Beyond Boundaries Podcast

In this episode, Rob chats with Professor and Chair of Anthropology Tristram Randolph "TR" Kidder about his Beyond Boundaries course Earth’s Future: Causes and Consequences of Climate Change that he co-teaches with Professor Brent Williams from the McKelvey School of Engineering. This unique freshman-only course at Washington University provides a broad overview of issues involving climate change and its consequences. The discussion encompasses the structure and impetus behind the course, TR's background as a 3rd Generation archeologist, and a 1950's reality show hosted by TR's uncle and archeologist Alfred V. Kidder called What In The World where archeologists guess the origin of a museum antiquity. 

In this episode, Rob visits with two Beyond Boundaries Program Class of 2023 students Katrin Gatz and Jamie Xu. They talk about how their 1st Year experience went as members of the inaugural "first astronauts" of the brand new program at Washington University in St Louis, their individual interdisciplinary interests that range from a business and education combination to music and psychology/neuroscience. We also talk about the best food on campus, the best ResLife college (WayCrow), and their favorite study spots on campus. 

In this episode, Rob talks with the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion John Inazu (WashU School of Law and Danforth Center for Religion & Politics) and Assistant Professor of Communication Design Penina Acayo Laker from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts about their 'Bear Bridge' course called Law, Race, & Design: Examining the St Louis Story open to students in the Beyond Boundaries Program as one of two options of courses that offer a community engagement component. We talk about how the idea for the course came to be, a bit about the Carver Project, and Professor Laker's past as a track and field champion. 

In this episode, Rob chats with current Class of 2023 Beyond Boundaries Program student Jenna Rogge from her home in Rob's hometown of Austin, Texas. Jenna talks about her "big question" involving Mechanical Engineering and Art to design prosthetics for children, courses she has taken in the program, and her interest in gardening that was reignited with a single packet of seeds she got at Venture Cafe during Orientation Week. 

In this episode, Rob interviews Professor Rebecca Messbarger Director of Medical Humanities and Professor of Italian in the Department of Romance Languages. She is also an affiliate Professor in History, Performing Arts, Art History, International and Area Studies, and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. They discuss the Beyond Boundaries course called Art of Medicine that Professor Messbarger co-teaches with her colleague at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts Professor Patricia Olynyk who is the Director of the Graduate School of Art and an accomplished artist and sculptor. In the course, they explore the visual arts and medical practice over time. Rob and Professor Messbarger also discuss her teaching philosophy of building a 'personal bridge' for each student to the content discussed in her courses. They also take time to discuss the current situation in Italy as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic and her recent article in The Source on the Histories of Contagion and what bit of advice she would give her 1st Year college self if she could.