In this episode, Susan speaks with Clinical Associate Professor Cassini Nazir about the important role that curiosity plays in the field of Interaction Design. Interaction designers help us to communicate with digital objects through screen interfaces or with our own voices. Professor Nazir encourages his students to design interfaces that provoke a user's curiosity, inviting them to explore the available information in a way that creates lasting memories. He and Susan discuss the wide-ranging benefits of remaining curious in all aspects of our lives. They conclude their conversation by considering whether, in the digital age, designers ought to be bound by an ethical code that takes their social impact into account.

To learn more about OLLI at UNT, please visit https://olli.unt.edu or email [email protected].

The University of North Texas Latinx Alumni Network (UNT-LAN) is the newest culturally based affinity chapter of the UNT Alumni Association. In this episode, Susan learns about the chapter's mission from Bob Garza ('74) President of the UNT-LAN Executive Committee. He first tells Susan about his journey from the Air Force to UNT, where he learned valuable skills that served him well during his long career at AT&T. Then he explains how alumni and administrators came together to establish UNT-LAN for the purpose of recruiting Latinx students to the university and mentoring them for academic and career success.

To learn more about UNT-LAN or join the chapter, visit https://untalumni.com/chapters/lan/.

To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email [email protected].

In this episode, Susan speaks with Dr. John McKenzie, who worked for 30 years as a Family Practice Specialist with additional certification in Geriatric Medicine before retiring to teach at the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport, Louisiana. Dr. McKenzie also spent time caring for his parents, both of whom developed Alzheimer's disease. He and Susan discuss some of the lessons he learned from his professional and personal experiences, which now form the basis of the OLLI courses he teaches on common geriatric medical problems and end-of-life issues.

Dr. McKenzie recommends this printable pocketcard, which details the AGS Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults: https://www.elderconsult.com/wp-content/uploads/PrintableBeersPocketCard.pdf

In this episode, Dr. McKenzie references Susan's interview with Dr. Becky Knight about senior housing and healthcare trends, which was featured in Episode 31 of our podcast. Explore that episode and all of our previous interviews at https://olli.unt.edu/podcast.

Dr. McKenzie is offering Parts 1 & 2 of his Geriatric Medicine series this fall at several of our classroom locations. For dates, times, and locations, check out page 31 of our fall catalog: https://olli.unt.edu/catalog.

We'll be back with another new Alumni Spotlight episode on October 6. In the meantime, we encourage you to catch up on episodes you may have missed. You can also let your family and friends know about our podcast by directing them to our website: https://olli.unt.edu/podcast. We have dozens of episodes available featuring a wide variety of fascinating guests.

To learn more about OLLI at UNT, please visit https://olli.unt.edu or email [email protected].

This semester, UNT welcomes its first cohort of students through the brand new ELEVAR program, which offers an inclusive post-secondary educational experience for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With support from staff, faculty, and volunteers, these UNT students will attend classes, gain experience living independently on campus, and ultimately gain an internship in their career of choice. Susan sat down with Dr. Brenda Barrio, Associate Professor of Special Education and co-founder of ELEVAR, to discuss this launch of this remarkable program.

To learn more about ELEVAR, visit https://elevar.unt.edu/. Donations to support the program can be made online at https://one.unt.edu/elevar.

To learn more about the UNT Alumni Association, visit https://untalumni.com.

To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email [email protected].

Grammy-winning saxophonist and composer Jeff Coffin finds inspiration all around him. As Susan learns in our latest Alumni Spotlight episode, that’s no accident. He regularly collaborates with renowned musicians, including other UNT alumni. Perhaps most notably, he has performed around the globe as a member of both the Dave Matthews Band and Béla Fleck & the Flecktones. When he’s not touring or recording solo projects, Jeff is inspired by his jazz saxophone students at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. He’s also channeled his inspiration into photography and a series of children’s books. Listeners are in for a treat as Jeff even plays a Hungarian tarogato for Susan while explaining his passion for studying the world’s various music cultures.

Learn more about Jeff’s music at https://www.jeffcoffin.com/ and https://www.thesaxloft.com/.

If you’re interested in seeing some of the tintype photos Jeff describes in this episode, check out his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/jeffcoffin/.

To learn more about the UNT Alumni association, visit https://untalumni.com/.

To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email [email protected].

In this episode, Susan speaks with Officer David Causey, Community Relations Officer for the UNT Police Department. Officer Causey explains some of the most common scams he encounters in his work, including various examples of fraud and identity theft. After revealing some of the tactics that scammers may employ, he shares some guidance on steps we can all take to reduce our vulnerability.

To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email [email protected].

Please be aware that this episode features a frank conversation about human trafficking and includes some disturbing details about the abuse of minors.

In this episode, Susan speaks with Dr. Kim Robinson, a semi-retired clinical psychologist who has become a passionate advocate for the victims of human trafficking in our state and around the world. Dr. Robinson began to focus on the serious problem of child sexual abuse during her career as a military psychologist. Over time, this led her into greater knowledge about the scourge of human trafficking. She explains to Susan why Texas is home to the second highest amount of human trafficking in the nation, with the North Texas region being home to the second highest amount of trafficking in the state. Dr. Robinson educates listeners about the red flags and warning signs associated with sex and labor trafficking. She also shares helpful advice for listeners who may have information about a potential trafficking victim.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline is available at 888-373-7888 and https://humantraffickinghotline.org/.

To view the "Be The One" documentary on the reality of human trafficking in Texas, go to https://vimeo.com/244718411/.

For more information about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email [email protected].

In this episode, Susan speaks with Robin Cole-Jett, a native of the Red River Valley who is known as "The Red River Historian." For nearly twenty years, Robin has been introducing readers and tourists to the history of this unique region of the United States "where the South meets the West." As she explains to Susan, tracing the Red River has taken Robin on a 1,300 mile journey from the old plantation system of Louisiana and Arkansas to the ranches of Texas and Oklahoma. Along the way, she has documented everything from ghost towns to a historic jail cell that once housed Bonnie Parker. She has also noted the cultural and environmental impacts of major changes in infrastructure, such as the development of railroads and highways. Robin discusses all of these topics with Susan and shares her plans to resume offering tours once the pandemic is behind us.

To learn more about Robin's work, visit https://redriverhistorian.com/.

To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email [email protected].

In this Alumni Spotlight episode, Susan speaks with Azim Rashid ('94), Senior VP and Head of Urban Promotion at Columbia Records. Azim tells Susan about his journey from performing in the pioneering Dallas-based rap group NEMESIS in the 1980s to studying Radio, TV, and Film at UNT. During his time in Denton, Azim served as the Entertainment Director of the University Program Council. He explains to Susan how this experience prepared him for his career as an entertainment executive and strategist.

Azim has seen a lot of changes in the music industry over the years while working for major global brands like Motown, Universal, Atlantic, Capitol, and RocNation records. Although promoting some of the industry's top artists keeps him busy, he still makes time to mentor others and pass on the valuable lessons he's learned.

To learn more about the UNT Alumni Association, go to https://untalumni.com.

To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email [email protected].

In this episode, Susan speaks with German historian Anette Isaacs about the important role one extraordinary woman played in automotive history. Porsche, BMW, AUDI, and Mercedes Benz have millions of fans all over the world. These brand names are considered to be synonymous with the quality and success of German engineering. Unfortunately, hardly anyone knows about Bertha Benz, a young mother of 5 who became the first human being ever to drive an automobile over a long distance. With humor and a gift for storytelling, Ms. Isaacs introduces Susan to Bertha and her history-making adventure of 1888.

To learn more about OLLI at UNT, visit https://olli.unt.edu or email [email protected].