Happy Friday, North Texas!

2020 was unprecedented for a lot of reasons, including the number of climate-related events that marred an already challenging year. So, considering that, how do we even begin addressing the intersection of society and climate change? That’s where experts like Courtney Cecale come in. An environmental anthropologist and UNT assistant professor, she specializes in areas including the Peruvian Andes and California, and along with climate change, studies science and technology and how the two converge. On this episode, Dr. Cecale discusses what her research has revealed about the effects of climate change on people and societies – and the best ways to come together to salvage the future.

In this episode, we discuss:

● The environmental effects of climate change

● How climate change affects culture

● How anthropology can help guide climate science in various regions

● The policies that could help slow climate change moving forward

Featured in this episode is:

● Dr. Courtney Cecale, an assistant professor in UNT’s Department of Anthropology

Helpful links:

● Learn more about Dr. Cecale and her research

● @UNTPod

● Connect with us on Twitter @UNTSocial or on Instagram @UNT

When it comes to love, there are plenty of things to fear: commitment, rejection, not purchasing the perfect Valentine’s gift. For centuries, love and fear have been increasingly intermingled when it comes to literature and pop culture, as the public has become more and more enamored by stories of ghosts, vampires, zombies and other undead creatures. On this episode of UNT Pod, UNT Associate Professor of English Stephanie Hawkins discusses how that fascination has manifested — and some of the best works of literature for those looking for a good scare.

In this episode, we discuss:

● The public’s fascination with ghost stories

● Hawkins’ class “Undead: Ghosts, Vampires and Zombies in American Literature”

● The origins of ghost stories

● The best ghost stories to read

Featured in this episode is:

● Dr. Stephanie Hawkins, associate professor in UNT’s Department of English

Helpful links:

● Learn more about the Ghost Stories of Henry James and The Turn of the Screw

● Learn more about Beloved

● Learn more about the most famous American horror stories

● @UNTPod

● Connect with us on Twitter @UNTSocial or on Instagram @UNT

With January comes the dreaded New Year’s resolution — but what if we all focused on more realistic, attainable goal setting instead? On this episode of UNT Pod, Dr. Michael Savoie — a clinical professor of operations, logistics and supply chain management in UNT’s G. Brint Ryan College of Business who also has served as a certified trainer in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Brian Tracy’s Phoenix Seminar on the Psychology of Achievement for more than three decades — walks us through the best approaches to goal setting.

In this episode, we discuss:

● The difference between resolutions and goals

● The best ways to track and measure your goals

● The importance of setting goals based on the present, not the past

● How to develop SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) goals

Featured in this episode is:

● Dr. Michael Savoie, clinical professor of operations, logistics and supply chain management in UNT’s G. Brint Ryan College of Business and a certified trainer in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Brian Tracy’s Phoenix Seminar on the Psychology of Achievement

Helpful links:

● View a goal-setting slideshow created by Dr. Savoie

Follow our Podcast

● @UNTPod

Join the Conversation

● Connect with us on Twitter @UNTSocial or on Instagram @UNT

UNT’s annual Equity and Diversity Conference is one of the university’s most popular events, bringing together hundreds of students, educators and professionals who are committed to equity, access and inclusion in higher education, as well as corporations and community members interested in diversity and inclusion topics. The theme of this year’s conference is “Facing the Future Together: Allies, Accomplices and Action,” and will feature keynote speaker Jeff Chang, who has written extensively on the intersection of race, art and civil rights, and the socio-political forces that guided the hip-hop generation.

In this episode, we discuss:

● How the conference has evolved over the years

● This year’s academic and corporate track topics

● Past speakers and this year’s speaker Jeff Chang

● What attendees can expect in the virtual environment

Featured in this episode are:

● Shani Barrax Moore, director of diversity and inclusion in UNT’s Division of Institutional Equity and Diversity

● James Jackson, communications strategist in UNT’s Division of Institutional Equity and Diversity

Helpful links:

● Register for the conference

● Explore past conferences

● @UNTPod

● Connect with us on Twitter @UNTSocial or on Instagram @UNT

UNT students, staff, faculty and alumni come from every walk of life, but they have one thing in common: They frequently step into the role of hero in their own communities and beyond. That’s why, to close out an exceedingly difficult year, we wanted to highlight those in our community who invariably show us the path to a better future. On this episode of UNT Pod, join us as we discuss the Eagles, past and present, who assume the mantle of hero each and every day.

