Today@Wayne Podcast

Today@Wayne Podcast

By Wayne State UniversityNewsEducation
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Today@Wayne Podcast episodes

  • T@W Podcast: Father/son research duo Ronald and R. Khari Brown discuss how churches impact the political viewpoints and social activism of their members

    Episode description

    Ronald E. Brown and son R. Khari Brown, co-authors of Race and the Power of Sermons on American Politics, talk about how churches impact the political views of their members and help shape their sense of activism.

    About

    Ronald Brown
    Ronald E. Brown is an associate professor of political science at Wayne State University. He regularly teaches Introduction to American Government courses, Religion and Politics and Detroit Politics to predominantly undergraduate students. Professor Brown participates in dinner and dialogue sessions with Detroit voters via CitizenDetroit, a nonprofit organization. While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the in-person dinner sessions, the goal is to resume these vital citizen activities. Professor Brown’s collaborative national survey research projects with R. Khari Brown explore the associative relationships between civil-religious discourse, public policy attitudes and political participation.

    R. Khari Brown

    R. Khari Brown, Ph.D., is an associate professor of sociology at Wayne State University and the president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. He teaches classes and does research on the sociology of religion. His research explores how race impacts the relationship between religion and social-political behaviors and attitudes. He is a co-investigator of National Politics Study, a project funded by the Louisville Institute, Issachar Fund and University of Michigan. The National Politics Study is a biannual study that assesses American political attitudes and behaviors and religious life. He also served as a consultant for the Pew Research Center’s 2020-2021 survey on African American religion.

    Additional resources

    Read the Browns’ recent article in The Conversation: theconversation.com/what-americans-hear-about-social-justice-at-church-and-what-they-do-about-it-168713

    Learn more about the Browns’ book, Race and the Power of Sermons on American Politics: press.umich.edu/9956589/race_and_the_power_of_sermons_on_american_politics

    Follow R. Khari Brown on Twitter: twitter.com/kalebnbrown

    Follow the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) on Twitter: twitter.com/WayneStateCLAS

    Follow CLAS on Facebook: facebook.com/WayneStateCLAS

    This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

    28 min
  • T@W Podcast: Former WSU football standout and current Detroit Lions LB Anthony Pittman on his career, watching a teammate win a Super Bowl, what the future holds for the Lions and himself

    Episode Notes

    Detroit Lions linebacker and former Wayne State University football star Anthony Pittman talks with host Darrell Dawsey about his career, watching a former teammate win the Super Bowl, and what he sees ahead for the Lions and himself.

    About

    Anthony Pittman was born Nov. 24, 1995, in Beverly Hills, Michigan. Pittman played at Birmingham Groves High School, where he was all-league and district as a senior. He played college football at Wayne State, where he was a two-year team captain and two-year All-Great Lakes Conference performer. During his college career, Pittman recorded 181 career tackles and saw action on special teams for the Warriors. After going undrafted in the 2019 NFL draft, he signed with the Detroit Lions.

    On Dec. 4, 2019, Pittman was released from the Lions’ practice squad. He was resigned to the practice squad on Dec. 9, and promoted to the active roster on Dec. 27.

    On Sept. 5, 2020, Pittman was waived by the Lions and signed to the practice squad the next day. He was placed on the practice squad/COVID-19 list by the team on Dec. 22, and restored to the practice squad on Jan. 2, 2021. He signed a reserve/future contract on January 5, 2021.

    In 2021, Pittman starred on special teams and started one game on defense for Detroit. Pittman racked up 18 tackles, including nine solos, one pass defended and one QB hit.

    Additional Resources

    Follow Anthony Pittman on Twitter https://twitter.com/__Pittman__

    Read how Pittman stepped up his workout routine to secure a new role with the Lions https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2021/08/02/wayne-state-product-anthony-pittman-transforms-body-role-under-new-detroit-lions-staff/5458422001/

    Watch Pittman’s “Under the Helmet” video segment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G_8L6pFg68

    Watch Pittman’s Wayne State University football highlights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M727WRzHzM

    This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

    15 min
  • T@W Podcast: Dr. Herman Gray, head of Wayne Pediatrics, shares his family's story to underscore the power of Black history

    Episode description

    Dr. Herman Gray, the chair of the Wayne State University Department of Pediatrics and former president and chief executive officer of the DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan, shares his family’s story to highlight the power of living Black history.

