In this episode, Susan speaks with Steve Conwell, CEO of Final Ascent and Board Member of the UNT Alumni Association's Denton County Chapter. Steve explains why he is so passionate about helping business owners prepare their companies for sale. They discuss why sound business practices, and not just profits, are key to making a company valuable to potential buyers. Steve also reflects on the effects of the current pandemic on businesses of all sizes, encouraging companies to use this time to evaluate their current practices and evolve so that they can become even more valuable to their customers.

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

To learn more about OLLI at UNT, please visit https://olli.unt.edu/.

In this episode, Susan has a wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Paul Leung, Professor Emeritus in the College of Health & Public Service at UNT. They discuss Dr. Leung's career, which has focused on the importance of multiculturalism in rehabilitation work, before moving on to explore the many contributions Asian Americans have made to our society. Finally, they discuss the history and popularity of Chinese food in America and the unique new dishes that have been developed here.

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

In this episode, Susan speaks with Dr. Patricia Richard, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Ohio University. They discuss the legacy of Dr. Richard's classes on women and politics at the university. Drawing from recent studies and opinion polls, Dr. Richard shares her analysis of the current status of women in our political system. She also reflects on the role of women in our society more generally, highlighting certain inequalities that persist. Finally, Dr. Richard identifies some tools that can empower women to be successful in their careers.

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

In this episode, Susan speaks with Jordan Williams, Senior Communications Specialist for UNT's Lifelong Learning & Community Engagement department, which runs OLLI at UNT. They discuss Jordan's interest in Afrofuturism and he does his best to explain what the term means. Jordan identifies some key concepts that relate to Afrofuturism and gives examples of artists and works of art that exemplify the genre.

Episode Notes:

Listen to actor LeVar Burton give a dramatic reading of Lesley Nneka Arimah's short story, "What It Means When A Man Falls From The Sky" at https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/stitcher/levar-burton-reads/e/50741707.

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

OLLI at UNT is partnering with the UNT Alumni Association to produce the Alumni Spotlight series, featuring notable alumni from the University of North Texas.

In our inaugural Alumni Spotlight episode, Susan speaks with John Matthews, Executive Director of the Community Safety Institute (CSI), a former Chief of Police with over 30 years of experience in law enforcement, and owner of Cassaro Winery. John explains how he approached his work as a Dallas police officer, including the integral role he played in identifying the serial murderer known as "The Eyeball Killer." They also discuss John's work with CSI, advising school districts and law enforcement on how to deal with mass shootings. Finally, John shares his passion for winemaking and tells the story behind Cassaro Winery, which he opened with his wife in 2019.

WARNING: From approx. 10:25 to 13:15, our discussion of the Eyeball Killer contains brief descriptions of murder, which some listeners may find disturbing.

Episode Notes:

- To learn more about the Community Safety Institute and check out its online bookstore, go to https://communitysafetyinstitute.org/.

- To order North Texas Tempranillo wine from the Cassaro Winery, go to: https://cassarowines.com/order-unt-wine/.

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

To learn more about OLLI at UNT, please visit https://olli.unt.edu/.

In this episode, Susan speaks with Keith Shelton, who was the political writer for the Dallas Times Herald in the early 1960s. They discuss his coverage of President John F. Kennedy's November 1963 visit to Texas, including Keith's memories of riding in the motorcade at the moment the President was assassinated in downtown Dallas. Keith tells Susan how he covered the day's events for the paper and later also the Jack Ruby trial. He shares a few other highlights from his career, during which he was able to cover Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon each at least once.

You can support UNT students with immediate and pressing needs like health, living, and educational expenses related to the spread of coronavirus by making a donation to the UNT Cares fund. Learn more at https://one.unt.edu/untcares.

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

In this episode, Susan speaks with Dr. David Wolf, Vice President for University Advancement at UNT. They discuss Dr. Wolf’s background and how he became involved in higher education philanthropy. Dr. Wolf explains the mission of UNT’s Division of Advancement, which partners with alumni and friends of the university to make education attainable and exceptional for UNT students. He also expresses his passion for OLLI at UNT, which operates within the Division of Advancement.

UNT Division of Advancement:

https://giving.unt.edu/

https://www.facebook.com/UNTAdvancement/

https://twitter.com/UNTAdvancement

You can support UNT students with immediate and pressing needs like health, living, and educational expenses related to the spread of coronavirus by making a donation to the UNT Cares fund. Learn more at https://one.unt.edu/untcares. Students needing assistance can find help at https://unt.edu/staygreen.

To learn more about the UNT Diamond Eagles Society, please visit https://one.unt.edu/diamondeagles.

To learn more about the UNT Alumni Association (which is open to all friends of UNT), visit https://untalumni.com/.

Annette Becker appeared on Episode 3 of this podcast to discuss her work as Director of the Texas Fashion Collection at UNT.

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

In this episode, Susan speaks with KM Johnson Davis, CEO and Founder of Everything's Eventful. They discuss how KM's service in the U.S. Army prepared her for a career as a motivational speaker, consultant, event planner, and author. KM also explains how she helps OLLI at UNT members explore and ultimately manifest their unmet desires in her courses. Finally, she shares a preview of upcoming courses she plans to offer.

You can support UNT students with immediate and pressing needs like health, living, and educational expenses related to the spread of coronavirus by making a donation to the UNT Cares fund. Learn more at https://one.unt.edu/untcares.

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

In this episode, Susan speaks with Dr. Darrel VanDyke, OLLI at UNT Advisory Council member and author of "Fire in the Mind: The 1970s Computer Decade." Dr. VanDyke describes the computer industry before 1970, and then the explosion of ideas that were inspired by the development of the microprocessor. Dr. VanDyke witnessed the evolution of personal computers firsthand as part of a cutting edge technology company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He now regularly teaches courses on technology and history for OLLI at UNT.

You can support UNT students with immediate and pressing needs like health, living, and educational expenses related to the spread of coronavirus by making a donation to the UNT Cares fund. Last week, UNT awarded a total of $86k to 116 students facing financial struggles related to COVID-19, thanks in large part to the generosity of UNT Cares donors. Learn more at https://one.unt.edu/untcares.

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

In this episode, Susan welcomes Dr. Craig Neumann back to the podcast. Dr. Neumann is a Distinguished Research Professor in UNT's Department of Psychology and he was our inaugural guest back in Episode 1. Susan talks with Dr. Neumann about the video lecture he recently recorded for OLLI at UNT members entitled "How to Cope in the Days of Coronavirus." In his lecture, Dr. Neumann discusses data from recent randomized controlled trials on the effects of mindfulness and explains how we can all use mindfulness practices to be more resilient, especially in light of the stress we're experiencing during the coronavirus pandemic.

All views expressed are based on Dr. Neumann's personal reading of the scientific literature. For more information on coronavirus, see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov.

Episode Notes:

- Dr. Neumann's video lecture is available at https://vimeo.com/398957575

- Dr. Neumann mentions a free online course being offered by Yale, which is available at https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being.

You can support UNT students with immediate and pressing needs like health, living, and educational expenses related to the spread of coronavirus by making a donation to the UNT Cares fund. Learn more at https://one.unt.edu/untcares.

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