links. Connect with Ideas of India Follow us on X Follow Shruti on X Click here for the latest Ideas of India episodes sent straight to your inbox. Timestamps Intro - 00:00:00 Patel - 00:01:34 Rajaji - 00:31:20 Ghaffar Khan - 00:51:53  Gandhi - 01:05:53 Competing Visions - 01:17:32 Biographies of Family Members - 01:18:54 Serendipity in the Research Process - 01:23:40 Civil Rights in the US - 01:27:23 Pessimistic or Optimistic? - 01:35:16 Role of God and Faith - 01:36:27 Outro - 01:38:20

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign computer science professor Dr. Sheldon Jacobson joins John Williams to talk about his Crain’s Op-ed that suggests that the U.S use tariffs on offshore customer service centers.

Who really succeeds in a changing freight market environment? Find out by listening to Harish Abbott's journey in logistics! Harish explains the impact of innovation and adaptability in the industry's unpredictability, how AI tools transform operational efficiency and enable small businesses to scale without excessive headcount increases, and highlights persistence and learning from failures as crucial aspects of entrepreneurial success!   About Harish Abbott Harish Abbott is the Co-Founder and CEO of Augment, an AI-driven logistics platform transforming freight operations. In 2025, Augment secured $25 million in seed funding led by 8VC to develop its flagship product. Prior to launching Augment, Harish co-founded Deliverr, a fast-growing e-commerce fulfillment platform acquired by Shopify for $2.1 billion in 2022. His career includes pivotal roles at Amazon, where he contributed to building global fulfillment infrastructure. Harish holds degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.   Connect with Harish Website: https://www.goaugment.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/habbott/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/habbott   

Learn about some more of the Baal Shem Tov's foundational teachings, as well as the story of his Histalkus.-This episode is dedicated to the Tzeirei Hashluchim of the Rebbe to the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.Menachem & Mussia Sheyichyu Tiechtel.

In this episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Emerson Nafziger from the University of Illinois breaks down decades of nitrogen research. From the evolution of N rate guidelines to how soil health and hybrid genetics influence nitrogen use efficiency, this conversation unpacks the science behind smarter fertilization. Improving how we set nitrogen fertilizer rates for rainfed corn is a key focus. Discover why the MRTN model matters more than ever, and how shifting mindsets and better data can boost yields and environmental outcomes. Tune in now on all major platforms!"The nitrogen that comes from soil mineralization is the first nitrogen the plant sees, and its role is underestimated."Meet the guest: Dr. Emerson Nafziger is Professor Emeritus of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with degrees in agronomy from Ohio State, Purdue, and Illinois. His research has focused on nitrogen rate strategies and crop productivity. He co-developed the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) model, which is widely used across the Midwest. His research spans N response trials, hybrid interactions, crop rotation effects, and yield stability.Liked this one? Don't stop now — Here's what we think you'll love!What you will learn:(00:00) Highlight(00:58) Introduction(02:08) Dr. Nafziger background(07:13) Soil nitrogen variability(10:28) Nitrogen rate strategies(13:08) Root development factors(26:58) MRTN historical changes(31:10) Closing thoughtsThe Crop Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by the innovative companies:- S&W Seed Co.- KWS- CNH Reman

