Professors Talk Pedagogy

Today, our guest is Dr. Joseph Vukov, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Associate Director of the Hank Center for Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University in Chicago. His research and teaching explore questions at the intersection of ethics, neuroscience, and philosophy of mind, and at the intersection of science and religion. Joe is the author of three books, most recently, Staying Human in an Era of Artificial Intelligence. Dr. Vukov's writing has also appeared in venues including The Chicago Tribune, America Magazine, Religion News Service, Fox Opinion and many academic journals. He serves on the AI Research Group for the Dicastery for Culture and Education and is the current President of Philosophers in Jesuit Education. In 2025, he was awarded the St. Ignatius Loyola Award for Excellence in Teaching. We talk about what AI can and can't do, keeping humanity in our teaching, and much more!

Joseph Vukov, Staying Human, in an Era of Artificial Intelligence

Today our guest is Kevin Dougherty, professor of sociology and associate vice provost for faculty honorifics at Baylor University. Kevin is an award-winning teacher and prolific researcher. His scholarship focuses on religious affiliation, religious participation, racial diversity in congregations, congregational growth and decline, and the impact of religion on other realms of social life such as community involvement, politics, and work. Since 2022, Kevin has served as Chair for The Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching.

An engaging instructor who teaches large lecture sections all the way through graduate seminars, Kevin has won several teaching awards—many several times, such as the graduate student teaching award while he was studying at Purdue, the Baylor Athletics Outstanding Professor Award, and the Outstanding Professor Award for distinctive teaching at Baylor. In 2011, Kevin was a Baylor teaching fellow, and in 2025, he received the Core Curriculum virtues award. And the icing on the cake, also in 2025, Kevin was named Master Teacher, Baylor’s highest honor for teaching.

We are delighted to have Dr. Dougherty on the show to discuss engaging students in large classes, the moral and spiritual development of college students, and how to identify “Great Teaching” in others.

Today our guest is Dr. Sarah Rose Cavanagh, psychologist, educator, and author specializing in the science of emotion, motivation, and learning. As Senior Associate Director for Teaching and Learning at Simmons University in Boston, she blends empirical research with practical strategies to help teachers, leaders, and teams navigate the emotional dynamics of classrooms and workplaces. Her writing spans several widely praised books—including Mind Over Monsters, Hivemind, and The Spark of Learning, and essays for Psychology Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Literary Hub. A sought-after speaker, she delivers keynote addresses and workshops internationally on topics ranging from emotional engagement to compassionate approaches for supporting mental health and effective learning. Sara’s work challenges conventional pedagogy by foregrounding emotion as a driver of motivation and retention, urging educators to cultivate environments that balance compassion with challenge. And we are delighted to have Dr. Cavanagh on the show to discuss mental health days, the role of so-called negative emotion in learning, and we need joy in our teaching.

https://www.sarahrosecav.com/

From the host: Authority, Passion, and Subject-Centered Teaching

Today our guest is Dr. David Jortner, professor of Theatre Arts and graduate program director in the department of Theatre Arts at Baylor University. Dr. Jortner teaches theatre history, theory, dramatic literature, and directing. His research focuses on twentieth century Japanese theatre and the intersection of Japanese and American culture. Through his work with graduate students, teaching the more “academic” subjects of theatre, and teaching larger services courses for non-majors, David has developed his own approach to compassionate teaching. And we are delighted to have him on the show to discuss compassion as norms, paying attention to students, how AI can’t interpret art, and much more.  

Today our guest is Dr. Dan Watkins, associate professor of history and co-director of the digital humanities initiative at Baylor University.  Dan’s work sits at the crossroads of religion, culture, and politics in early modern Europe. His first book examines how the Jesuits engaged with and responded to the intellectual debates of the French Enlightenment. Dan is currently pursuing two exciting new projects: a digital history study on how missionary writings shaped European views of the wider world, and a monograph on religion and emigration in the borderlands of eastern France during the French Revolution.

In addition to his research, Dan is deeply invested in pedagogy and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, where he explores how we teach history and how students engage with it.

We are delighted to have Dr. Watkins on the show to discuss teaching empathy through history, bringing historical documents to life, and gamifying the less-exciting elements of your course.

Authority, Passion, and Subject-Centered Teaching

Welcome to Professors Talk Pedagogy, a podcast from the Academy for Teaching and Learning at Baylor University. I'm your host, Christopher Richmann. Professors Talk Pedagogy presents discussions with great professors about pedagogy, curriculum and learning in order to propel the virtuous cycle of teaching. As we frankly and critically investigate our teaching, we open new lines of inquiry. We engage in conversation with colleagues and we attune to students’ experiences, all of which not only improves our teaching, but enriches and motivates ongoing investigation. And so the cycle continues.

