In this episode of the Varying Viewpoints podcast series, we invited Ginger Allison, Director at Jobs for the Future (JFF) – working with the Center for Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning. As part of our partnership with JFF, we dive into the long-standing disparities within Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs across the country and how Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) can help bring transformative change. Ginger shares her experience and mission, focusing on the vital task of offering increased opportunities and technical assistance to MSIs that may want to begin their own RA programs yet don’t know where to begin. Ginger emphasizes the extensive benefits of RA and explains how MSIs can use JFF’s services and technical assistance to start their own RA programs.

In this episode of the Varying Viewpoints podcast series, guest host and Visiting Scholar Bianca Neal invited Shetay Ashford-Hanserd, Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Organization, Workforce, and Leadership Studies at Texas State University, to talk about her journey in impacting diversity and cultural wealth of STEM academics. Inspired and encouraged by the successful women in her life, Shetay aims to foster a more diverse, inclusive, and supportive environment for students and scholars of color – especially Black and Latina women. She sheds light on the need to broaden the participation of women of color and historically underrepresented groups in the U.S. P-20 (preschool, K-12, undergraduate, graduate) STEM (science, technology, engineering, entrepreneurship, mathematics) and Computing (STEM+C) workforce ecosystem.

In this episode of the Varying Viewpoints podcast series, guest host and Visiting Scholar Bianca Neal invited Raphael Travis, professor and the MSW Program Director at Texas State University in the School of Social Work, to talk about his research and practice in social work and public health for social minority communities. His work is rooted in bringing Hip Hop culture into academia. Raphael dives into the impact of Hip Hop on personal development and self expression. He also emphasizes the significance of Hip Hop education in improving juvenile justice. Shedding light on higher education, his CREATE Lab at Texas State brings opportunities for professional collaboration and creative engagement with music.

In this episode of the Varying Viewpoints podcast series, we invited Morteza Mahmoudi, Assistant Professor of Radiology and Precision Health Program at Michigan State University and Co-Founder of the Academic Parity Movement, to speak with us about his work in academic bullying. Morteza tells us of his decision to co-create the Academic Parity Movement, as the organization attempts to create a platform of support for academics in all sectors that face academic bullying. Having dealt with the issue himself, Morteza explains the multi-level issue in the context of funding, differences in disciplines, and the differential treatment of international academics. He emphasizes the role of all stakeholders in academia, how their actions can enable this behavior, and how they need to change to create a safe space that protects the rights of academics at all stages in their careers.

In this episode of the “Varying Viewpoints” podcast, we invited Glennis Daniels Bacchus, ADA/higher education consultant, and Katherine C. Aquino, assistant professor at Saint John's University, to highlight their recent surveys on how Long COVID and COVID-related mental health challenges have been affecting students in higher education. The surveys also explored how disability service offices have been serving students at MSIs – and beyond – during this difficult time. By focusing on the experiences of disability resources and support during the pandemic, they have uncovered that supporting individuals with disabilities experiencing the effects of Long COVID and COVID-related mental health concerns has been a challenge for both students and professionals. Glennis and Katherine emphasize the importance of enhancing mental and physical disability accommodations. For higher education institutions, it is crucial to understand and implement counseling and faculty collaboration to support student and faculty groups alike.

In this episode, we spoke with Camille Z. Charles, Walter H. and Leonore C. Annenberg, Professor in the Social Sciences in the Departments of Sociology and Africana Studies, at the University of Pennsylvania. Camille discusses her new book, Young, Gifted, & Diverse: Origins of the New Black Elite. Camille highlights diversity among the new educated Black elite—those graduating from America’s selective colleges and universities in the early 21st century. This internal diversity alongside political consensus complicates assumptions about both a monolithic Black experience and the future of Black political solidarity. In addition to highlighting diversity among the newly educated Black elite, she offers advice to individuals exploring career and educational opportunities in Africana studies who want to address racial inequity in the education system to support all of their students.

In this episode, Leah Hollis, Visiting Scholar at the Proctor Institute spoke with Raquel Muñiz, Assistant Professor at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College. Due to familial obligations, women often take jobs or proceed through their careers constrained by numerous responsibilities. Raquel shares her experience “inheriting” a large family during her J.D./Ph.D studies and how she was able to navigate juggling several aspects of her life. Her unique story provides strategies for work life balance while seeking her degrees and progressing to a tenure track position.

In this episode, we invited Ellen Schrecker, Professor Emerita of History at Yeshiva University, to discuss her new book: “The Lost Promise: American Universities in the 1960s.” Ellen provides an overview of higher education in the 1960s and how contemporary American higher education compares. She highlights the historical and social context of universities and their involvement in major historical developments of the time period such as the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movements, and economic crises. Ellen emphasizes the distinction between academic freedom and freedom of speech, and how it has been lost over time.

In this episode, we invited Cassidy Puckett, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at Emory University and author of Redefining Geek: Bias and the Five Hidden Habits of Tech-Savvy Teens. Cassidy describes her research findings on digital equity and how these sexist, racist, and classist assumptions about “natural ability” and “natural differences” shape tech participation. She notes how to best support young people of all backgrounds as they navigate technology, and recommends that parents, educators, and researchers reframe their understanding of the “pipeline problem” that funnels the dominant group into technology fields. Finally, Cassidy provides tangible tips for recognizing the emerging practices of tech-savvy teens.

In this episode, one of our 2022 John Smartt Summer Scholar interns, Lesley Rivas, spoke with Joseph Soares, Professor of Sociology at Wake Forest University. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic higher education institutions were forced to rethink their admissions processes, specifically in terms of standardized exams. As a result, many institutions adopted test-optional policies which has carried over into present day admission practices. Throughout the episode, Joseph defines “college-readiness” for high school students, evaluates the inequities of standardized testing, and proposes a space to re-imagine college preparation in K-12 classrooms. Joseph concludes the conversation by looking at a unique opportunity for educational leaders to critically examine the necessity of the high-stakes assessment.