  Lyssa Rome is a speech-language pathologist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is on staff at the Aphasia Center of California, where she facilitates groups for people with aphasia and their care partners. She owns an LPAA-focused private practice and specializes in working with people with aphasia, dysarthria, and other neurogenic conditions. She has worked in acute hospital, skilled nursing, and continuum of care settings. Prior to becoming an SLP, Lyssa was a public radio journalist, editor, and podcast producer. In this episode, Lyssa Rome interviews Dr. Suma Devanga about collaborative referencing, gesture, and building rich communicative environments for people with aphasia.   Guest info Dr. Suma Devanga is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, where she also serves as the director of the Aphasia Research Lab. She completed her PhD in Speech and Hearing science from the University of Illinois. Urbana Champaign in 2017. Dr. Devanga is interested in studying aphasia interventions and their impacts on people's everyday communication. Her recent work includes investigating a novel treatment called the Collaborative Referencing Intervention for Individuals with aphasia, using discourse analysis methods and patient reported outcome measures, studying group-based treatments for aphasia, and studying the use of gestures in aphasia. Additionally, she is involved in teaching courses on aphasia and cognitive communication disorders to graduate SLP students at Rush. She also provides direct patient care and graduate clinical supervision at Rush outpatient clinics.   Listener Take-aways In today's episode you will: Understand the role of collaborative referencing in everyday communication. Learn about Collaborative Referencing Intervention. Describe how speech-language pathologists can create rich communicative environments.   Edited transcript   Lyssa Rome Welcome to the Aphasia Access Aphasia Conversations Podcast. I'm Lyssa Rome. I'm a speech language pathologist on staff at the Aphasia Center of California, and I see clients with aphasia and other neurogenic communication disorders in my LPAA-focused private practice. I'm also a member of the Aphasia Access podcast Working Group. Aphasia Access strives to provide members with information, inspiration, and ideas that support their aphasia care through a variety of educational materials and resources.   I'm today's host for an episode that will feature Dr. Suma Devanga, who is selected as a 2024 Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar, USA and Canada. In this episode, we'll be discussing Dr. Devanga's research on collaborative referencing, gesture, and building rich communicative environments for people with aphasia.   Suma Devanga is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, where she also serves as the director of the Aphasia Research Lab. She completed her PhD in Speech and Hearing science from the University of Illinois. Urbana Champaign in 2017. Dr. Devanga is interested in studying aphasia interventions and their impacts on people's everyday communication. Her recent work includes investigating a novel treatment called the Collaborative Referencing Intervention for Individuals with aphasia, using discourse analysis methods and patient reported outcome measures, studying group-based treatments for aphasia, and studying the use of gestures in aphasia. Additionally, she is involved in teaching courses on aphasia and cognitive communication disorders to graduate SLP students at Rush. She also provides direct patient care and graduate clinical supervision at Rush outpatient clinics. Suma Devanga, thank you so much for joining us today. I'm really happy to be talking with you.   Suma Devanga Thank you, Lyssa, thank you for having me. And I would also like to thank Aphasia Access for this wonderful opportunity, and the Tavistock Trust for Aphasia and the Duchess of Bedford for recognizing my research through the Distinguished Scholar Award.   Lyssa Rome So I wanted to start by asking you how you became interested in aphasia treatment.   Suma Devanga I became interested in aphasia during my undergraduate and graduate programs, which was in speech language pathology in Mysore in India. I was really drawn to this population because of how severe the consequences were for these individuals and their families after the onset of aphasia. So I met hundreds of patients and families with aphasia who were really devastated by this sudden condition, and they were typically left with no job and little means to communicate with family and friends. So as a student clinician, I was very, very motivated to help these individuals in therapy, but when I started implementing the treatment methods that I had learned, what I discovered was that my patients were showing improvements on the tasks that we worked on in therapy. Their scores on clinical tasks also were improving, but none of that really mattered to them. What they really wanted was to be able to easily communicate with family, but they continued to struggle on that, and none of the cutting-edge treatment methods that I learned from this highly reputable program in India were impacting my patients' lives.   So I really felt lost, and that is when I knew that I wanted to do a PhD and study this topic more closely, and I was drawn to Dr. Julie Hengst's work, which looked at the bigger picture in aphasia. She used novel theoretical frameworks and used discourse analysis methods for tracking patient performance, as opposed to clinical tests. So I applied to the University of Illinois PhD program, and I'm so glad that she took me on as her doctoral student. And so that is how I ended up moving from India to the US and started my work in aphasia.   Lyssa Rome I think that a lot of us can probably relate to what you're describing—that just that feeling of frustration when a patient might improve on some sort of clinical tasks, but still says this is not helping me in my life, and I know that for me, and I think for others, that is what has drawn us to the LPAA.   I wanted to sort of dive into your research by asking you a little bit more about rich communicative environments, and what you mean by that, and what you mean when you talk about or write about distributed communication frameworks.   Suma Devanga So since I started my PhD, I have been interested in understanding how we can positively impact everyday communication for our patients with aphasia. As a doctoral student, I delved more deeply into the aphasia literature and realized that what I observed clinically with my patients in India was consistent with what was documented in the literature, and that was called the clinical-functional gap. And this really refers to the fact that we have many evidence-based aphasia treatments that do show improvements on clinical tasks or standardized tests, but there is very limited evidence on these treatments improving the functional use of language or the everyday communication, and this remains to be true even today.   So I think it becomes pretty important to understand what we are dealing with, like what is everyday communication? And I think many aphasia treatments have been studying everyday communication or conversational interactions by decontextualizing them or reducing them into component parts, like single words or phrases, and then we work our way up to sentence structures. Right? So this approach has been criticized by some researchers like Clark, who is an experimental psychologist, and he called such tasks as in vacuo, meaning that they are not really capturing the complexity of conversational interactions. So basically, even though we are clinicians, our ultimate goal is improving everyday communication, which is rich and emergent and complex, we somehow seem to be using tasks that are simplified and that removes all of these complexities and focuses more on simple or specific linguistic structures. So to understand the complexities of everyday communication, we have shifted to the distributed communication framework, which really originates from the cultural historical activity theories and theories from linguistic anthropology.   Dr. Julie Hengst actually proposed the distributed communication theory in her article in the Journal of Communication Disorders in 2015, which highlights that communication is not just an individual skill or a discrete concept, but it is rather distributed. And it is distributed in three ways: One is that it is distributed across various resources. We communicate using multiple resources, not just language. We sign, we use gestures, or facial expressions. We also interpret messages using such resources like dialects and eye gaze and posture, the social context, cultural backgrounds, the emotional states that we are in, and all of that matters. And we all know this, right? This is not new, and yet, we often give credit to language alone for communication, when in reality, we constantly use multiple resources. And the other key concept of distributed communication theory is that communication is embedded in socio- cultural activities. So depending on the activity, which can be a routine family dinnertime conversation or managing relationships with your co workers, the communicative resources that you use, their motives, and the way you would organize it, all of that would vary. And finally, communication is distributed across time. And by that we mean that people interpret and understand present interactions through the histories that they have experienced over time. For example, if you're at work and your manager says you might want to double check your reports before submitting them based on prior interactions with the manager and the histories you've shared with them, you could interpret that message either as a simple suggestion or that there is a lack of trust in your work. So all in all, communication, I think, is a joint activity, and I think we should view it as a joint activity, and it depends on people's ability to build common ground with one another and draw from that common ground to interpret each other's messages.   Lyssa Rome I feel like that framework is really helpful, and it makes a lot of sense, especially as a way of thinking about the complexity of language and the complexity of what we're trying to do when we are taking a more top-down approach. So that's the distributed communication theory. And it sounds like the other framework that has really guided your research is rich communicative environments. And I'm wondering if you could say a little bit more about that.   Suma Devanga Absolutely. So this work originates from about 80 years of research in neuroscience, where rodents and other animals with acquired brain injuries showed greater neuroplastic changes and improved functions when they were housed in complex environments. In fact, complex environments are considered to be the most well replicated approach to improve function in animal models of acquired brain injury.   So Dr. Julie Hengst, Dr. Melissa Duff, and Dr. Theresa Jones translated these findings to support communication for humans with acquired brain injuries. And they called it the rich communicative environments. The main goal of this is to enrich the clinical environments. And how we achieve that is by ensuring that there is meaningful complexity in our clinical environments, and that you do that by ensuring that our patients, families, and clinicians use multimodal resources, and also to aim for having multiple communication partners within your sessions who can fluidly shift between various communicative roles, and to not just stay in that clinician role, for example.   Another way to think about enriching clinical environments is to think about ensuring that there is voluntary engagement from our patients, and you do that by essentially designing personally meaningful activities, rather than focusing on rehearsing fixed linguistic form or having some predetermined goals.   And the other piece of the enrichment is, how do we ensure there is a positive experiential quality for our patients within our sessions. And for this rather than using clinician-controlled activities with rigid interactional roles, providing opportunities for the patients to share stories and humor would really, you know, ensure that they are also engaging with the tasks with you and having some fun. So all of this put together would lead to a rich communicative environment.   Lyssa Rome It sounds like what you're describing is the kind of speech therapy environment and relationship that is very much person-centered and focused on natural communication, or natural communicative contexts and the kinds of conversations that people have in their everyday lives, rather than more sort of strict speech therapy protocol that might have been more traditional. I also want to ask you to describe collaborative referencing and collaborative referencing intervention.   Suma Devanga Yes, absolutely. So traditionally, our discipline has viewed word-finding or naming as a neurolinguistic process where you access semantic meanings from a lexicon, which you use to generate verbal references. And that theoretical account conceptualizes referencing as an isolated process, where one individual has the skill of retrieving target references from their stores of linguistic forms and meanings, right? So in contrast to that, the distributed communication perspective views referencing as a process where speakers' meanings are constructed within each interaction, and that is based on the shared histories of experiences with specific communication partners and also depending on the social and physical contexts of the interaction as well.   Now this process of collaborative referencing is something that we all do every single day. It is not just a part of our everyday communication, but without collaborative referencing, you cannot really have a conversation with anyone. You need to have some alignment, some common ground for communicating with others. This is a fundamental feature of human communication, and this is not new. You know, there is lots of work being done on this, even in childhood language literature as well.   Collaborative referencing was formally studied by Clark, who is the experimental psychologist. And he studied this in healthy college students, and he used a barrier task experiment for it. So a pair of students sat across from each other with a full barrier that separated them so they could not see each other at all, and each student had a board that was numbered one through 12, and they were given matching sets of 12 pictures of abstract shapes called tangrams. One participant was assigned as the director, who arranged the cards on their playing board and described their locations to the other, who served as the matcher and matched the pictures to their locations on their own board. So the pair completed six trials with alternating turns, and they use the same cards with new locations for each trial. And what they found was that the pairs had to really collaborate with each other to get those descriptions correct so that they are placed correctly on the boards.   So in the initial trials, the pairs had multiple turns of back and forth trying to describe these abstract shapes. For example, one of the pictures was initially described as “This picture that looks like an angel or something with its arms wide open.” And there had to be several clarifying questions from the partner, and then eventually, after playing with this picture several times, the player just had to say “It's the angel,” and the partner would be able to know which picture that was so as the pairs built their common ground, the collaborative effort, or the time taken to complete each trial, and the number of words they used and the number of turns they took to communicate about those pictures declined over time, and the labels itself, or the descriptions of pictures, also became more streamlined as the as time went by.   So Hengst and colleagues wanted to study this experiment in aphasia, TBI, amnesia, and Alzheimer's disease as well. So they adapted this task to better serve this population and also to align with the distributed communication framework. And surprisingly, they found consistent results that despite aphasia or other neurological conditions, people were still able to successfully reference, decrease collaborative effort over time and even streamline their references. But more surprisingly, people were engaged with one another. They were having really rich conversations about these pictures. They were sharing jokes, and really seemed to be enjoying the task itself.   So Hengst and colleagues realized that this has a lot of potential, and they redesigned the barrier task experiment as a clinical treatment using the principles of the distributed communication framework and the rich communicative environment. So that redesign included replacing the full barrier with a partial barrier to allow multimodal communication, and using personal photos of the patients instead of the abstract shapes to make it more engaging for the patients, and also asking participants to treat this as a friendly game and to have fun. So that is the referencing itself and the research on collaborative referencing, and that is how it was adapted as a treatment as well.   And in order to help clinicians easily implement this treatment, I have used the RTSS framework, which is the rehabilitation treatment specification system, to explain how CRI works and how it can be implemented. And this is actually published, and it just came out in the most recent issue in the American Journal of Speech Language Pathology, which I'm happy to share.   Lyssa Rome And we'll put that link into the show notes.   Suma Devanga Perfect. So CRI is designed around meaningful activities like the game that authentically provides repeated opportunities for the client and the clinician to engage in the collaborative referencing process around targets that they really want to be talking about, things that are relevant to patients, everyday communication goals, it could be things, objects of interest, and not really specific words or referencing forms.   So the implementation of the CRI involves three key ingredients. One is jointly developing the referencing targets and compiling the images so clinicians would sit down with the patients and the families to identify at least 30 targets that are meaningful and important to be included in the treatment. And we need two perspectives, or two views, or two pictures related to the same target that needs to be included in the treatment. So we will have 60 pictures overall. An example is two pictures from their wedding might be an important target for patients to be able to talk about. Two pictures from a Christmas party, you know, things like that. So this process of compilation of photos is also a part of the treatment itself, because it gives the patients an opportunity to engage with the targets.   The second ingredient is engaging in the friendly gameplay itself. And the key really here is the gameplay and to treat it as a gameplay. And this includes 15 sessions with six trials in each session, where you, as the clinician and the client will both have matching sets of 12 pictures, and there is a low barrier in between, so you cannot see each other's boards, but you can still see the other person. So you will both take turns being the director and the matcher six times, and describe and match the pictures to their locations, and that is just the game. The only rule of the game is that you cannot look over the barrier. You are encouraged to talk as much as you like about the pictures. In fact, you are encouraged to talk a lot about the pictures and communicate in any way.   The third ingredient is discussing and reflecting on referencing. And this happens at the end of each session where patients are asked to think back and reflect and say what the agreed upon label was for each card. And this, again, gives one more opportunity for the patients to engage with the target.   The therapeutic mechanism, or the mechanism of action, as RTSS likes to call it, is the rich communicative environment itself, you know, and how complex the task is, and how meaningful and engaging the task has to be, as well as the repeated engagement in the gameplay, because we are doing this six times in each session, and we are repeatedly engaging with those targets when describing them and placing them.   So what we are really targeting with CRI is collaborative referencing and again, this does not refer to the patient's abilities to access or retrieve those words from their stores. Instead, we are targeting people's joint efforts in communicating about these targets, their efforts in building situated common ground. That's what we are targeting. We are targeting their alignment with one another, and so that is how we define referencing. And again, we are targeting this, because that is how you communicate every day.   Lyssa Rome That sounds like a really fascinating and very rich intervention. And I'm wondering if you can tell us a little bit about the research that you've done on it so far.   Suma Devanga Absolutely. So in terms of research on CRI thus far, we have completed phase one with small case studies that were all successful, and my PhD dissertation was the first phase two study, where we introduced an experimental control by using a multiple-probe, single-case experimental design on four people with aphasia, and we found significant results on naming. And since then, I have completed two replication studies in a total of nine participants with aphasia. And we have found consistent results on naming. In terms of impact on everyday interactions, we have found decreased trouble sources, or communicative breakdowns, you can call it, and also decreased repairs, both of which indicated improved communicative success within conversational interactions. So we are positive, and we plan to continue this research to study its efficacy within a clinical trial.   Lyssa Rome That's very encouraging. So how can clinicians target collaborative referencing by creating a rich communicative environment?   Suma Devanga Yeah, well, CRI is one approach that clinicians can use, and I'm happy to share the evidence we have this far, and there is more to come, hopefully soon, including some clinical implementation studies that clinicians can use. But there are many other ways of creating rich communicative environments and targeting referencing within clinical sessions. I think many skilled clinicians are already doing it in the form of relationship building, by listening closely to their patients, engaging with them in authentic conversations, and also during education and counseling sessions as well.   In addition to that, I think group treatment for aphasia is another great opportunity for targeting collaborative referencing within a rich communicative environment. When I was a faculty at Western Michigan University, I was involved in their outpatient aphasia program, where they have aphasia groups, and patients got to select which groups they want to participate in. They had a cooking group, a music group, a technology group, and so on. And I'm guessing you do this too at the Aphasia Center of California. So these groups definitely create rich communicative environments, and people collaborate with each other and do a lot of referencing as well. So I think there is a lot that can be done if you understand the rich communicative environment piece.   Lyssa Rome Absolutely. That really rings true to me. So often in these podcast interviews, we ask people about aha moments, and I'm wondering if you have one that you wanted to share with us.   Suma Devanga Sure. So you know how I said that getting the pictures for the CRI is a joint activity? Patients typically select things that they really want to talk about, like their kids' graduation pictures, or things that they are really passionate about, like pictures of their sports cars, or vegetable gardens, and so on. And they also come up with really unique names for them as well, while they are playing with those pictures during the treatment. And when we start playing the game, clinicians usually have little knowledge about these images, because they're all really personal to the patients, and they're taken from their personal lives, so they end up being the novices, while the patients become the experts. And my patients have taught me so much about constructing a house and all about engines of cars and things like that that I had no knowledge about. But in one incident, when I was the clinician paired with an individual with anomic aphasia, there was a picture of a building that she could not recognize, and hence she could not tell me much at all. And we went back and forth several times, and we finally ended up calling it the “unknown building.” Later, I checked my notes and realized that it was where she worked, and it was probably a different angle, perhaps, which is why she could not recognize it. But even with that new information, we continue to call it the “unknown building,” because it became sort of an internal joke for us. And later I kept thinking if I had made a mistake and if we should have accurately labeled it. That is when it clicked for me that CRI is not about producing accurate labels, it is about building a common ground with each other, which would help you successfully communicate with that person. So you're targeting the process of referencing and not the reference itself, because you want your patients to get better at the process of referencing in their everyday communication. And so that was my aha moment.   Lyssa Rome Yeah, that's an amazing story, because I think that that gets to that question sort of of the why behind what we're doing, right? Is it to say the specific name? I mean, obviously for some people, yes, sometimes it is. But what is underlying that? It's to be able to communicate about the things that are important to people. I also wanted to ask you about another area that you've studied, which is the use of gesture within aphasia interventions. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?   Suma Devanga Yes. So this work started with my collaboration with my friend and colleague, Dr. Mili Mathew, who is at Molloy University in New York, and our first work was on examining the role of hand gestures in collaborative referencing in a participant who had severe Wernicke's aphasia, and he frequently used extensive gestures to communicate. So when he started with CRI his descriptions of the images were truly multimodal. For example, when he had to describe a picture of a family vacation in Cancun, he was, you know, he was verbose, and there was very little meaningful content that was relevant in his spoken language utterances. But he used a variety of iconic hand gestures that were very meaningful and helpful to identify what he was referring to. As the sessions went on with him, his gestural references also became streamlined, just like the verbal references do, and that we saw in other studies. And that was fascinating because it indicated that gestures do play a big role in the meaning-making process of referencing.   And in another study on the same participant, we explored the use of hand gestures as treatment outcome measures. This time, we specifically analyzed gestures used within conversations at baseline treatment, probe, and maintenance phases of the study. And we found that the frequency of referential gestures, which are gestures that add meaning, that have some kind of iconics associated with them, those frequencies of gestures decreased with the onset of treatment, whereas the correct information units, or CIUS, which indicate the informativeness in the spoken language itself, increased. So this pattern of decrease in hand gestures and increase in CIUS was also a great finding. Even though this was just an exploratory study, it indicates that gestures may be included as outcome measures, in addition to verbal measures, which we usually tend to rely more on. And we have a few more studies coming up that are looking at the synchrony of gestures with spoken language in aphasia, but I think we still have a lot more to learn about gestures in aphasia.   Lyssa Rome It seems like there that studying gestures really ties in to CRI and the rich communicative environments that you were describing earlier, where the goal is not just to verbally name one thing, but rather to get your point across, where, obviously, gesture is also quite useful. So I look forward to reading more of your research on that as it comes out. Tell us about what you're currently working on, what's coming next.   Suma Devanga Currently, I am wrapping up my clinical research grant from the ASH Foundation, which was a replication study of the phase two CRI so we collected data from six participants with chronic aphasia using a multiple-probe, single-case design, and that showed positive results on naming, and there was improved scores on patient reports of communication confidence, communicative participation, and quality of life as well. We are currently analyzing the conversation samples to study the treatment effects.   I also just submitted a grant proposal to extend the study on participants with different severities of aphasia as well. So we are getting all the preliminary data at this point that we need to be able to start a clinical trial, which will be my next step.   So apart from that, I was also able to redesign the CRI and adapt it as a group-based treatment with three participants with aphasia and one clinician in a group. I actually completed a feasibility study of it, which was successful, and I presented that at ASHA in 2023. And I'm currently writing it up for publication, and I also just secured an internal grant to launch a pilot study of the group CRI to investigate the effects of group CRI on communication and quality of life.   Lyssa Rome Well, that's really exciting. And again, I'm really looking forward to reading additional work as it comes out. As we wrap up. What do you want clinicians to take away from your work and to take away from this conversation we've had today?   Suma Devanga Well, I would want clinicians to reflect on how their sessions are going and think about how to incorporate the principles of rich communicative environments so that they can add more meaningful complexity to their treatment activities and also ensure that their patients are truly engaging with the tasks and also having some fun. And I would also tell the clinicians that we have strong findings so far on CRI with both fluent and non-fluent aphasia types. So please stay tuned and reach out to me if you have questions or want to share your experiences about implementing this with your own patients, because I would love to hear that.   Lyssa Rome Dr. Suma Devanga, it has been great talking to you and hearing about your work. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.   Suma Devanga It was fantastic talking about my work. Thank you for giving me this platform to share my work with you all. And thank you, Lyssa for being a great listener.   Lyssa Rome Thanks also to our listeners for the references and resources mentioned in today's show. Please see our show notes. They're available on our website, www.aphasiaaccess.org. There, you can also become a member of our organization, browse our growing library of materials, and find out about the Aphasia Access Academy. If you have an idea for a future podcast episode, email us at info@aphasiaaccess.org. Thanks again for your ongoing support of aphasia. Access. For Aphasia Access Conversations. I'm Lyssa Rome.       References   Devanga, S. R. (2025). Collaborative Referencing Intervention (CRI) in Aphasia: A replication and extension of the Phase II efficacy study. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_AJSLP-24-00226   Devanga, S. R., Sherrill, M., & Hengst, J. A. (2021). The efficacy of collaborative referencing intervention in chronic aphasia: A mixed methods study. American Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 30(1S), 407-424. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00108    Hengst, J. A., Duff, M. C., & Jones, T. A. (2019). Enriching communicative environments: Leveraging advances in neuroplasticity for improving outcomes in neurogenic communication disorders. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 28(1S), 216–229. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_AJSLP-17-0157   Hengst, J. A. (2015). Distributed communication: Implications of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) for communication disorders. Journal of Communication Disorders, 57, 16–28. Https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2015.09.001   Devanga, S. R., & Mathew, M. (2024). Exploring the use of co-speech hand gestures as treatment outcome measures for aphasia. Aphasiology. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2024.2356287   Devanga, S. R., Wilgenhof, R., & Mathew, M. (2022). Collaborative referencing using hand gestures in Wernicke's aphasia: Discourse analysis of a case study. Aphasiology, 36(9), 1072-1095. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2021.1937919    

