All in a Day's Work

In today’s special episode, we’ve invited a few of the Fall 2024 Podcast Fellows from the Wasserman Center to take part in a mini-interview exercise with each other. They’ll share their journeys to NYU, discuss the challenges and insights they’ve encountered in exploring their careers, and talk about their dreams for the future. We hope you enjoy!

For a full transcript of this episode, please email ⁠[email protected]⁠.

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Pushpavalli Annamalai speaks with Shripriya Mahesh, who is the General Partner of Spero Ventures. Shripriya shares her fascinating and diverse journey from photography to entrepreneurship. She also shares her insights from what makes a good product design. 

Shripriya Mahesh is the General Partner of Spero Ventures, a Silicon Valley based Venture Capital fund investing in all things that make life worth living: wellbeing; sustainability; learning, work, and play.

For a full transcript of any podcast episode, please email [email protected].

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Carina Christo speaks with Ariana Teng, who is a client Coordinator at the Center for Family Representation’s Community Advocacy Project. Ariana shared how she became interested in the public legal system and how this career gives her a unique perspective on society. She also discussed how she maintains a good work-life balance amid her busy schedule.

Ariana Teng is a Client Coordinator at the Center for Family Representation's Community Advocacy Project, specializing in early family defense and post-dispositional record sealing. She graduated from NYU with a BA in Public Policy in May 2023.

For a full transcript of any podcast episode, please email [email protected].

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Rose Clarke speaks with Professor Peter Nickowitz, who is a liberal Studies professor at NYU. Peter shares his fascinating journey from starting to write poetry to getting involved in writing movie scripts. He also discussed the importance of time management and the attitude needed to overcome challenges as a creator.

Peter Nickowitz is a Liberal Studies professor here at NYU, as well as a lecturer at Barnard University. He is also an award-winning screenwriter, a playwright, a poet, and a literary critic. He earned his B.A. in English and French literature from Brandeis University and a Ph.D from New York University in English and American literature. He just released his second feature screenplay, Our Son, in December of 2023.

For a full transcript of any podcast episode, please email [email protected].

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Saya Jenks speaks with Ashley Thaxton-Stevenson, Ashley works as a director, dramaturg, performer, and theater educator. Join us as Ashley shares her nonlinear yet incredibly fitting journey to becoming a theater educator. She opens up about her creative new perspectives and insights on work, life, and career after stepping into the roles of both an educator and a mother.

Ashley Thaxton-Stevenson (she/her/hers) is a director, dramaturg, performer, and theater educator originally from the foothills of Southern California, with British, Black, and Korean ancestors. Ashley specializes in new play development, theater for young audiences, and contemporary applications of Shakespeare. Ashley is the co-director of YouthWorks at BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange, an Adjunct Faculty Member with NYU’s Program in Educational Theatre for which she received a Spring 2021 USG Departmental Award, Faculty Member and Community Engagement Coordinator with Fiasco Theater, and a Core Ensemble Member of the Verbatim Performance Lab.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email ⁠[email protected]⁠.

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Jamie Dehouck speaks with Sabrina Van Savage, who works as an Associate Director within the PFS division at the Millennium Challenge Corporate. Sabrina offers insights into the challenges and rewards of working in development, as she explores how perseverance and networking can open doors to impactful careers in this area, and why understanding cultural nuances is key.

Sabrina Van Savage currently works as an Associate Director within the Program Financial Services (PFS) division at the Millennium Challenge Corporate, joining in August 2022. In her role within PFS, Sabrina supports programs in Benin, the Ivory Coast and Mongolia. Sabrina graduated from NYU's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service with her MPA in Public & Non-Profit Management in 2005.  
For a full transcript of this episode, please email ⁠[email protected]⁠.

Check out this re-air of our ninth episode from Season 2 featuring Arnaud Kurze from Montclair State University.

In this special episode made by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU Graduate Student Haining Gao speaks with Arnaud Kurze, an Associate Professor in International Relations at NYU. They explore social justice work, how to create global change, and the value of making complex data more accessible to all.

Arnaud Kurze is a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center and an Associate Professor at Montclair State University. His project "Youth, Art & Resilience" explores the creation of alternative transitional justice spaces in post-conflict contexts, particularly concentrating on the role of art and the impact of social movements to address human rights abuses. The manuscript is currently under review with a major university press. He teaches courses on human rights, social movements and transitional justice in the MA program in International Relations at New York University.  

For a full transcript of this episode, please email ⁠[email protected]⁠.

Check out this re-air of our third episode from Season 2 featuring Russell Isaacson from Boost Insurance.

In this special episode made by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU Graduate Student Carlmais Johnson speaks with Russell Isaacson, the VP of Embedded Insurance Channel at Boost Insurance. They discuss how his career trajectory evolved, the transferable skills he developed, and the value of networking and learning from people.

Russell Isaacson has 20+ years of experience driving change through technology. Starting his career in software implementation and transitioning to sales and marketing, Russell has developed and scaled partnerships to drive revenue for a wide range of industry leaders, such as Ally, Klarna, Expedia, Condé Nast, Novartis, and Siebel. Russell holds an MBA from NYU Stern and a BA in philosophy and math from Wesleyan.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email ⁠[email protected]⁠.

Check out this re-air of our second episode from Season 2 featuring Simone Barros, Film & Audio Editor.

In this special episode made by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU Graduate Student Muskan Nagpal speaks with Simone Barros, a freelance film and audio editor. They reflect on what drew Simone to creative roles along with the financial challenges and the pressure to hit career goals based on the timelines of others.

Simone Barros creates films, plays, soundscapes and installations. MONO XVI Cinematic Arts Festival (2022), Cosmic Rays Film Festival (2023), Cleveland International Film Festival (2019), Chagrin Documentary Film Festival (2019), and The 8th Floor by Shelley and Donald Rubin screened Simone’s works. Third Coast International Audio Festival featured Simone’s soundscape in their 2020 Third Place Audio Festival Workshop and On Air Festival 2021 Official Selections included Simone's audio drama. Simone worked for filmmakers Judith Helfand, Sam Pollard and Spike Lee and taught filmmaking at Pratt Institute, Cleveland Institute of Art and Cuyahoga Community College and directs audiobooks including works by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Hari Kunzu and Charlie Kaufman. Simone earned an MFA at Duke University and BFA at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠.

Weijie(Jack) Tang graduated from NYU with honors in May 2021. He is now working at Zurich North America as an Underwriting Account Service Analyst. 

In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Ziyi Xu speaks with Weijie Tang, who shares his remarkable journey from a non-English speaking immigrant to a successful underwriting accounts service analyst at Zurich North America. Jack recounts his academic and professional challenges, from attending LaGuardia Community College to landing a prestigious job through effective networking and not traditional pathways.

For a full transcript of this episode, please email ⁠[email protected]⁠.