    About

    Herman Gray, M.D., M.B.A., is the chair of the Wayne State University Department of Pediatrics.
    Dr. Gray is a former president and chief executive officer of the DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
    Dr. Gray’s history with Children’s Hospital of Michigan dates to the late 1970s, when he served as chief pediatric resident. While with CHM, he also served as vice president of graduate medical education, pediatric residency program director, chief of staff and chief operating officer. Under his leadership, the residency program developed several innovative programs and successfully recruited a significant number of minorities.
    He was named president and chief executive officer of CHM in 2005. He left that position in September 2015 to become president and chief executive officer of United Way for Southeastern Michigan.

    Dr. Gray received his medical degree from the University of Michigan in 1976 and a master of business administration from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 2003. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

    He has served as chief medical consultant for the Michigan Department of Community Health – Children’s Special Health Services and as vice president and medical director of Clinical Affairs for Blue Care Network. A child and family advocate, Dr. Gray has been honored numerous times for his humanitarian efforts related to pediatric health care, particularly for children with special needs. He has served on a variety of state and national committees, and is one of the founding commissioners on the U.S. Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission.

    Additional Resources

    Follow the Wayne State University School of Medicine on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WayneStateMedSchool/

    Follow the School of Medicine on Twitter https://twitter.com/waynemedicine/

    Watch Dr. Gray as he presents the new Detroit facility for Wayne Pediatrics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEie5zrAeyw

    Read more about the WSU School of Medicine’s impact on Black history https://today.wayne.edu/medicine/news/2022/02/01/black-history-month-monumental-moments-at-the-wsu-school-of-medicine-41260

    0 min
  • T@W Podcast: CLAS Dean Stephanie Hartwell discusses a new "prison-to-higher education pipeline" project designed to enable formerly incarcerated individuals to attain college degrees

    Episode description

    A new criminal justice initiative designed to create a prison to higher education pipeline is sparking hopes for reduced recidivism and improved quality of life for former inmates. Stephanie Hartwell, dean of the WSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a principal investigator on the project, talks with host Darrell Dawsey about the life-changing potential of this pilot program.

    About

    Stephanie Hartwell became dean of Wayne State’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences — the university’s largest college — in 2018. She is a professor of sociology and an adjunct professor of psychiatry.

    A renowned sociologist, Hartwell conducts both large- and small-scale research and evaluation projects focusing on transitions from institutions to the community, with emphasis on vulnerable populations — including formerly incarcerated people released from corrections and victims of gun violence with mental health and substance abuse issues.

    Hartwell earned her Ph.D. from Yale University in 1995 and was an assistant professor of psychiatry at the UConn School of Medicine prior to joining the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Boston, an institution that shares Wayne’s State’s social justice mission. She was a professor of sociology at UMass Boston for 21 years and was honored to receive the Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Teaching in 2012. Additionally, Hartwell was an adjunct professor of psychiatry at UMass Chan Medical School. Prior to joining WSU, she was interim dean of UMass Boston’s College of Public and Community Service while also an associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

    Hartwell has published more than 45 peer-reviewed articles and chapters and has been awarded approximately $8 million in grants to fund her research. She currently serves on the ROCA evaluation advisory board and holds leadership roles with the American Sociological Association, the Society for the Study of Social Problems, and the International Academy of Law and Mental Health.

    Additional resources

    Read about WSU’s new higher education program for formerly incarcerated individuals: clas.wayne.edu/news/new-wayne-state-university-program-creates-college-pipeline-for-formerly-incarcerated-individuals-43220

    Follow Stephanie Hartwell on Twitter: twitter.com/SteffiHartwell

    Listen to Dean Hartwell discuss community partnerships during a radio interview: clas.wayne.edu/news/dean-hartwell-talks-community-partnerships-with-wjr-am-43166

    Follow the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) on Twitter: twitter.com/waynestateclas

    Follow CLAS on Facebook: facebook.com/waynestateclas

    Follow CLAS on Instagram: instagram.com/waynestateclas

    Watch videos from CLAS on YouTube: youtube.com/c/WayneStateCollegeofLiberalArtsandSciences/videos

    This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

    15 min
  • T@W Podcast: Retired professor, provost Guy Stern on turning 100 years old, surviving the Holocaust, WWII heroism, more

    Episode notes

    Guy Stern, a former WSU provost, vice president and distinguished professor of German literature who recently turned 100 years old, talks about his experiences as a Holocaust survivor, World War II veteran, scholar, administrator and community pillar.