Dr. Amato is a biological anthropologist studying the influence of gut microbes on host ecology and evolution. Her research examines how changes in the gut microbiota impact host nutrition, energetics, and health. She uses non-human primates as models for studying host-gut microbe interactions in selective environments and for providing comparative insight into the evolution of the human gut microbiota. Her main foci are understanding how the gut microbiome may buffer hosts during periods of nutritional stress and how the gut microbiome programs normal inter-specific differences in host metabolism. In this realm, she is also interested in global variation in the human gut microbiome and its implications for local human adaptation. Dr. Amato obtained her A.B. in Biology from Dartmouth College and her Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She completed a postdoc at the University of Colorado Boulder. She joined the Department of Anthropology in 2015. She is also affiliated with the Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program and sits on the Executive Committee of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems. Dr. Amato is the President of the Midwest Primate Interest Group, an Associate Editor at Microbiome, an Editorial Board member at Folia Primatologica, and a Fellow for the Canadian Institute of Advanced Research's ‘Humans and the Microbiome' Program. ------------------------------ Find the paper discussed in this episode: Mallott, E., Kuthyar, S., Lee, W., … & Amato, K. R. (2024). The primate gut microbiota contributes to interspecific differences in host metabolism. Microbial genomics, https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.001322 ------------------------------ Contact the Sausage of Science Podcast and Human Biology Association: Facebook: facebook.com/groups/humanbiologyassociation/, Website: humbio.org, Twitter: @HumBioAssoc Chris Lynn, Co-Host. Website: cdlynn.people.ua.edu/, E-mail: cdlynn@ua.edu, Twitter:@Chris_Ly Cristina Gildee, Guest Co-Host, HBA Junior Fellow, SoS producer. Website: cristinagildee.org, E-mail: cgildee@uw.edu, Twitter:@CristinaGildee Anahi Ruderman, SoS Co-Producer, HBA Junior Fellow. E-mail: aniruderman@gmail.com, Twitter: @ani_ruderman

It's a common refrain: AI is neither good nor bad because that depends on how its used. Professor Anita Say Chan begs to differ. Chan is the author of Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future (U California Press, 2025). Chan is Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences and Department of Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as the author of a prior book Networking Peripheries on tech movements among craftwork communities in Peru. In her current book, Chan documents how the Big Data on which AI are trained are based on long-standing data infrastructures—sets of practices, policies, and logics—that remove, imperil, devalue, and actively harm people who refuse to conform to racialized patriarchal power structures and the priorities of surveillance capitalism—most pointedly immigrant, feminist, and low-income communities. Centered mostly in the United States as well as Latin America, Predatory Data shows how the eugenicist data practices of the past now shape our present. But her approach is fundamentally a politics of pluralism. Chan dedicates half of the book to amplifying and praising the small-scale, community-led projects of the past and present—from the legendary Hull House's data visualizations to community data initiatives in Champaign, Illinois. There is much fuel for political outrage in this book and also fodder for solidarity and hope. This interview was a collaborative effort among Professor Laura Stark and students at Vanderbilt University in the course, “The Politics of AI.” Please email Laura with any feedback on the interview or questions about how to design collaborative interview projects for the classroom. email: laura.stark@vanderbilt.edu . Student collaborators on this interview were Emma Bufkin, Keyonté Doughty, Natalie Dumm, Karim Elmehdawi, Lauren Garza, Eden Kim, Michelle Kugel, Kai Lee, Sam Mitike, Hadassah Nehikhuere, Shalini Thinakaran, Logan Walsh, and Wesley Williams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

It's a common refrain: AI is neither good nor bad because that depends on how its used. Professor Anita Say Chan begs to differ. Chan is the author of Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future (U California Press, 2025). Chan is Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences and Department of Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as the author of a prior book Networking Peripheries on tech movements among craftwork communities in Peru. In her current book, Chan documents how the Big Data on which AI are trained are based on long-standing data infrastructures—sets of practices, policies, and logics—that remove, imperil, devalue, and actively harm people who refuse to conform to racialized patriarchal power structures and the priorities of surveillance capitalism—most pointedly immigrant, feminist, and low-income communities. Centered mostly in the United States as well as Latin America, Predatory Data shows how the eugenicist data practices of the past now shape our present. But her approach is fundamentally a politics of pluralism. Chan dedicates half of the book to amplifying and praising the small-scale, community-led projects of the past and present—from the legendary Hull House's data visualizations to community data initiatives in Champaign, Illinois. There is much fuel for political outrage in this book and also fodder for solidarity and hope. This interview was a collaborative effort among Professor Laura Stark and students at Vanderbilt University in the course, “The Politics of AI.” Please email Laura with any feedback on the interview or questions about how to design collaborative interview projects for the classroom. email: laura.stark@vanderbilt.edu . Student collaborators on this interview were Emma Bufkin, Keyonté Doughty, Natalie Dumm, Karim Elmehdawi, Lauren Garza, Eden Kim, Michelle Kugel, Kai Lee, Sam Mitike, Hadassah Nehikhuere, Shalini Thinakaran, Logan Walsh, and Wesley Williams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