In this episode, we discuss:

● A variety of UNT heroes, from everyday heroes to real-deal lifesavers

● Our unique history of military heroes

● Our gratitude to our alumni in the medical community who have sacrificed so much during the COVID-19 pandemic

Featured in this episode are:

● UNT Spider-Man (version 2.0)

● Travis Monk, an alum and Collin County deputy sheriff who saved a family of six on Lake Lavon

● Brian Richardson, former chair of UNT’s Department of Communication Studies who has implemented programs to help students and alumni achieve the careers of their dreams

● Lauren Taylor, a current grad student, Miss Wheelchair Texas 2019 and volunteer with the Dallas-based nonprofit To Be Like Me, which uses interactive experiences to build awareness and compassion in children when it comes to differences and disabilities

● Steven Pettit, a kinesiology alum and Mean Green super fan, who at age 39 was diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer and given only a year to live

● Lehi Tollestrup, a grad student in rehabilitation counseling and Army veteran, who after surviving his own battle with PTSD and addiction strives to help support active-duty military and veterans struggling with mental health issues

● Mentions of our historic military heroes, our healthcare heroes, and other heroes including alums Lilyan Prado Carrillo, Given Kachepa, Kia Davis, Jackie Davis and Krystal Hamilton.

Helpful links:

● Read our previous stories about many of the heroes featured in this episode:

o Ask the Expert: Brian Richardson

o Lauren Taylor

o Tenacity Takes Root: Steven Pettit, Lehi Tollestrup and Lilyan Prado Carrillo

o Beyond the Green featuring Steven Pettit

o Given Kachepa

o Brenda Sweeten, Jackie Davis and Krystal Hamilton (PUSH)

o Kia Davis

o Heroes of COVID-19

● @UNTPod

● Connect with us on Twitter @UNTSocial or on Instagram @UNT.

Who made Santa a superstar? Yes, Virginia, it was advertisers. On this episode of UNT Pod, Bill Ford — a lecturer in UNT’s Mayborn School of Journalism and director of UNT’s student-led advertising and PR agency SWOOP — discusses how modern advertising has affected the way the public sees and celebrates Christmas.

In this episode, we discuss:

● Santa’s role in advertising

● The most influential (and emotional) Christmas ads

● How Christmas advertising has evolved over time

● Christmas advertising during a pandemic

Featured in this episode is:

● Bill Ford, lecturer in UNT’s Mayborn School of Journalism and director of UNT’s student-led advertising and PR agency SWOOP

Helpful links:

● Links to the commercials mentioned in this episode:

o Coca Cola polar bears

o M&Ms

o Hershey’s bells

o Apple iPhone

o Coca Cola “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”

● @UNTPod

● Connect with us on Twitter @UNTSocial or on Instagram @UNT.

Michael Wise, an associate professor in UNT’s Department of History whose expertise includes the histories of food, agriculture and animal-human relationships, has long studied Native American food traditions, especially that of the Blackfeet tribe of Montana. On this episode of UNT Pod, Dr. Wise discusses the mythology surrounding Thanksgiving, the history of Native American hunting and farming, and how the Anglo-American approach to meat distribution affected tribes like the Blackfeet, as well as the larger cultural attitude toward food production.

In this episode, we discuss:

● Thanksgiving myths

● The Blackfeet tradition of hunting and farming

● How restricted access to meat was used as a tool for assimilation and forced labor

● The evolution of slaughterhouses and their effect on attitudes about meat preparation and consumption

● Native American food staples

Featured in this episode is:

● Michael Wise, associate professor of history

Helpful links:

● More about Dr. Wise and his research: history.unt.edu/people/michael-wise

● Native American and indigenous charities:

o americanindianservices.org/top-native-american-associations-and-organizations-to-support/

o www.firstnations.org/ways-to-give/

● @UNTPod

● Connect with us on Twitter @UNTSocial or on Instagram @UNT.