    About

    Gunther “Guy” Stern was born Jan. 14, 1922 in Hildesheim, Germany. He was the only member of his five-person family to escape to the United States in 1937, where he was assisted by an aunt and uncle in St. Louis and an American-Jewish agency. Later, despite his best efforts, he was unable to secure passage overseas for the rest of his family and learned that his whole family had been deported to the Warsaw Ghetto, where they died.

    Stern began studying romance languages in 1940, later studying German. In 1942, he volunteered for naval intelligence but was initially rejected because he was not born in the United States; he was subsequently drafted in 1943. In 1944, he landed in Normandy three days after D-Day as a member of the Ritchie Boys: a special military intelligence unit composed mainly of German, Austrian and Czech refugees and immigrants to the United States, mostly of Jewish descent. Part of Stern’s duty was the interrogation of German prisoners of war and defectors. He was member of IPW Team 37, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

    Following the war, Stern returned to his studies, earning a bachelor of arts in romance languages in 1948 from Hofstra University, and then a master of arts in Germanistics in 1950 as well as a Ph.D. in 1953 from Columbia University. After teaching at Columbia, he received an assistant professorship at Denison University, and was later named professor and head of the German language and literature at the University of Cincinnati. Stern later became head of the German and Slavic studies department at the University of Maryland. Until his retirement in 2003, he served as a distinguished professor of German literature and cultural history at Wayne State University and intermittently as senior vice president and provost. He was also a visiting scholar at the German universities of Freiburg im Breisgau, Frankfurt am Main, Leipzig, Potsdam and Munich.

    Stern is currently the director of The Harry and Wanda Zekelman International Institute of the Righteous at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills. He is one of the founders of the Lessing Society at the University of Cincinnati, acting as its president from 1975 until 1977. As an author and editor, Stern has published several books and compilations on German literary history, focusing primarily on literature on emigration and immigration. In 1998, he gave a lecture at the 60th anniversary of the Kristallnacht at the German parliament Bundestag in Bonn.

    Stern has been honored with several awards throughout his life, among them the Great Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1987 and the Goethe Medal in 1989. He has also received an honorary doctorate from Hofstra University.

    Stern is married to the German author Susanna Piontek. He turned 100 on Jan. 14, 2022.

    Additional resources

    Learn more about Stern’s memoir, Invisible Ink: wsupress.wayne.edu/books/detail/invisible-ink

    Read about Stern’s work at Wayne State: clasprofiles.wayne.edu/profile/ad5422

    Watch a CBS News report about Stern: cbsnews.com/news/ritchie-boy-guy-stern-world-war-ii-2022-01-02

    Watch the 60 Minutes segment on the Ritchie Boys: youtube.com/watch?v=nFwnh1eG6BI

    Learn more about the Zekelman Holocaust Center: holocaustcenter.org

    This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

    20 min
  • T@W Podcast: Communications researcher Elizabeth Stoycheff, Ph.D., on our love hate/relationship with the power of social media

    Episode Description

    Associate professor Elizabeth Stoycheff, Ph.D., talks about her research into the power of social media, why so many users struggle with conflicting feelings about the platforms and how to regulate our social media use for the better.

    About

    Elizabeth Stoycheff, Ph.D., teaches journalism, new media, international communication and quantitative methods. She has been named a Promising Professor by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and earned the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts Outstanding Teaching Award in 2017. She was also awarded a Scripps Howard Visiting Professor in Social Media.
    Her research focuses on the role of new media in shaping public opinion about democracy, media censorship and press freedom, which is grounded in a range of contexts from the Arab Spring to Russia-Ukraine relations to NSA internet surveillance. She is an expert in online privacy and government monitoring as well as disinformation ("fake news") campaigns. She specializes in big data comparative surveys, natural experiments and formal experimental designs.