It's a common refrain: AI is neither good nor bad because that depends on how its used. Professor Anita Say Chan begs to differ. Chan is the author of Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future (U California Press, 2025). Chan is Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences and Department of Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as the author of a prior book Networking Peripheries on tech movements among craftwork communities in Peru. In her current book, Chan documents how the Big Data on which AI are trained are based on long-standing data infrastructures—sets of practices, policies, and logics—that remove, imperil, devalue, and actively harm people who refuse to conform to racialized patriarchal power structures and the priorities of surveillance capitalism—most pointedly immigrant, feminist, and low-income communities. Centered mostly in the United States as well as Latin America, Predatory Data shows how the eugenicist data practices of the past now shape our present. But her approach is fundamentally a politics of pluralism. Chan dedicates half of the book to amplifying and praising the small-scale, community-led projects of the past and present—from the legendary Hull House's data visualizations to community data initiatives in Champaign, Illinois. There is much fuel for political outrage in this book and also fodder for solidarity and hope. This interview was a collaborative effort among Professor Laura Stark and students at Vanderbilt University in the course, “The Politics of AI.” Please email Laura with any feedback on the interview or questions about how to design collaborative interview projects for the classroom. email: laura.stark@vanderbilt.edu . Student collaborators on this interview were Emma Bufkin, Keyonté Doughty, Natalie Dumm, Karim Elmehdawi, Lauren Garza, Eden Kim, Michelle Kugel, Kai Lee, Sam Mitike, Hadassah Nehikhuere, Shalini Thinakaran, Logan Walsh, and Wesley Williams. 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

It's a common refrain: AI is neither good nor bad because that depends on how its used. Professor Anita Say Chan begs to differ. Chan is the author of Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future (U California Press, 2025). Chan is Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences and Department of Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as the author of a prior book Networking Peripheries on tech movements among craftwork communities in Peru. In her current book, Chan documents how the Big Data on which AI are trained are based on long-standing data infrastructures—sets of practices, policies, and logics—that remove, imperil, devalue, and actively harm people who refuse to conform to racialized patriarchal power structures and the priorities of surveillance capitalism—most pointedly immigrant, feminist, and low-income communities. Centered mostly in the United States as well as Latin America, Predatory Data shows how the eugenicist data practices of the past now shape our present. But her approach is fundamentally a politics of pluralism. Chan dedicates half of the book to amplifying and praising the small-scale, community-led projects of the past and present—from the legendary Hull House's data visualizations to community data initiatives in Champaign, Illinois. There is much fuel for political outrage in this book and also fodder for solidarity and hope. This interview was a collaborative effort among Professor Laura Stark and students at Vanderbilt University in the course, “The Politics of AI.” Please email Laura with any feedback on the interview or questions about how to design collaborative interview projects for the classroom. email: laura.stark@vanderbilt.edu . Student collaborators on this interview were Emma Bufkin, Keyonté Doughty, Natalie Dumm, Karim Elmehdawi, Lauren Garza, Eden Kim, Michelle Kugel, Kai Lee, Sam Mitike, Hadassah Nehikhuere, Shalini Thinakaran, Logan Walsh, and Wesley Williams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

It's a common refrain: AI is neither good nor bad because that depends on how its used. Professor Anita Say Chan begs to differ. Chan is the author of Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future (U California Press, 2025). Chan is Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences and Department of Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as the author of a prior book Networking Peripheries on tech movements among craftwork communities in Peru. In her current book, Chan documents how the Big Data on which AI are trained are based on long-standing data infrastructures—sets of practices, policies, and logics—that remove, imperil, devalue, and actively harm people who refuse to conform to racialized patriarchal power structures and the priorities of surveillance capitalism—most pointedly immigrant, feminist, and low-income communities. Centered mostly in the United States as well as Latin America, Predatory Data shows how the eugenicist data practices of the past now shape our present. But her approach is fundamentally a politics of pluralism. Chan dedicates half of the book to amplifying and praising the small-scale, community-led projects of the past and present—from the legendary Hull House's data visualizations to community data initiatives in Champaign, Illinois. There is much fuel for political outrage in this book and also fodder for solidarity and hope. This interview was a collaborative effort among Professor Laura Stark and students at Vanderbilt University in the course, “The Politics of AI.” Please email Laura with any feedback on the interview or questions about how to design collaborative interview projects for the classroom. email: laura.stark@vanderbilt.edu . Student collaborators on this interview were Emma Bufkin, Keyonté Doughty, Natalie Dumm, Karim Elmehdawi, Lauren Garza, Eden Kim, Michelle Kugel, Kai Lee, Sam Mitike, Hadassah Nehikhuere, Shalini Thinakaran, Logan Walsh, and Wesley Williams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/technology

In The Promise of Beauty (Duke UP, 2024), Mimi Thi Nguyen explores the relationship between the concept of beauty and narratives of crisis and catastrophe. Nguyen conceptualizes beauty, which, she observes, we turn to in emergencies and times of destruction, as a tool to identify and bridge the discrepancy between the world as it is and what it ought to be. Drawing widely from aesthetic and critical theories, Nguyen outlines how beauty—or its lack—points to the conditions that must exist for it to flourish. She notes that an absence of beauty becomes both a political observation and a call to action to transform the conditions of the situation so as to replicate, preserve, or repair beauty. The promise of beauty can then engender a critique of social arrangements and political structures that would set the foundations for its possibility and presence. In this way, Nguyen highlights the role of beauty in inspiring action toward a more just world. Mimi Thi Nguyen is Professor of Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her first book, called The Gift of Freedom: War, Debt, and Other Refugee Passages, focuses on the promise of “giving” freedom concurrent and contingent with waging war (Duke University Press, 2012; Outstanding Book Award in Cultural Studies from the Association of Asian American Studies, 2014). She is also co-editor with Fiona I.B. Ngo and Mariam Lam of a special issue of positions: asia critique on Southeast Asian American Studies (20:3, Winter 2012), and co-editor with Thuy Linh Nguyen Tu of Alien Encounters: Pop Culture in Asian America (Duke University Press, 2007). Her papers have been solicited for the Feminist Theory Archive at Brown University. Her second book is called The Promise of Beauty, and she is part of an editorial collective with Patty Ahn, Michelle Cho, Vernadette Vicuna Gonzalez, Rani Neutill, and Yutian Wong for Bangtan Remixed: A Critical BTS Reader; both books are being published with Duke University Press in 2024. She has also published in Signs, Camera Obscura, The Funambulist, Women & Performance, positions, Radical History Review, and ArtForum. Najwa Mayer is an interdisciplinary cultural scholar of race, gender, sexuality, and Islam in/and the United States, working at the intersections of politics, aesthetics, and critical theory. She is currently a Society of Fellows Postdoctoral Scholar at Boston University. 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

In The Promise of Beauty (Duke UP, 2024), Mimi Thi Nguyen explores the relationship between the concept of beauty and narratives of crisis and catastrophe. Nguyen conceptualizes beauty, which, she observes, we turn to in emergencies and times of destruction, as a tool to identify and bridge the discrepancy between the world as it is and what it ought to be. Drawing widely from aesthetic and critical theories, Nguyen outlines how beauty—or its lack—points to the conditions that must exist for it to flourish. She notes that an absence of beauty becomes both a political observation and a call to action to transform the conditions of the situation so as to replicate, preserve, or repair beauty. The promise of beauty can then engender a critique of social arrangements and political structures that would set the foundations for its possibility and presence. In this way, Nguyen highlights the role of beauty in inspiring action toward a more just world. Mimi Thi Nguyen is Professor of Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her first book, called The Gift of Freedom: War, Debt, and Other Refugee Passages, focuses on the promise of “giving” freedom concurrent and contingent with waging war (Duke University Press, 2012; Outstanding Book Award in Cultural Studies from the Association of Asian American Studies, 2014). She is also co-editor with Fiona I.B. Ngo and Mariam Lam of a special issue of positions: asia critique on Southeast Asian American Studies (20:3, Winter 2012), and co-editor with Thuy Linh Nguyen Tu of Alien Encounters: Pop Culture in Asian America (Duke University Press, 2007). Her papers have been solicited for the Feminist Theory Archive at Brown University. Her second book is called The Promise of Beauty, and she is part of an editorial collective with Patty Ahn, Michelle Cho, Vernadette Vicuna Gonzalez, Rani Neutill, and Yutian Wong for Bangtan Remixed: A Critical BTS Reader; both books are being published with Duke University Press in 2024. She has also published in Signs, Camera Obscura, The Funambulist, Women & Performance, positions, Radical History Review, and ArtForum. Najwa Mayer is an interdisciplinary cultural scholar of race, gender, sexuality, and Islam in/and the United States, working at the intersections of politics, aesthetics, and critical theory. She is currently a Society of Fellows Postdoctoral Scholar at Boston University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Justin Dyer is a Professor of Religious Education at Brigham Young University. He received his Ph.D. in human and community development from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Auburn University. He teaches classes on... The post Personal Scripture Study for the Win – 913 appeared first on The Cultural Hall Podcast.

In this episode of The Poetry Vlog (TPV), author and artist Jessica Tanck reads from her book Winter Here (UGA Press, 2024) to lead a discussion on the beauty of contrast, the battle to resist conformity, and the importance of queer community.Jessica Tanck is the author of Winter Here (UGA Press, 2024), winner of the 2022 Georgia Poetry Prize. She holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she completed a B.A. in English Literature - Creative Writing and Comparative Literature and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing - Poetry. Her work appears or is forthcoming in The Adroit Journal, Alaska Quarterly Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, Blackbird, Colorado Review, DIAGRAM, Gulf Coast, Kenyon Review, The Los Angeles Review, Meridian, New England Review, New Ohio Review, Ninth Letter, Waxwing, and others. Jess was born in Chicago, IL, but grew up in Sheboygan, WI, on the shores of Lake Michigan. The recipient of a Vice Presidential Fellowship and a Clarence Snow Memorial Fellowship, Jess lives and writes in Salt Lake City, where she is a Ph.D. candidate in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Utah. She served as the 2022-2023 Editor of Quarterly West, where she is currently guest-editing a special issue on “Extreme Environments”— a central concern of hers, as well as the focus of her doctoral dissertation and the reading for her qualifying exams.Learn more about Jess at:✔︎ https://www.jessicatanck.com/