Today our guest is Dr. Jay Banner, the F. M. Bullard Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences in the Jackson School of Geosciences, and director of the Environmental Science Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. He researches climate and hydrologic processes, how they are preserved in the geologic record, and how human activities affect the sustainability of water resources.

His K-12 and community engagement initiatives include Hot Science – Cool Talks, the Scientist in Residence program, which partners STEM graduate-student researchers with K-12 teachers, and a new project (CRESSLE) that partners researchers and community members to address resilience challenges in underserved communities.

Jay is a member of UT Austin’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers, a recipient of the Friar Centennial Teaching Fellowship Award and the UT System Regents Outstanding Teaching Award, and a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. Jay is also the 2024 recipient of the Cherry Award for Great Teaching, an international award housed at Baylor University, and which includes the recipient spending one semester in residence teaching Baylor undergraduate students.

We are delighted to have Dr. Banner on the show to discuss the impact of having great teachers, learning from your colleagues, and teaching outside the classroom.

CRESSLE

Authority, Passion, and Subject-Centered Teaching

Today, our guest is Dr. Caitlin Kirby, Associate Director of Research and interim co-Director at the Evidence-Driven Learning Innovation (EDLI) team at Michigan State University. Caitlin’s work focuses on developing and researching equitable and engaging learning experiences, especially those that leverage digital and online components.

Prior to her current role, Caitlin was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, studying how undergraduates develop scientific literacy around socioscientific issues. She earned her PhD in Environmental Science and Policy and STEM Education at Michigan State University, where she also completed a Fulbright student research grant in Germany. Her research spans contexts from climate change and urban agriculture to university classrooms and Indigenous spaces.

Caitlin also holds certifications in college science and math teaching and in community engagement, highlighting her commitment to bridging research and practice. We are delighted to have Caitlin on the show to discuss developing your approach to AI for teaching, what (the heck) we mean by “AI Literacy,” and building equity into digital education.

https://www.scholarlyteacher.com/post/developing-your-approach-to-generative-ai

Authority, Passion, and Subject-Centered Teaching

Today, our guest is Dr. Sam Perry, associate professor of communication in the honors college and Director of the Fellowship in Interdisciplinary Rhetorical Studies at Baylor University. Dr. Perry studies race and racism in the United States with a particular focus on the ways in which anti-black racism manifests in the public sphere through political, religious, and popular discourse, and emphasis on representations of violence in protests. In addition to rhetoric and social world courses, Dr. Perry teaches a capstone course, The Allegory of the Cave and Contemporary Film. His scholarly research appears in journals like Rhetorical Society Quarterly and Southern Communication Journal, and Dr. Perry also writes about politics and rhetoric for the website The Conversation. In 2015, Dr. Perry was named the Outstanding Professor of the Year for tenure track teaching at Baylor.  

We are delighted to have Dr. Perry on the show to discuss politics in the classroom, teaching controversial topics, and what the university owes students.

https://theconversation.com/profiles/samuel-perry-239674/articles

Authority, Passion, and Subject-Centered Teaching

Today, our guest is Dr. Maura Jortner, senior lecturer in English at Baylor University. Maura Jortner's research interests include 19th-Century American and English drama. She has published multiple articles in Nineteenth Century Theatre and Film and The Journal of American Drama and Theatre. She is also a creative writer. Her middle grade book, 102 DAYS OF LYING ABOUT LAUREN, was published by Holiday House in 2023. KEEPERS OF THE MARSH will be published by Holiday House in 2025. She teaches two creative writing courses—Writing the YA Novel and Writing the Middle Grade Novel—and both are rooted in intensive, hands-on mentoring. We are delighted to have Dr. Jortner on the show to discuss long- and short-term relationships with students, how to mentor well, and walking with students through the intensive and personal process of creative writing.

https://www.maurajortner.com/

Today, our guest is Dr. Sarah Varga, lecturer in the Department of Communication at Baylor University. Sarah holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Texas A&M University, an M.A. in Interpersonal Communication from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. in Interpersonal Communication from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a speaker and communication coach who often works with individuals and groups on everything from public speaking to healthy communication in the workplace and at home. At Baylor, she teaches a variety of courses, including Interpersonal Communication, Nonverbal Communication, and Speech for Business and Professional Students. Her research and teaching focus on the role of communication in relationship development. Dr. Varga's work aims to understand how communication fosters meaningful connections and improves well-being. We are delighted to have Dr. Varga on the show to discuss how professors can improve their communication skills, the importance of “Defining the Relationship” with students, and much more.