    Additional Resources

    Follow Elizabeth Stoycheff on Twitter https://twitter.com/estoyche

    Follow Prof. Stoycheff on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.stoycheff

    Read Prof. Stoycheff’s article “How Facebook Went from Friend to Enemy” https://theconversation.com/how-facebook-went-from-friend-to-frenemy-110130

    Follow the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/waynestatecfpca/

    Follow CFPCA on Twitter https://twitter.com/waynestatecfpca

    Follow CFPCA on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WayneStateCFPCA

    This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

    22 min
  • T@W Podcast: Alumnus and attorney Reginald M. Turner, president of the American Bar Association, on diversity, the law and equal access for all

    Episode Notes

    WSU alumnus and high-profile attorney Reginald M. Turner, president of the American Bar Association, joins host Darrell Dawsey to talk about his tenure as head of the nation’s leading organization of legal professionals, the ever-present need for diversity and the important role Wayne State plays in preparing students, especially Detroiters, for successful careers.

    About

    Reginald Turner is president of the American Bar Association, the world’s largest voluntary association of lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals.

    A lawyer with Clark Hill in Detroit, Turner is an accomplished litigator, government affairs advocate, and strategic advisor.

    Turner is past president of the National Bar Association and the State Bar of Michigan. He served as chair of the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession and the ABA Commission on the Lawyer's Role in Assuring Every Child a Quality Education. In the ABA House of Delegates, he served as the state delegate for Michigan and as chair of the Rules & Calendar Committee, the Committee on Issues of Concern to the Profession, and the Committee on Credentials and Admissions. He is a past chair of the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation.

    Among his numerous presidential, gubernatorial, mayoral, and county executive appointments, Turner served as a White House Fellow and as an aide to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros during the Clinton administration and represented Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer on the Detroit Board of Education from 2000 to 2003. In 2003, Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed him to the Michigan State Board of Education, and he won a statewide election for a full term in 2006.

    Turner earned his bachelor’s degree at Wayne State University and law degree at the University of Michigan Law School.

    Additional Resources

    Follow Reginald Turner on Twitter https://twitter.com/ABAPresident

    Read Hour Detroit magazine's interview with Turner https://www.hourdetroit.com/community/reginald-turner-jr-new-american-bar-association-president/

    Follow the American Bar Association on Twitter https://twitter.com/ABAesq

    Follow the Wayne Law https://twitter.com/_WayneLaw

    This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

    22 min
  • T@W Podcast: Christopher Wilson, of the African American history program at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, on Martin Luther King's legacy then and now

    Episode Description

    Director of experience design and the African American history program at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, WSU alumnus and Detroit native Christopher Wilson, this year’s keynote speaker at WSU’s celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., discusses King’s legacy then and now.

    About

    In leading experience design at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Christopher Wilson works to engage visitors in conversation about our nation’s rich and diverse history. Chris founded several major program series at the Smithsonian, including History alive! theater programs, interactive and emotional presentations of stories of America’s past that resonate in the nation’s present; the National Youth Summit series, engaging high school students nationally and internationally in conversation about relevant history; and the History Film Forum, an exploration of film as public history. Chris has worked on exhibitions including Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life, American Democracy, and The Greensboro Lunch Counter. Chris spent 18 years at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation before moving on to the Smithsonian in 2004 to take the role of director of the African American History Program at the National Museum of American History. In this role, he oversaw the program’s rich collection of oral histories, interviews and recordings, as well as researched and produced programs primarily focused on the civil rights movement. He earned his bachelor’s from the University of Michigan and his master’s in history from Wayne State University. He has earned numerous accolades for his innovations in education and publishes book reviews and articles for Smithsonian magazine. Chris is currently working to relaunch his Time Trials program, which explores history and memory, as a series of graphic novels and a television program.

    Additional Resources

    Learn more about Wayne State’s annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King https://events.wayne.edu/2022/01/14/annual-rev-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-tribute-2022-91024/

    Follow Christopher Wilson on Twitter https://twitter.com/wolverinewilson

    Follow the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History on Twitter https://twitter.com/amhistorymuseum

    This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

    23 min

About Today@Wayne Podcast

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Broadcast from the heart of Detroit, the Today@Wayne Podcast presents insightful interviews with Wayne State University administrators, faculty, staff and other experts about the news, research and…