Justin Dyer received BA in Marriage and Family from Brigham Young University and a Master's and Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also has expertise in statistics. Justin is a professor of religion at BYU, teaching religion and family classes, and focuses his research on religion and mental health. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed studies in scholarly journals. Justin has served in various Church callings including full-time missionary in Brazil, Primary teacher, early morning Seminary teacher, Young Men leader, and bishop. He currently serves as a ward missionary. Most importantly, Justin has been married for 22 years and has six children whom he loves to inundate with the most recent, intriguing research graphs he has created. Links Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Justin talks about toxic perfectionism, particularly within the context of Latter-day Saints. He shares his research findings, which challenge the common belief that Latter-day Saints are inherently more prone to toxic perfectionism than individuals from other religious backgrounds. He explains that while 12% of Latter-day Saint youth exhibit high levels of toxic perfectionism, this figure is lower than the 20% found among atheists and agnostics, suggesting that toxic perfectionism is a broader human tendency rather than a specific issue tied to religious beliefs. The conversation delves into the nuances of perfectionism, distinguishing between healthy striving for high standards and the detrimental effects of toxic perfectionism, which can lead to feelings of worthlessness and shame. Justin emphasizes the importance of fostering a secure attachment to God, which can mitigate feelings of toxic perfectionism. He highlights the role of parents and leaders in creating an environment of love and support, rather than shame, to help youth navigate their identities and self-worth. The episode also addresses the challenges faced by LGBTQ youth within religious contexts, advocating for a compassionate approach that maintains the value of religious teachings while providing necessary support. The conversation underscores the significance of identity and the need for leaders and parents to remind youth of their inherent worth as children of God, encouraging them to strive for high standards without the burden of toxic perfectionism. 01:41 - Introduction of Justin Dyer and Research Focus 02:56 - Exploring Toxic Perfectionism 03:41 - Research Intent and Methodology 05:12 - Understanding Toxic Perfectionism 06:48 - Healthy vs. Toxic Perfectionism 09:46 - Impact of Perfectionism on Identity 10:33 - Balancing Standards and Self-Worth 12:06 - The Role of Perfectionism in Religious Context 13:13 - Addressing Youth and Leadership Dynamics 14:03 - The Challenge of Leadership Messaging 16:44 - Data Insights on Toxic Perfectionism 20:06 - The Role of Religion in Mental Health 22:44 - Encouraging a Positive Gospel Experience 24:33 - Parenting and Toxic Perfectionism in Youth 27:01 - The Importance of Love in Parenting 28:51 - The Impact of Parental Relationships on Identity 30:41 - Navigating Adolescence and Identity 32:27 - The Dangers of Silent Suffering 34:13 - Encouraging Healthy Standards in Youth 36:36 - Addressing LGBTQ Dynamics in Religious Context 38:10 - The Importance of Individualized Support 40:06 - Adult Experiences with Toxic Perfectionism 42:29 - Building a Secure Relationship with God The award-winning Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway,

Dr. Felecia Commodore and Dr. Demetri Morgan join host Heather Shea to discuss the latest threats to higher education and what comes next. This episode was recorded at 5:11 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 27th. Over the past few weeks, we've tracked how the Trump administration is dismantling the Department of Education and weaponizing federal funding to reshape colleges and universities. This week, three major developments add to the urgency: a proposed overhaul of the federal student loan system that could gut borrower protections, escalating attacks on diversity, equity, and free speech on campus, and the critical role professional associations are playing as higher ed's last line of defense. As institutions navigate these pressures, the key question remains—who is prepared to fight back? Tune in for a deep dive into what's at stake and what resistance might look like. Play Suggested APA Citation Shea, H. (Host). (2025, March 28). Current Campus Context: Federal Student Aid, Institutional Autonomy & Associations Push Back (No. 256) [Audio podcast episode]. In Student Affairs NOW. https://studentaffairsnow.com/current-campus-context-mar28/ Transcript Heather SheaHeather, welcome back to current campus context, a limited series from student affairs now the online learning community for those of us working in alongside and adjacent to higher education and student affairs, I'm your host, Heather, Shea and we were recording this episode at 5:11pm, Eastern Time on Thursday, March 27 as always, things might have changed by the time you listen this week, in our fourth episode, we are continuing our deep dive into the evolving landscape of higher ed current campus context is all about making sense of the moment we're in. Each episode, we bring in two experts to break down the latest developments, what's happening, why it matters, and how we can respond within our own spheres of influence. Our goal is to move beyond the headlines, providing context, perspective and actionable strategies to help you navigate these shifts. As part of this series, we have a rotating panel of five experts, so you will hear some familiar voices over the next several weeks, and you can learn more about all of our correspondence at studentaffairs now.com now, before we let you get into today's conversation, I'm excited to introduce our expert correspondents today who will help us unpack the latest developments. First back again this week. Dr Felicia Commodore is an expert in leadership, governance and administrative practices in higher education, with a focus on HBCUs, Ms eyes and black women in leadership. She is an associate professor in education, education policy, organization and leadership at the University of Illinois. Urbana Champaign, welcome back, Felicia, Felecia Commodorethank you. Heather, glad to be back, Heather Sheaand I am excited to introduce our fifth correspondent, Dr Dimitri l Morgan. Dr Morgan is an expert in institutional governance, campus climate, student activism and STEM education in higher ed. He is an associate professor of education at the University of Michigan. Welcome Dimitri. Demetri L. MorganGreat to finally be on and I'm really looking forward to our conversation today. Heather SheaSo, am I so? Am I so? Let's, let's go to the news and see what we're unpacking. Over the past several weeks, we have tracked several different stories. We're going to pick up on some of those themes today. We've tracked the dismantling of the Department of Education, the weaponization of federal funding as key strategies being used by the Trump administration to reshape higher ed. This week, I have three major developments that kind of build on these themes. First, the student loan system is facing a radical overhaul. Trump is proposing to shift federal student loans to the Small Business Administration. This is alarming for me, not just because I think the SBA lacks the infrastructure to manage student aid, but for me,

Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future (University of California Press, 2025) illuminates the throughline between the nineteenth century's anti-immigration and eugenics movements and our sprawling systems of techno-surveillance and algorithmic discrimination. With this book, Anita Say Chan offers a historical, globally multisited analysis of the relations of dispossession, misrecognition, and segregation expanded by dominant knowledge institutions in the Age of Big Data. While technological advancement has a tendency to feel inevitable, it always has a history, including efforts to chart a path for alternative futures and the important parallel story of defiant refusal and liberatory activism. Chan explores how more than a century ago, feminist, immigrant, and other minoritized actors refused dominant institutional research norms and worked to develop alternative data practices whose methods and traditions continue to reverberate through global justice-based data initiatives today. Looking to the past to shape our future, this book charts a path for an alternative historical consciousness grounded in the pursuit of global justice. Anita Say Chan is a feminist and decolonial scholar of Science and Technology Studies and Associate Professor of Information Sciences and Media Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Michael LaMagna is the Information Literacy Program & Library Services Coordinator and Professor of Library Services at Delaware County Community College. 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

Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future (University of California Press, 2025) illuminates the throughline between the nineteenth century's anti-immigration and eugenics movements and our sprawling systems of techno-surveillance and algorithmic discrimination. With this book, Anita Say Chan offers a historical, globally multisited analysis of the relations of dispossession, misrecognition, and segregation expanded by dominant knowledge institutions in the Age of Big Data. While technological advancement has a tendency to feel inevitable, it always has a history, including efforts to chart a path for alternative futures and the important parallel story of defiant refusal and liberatory activism. Chan explores how more than a century ago, feminist, immigrant, and other minoritized actors refused dominant institutional research norms and worked to develop alternative data practices whose methods and traditions continue to reverberate through global justice-based data initiatives today. Looking to the past to shape our future, this book charts a path for an alternative historical consciousness grounded in the pursuit of global justice. Anita Say Chan is a feminist and decolonial scholar of Science and Technology Studies and Associate Professor of Information Sciences and Media Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Michael LaMagna is the Information Literacy Program & Library Services Coordinator and Professor of Library Services at Delaware County Community College. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future (University of California Press, 2025) illuminates the throughline between the nineteenth century's anti-immigration and eugenics movements and our sprawling systems of techno-surveillance and algorithmic discrimination. With this book, Anita Say Chan offers a historical, globally multisited analysis of the relations of dispossession, misrecognition, and segregation expanded by dominant knowledge institutions in the Age of Big Data. While technological advancement has a tendency to feel inevitable, it always has a history, including efforts to chart a path for alternative futures and the important parallel story of defiant refusal and liberatory activism. Chan explores how more than a century ago, feminist, immigrant, and other minoritized actors refused dominant institutional research norms and worked to develop alternative data practices whose methods and traditions continue to reverberate through global justice-based data initiatives today. Looking to the past to shape our future, this book charts a path for an alternative historical consciousness grounded in the pursuit of global justice. Anita Say Chan is a feminist and decolonial scholar of Science and Technology Studies and Associate Professor of Information Sciences and Media Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Michael LaMagna is the Information Literacy Program & Library Services Coordinator and Professor of Library Services at Delaware County Community College. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future (University of California Press, 2025) illuminates the throughline between the nineteenth century's anti-immigration and eugenics movements and our sprawling systems of techno-surveillance and algorithmic discrimination. With this book, Anita Say Chan offers a historical, globally multisited analysis of the relations of dispossession, misrecognition, and segregation expanded by dominant knowledge institutions in the Age of Big Data. While technological advancement has a tendency to feel inevitable, it always has a history, including efforts to chart a path for alternative futures and the important parallel story of defiant refusal and liberatory activism. Chan explores how more than a century ago, feminist, immigrant, and other minoritized actors refused dominant institutional research norms and worked to develop alternative data practices whose methods and traditions continue to reverberate through global justice-based data initiatives today. Looking to the past to shape our future, this book charts a path for an alternative historical consciousness grounded in the pursuit of global justice. Anita Say Chan is a feminist and decolonial scholar of Science and Technology Studies and Associate Professor of Information Sciences and Media Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Michael LaMagna is the Information Literacy Program & Library Services Coordinator and Professor of Library Services at Delaware County Community College. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

What does it mean for a university to become a battleground against deep-seated prejudices and historical tensions? In today's episode, we dive into these challenging questions with our distinguished guest, Cary Nelson, a celebrated scholar and ardent advocate for academic freedom.Nelson shares his insights on the intersection of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in academia, a topic explored in his new book, "Mindless: What Happened to Universities?" The conversation examines how the lines between critique of Israel and hostility towards Jewish students blur, becoming toxic and divisive forces across campuses, from historical shifts that turned post-1948 anti-Zionism into a rejection of Israel's existence to the phenomenon of hatred and the campus protests that undermine foundational academic values. Nelson calls for reclaiming the core purpose of academia as a community of imperfect learners where dialogue and understanding prevail. In This Episode:Historical context of anti-Zionism and its transformation into anti-SemitismThe unique pressures faced by Jewish students on campusesThe role of social media in spreading campus protestsDistinctions between psychological and intellectual safety in AcademiaThe undermining of the university's role as a space for diverse perspectives About Cary:Cary Nelson is Jubilee Professor of Liberal Arts & Sciences Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an affiliated faculty member at the University of Haifa. He holds an honorary doctorate from Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Over his distinguished career, Nelson has authored or edited 36 books and published over 400 essays, focusing on modern poetry, critical theory, the politics of higher education, and issues related to antisemitism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. From 2006 to 2012, he served as president of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), advocating for academic freedom and shared governance. Nelson's latest work, “Mindless: What Happened to Universities?”, published on March 6, 2025, examines how universities have deviated from their commitment to shared intellectual principles, leading to environments where extremism and intolerance can flourish. Follow Heterodox Academy on:Twitter: https://bit.ly/3Fax5DyFacebook: https://bit.ly/3PMYxfwLinkedIn: https://bit.ly/48IYeuJInstagram: https://bit.ly/46HKfUgSubstack: https://bit.ly/48IhjNF

