Changemaker Chat

In this episode: Big news from Nazareth College. We’ve formed the Institute for Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Society (ITAS), a pioneering initiative in higher education to train future professionals to guide and develop technology toward equitable and just ends.

Guests:

Dianne Oliver, Ph.D., is co-director of the Nazareth College Institute for Technology, AI, and Society (ITAS), and since 2015 has been dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. Her background includes degrees in both computer science and in religion and ethics, deeply connecting her experience and work to this initiative at Naz.

Yousuf George, Ph.D., is the other ITAS co-director and associate to the president for strategy and momentum. He joined the College in 2008 as a faculty member in the Mathematics Department and later served as the associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Wendy Norris, Ph.D., is an assistant professor and founding faculty member for ITAS. Wendy’s doctorate is in information science from the University of Colorado Boulder. She brings expertise in the design of humanitarian crisis response technologies to her teaching and research. She joined the Mathematics Department in 2020 to help launch Nazareth’s new ethical data science major. 

Chelsea Wahl, Ph.D. — another founding faculty member for ITAS — joined Nazareth’s Sociology & Anthropology Department as an assistant professor of sociology in 2020. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Hamilton College and her doctorate from University of Pennsylvania. She specializes in technology, inequality, work, and organizations.

Student Nate Ancona ‘21 is a senior majoring in business management and a four-year member of the swim team. He is currently taking several ITAS courses that explore programming, AI, and the ethical and societal impacts of technology and is looking at graduate schools.

Book mentioned in the podcast: Automating Inequality by Virginia Eubanks

This time students and faculty from our social work, nursing, and public health programs join me to discuss the many ways they are continuing to support wellness for people in the Rochester community — despite the pandemic.

• Leanne Charlesworth is professor and chair of social work and the director of the undergraduate social work major. She received her bachelor’s from Cornell University, master’s in social work from University of Albany, and doctorate from Virginia Commonwealth University. Leanne's scholarly interests include poverty and homelessness. She is deeply invested in a campus-community partnership called Project Homeless Connect, which includes ongoing work with Rochester's Homeless Services Network. 

In this episode,  we engage in a fascinating conversation about the innovative ways our students and faculty overcame challenges during the pandemic and are still helping clients maintain their health when they couldn’t visit Nazareth’s on-campus clinics. Guests: Lisa Hiley, assistant professor in communication sciences and disorders; Mary Therese Novak, director of clinical education in physical therapy; Michaela Cardone, occupational therapy graduate student; Heather Coles, clinical assistant professor in communication sciences and disorders; and Sophie DiCarlo, a graduate student in communication sciences and disorders.

In this episode, I am joined by Tim Kneeland, Ph.D., professor of history and political science and Susan Nowak, Ph.D., SSJ. They help us look forward to the upcoming Nazareth College centennial celebration in 2024, and look back to the lessons our founders can teach us today.

In this special “bonus” episode of the “Prez Paul Podcast,” I share the audio from a virtual forum for the Nazareth community on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. It was a way to connect with faculty, staff, students, and parents to reflect on the events that unfolded at the Capitol on Jan. 6. I am joined by Dr. Tim Kneeland, Nazareth professor of history and political science; Dr. Devparna Roy, Nazareth assistant professor of sociology; and Dr. Ana Gomez Parga, assistant professor in English and communication. The Nazareth community engaged via Zoom with thought-provoking comments and questions for the panelists.

On today’s podcast, I have asked three Nazareth students to join me to think together about the meaning and significance of 2020 - what a year!  What sense can we make out of our collective experience in this extraordinary year, and what insights, lessons learned, and ideas will we take forward into 2021? Join my guests, Jake Kwiatkowski, a graduate student in the School of Business and Leadership, and a 2012 undergraduate alum; Amelia Johnson, a junior studying communication and media with a minor in legal studies, and Tegan Wright, a junior studying sociology with a minor in business management.

The theme of my second "Prez Paul Podcast" is "The Learning Journey: Helping Each of us Find our Part in our Movement for Racial Equity" and I invite you to join the conversation with my guests Lisa Durant-Jones, Nazareth’s vice president for Community and Belonging; John Mordaci, assistant vice president for Undergraduate Admissions; Nazareth student Isa Reese, a senior legal studies major, and Nazareth student Sarah Schuler, who is studying for her master’s degree in speech-language pathology.

In this inaugural episode, Nazareth College President Dr. Beth Paul discusses coping skills and gratitude with Brigid Noonan, Dean in Health and Human Services, and Kathryn DeVinney, Assistant Director of Counseling Services.