Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

How Dr. Mark Palmer Sustains Indigenous Stories Through Geography

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 6 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Geography is often thought of as the study of physical entities, but for Dr. Mark Palmer, it is defined by relationships. A member of the Kiowa Tribe and a professor at the University of Missouri, Dr. Palmer joins Key Conversations to discuss Indigenous Geographies and the power dynamics inherent in cartography. From the Eurocentric origins of UNESCO World Heritage nominations to the "intangible" spiritual heritage of sacred sites, this conversation explores how diverse cultural perspectives challenge Western scientific classifications and offer a more holistic view of our world.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fighting for Civil Rights Using the Power of Law With Margo Schlanger

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 9 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Fred Lawrence sits down with Professor Margo Schlanger, a leading civil rights expert and the founder of the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. Schlanger reflects on her journey from a "generalist" undergraduate at Yale to a powerhouse advocate for underrepresented communities. She shares the origin story of her first major legal victory—a student-led project that secured childcare for high school students—and discusses her high-impact work within the federal government. From the history of prison uprisings to the digital preservation of modern civil rights cases, Schlanger offers a masterclass on how the law can be leveraged to create a more equitable society.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How We Actively Shape a “Well-Grounded Brain” with Kelly Lambert

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 2 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

How much control do we truly have over our brain health? In this episode, Professor Kelly Lambert, a pioneer in the field of behaviorceuticals, discusses how environmental enrichment and positive anticipation physically reshape the brain. Drawing on her celebrated research—including the world-famous "rat driving" studies—Professor Lambert discusses what we can learn about brain health from wild animals, the dangers of living in what she calls “brain bubbles,” and examines the critical role of authentic experience in building emotional resilience. She also offers a unique perspective on how small behavioral shifts can serve as powerful alternatives to traditional pharmaceuticals for improving mood and cognitive function.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2025 Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 5 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

The Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards are presented annually to three outstanding scholarly books published in the United States. The 2025 winners are Charles King for his book Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel's Messiah; Stefanos Geroulanos for his book The Invention of Prehistory: Empire, Violence, and Our Obsession with Human Origins; and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson for her book What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures. This year, the Book Awards Dinner was held in person in Williamsburg, VA in December 2025, where two of the three scholars discussed the impetus behind their books and the motives that keep them sleepless—and engaged—in liberal arts and sciences.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Understanding the History and Political Identity of Latinos with Geraldo Cadava

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 8 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Geraldo Cadava, Professor of History at Northwestern University and author of The Hispanic Republican. Cadava takes us from the childhood experiences that shaped his interest in complex identities—moving between the affluent suburbs of Irvine and the borderlands of Tucson—to his scholarly work on the contradictory nature of Latino identity. He shares the compelling story of his Panamanian-born grandfather, a veteran and copper miner whose partisan evolution from a Ronald Reagan voter to a staunch Republican demonstrates how individual political reasons can lead to deep ideological shifts. Cadava also previews his upcoming, ambitious project of writing a book encompassing the past 500-year history of Latinos, A Thousand Bridges, which argues that Latinos have historically been both victims and agents of empire.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Mathematics can Solve Real-World Mysteries with Ingrid Daubechies

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 3 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Ingrid Daubechies, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor Emerita of Mathematics at Duke University and a National Medal of Science recipient. Daubechies takes us from her childhood fascination with calculating multiples to her groundbreaking work on wavelets—mathematical building blocks that have revolutionized image and signal analysis. She talks about how her research helped the FBI compress millions of fingerprints, analyze seismograms, and even distinguish authentic Van Gogh paintings from forgeries. She also tells the story behind the whimsical Mathemalchemy Project, a collaborative art installation that celebrates the pure joy and creativity of mathematics.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Discovering How Generosity Impacts Economy with Daniel Hungerman

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 6 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Professor Daniel Hungerman, a professor of economics at the University of Notre Dame. Hungerman discusses his unique academic journey, which led him to specialize in the economics of religious and charitable organizations. He explains his research on how tax policies have a measurable impact on charitable giving in the United States, also delving into the field of "generosity in economics” and how charitable donations directly impact the economy as we know it. Hungerman also touches on the long-term impact of the first Earth Day, using weather data to show how a single event can have a lasting positive influence on environmental attitudes and health.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Changing the Conversation in Music Education with Tammy L. Kernodle