In this episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, Dr. Phil Cardoso, from the University of Illinois, explores strategies for optimizing starch in dairy cow diets while addressing key nutritional challenges. The discussion highlights the role of yeast additives in improving fiber digestibility, feed efficiency, and rumen health. By balancing starch levels, Dr. Cardoso presents practical approaches to enhance milk production and overall herd profitability. Listen now on your favorite platform!"Yeast additives significantly improved fiber digestibility and rumen health in high-starch diets.”Meet the guest: Dr. Phil Cardoso is a professor of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He specializes in dairy nutrition and reproduction, combining research and outreach programs to advance the dairy industry. Dr. Cardoso earned his PhD in ruminant nutrition from the University of Illinois and holds a Master's and DVM from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. What you'll learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:30) Introduction(10:38) Starch & energy(15:32) High-starch feeding(17:30) Efficiency vs. profitability(21:27) Yeast additives benefits(31:20) Choosing yeast additives(42:33) Final three questionsThe Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like: ICC* Adisseo- Natural Biologics- Scoular- Priority IAC- Protekta- Volac- Acepsis- Trouw Nutrition- Berg + Schmidt- dsm-firmenich- AGRI-TRAC- AHV- SmaXtec

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign computer science professor Dr. Sheldon Jacobson joins John Williams to break down the ways that listeners can have minimal risk when selecting their picks for the tournament. Dr. Jacobson talks about the success of underdogs in March Madness as well as the seeding matchups you should keep an eye on. […]

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign computer science professor Dr. Sheldon Jacobson joins John Williams to break down the ways that listeners can have minimal risk when selecting their picks for the tournament. Dr. Jacobson talks about the success of underdogs in March Madness as well as the seeding matchups you should keep an eye on. […]

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign computer science professor Dr. Sheldon Jacobson joins John Williams to break down the ways that listeners can have minimal risk when selecting their picks for the tournament. Dr. Jacobson talks about the success of underdogs in March Madness as well as the seeding matchups you should keep an eye on. […]

In this week's rapid-response episode, Dr. Heather Shea is joined by Drs. Felecia Commodore and Brendan Cantwell to break down the latest developments in higher education policy and politics. They discuss the U.S. Department of Education's historic layoffs, the detainment of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, and the federal government's decision to withdraw funding from Columbia University and the University of Maine system. Correspondents discuss Why does this matter? And what can student affairs educators and higher ed leaders do to respond? Tune in for expert insights and actionable takeaways. PlayCurrent Campus Context: Education Cuts, Student Detainment, and the Politics of Funding Suggested APA Citation Shea, H. (Host). (2025, March 14). Current Campus Context: Education Cuts, Student Detainment, and the Politics of Funding (No. 251) [Audio podcast episode]. In Student Affairs NOW. https://studentaffairsnow.com/currentcontext-mar14/ Transcript Heather SheaHeather. Hello. Welcome back to current campus context brought to you by Student Affairs. Now the online learning community for 1000s of us who work in alongside and adjacent to higher education and student affairs, I'm your host, Heather Shea, and this episode was recorded at 5:11pm, Eastern Time on Thursday, March 13. As always, things might have changed by the time you listen, as I shared last week, this limited series is all about making sense of the moment. We're in higher ed is facing rapid changes, and each week we will bring in two experts to help us break down what's happening, why it matters, and what we can do within our spheres of influence. Our goal to provide not just news, but context, perspective and strategies for action. I also want to mention we have a rotating group of five experts contributing to this series, so you'll see some familiar faces over the next several weeks, and you can learn more about all of our correspondents on our website, Student Affairs now.com I'm excited today to introduce our two correspondents who will help us unpack the latest developments. First, Dr Felecia Commodore, an expert in leadership, governance and administrative practices in higher education, with a focus on HBCUs MSIs and black women in leadership. She is an associate professor in educational policy organization and leadership at the University of Illinois. Urbana Champaign, welcome Felecia. Felecia CommodoreThank you. Excited to be here talking through this time. To be alive Heather Sheaa lot. It's a time and joining us again this week. Thanks so much for coming back. Dr Brendan Cantwell, Brendan is an expert in higher education and Policy Governance and political economy of higher ed. He is a professor of higher adult and lifelong education at Michigan State University. Thanks for coming back and joining us for another day, for another episode. Brendan, Brendan Cantwellhey, great to be here. It feels like a year in between the week, Heather Shearight? Yeah, there this week is a lot of things have have happened, so I'm going to give a quick synopsis of three things that have kind of risen to the top of my list, and then we're going to unpack and discuss. So first of all, last week, we reported on Linda McMahon issuing a statement about the final mission. Now, earlier this week, the US Department of Education laid off over 1300 employees, really gutting the department, one of the largest cuts in history. I'm left with many questions, right? So what functions of the department remain? What responsibilities will shift to other agencies? What does this mean for federal financial aid, for education policy, for the office of civil rights enforcement, of the policies that the Dear Colleague letter laid out, which we discussed a little bit last week as well. That's issue number one. Second, I'm thinking about the detainment of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder, in other words,

Retirement is more than just numbers—it's about creating a fulfilling life beyond work. How can you build a financial plan that supports your goals, while also considering purpose, health, and personal fulfillment? What strategies can help you balance your portfolio and minimize risks as you prepare for retirement? In this episode of Mitlin Money Mindset®, Larry Sprung speaks with Christine Benz, Director of Personal Finance and Retirement Planning at Morningstar.  Christine shares her journey in the financial industry, key insights from her book How to Retire, and practical advice for building a balanced, sustainable retirement plan. Christine discusses: The importance of planning beyond just finances, including visualizing your retirement lifestyle and finding purpose How simplifying investment portfolios and focusing on cost-efficient funds can improve long-term financial outcomes The risks of holding too much company stock and strategies for maintaining diversification How women can strengthen their financial future, especially in light of caregiving responsibilities and potential impacts of divorce Why a phased approach to retirement, rather than an abrupt stop, can lead to greater fulfillment and longevity in both career and life And more! Resources: Mitlin Financial   The JOY and Productivity Journal by Lawrence Sprung  Download Your Free Copy of the Couple's JOYful Money Guide Connect with Larry Sprung:  LinkedIn: Larry Sprung Instagram: Larry Sprung Facebook: Larry Sprung X (Twitter): Larry Sprung Connect with Christine Benz:  Website: Morningstar LinkedIn: Christine Benz X: @christine_benz How to Retire: 20 lessons for a happy, successful, and wealthy retirement by Christine Benz The Long View Podcast About our Guest: Christine Benz is director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar and senior columnist for Morningstar.com. In that role, she focuses on retirement and portfolio planning for individual investors. Benz is author of How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful, and Wealthy Retirement (Harriman House, September 2024). She also wrote 30-Minute Money Solutions: A Step-by-Step Guide to Managing Your Finances (Wiley, 2010) and Morningstar® Guide to Mutual Funds: 5-Star Strategies for Success, published in 2005. She also co-hosts a podcast for Morningstar, The Long View, which features in-depth interviews with thought leaders in investing and personal finance. She is a frequent public speaker and is widely quoted in the media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, CNBC, and PBS. In 2020, Barron's named her to its inaugural list of the 100 most influential women in finance; she appeared on the 2021 list as well. In 2021, Barron's named her as one of the 10 most influential women in wealth management. Before assuming her current role in 2008, she served as Morningstar's director of mutual fund analysis and was editor of Morningstar Mutual Funds and Morningstar FundInvestor. Benz holds a bachelor's degree in political science and Russian from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is president of the board for the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy. Benz is also a member of The Alpha Group, a group of thought leaders from the wealth management industry from across the country. In her free time, she works with underprivileged women to improve their understanding of personal finance concepts. Disclosure: Guests on the Mitlin Money Mindset are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed herein may not be representative of CWM, LLC. CWM, LLC is not responsible for the guest's content linked on this site.  

What do YOU really know about Climate Science? What if your kids could explain it to you in an easy-to-understand way? That's the premise of Ruth Spiro's latest book 'How to Explain Climate Science to a Grown-Up" and her entire 'how to explain' series! Ruth stops by the show this week to discuss her latest books and how we can empower kids and use their love of knowledge to help explain things to us, grown-ups, which we typically might not be able to wrap our mind around. It's a great conversation and I can't wait for you to hear it, enjoy! About Ruth Spiro Ruth Spiro is the author of more than 30 children's books, with over one million copies in print worldwide. Her bestselling Baby Loves Science board books are the groundbreaking originals that introduce big ideas to the littlest listeners in an age-appropriate and engaging style. The series has been praised by the Los Angeles Times, NPR, TODAY, Popular Science, Working Mother, and more. Fans who have publicly shared their love of her books include former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords, Chelsea Clinton, and Chance the Rapper. The enthusiastic response to the Baby Loves Science books inspired a new picture book series perfect for early elementary readers, How to Explain Science to a Grown-Up. In addition, Ruth is the author of picture books including Made by Maxine, Maxine and the Greatest Garden Ever, Love Grows, and One Small Spark: A Tikkun Olam Story, which received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus. Ruth graduated with a B.S. in Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and earned an MBA from Loyola University of Chicago. She worked for advertising agencies in both account management and broadcast production, and coordinated a large-scale research grant at DePaul University funded by the National Institutes of Health. Her articles and essays have been published in FamilyFun, The Writer, CHILD, and Chicago Parent. Ruth's stories have also been included in popular anthologies, notably The Right Words at the Right Time, edited by Marlo Thomas, and several Chicken Soup for the Soul titles. Ruth's work has won awards and recognition from the National Science Teaching Association, the Mathical Book Prize, Junior Library Guild, Science Friday, Bank Street College of Education, Illinois Reads, Purdue Engineering, Willamette Writers, and Writer's Digest. A frequent speaker at schools and conferences, Ruth's previous appearances include Windy City Live on ABC-TV, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, World Science Festival, Chicago Tribune Printer's Row LitFest, Children's Festival of Stories, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. She hopes her books inspire kids to observe the world, ask questions, and when it comes to their futures, DREAM BIG!   About 'How to Explain Climate Science to a Grown-Up' Do you want to know a secret? Sometimes grown-ups need YOU to explain things to THEM. Like climate science! In this tongue-in-cheek guide, an in-the-know narrator instructs kid readers in the fine art of explaining climate science to a grown-up. Both children and their adults learn: The difference between weather and climate. How climate scientists collect data. What causes climate change. What we can do to reverse course and repair the planet. Fun and fact-filled, the How to Explain Science to a Grown-Up series will empower kid experts to explore complex scientific concepts with any grown-up who will listen. Make sure to check out the Dtalkspodcast.com website! Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast! Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload.   With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale)   Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com AND Thanks to Self Unbound for this episode of the podcast: Your quality of life: physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, is a direct reflection of the level of abundant energy, ease, and connection your nervous system has to experience your life!    At Self Unbound, your nervous system takes center stage as we help unbind your limited healing potential through NetworkSpinal Care.    Access the first steps to your Unbound journey by following us on Facebook, Instagram, or at www.selfunbound.com

