Paw'd Defiance

UW Tacoma junior Illia Meserenko is an international student from Ukraine. In this episode Meserenko talks about the war between Russia and Ukraine. Meserenko's mother, father and grandmother are still in Ukraine. His mother and grandmother fled Kyiv but his father stayed behind. Meserenko talks about how they're doing and the impact that war has had on him. Finally, he talks about his decision to attend college in the United States and how he plans to use his education to help Ukraine.

Ukrainian Association of Washington

This is the 100th episode of Paw'd Defiance! We wanted to do something a little different, so we handed over the microphone to alumna Jazmyn Pratt and asked her to interview UW Tacoma Chancellor Sheila Edwards Lange. The two had never met prior to recording, but you'd never know it from the conversation. The pair sound like old friends as they talk about their individual college experiences as well as the role higher education has played in their lives. Chancellor Lange also talks about her first six months on campus as well as her vision for UW Tacoma.

We're now in year three of the COVID-19 pandemic. Case counts are declining and while we don't know what the future holds, it felt like a good time to stop and reflect on what we've experienced. This is the first in a series of episodes where we ask members of the UWT community to talk about the last two years and the impact it's had on them. First up, UW Tacoma Associate Teaching Professor Cynthia Howson. Howson has been dealing with long COVID since being diagnosed in October of 2021. She'll talk about that experience including what she sees a silver lining and how Young Adult Fantasy Fiction is helping her get through.

Television journalist Michelle Li went viral for a tweet she posted to social media. The tweet showed Li reacting to a message from a viewer who said Li was "being very Asian" during a segment about traditional New Year's Day foods. #VeryAsian became a global sensation and attracted attention from the media, including Ellen DeGeneres. Li used the incident to launch the Very Asian Foundation. In this episode we talk with Li about her tweet and the impact that had on her life.  Associate Professor JaeRan Kim also joins us. Both Li and Kim were adopted by white parents. They talk about their struggle with identity and feeling like an imposter. They also discuss how they made their way in fields that have historically not been open to Asian women. Finally, the pair discuss what they think it means to "be very Asian."

UW Tacoma Asian American and Pacific Islander Impact Endowment

Grief is about more than just death. Grief is a way of expressing loss. We may grieve over the loss of a job or we may grieve when a friend moves across the country. Loss and grief are an important part of the human experience. In this episode we talk with UW Tacoma Professor Charley Emlet. Emlet researches aging, particularly in vulnerable communities. For the past several years he's also taught a course on grief. Emlet talks about why grief is important. We'll also discuss how the act of grieving varies across cultures as well as how COVID impacted how we grieve. Finally, Emlet talks about his decision to retire from teaching and how we plans to grieve that loss.

Early libraries in the United States were private and available to only a few. Women played an important role in transforming libraries and turning them into public spaces that can be enjoyed by everyone. UW Tacoma Library Director Annie Downey talks about this history and the racism/sexism these librarians faced. Downey also discusses the overlap between libraries and the feminist movement. 

In this episode we talk with Rabbi Bruce Kadden and Associate Professor Bonnie Becker about what it means to be Jewish.  Our conversation includes a brief overview of some of the basic tenets of the religion. We also discuss anti-Semitism, its history and why this hatred of Jewish people persists to this day. Finally, Dr. Becker tells us why she decided to publish an op-ed about the Whoopi Goldberg controversy. 

In October of 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical organizations declared a national emergency in children's mental health. In this episode we're joined by Ashley Mangum, Program Manager of Pediatric Mental Health at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, Kianna Carter, Youth Engagement Services Behavioral Health Clinician at Mary Bridge and Chris Barrans, Director of Field Education/Assistant Teaching Professor at UW Tacoma's School of Social Work & Criminal Justice. The three discuss how the issues we're seeing now with children's mental health started long before the pandemic. We'll also talk about how the pandemic exacerbated theses issues. We'll also hear about the resources available to children, their parents and caregivers.

Kids Mental Health Pierce County
YES Tacoma

Tacoma recently launched Growing Resilience in Tacoma (GRIT). The guaranteed income program will distribute $500 a month for a year to 110 Tacoma residents. UW Tacoma alumna Abigail Lawson serves as Program Director for GRIT. In this episode we'll talk about guaranteed income, universal basic income and the difference between the two. We'll also talk about GRIT, including how it works and who it benefits. The program has funding for a year. Lawson will discuss program goals and what the next steps will be once GRIT ends. 

We're nearing the end of year two of the pandemic and the news isn't great.  The omicron variant is disheartening. Needless to say, many of us are tired and stressed out. We wanted to do something to help lift everyone's spirits. So, we asked a group of UW Tacoma students, faculty, staff and alumni to tell us a joke, preferably a "dad joke." You know what these are, these are the jokes that make you groan and also make you laugh. Have a listen. We hope the next ten minutes will bring you some joy and a few giggles.