Saint Mary's Currents

With news of the tragic suicide of former Miss USA and correspondent for 'Extra,' Cheslie Kryst, our focus has again turned to Mental Health in the United States. According to the CDC, suicide was responsible for more than 47,500 deaths in 2019, and is on the rise in almost every state. In this episode of Saint Mary's Currents, core assistant professor Ann Schissel, Ph.D. joins us to discuss depression and suicide, and offer advice and resources.

Most experts tend to agree that America is experiencing one of the most polarizing moments in politics in the country’s history. But was it always this way? What factors are leading to this division? How might we be able to pull ourselves out of this divide? In this episode of Saint Mary’s Currents, political science professor David Lynch, Ph.D. joins host Ben Rodgers to discuss the timely and urgent topic of political polarization.

Mallory Knipe, DSW, joins Saint Mary’s Currents host Ben Rodgers to discuss the recent research she presented at a … “Star Trek” convention. Over the course of the pandemic, Knipe, the program director for the MSW program and chair of social work at Saint Mary’s, conducted research  that looked at the interactions of people participating in the digital community Sid City Social Club. The online community was created by “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9)” actor Alexander Siddig to help support fans who were experiencing isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. After finishing the research, Knipe presented it during a panel discussion at Destination Star Trek in London.

In recent years, the topic of teacher burnout has been a concern among educators. Now with the COVID-19 pandemic, new stresses are being heaped on educators, leading to faster burnout and shortages in community schools. In this episode, Tracy Lysne and Sarah Haugen, program directors for the M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning program, join Saint Mary's Currents host Ben Rodgers to discuss what led to teacher burnout prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, how the pandemic has made the issue worse, and how to alleviate some of these concerns.

Over the last few months, research by Michelle Wieser, Ph.D., dean of Saint Mary’s University’s School of Business and Technology, has been making headlines in national and international press. The research findings reveal inequities in the experience and outcomes of female and minority MBA students and graduates at top-tier business schools. Wieser’s research looked at an array of topics, including diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in MBA programs and the gender pay gap for MBA graduates. Dean Wieser joined Saint Mary’s Currents host Ben Rodgers to discuss the research and how it can be used to address the inequities it found.

To learn more about the MBA program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, visit smumn.edu/mba.

In this episode of Saint Mary’s Currents, podcast host Ben Rodgers is joined by Amy Jauman, Ed.D. the program director for the M.A. in Human Resources program, to discuss how the shift to remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic has altered our perceptions of the traditional workspace.

To learn more about undergraduate, graduate, bachelor’s completion, and other educational opportunities at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, visit smumn.edu.

Stepping into the newly created position of Vice President for Inclusion and Human Dignity, Leon Dixon says he’s not one to shy away from a challenge. He is ready and well-prepared to advance Saint Mary’s goal to develop and foster a more inclusive university community that emphasizes human dignity.

Visit smumn.edu for more information.