This is the first part of a two part conversation with Maryam Kashani on her book Medina By The Bay: Scenes of Muslim Study and Survival It's a cool book that weaves Maryam's scholarly ethnographic work with her talents as a filmmaker and a DJ to examine and illuminate various strains of Islam in the San Francisco Bay Area from the Black Power Movement to the so-called war on terror and the rise of the surveillance state. She dubs her approach an “ethnocinematic.”  We discuss legacies of anti-imperialist Islam on Turtle Island as well as more assimilative ways of being. We'll dig into this more in part 2, but we wanted to make sure to get this part out during Ramadan.  Kashani is an associate professor in Gender and Women's Studies and Asian American Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is in the leadership collective of Believers Bail Out, a community-led effort to bailout Muslims in pretrial and immigration incarceration towards abolition. We'll include a lengthier bio in the show description. Believers Bail Out has a fundraiser to bail out Muslims during Ramadan which we will link in the show description. We really encourage folks to kick in what they can to support that initiative.  The other thing I wanted to make sure to mention is we do talk a little bit about Imam Jamil Al-Amin in this episode. I'm including a couple of links to projects and campaigns related to Imam Jamil Al-Amin in the show description. According to Students for Imam Jamil he has received a medical transfer thanks to the support and calls of many folks. But there are other ways people can continue to support Imam Jamil Al-Amin (see below).  And lastly, we have a Samir Amin Accumulation on a World Scale Study Group for patrons only. It will start Wednesday the 12th of March and run through June. I'll include a link with more details in the show description, but space is limited on that so if you want to reserve a spot make sure to sign up today at patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism which is also the best place to support our work on this podcast. Links: Purchase Medina By The Bay through Massive Bookshop, the bookstore that bails people out of jail. For Maryam's essay on Hajja Dhameera Ahmad check out the book Black Power Afterlives For more on Imam Jamil Al Amin: https://www.imamjamilactionnetwork.org/ and freeimamjamil.com and support the fundraiser for the "What Happened to Rap" film. Samir Amin Accumulation on a World Scale Study Group (7:30 PM Eastern Time US on Wednesdays) Believers Bail Out use Zakat to bail Muslims out of jail or immigrant detention Full bio: Maryam Kashani works from a deep commitment to the aesthetic and political possibilities of experimental filmmaking, music, and the essay form, whether as 16mm films and videos, text/sound/image installations and live performance, DJing, or written monograph. Her work explores the relationships between physical landscapes and the sociopolitical, material, and spiritual histories and forces that emerge with and against them and is concerned with narration and description, archive, and knowledge production with a particular focus on collective study and struggle in and against colonial racial capitalism across local and global geographies. She recently published Medina by the Bay: Scenes of Muslim Study and Survival (Duke University Press, 2023), which is an ethnocinematic examination of how multiracial Muslim communities in the San Francisco Bay Area survive within and against racial capitalist, carceral, and imperial logics. Her films and video installations (http://www.maryamkashani.com/) have been shown at film festivals, universities, and museums internationally, including the Sharjah Biennial, MoMA, Hammer Museum, Chelsea Museum, and the Pacific Film Archive. Kashani is an associate professor in Gender and Women's Studies and Asian American Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is in the leadership collective of Believers Bail Out, a community-led effort to bailout Muslims in pretrial and immigration incarceration towards abolition.    

Innovation as a Catalyst for Growth Bruce and I had a deep dive into the role of innovation in driving organizational success, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses that have reached maturity. Bruce underscored the necessity of renewal—companies can't afford to stay stagnant. Not every innovation initiative will hit the mark, but every attempt offers valuable lessons. I couldn't agree more. Innovation isn't just about flashy new ideas; it's about fostering a mindset of curiosity and resilience. People are at the core of innovation, and the right team can make or break an organization's ability to evolve. We both recognized that hiring the right people is one of the toughest challenges leaders face, but beyond that, organizations need to cultivate a culture that encourages innovation. It's not just about having the right tools or processes—it's about creating an environment where ideas can thrive. Innovation and Workplace Engagement The reality is, workplace engagement is at an all-time low. I shared my concerns about the lack of innovation in many workplaces, referencing a Gartner study that found only 2 out of 10 employees are fully engaged. That's a crisis. When organizations fail to innovate, they don't just lose competitive advantage—they lose their people. Innovation isn't a luxury; it's essential for progress. Leaders must be intentional about encouraging, investing in, and even demanding innovation. A practical step? Ask job candidates about their experience with innovation in their current workplace. Are they encouraged to think creatively? Do they have the freedom to test new ideas? Bruce echoed these sentiments, reinforcing the idea that engagement and innovation go hand in hand. Rethinking Creativity in the Accounting Industry Most people wouldn't associate accounting with creativity, but Bruce and I explored why it's critical for the industry. I emphasized the importance of curiosity and thinking beyond the traditional numbers game, while Bruce pointed out the role of pattern recognition and strategic inquisitiveness. It's not enough to be curious—you have to direct that curiosity toward solving real-world problems. The firms that embrace this mindset will be the ones that thrive in an evolving market. Intentionality, Motivation, and Avoiding Burnout Another major topic we tackled was workplace motivation. Burnout is a productivity killer, and leaders need to recognize that being overwhelmed stifles both creativity and innovation. Organizations must create environments where employees feel supported, empowered, and able to navigate challenges effectively. Self-motivation plays a crucial role here. The most innovative and successful people are those who take ownership of their growth and learning. Bruce and I agreed that renewal and change within an organization can be tough, but they're necessary for long-term success. It's about shifting the mindset from resistance to reinvention. Bruce's Work and Thought Leadership We also discussed Bruce's extensive work in innovation consulting. His book No Excuses, Innovation and his co-authored work Serial Innovators (both published by Stanford University Press) offer incredible insights for leaders looking to drive change. For those wanting to connect with Bruce and dive deeper into his work, his website and LinkedIn are great resources. At the end of the day, innovation is about mindset, culture, and people. If organizations want to stay relevant, they need to embrace continuous learning, encourage experimentation, and create workplaces where people feel engaged and inspired to contribute their best ideas.  Spanning a career at the intersection of business and technology, Bruce Vojak has experienced and explored innovation purposefully and variously, first established as a successful technology practitioner and executive in industry and later, in academia, conducting groundbreaking research on the practice of breakthrough innovation across a broad cross-section of large, mature companies and industries. He is co-author of "No-Excuses Innovation: Strategies for Small- and Medium-Sized Mature Enterprises" (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2022), "Serial Innovators: How Individuals Create and Deliver Breakthrough Innovations in Mature Firms" (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2012). A Senior Fellow with The Conference Board, he has served on the boards of JVA Partners, Micron Industries Corporation, and Midtronics, Inc. Before founding Breakthrough Innovation Advisors, LLC (https://www.breakthrough-innovation-advisors.com/), Bruce served as Associate Dean and Adjunct Professor in the top-ranked Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign. Earlier, he was Director of Advanced Technology at Motorola, held research and business development positions at Amoco Corporation and was on the research staff at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. He holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees in engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. SOCIAL MEDIA LINK linkedin.com/in/bvojak

Lifting the Cloud: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and the Treatment of Major DepressionThis episode provides an in-depth exploration of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and its impact on psychiatric disorders.  TMS has demonstrated effectiveness in numerous clinical trials and serves as a valuable adjunct to traditional therapy. Designed for clinicians and mental health professionals and those they serve, this podcast offers insights into:Identifying appropriate patient populations for TMS therapy.  Understanding the TMS treatment process from start to finish.  Exploring the role of neuromodulation in reshaping brain function for long-term improvement.  Reviewing clinical outcome data supporting TMS in the treatment of major depressive disorder.  Gain a deeper understanding of how TMS and neuromodulation techniques are advancing the field of functional neuropsychiatry and providing new hope for patients. Objectives: Identify appropriate patient populations for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment of psychiatric disorders.Describe the treatment process of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. Describe possible adverse events associated with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.Explain how neuromodulation techniques impact long-term changes in brain network functioning.Discuss clinical outcome data for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation treatment. Guests: Dr. Henry Emerle, MDDr. Rich Whitaker, PhDBios: Dr. Rich Whitaker began his career in the Quad Cities in 1994 as a doctoral intern at the historic Marriage and Family Counseling Service in Rock Island, Illinois as part of his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Brigham Young University. Since that pivotal year, Dr. Whitaker has pursued a career in community mental health, providing services, supervision, and executive administration at community mental health centers in Grand Island, Nebraska (9 years as COO) and Jasper, Indiana (12 years as CFO). Since January 2017, Rich has served as the CEO of Vera French Community Mental Health Center in Davenport, Iowa.  In addition to serving as a Director of Region 7 on the Board of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Dr. Whitaker also serves as a Government Relations Committee member for the Iowa Association of Community Providers, as a Board member of Churches United in the Quad Cities, and as a member of the Eastern Iowa MHDS Regional Advisory Committee.Rich and Miriam are the parents of 3 daughters and one son and the proud grandparents of a growing number of highly intelligent and multi-talented grandchildren. In his spare time, Rich enjoys family time, all types of sports and exercise, singing with the Quad City Singers, and service in the church and community.Henry Emerle, MD completed his medical school training at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign, IL.  He completed Psychiatry Residency training as well as Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship training at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. He is the Medical Director at Vera French Community Mental Health Center.   He enjoys spending time with his family exploring the many charming towns in Iowa along the Mississippi River. References: Cash RFH, Cocchi L, Lv J, Fitzgerald PB, Zalesky A. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Guided Personalization of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment for Depression. JAMA Psychiatry. 2021;78(3):337–339. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.3794Jannati, A., Oberman, L.M., Rotenberg, A. et al. Assessing the mechanisms of brain plasticity by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Neuropsychopharmacol. 48, 191–208 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01453-8Pitcher, D., Parkin, B., & Walsh, V. (2021). Transcranial magnetic stimulation and the understanding of behavior. Annual Review of Psychology, 72, 97-121. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-081120-013144Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) Study (n.d.) https://www.nimh.nih.gov/funding/clinical-research/practical/stard

