Troy University has more than 150 student organizations—so many that you could never hope to be an active member of them all. That hasn’t stopped Zara Smith from trying. She’s making it a priority to discover as many new experiences and perspectives as possible.

Zara is a member of Chi Omega sorority, a Trojan Ambassador, Chief Justice of the Student Government Association, and editor of Troy’s yearbook, The Palladium.

On this episode, Dr. Kerry Palmer shares how his experience working in K-12 education, particularly as a band director, changed his approach to leadership. And we'll talk about what we can do to promote a sense of belonging in higher education.

Today we’re talking to Dr. Javier Boyas, director of the TROY School of Social Work and Human Services.

We are big believers in the power of study abroad trips. New sights, new sounds, new people—it all makes for a richer experience that goes beyond what students could learn from just reading about a new place. This month we’ve got another one of Rich’s students on to talk about her recent trip to Puerto Rico. Camille Bowers is a political science student here at Troy University. We'll hear what she learned in Puerto Rico and how she became a snowboarder despite living in Alabama.

To err is human. But being open about our mistakes in the workplace takes a culture of communication and trust. If you've ever been the new guy or gal in the office, you know it can take time to build that trust. Both of our guests today have changed departments at Troy University and share their experiences building a culture of openness.

Many people can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing on 9/11. That makes sense. It was a traumatic and unforgettable event that changed the course of history.

We often think of culture as something that develops naturally, but, in an institutional setting, building the right culture takes a concerted effort. Dr. Laura Dove is the assistant dean at the Sorrell College of Business here at Troy University. She’s also the director of the Sorrell 360 Center, which prepares students for success in business and life. She’ll tell us how she promotes cultural competence in her students and builds an institutional culture of open communication.

Like it or not, the AI revolution is upon us. College students the world over are using generative AI and large language models like ChatGPT to do everything from helping with brainstorming and research to actually writing their papers for them. But there are responsible ways to use this new technology. Dr. Scott Nokes is a professor of English at Troy University and the director of Troy University’s AI Forward Initiative. He’ll tell us how he’s teaching students to use AI ethically and effectively.

Before he was Director of Graduate and Specialized Programs at Troy University, Jahaziel Martinez was an ESL teacher, and he says that experience has helped him relate to people from all backgrounds.

Follow us on Bluesky: @belongingpod.bsky.social

Alex Nesmith is political science major at Troy University. She'll be graduating later this month with a minor that we designed called intercultural competence.