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 8 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Tammy L. Kernodle, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Music at Miami University, whose work explores African American music, gender, and race in American popular culture. Kernodle shares how her working-class upbringing in Danville, Virginia, and a home filled with music led her to Virginia State University, graduate studies at The Ohio State University, and a career dedicated to expanding the narratives taught in music history. She discusses her mission to change classroom conversations, create scholarships for underrepresented musicians, and broaden what audiences hear in the concert hall. She also reflects on her roles as curator of the New World Symphony’s I Dream a World Festival and her work on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: Exploring the Evolution of Animal Weapons and How it Relates to Arms Races in Military Technologies With Professor Doug Emlen

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 4 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode, evolutionary biologist Douglas Emlen joins Fred Lawrence in a conversation about his research on extreme animal weapons— from the horns of a rhinoceros beetle to elk antlers. He discusses his family's scientific legacy, his early reluctance to follow in their footsteps, and how his childhood experiences in Kenya influenced his path. In his award-winning book, Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle, Emlen also explores the parallels between animal and human arms races. His interdisciplinary work connects biological evolution with military history, shedding light on the forces that drive the escalation of weapons in both human societies and nature.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: How Professor Kendra McSweeney uses Geography to Protect Forests in Indigenous Homelands

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 7 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

For a lot of Americans, geography is just a middle school subject or a trivia night category at their neighborhood bar. But for Professor Kendra McSweeney, the “invisible field” of geography is a way to understand the relationship between people and their environment, from adaptation to climate change to how the drug trade impacts biodiverse forests in Colombia. In this episode, McSweeney highlights how her dynamic career as an academic has taken her from Canada to eastern Honduras, and talks about the thought process behind lectures such as “Viewing Political Ecology Through the Lens of the Tree of Heaven,” an enlightening take on the so-called invasive tree that is providing crucial shade in neighborhoods in the US.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY:How Dr. Shawkat Toorawa Uses Music and Pop Culture to Make Arabic Literature Accessible

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 2 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

With an international background and love of languages, Professor Shawkat M. Toorawa decided to study intensive Arabic with the encouragement of a highly influential advisor at the University of Pennsylvania, which set him on a path to becoming a professor of Arabic literature, Comparative literature and Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University. In this episode, Professor Toorawa reflects on the journey, which was admittedly not linear, with stops in medieval French literature, modern British poetry, and even U.S. history along the way. Professor Toorawa also discusses "The dr T projecT," a regular drop-in session for students to learn about items of cultural interest — from music to literature — to aid in his lessons.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Ancient China: Looking at Classical Texts, Nationalism, and Comparative Antiquity with Martin Kern

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 5 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Professor Martin Kern, a leading scholar in Chinese antiquity and a professor at Princeton University. Kern shares his unique academic journey, from growing up in post-war Germany to studying in Beijing during a period of political transformation. He discusses the complexities of interpreting ancient Chinese texts, the challenges of nationalism in historical scholarship, and his passion for comparative antiquity. The conversation also explores the richness of classical Chinese poetry, the evolution of historical narratives, and exactly how he ended up studying ancient Chinese manuscripts in the first place.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2024 Lebowitz Prize: A Discussion on the "Dehumanization and its Discontents"

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 7 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

This special episode of Key Conversations is joined by Kate Manne, associate professor of philosophy at Cornell University, and David Livingstone Smith, Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England. Each year, the Lebowitz Prize is presented to a pair of philosophers who hold contrasting views of an important philosophical question that is of current interest both to the field and to an educated public audience. The professors discuss the topic for the 2024 Lebowitz Prize, which is the "Dehumanization and its Discontents"

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Exploring the Evolution of Animal Weapons and How it Relates to Arms Races in Military Technologies With Professor Doug Emlen

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 3 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Unearthing the Voices of the Marginalized Through Medieval Studies with Professor Kristina Richardson

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 3 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Professor Kristina Richardson, a distinguished historian and Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar, joins Fred Lawrence for a compelling conversation about her groundbreaking research on marginalized communities in medieval Islamic societies. Professor Richardson sheds light on the lives of disabled individuals, Romani crafts people, and East African enslaved laborers—groups often overlooked. She also explores her personal journey from Detroit to academia, her transformative fieldwork on Pemba Island, and the integration of Swahili into her research.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2024 Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards are presented annually to three outstanding scholarly books published in the United States. The 2024 winners are Gregg Hecimovich for his book The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts: The True Story of The Bondwoman's Narrative; Jeremy Eichler for his book Time's Echo: The Second World War, the Holocaust, and the Music of Remembrance; and Emily Monosson for her book Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic. This year, the Book Awards Dinner was held in person in Washington, D.C. in December 2024, where the three scholars discussed the impetus behind their books and the motives that keep them sleepless—and engaged—in liberal arts and sciences.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Professor and Journalist Corey Robin Interprets Political Theory in and Beyond the Classroom