Dean's Chat hosts, Drs. Jensen and Richey, welcome Dr. Douglas Pacaccio, director of the Northwest Illinois Foot and Ankle Surgical Fellowship program. Dr. Pacaccio graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign with a dual degree in biology and philosophy-focused on ethics.  In interview you will hear how this has helped shape his perspective and viewpoint.  He went on to complete his podiatric medical degree with Rosalyn Franklin University and did his 3-year surgical residency with the prestigious Inova Fairfax program.  He continued his education with a plastic surgery fellowship at Georgetown University Medical Center and then moved back to Illinois to start his practice with his wife who is also a podiatrist. Tune in as we discussed all things podiatric medicine and surgery, including how Fellowship impacted his own career and now what his thoughts are regarding fellowship training with special insights from a current fellowship director. Listen as we discuss academics and how to acquire life long learning skills.  Join us as we discuss complex hindfoot reconstructive surgery and how simple beginnings sparked his interest in the field along with the impact of watching the ingenuity and craftsmanship of his father. Join us as we dive into the importance of community and giving back. Dr. Pacaccio also has multiple patents for medical devices and shares his experiences and how curiosity and necessity began to spark innovation.  He also dives into important concepts including what brings joy, satisfaction and happiness into our lives.  Stay tuned for upcoming episodes where we dive deeper into this with a new session coined "Deep thoughts with Doug". https://www.orthoillinois.com/find-a-provider/douglas-pacaccio-dpm-facfas/ https://www.acfas.org/ https://bakodx.com/ https://bmef.org/ www.explorepodmed.org www.apma.org https://podiatrist2be.com/  

Professor Thomas Seyfried is a professor of biology, genetics, and biochemistry at Boston College. He received a PhD in 1976 in genetics and neurochemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, followed by a postdoctoral degree from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, in the field of neurochemistry and genetics.  His field of interest is gene-environmental interactions in epilepsy and brain cancer. Dr. Seyfried's lab at Boston College focuses on studying dietary therapies for epilepsy, brain cancer, and neurodegenerative lipid storage diseases.  YouTube A Novel Therapeutic Strategy For Metabolic Management of Cancer - Thomas Seyfried (June 2018) Podcast Thomas Seyfried, Ph.D.: Controversial discussion—cancer as a mitochondrial metabolic disease? (EP.30)  In this episode you will discover: In this episode you will learn about the complexities of cancer and Professor Thomas Seyfried insights on cancer- how cancer research developed over the past decade, the impacts of sugar and cancer, boosting your body's defenses and navigating a cancer diagnosis.   Connect more with Dr. Kiltz   Website: https://www.doctorkiltz.com/    Keto + Carnivore Support - Group Kiltz Mighty Tribe: https://kiltz-mighty-tribe.mn.co/     Kiltz Cups: https://kiltzcups.com/    Doctor Kiltz Nutritional Solutions: https://www.doctorkiltznutritionalsolutions.com/    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorkiltz/     Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doctorkiltz   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctorkiltz   Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/doctorkiltz   Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Kiltz/e/B005EIXDWU%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share     Books by Dr. Kiltz: https://www.doctorkiltz.com/books-by-dr-kiltz/       

By Jared Samuelson Dr. Jamie L. Jones joins the program to discuss her book, Rendered Obsolete – Energy Culture and the Afterlife of US Whaling. Jamie L. Jones is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research explores the historic pivot in energy use in the … Continue reading Sea Control 562 – Rendered Obsolete with Dr. Jamie Jones →

Taylor Chalstrom sits down with Brittney Goodrich, previously with UC Davis and now with the dept. of agricultural and consumer economics at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, to discuss the economic outlook and other considerations for the 2025 almond pollination season.

Dr. Stephan Van Vliet joins us for an enlightening exploration of nutrition, agriculture, and human health. Our discussion navigates the often-overlooked complexities of food production, examining the nutritional differences between pasture-finished and grain-finished beef. We also uncover how maternal nutrition might set the stage for children's future dietary preferences. Dr. Van Vliet introduces the intriguing concept of the food matrix, emphasizing the profound impact of bioactive compounds in whole foods that go far beyond mere macronutrient content.As we venture into the emerging field of food metabolomics, Dr. Van Vliet reveals how metabolites in plants and animals can offer new insights into health optimization. The conversation highlights the critical role of dietary choices, particularly regarding the impact of diet on metabolite composition and the potential health benefits of shifting toward whole foods. Balancing plant-based and animal-derived diets also emerges as a focal point, underscoring the health potential of integrating both for optimal nutrient intake. Key Topics: The food matrix and why whole foods matter beyond macros Food metabolomics and the impact of diet on metabolite composition Nutritional differences between pasture-finished and grain-finished beef How maternal nutrition influences children's future health and food choices Why an omnivorous diet emerges as optimal for human healthWho is Dr. Stephan Van Vliet? Dr. Stephan Van Vliet is the Director at the Center for Human Nutrition Studies at Utah State University. Dr. Stephan Van Vliet earned his PhD in Kinesiology as an ESPEN Fellow from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and received postdoctoral training at the Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine and Duke University School of Medicine prior to joining Utah State University in 2022.This episode is brought to you by: Timeline - Code DRLYON for 10% OFF - https://timelinenutrition.com/DRLYONCozy Earth - Code DRLYON for 40% OFF - https://cozyearth.com/DRLYONManukora - Code DRLYON for $25OFF Starter Kit! - https://manukora.com/DRLYONPuori - Code DRLYON for 20% OFF - https://puori.com/DRLYONFind Dr. Stephan Van Vliet at:The Van Vliet Lab - https://stephanvanvliet.com/X - https://x.com/vanvlietphd Find me at: Instagram: @drgabriellelyonTik Tok: @drgabriellelyonFacebook: facebook.com/doctorgabriellelyonYouTube: youtube.com/@DrGabrielleLyonJumpstart your 2025 with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon's 4-week Foundations Challenge —join now: https://bit.ly/3Wnd6KTApply to become a patient - https://drgabriellelyon.com/new-patient-inquiry/Join my weekly newsletter - https://institute-for-muscle-centric-medicine.ck.pageGet my book - https://drgabriellelyon.com/forever-strong/Timestamps: (00:00) - Understanding the Food Matrix(17:02) - Exploring Food Metabolomics and Nutrient Optimization(24:51) - Exploring Plant-Based and Animal-Derived...

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson sits down with entrepreneur and software pioneer, Marc Andreessen. They discuss the timeline of the woke institutional takeover, the ruinous effects it has had on Western ideology and business, the ways in which AI will shape society, and the immense responsibility we have to instill the future with an ethos and morality that serves human flourishing. Marc Andreessen is a cofounder and general partner at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. He is an innovator and creator, one of the few to pioneer a software category used by more than a billion people and one of the few to establish multiple billion-dollar companies. Marc co-created the highly influential Mosaic internet browser and co-founded Netscape, which later sold to AOL for $4.2 billion. He also co-founded Loudcloud, which as Opsware, sold to Hewlett-Packard for $1.6 billion. He later served on the board of Hewlett-Packard from 2008 to 2018. Marc holds a B.S. in computer science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Marc serves on the board of the following Andreessen Horowitz portfolio companies: Applied Intuition, Carta, Coinbase, Dialpad, Flow, Golden, Honor, OpenGov, Samsara, Simple Things, and TipTop Labs. He is also on the board of Meta. This episode was filmed on December 18th, 2024.  | Links | For Marc Andreessen: On X https://x.com/pmarca?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Substack https://pmarca.substack.com/ “The Techno-Optimist Manifesto” (Book) https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/ 

In this episode we're diving deep into the fascinating world of carbon recycling with a trailblazer who's reshaping how we think about waste and sustainability. Our guest is Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech—a company on a mission to transform our biggest environmental challenge into an economic opportunity. LanzaTech is pioneering a process that takes industrial emissions—the kind of harmful gases that typically contribute to climate change—and recycles them into valuable products like fuels, fabrics, and everyday consumer goods. The concept might sound like science fiction, but it's already science fact. LanzaTech's technology captures carbon emissions from sources like steel mills, refineries, and even municipal solid waste, then feeds those emissions to specially engineered microbes. These microbes act like tiny factories, converting carbon pollution into useful materials. Imagine jet fuel made from industrial waste or yoga pants created from captured carbon—it's not just possible; it's happening. In fact, at the very end of 2024, LanzaTech received a holiday gift from the federal government: a $200 million award from the Dept. of Energy. In this episode, Jennifer and I discuss the path LanzaTech took, including raising $400 million and taking 13 years prior to commercializing its first product. We also touch on her personal journey from her birth in Colombia to her taking the helm at LanzaTech. As you'll hear, this isn't just about reducing emissions; it's about completely rethinking the role of waste in our economy. LanzaTech's vision is one where carbon is no longer a liability but an asset—a resource that can be reused and recycled, over and over again. It's a powerful example of how businesses can align profitability with purpose, and it's precisely the kind of story that inspires hope in these challenging times. So, whether you're an entrepreneur, an environmentalist, or just someone curious about the future of our planet, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.  Discussed in this episode Jennifer recommends reading Quiet by Susan Cain. LanzaTech awarded up to $200 million in federal cash from the DOE LanzaTech is backed by Khosla Ventures. More about Jennifer Holmgren, PhD Dr. Jennifer Holmgren is CEO of LanzaTech. Under her guidance, LanzaTech is developing a variety of platform chemicals and fuels, including the world's first alternative jet fuel derived from industrial waste gases. Given her integral role in the development of this alternative jet fuel, she is also a Director and the Chair of the LanzaJet Board of Directors.  Prior to LanzaTech, Jennifer was VP and General Manager of the Renewable Energy and Chemicals business unit at UOP LLC, a Honeywell Company. While at UOP, she was a key driver of UOP's leadership in low carbon aviation biofuels, and under her management, UOP technology became instrumental in producing nearly all the initial fuels used by commercial airlines and the military for testing and certification of alternative aviation fuel. Jennifer is the author or co-author of 50 U.S. patents and more than 30 scientific publications, and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. In 2003, she was the first woman awarded the Malcolm E. Pruitt Award from the Council for Chemical Research (CCR). In 2010, she was the recipient of the Leadership Award from the Civil Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI). In 2015, Jennifer and her team at LanzaTech were awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Presidential Green Chemistry Award, and she was awarded the BIO Rosalind Franklin Award for Leadership in Industrial Biotechnology. Jennifer was named as #1 of the 100 most influential leaders in the Bioeconomy in 2017 and received the Global Bioenergy Leadership Award in 2018, and the 2020 William C. Holmberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Advanced Bioeconomy. In 2021, she received the Edison Achievement Award and the Prix Voltaire Award. In 2022, she was included in ICIS's Top 40 Power Players ranking. Jennifer also has an honorary doctorate from Delft University of Technology. Jennifer is on the Governing Council for the Bio Energy Research Institute in India. The institute was set up by the DBT (Department of Biotechnology, Indian Government) and IOC (Indian Oil Corporation).  She also sits on the Advisory Council for the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University, the National Academies' Board on Energy and Environmental Systems (BEES), the External Advisory Committee for the Advanced Energy Technologies Directorate (AET) at Argonne National Laboratory, the Advisory Council for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the Halliburton Labs Advisory Board, the Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS International Advisory Council, and the Founder Advisory for The Engine, a venture capital fund built by MIT that invests in early-stage science and engineering companies.  Jennifer holds a B.Sc. degree from Harvey Mudd College, a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago.