Fordham Conversations

University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., is stepping in as "Fordham Conversations" host. He is joined by John D. Feerick, Dean emeritus and professor of law at Fordham Law School. They will discuss his memoir, That Further Shore: A Memoir of Irish Roots and American Promise. Feerick discusses his family, Irish history and his career as a Lawyer.

The rapid outbreak of COVID-19 has halted the sports world for the last two months. Fordham Women’s Basketball redshirt-junior Bre Cavanugh was one of the student athletes poised for postseason play. After averaging over 19 points, leading Fordham to the Atlantic 10 Semifinals and a potential WNIT bid, Cavanaugh became the first player in program history to earn A10 Player of the Year honors.

Fordham Conversations host Emmanuel Berbari talks with Cavanaugh about the early battles with adversity, her reaction to the current pandemic, path to Fordham, future plans, constant motivations and favorite hobbies in their remote discussion.

Fordham University's annual Women's Philanthropy Summit hosted hundreds of alumni, students and faculty to network and reflect on work and the power of giving. Keynote speaker Kirsten Swinth, an associate professor of history and American studies at Fordham University, discussed societal challenges for women. She also discussed her book, "Feminism's Forgotten Fight: The Unfinished Struggle for Work and Family." Fordham Conversations offers an abridged version of Professor Swinth's speech.

Fordham Conversations host Robin Shannon talks with Dr. Anne Hoffman and Dr. Jason Morris about their course Diverse Biology/Shared Humanity. In it, students explore empathy through science, literature, music and more.

The course draws on readings and approaches from biology and literary studies to gain understanding of the diversity of human experience. Students will study the biological (genetic, metabolic, developmental, and neuronal) factors contributing to differences in human behavior, cognition, ability/disability, and appearance. Through the study of first-person narratives, poems, and other texts (including film), students will gain insight into the lived experiences of people they might not otherwise have come to know, even as they deepen their appreciation of the interdependence of self and other. Through reflection on readings in literature and science, students will come to recognize more fully what these disciplinary approaches offer to understanding our place in the world and our responsibilities to one another.

Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon talks with members of The Curran Catholic School Leadership Academy. Its goal is to prepare students from Fordham University, and other colleges, for the realities of leading a Catholic school Dr. Noelle Beale is Regional Superintendent for the Catholic Schools of Central Westchester. Gina-Marie Fonte is a Principal in the Archdiocese Of New York and a Curran Fellowship Graduate. Finally, Amy Rodriguez is principal at Immaculate Conception School and currently a Curran Fellow.

Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon talks with author Deanna Singh. The Fordham University Alumni discusses what inspired her to write her first children’s picture book I Am A Boy of Color.  Singh describes it as “a tribute to the beauty and power boys of color possess.” 

Fordham Conversations host Robin Shannon talks with Dr. Craig Steven Wilder about his book "Ebony & Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities." The book explores the connection between Ivy League schools and the slave trade.

This week's Fordham Conversations examines the Stars Wars universe and its religious and spiritual influences.

The panel discussion Jedi & Jesuits: Explore the Deep Side of a Galaxy Far, Far Away was put on by the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture in partnership with Fordham Campus Ministry.

David Goodwin, Assistant Director at the Center, moderated the event. The panelists are Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service journalist, Kathryn Reklis, Associate Chair of Graduate Studies and theology professor at Fordham University and Jim McDermott, LA-based Jesuit and screenwriter.

Father James Martin, author and editor at large of America magazine, has made headlines for his outreach to the LGBT community. Martin is the author of Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter Into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity. He sits down with Fordham Conversations guest host Patrick Russomanno to discuss the relationship between LGBTQ Catholics and the Church.

Fordham Conversations host Robin Shannon is joined by Natural Sciences Department Chair Jason Morris, Ph.D to discuss his new novel “Thicker Than Mud.”   The book tells the story of a Jewish archeology professor who stumbles upon an ancient discovery while on a dig in Israel.  This begins a journey through a crime, a cover up, a family secret, and both losing and finding love.