The 2018 Campus Inclusion Climate Survey was UNT’s first, with Shani Barrax Moore — the director of diversity and inclusion in UNT’s Division of Institutional Equity and Diversity — leading the effort, and master’s student Zahra Khalaf analyzing and providing context to the data and determining the best way to use it to facilitate intentional inclusion. An overview of the results was presented via webinar on Oct. 12, in which Moore and Vice President of Institutional Equity and Diversity Joanne Woodard delved into some of the key takeaways. As a result of the survey, which will likely be administered again in another three years, divisions and colleges across UNT have formed diversity and inclusion councils to create action plans based on the data specific to their unit. Moore also is working with divisions and organizations across the university to create focus groups to better understand what led to the responses.

In this episode, we discuss:

● The results of the survey, including the biggest surprises and how the data compares to that of other institutions.

● How UNT is working to meet the vast array of experiences and expectations of students and faculty/staff on campus in areas including race, gender, sexuality, religion, disability and military status.

● How the results of the survey will inform initiatives moving forward.

Featured in this episode are:

● Shani Barrax Moore, director of diversity and inclusion in UNT’s Division of Institutional Equity and Diversity

● Zahra Khalaf, who has a Ph.D. in psychology and is earning a master’s in women’s and gender studies at UNT, and works as a graduate student assistant in the Division of Institutional Equity and Diversity

Helpful links:

● Check out the survey results and watch the webinar: https://ied.unt.edu/climate-survey-results

● @UNTPod

● Connect with us on Twitter @UNTSocial or on Instagram @UNT.

There are plenty of highs and lows when it comes to diabetes, which is exactly what National Diabetes Awareness Month aims to spotlight. Each November, communities across the country team up to bring attention to the chronic illness through events and resources. With 1.5 million Americans diagnosed with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes each year, that need for increased awareness is becoming more and more urgent. This episode of UNT Pod focuses on students, alums and faculty who are helping to create that awareness through research and outreach – and who are potentially creating a brighter future for nearly 35 million Americans in the process.

In this episode, we discuss:

● The increasing prevalence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at the onset of Type 1 diagnosis

● The challenges and needs inherent in dealing with Type 1

● The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s research and advocacy initiatives

● The research happening in the lab of Dr. Pamela Padilla, associate vice president of research and innovation, who is using a genetic model system to study the effects of hyperglycemia, a leading indicator of Type 2 diabetes.

Featured in this episode are:

● Bri Zaeske, a senior in UNT’s department of psychology who has Type 1 diabetes

● Courtney Garvey, Community Outreach Manager for JDRF of Fort Worth and a Type 1 diabetic

● Pamela Padilla, UNT associate vice president of research and innovation

● Saifun “Ripa” Nahar, Jose Robledo and Manuel Ruiz, Ph.D. students in Padilla’s lab

Helpful links:

● Learn more about Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes: https://www.diabetes.org/

● Learn more about JDRF, including ways to volunteer: https://www.jdrf.org/

● Learn more about the research students are conducting in Padilla’s lab: https://biology.unt.edu/dr-pamela-padilla/lab-members

● @UNTPod

● Connect with us on Twitter @UNTSocial or on Instagram @UNT.

In advance of National Novel Writing Month, we talk to UNT associate professor of creative writing Bonnie Friedman about envy, fear, and distraction, the benefits of writing, and how persistence is the key to growing one’s writing abilities. Friedman is the author of Writing Past Dark, which the Center for Fiction has called one of the essential books for writing, and Poets & Writers literary magazine called one of the best books for writers.

In this episode, we discuss:

● Dilemmas in the writing experience such as envy, fear and distraction

● Tips for how to dive into the writing process

● The benefits of writing

● Friedman’s favorite works

Featured in this episode is:

● Bonnie Friedman, associate professor of creative writing

Helpful links:

● Check out the OLLI at UNT podcast: olli.unt.edu/podcast

● Learn more about National Novel Writing Month and the NaNoWriMo organization: nanowrimo.org

● Read more about Bonnie Friedman: bonniefriedman.com

● @UNTPod

● Connect with us on Twitter @UNTSocial or on Instagram @UNT.