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 2 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Growing up in a New York City suburb, Corey Robin was influenced by his public high school teachers who taught American history via the Socratic method. Today, Robin tries to replicate that magnetic energy in his own classroom as a political science professor at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center while authoring books and essays that have been read and translated across the world. In this episode, Robin touches on his Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar teachings of Austrian economist and philosopher Friedrich Hayek, as well as his upcoming scholar lecture on “Who is Clarence Thomas, and Where is He Taking Us?” in which he explores Thomas’ identity as a conservative black nationalist jurist.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Professor Kendra McSweeney uses Geography to Protect Forests in Indigenous Homelands

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 4 Nov 2024 13:27:02 +0000

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Dr. Shawkat Toorawa Uses Music and Pop Culture to Make Arabic Literature Accessible

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 7 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From Dinosaurs to Birds: The Science and Language of Evolution with Dr. Julia Clarke

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 9 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

For Professor Julia Clarke, paleontology is more than just a passion for exploration and discovery — it’s a shared, global dialogue that has the ability to permeate cultural differences. In this episode, Dr. Clarke recounts how her early interest in the history and philosophy of science merged with her desire to have a practice deeply woven into narrative. As a professor and researcher, she prioritizes the questions that guide a discipline into a new area, calling it “a fundamental part of science”. Giving both in-depth and thought inspiring lectures such as “The Secret Lives of Dinosaurs,” Dr. Clarke dives into the origins that led her into the world of geobiology, the importance of staying curious and learning to communicate through the language of science.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: Professor Emily Yeh Advocates for Environmental Protection for Tibetan’s Cultural Legacy

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 5 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Professor Emily Yeh is a Professor of Geography at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she researches the nature-society relationship in political, cultural and developmental relations in the mostly Tibetan parts of China. Although she majored in electrical engineering and computer science at MIT, while interning in China, she realized that her understanding of sustainable development needed to be further explored. Her first visit to Tibet proved to be life changing, and Yeh has committed her career to advocating for environmental justice for the Tibetan people. In this conversation, Professor Yeh discusses her climate justice work for Tibetan herders, her experience at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, and how climate change is impacting Tibetans’ ability to keep their culture alive.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: Exploring Disability as an Identity with Professor Rosemarie Garland-Thomson

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 8 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Professor Rosemarie Garland-Thomson is a disability justice and cultural thought leader, bioethicist, educator, and humanities scholar. Garland-Thomson grew up with a congenital disability, an experience that highlighted the barriers that exist for people with disabilities. Inspired by the Civil Rights movement and hearing the narratives from Black authors for the first time, the disability pioneer explores the perspectives of disabled people in all aspects of society. In this insightful conversation, Garland-Thomson discusses the destructive idea of normal, the reality that most people will become disabled at one point in their lives, and the ways that barriers create social categories for people with disabilities. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: How Natalia’s Experience as a First-Gen Allows her to Connect to the Humanities—and her Students

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 3 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Professor Natalia Molina was the first in her family, and her neighborhood, to go to college. Being a first-gen student, the 2020 MacArthur Fellow’s higher education was shaped by curiosity and a being open to new opportunities—even when they brought her across the country for her graduate degree. As an expert of the humanities, Professor Natalia Molina emphasizes the importance of literature in understanding the experiences of those around us, how the conversation around immigration has evolved in her classrooms, and how as a historian, writing op-eds allow Professor Molina to explain the present through the past. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why Dr. Talitha Washington’s Determined to Make Science More Equitable

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 6 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Growing up in a tight-knit African-American community in Evansville, Indiana, Dr. Talitha Washington quickly understood the role that her race and racism would play in her life—always choosing to rise above it all. Amongst her Black cohort at Spelman College, Dr. Washington felt she was finally able to learn freely, and without the pressure of being the only Black student in the class. The mathematics scholar is now the Director of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Data Science Initiative where she works with HBCUs to increase the number of minorities earning data science credentials and further develop science that advances social justice. Throughout her career as a Ph. D mathematician, she’s actively challenging the assumptions of who can succeed in mathematics, and how her perseverance in the field is shaping who can and should be contributing to science.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2023 Lebowitz Prize: A Discussion on the “Norms of Attention” by Two Philosophers

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 8 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This special episode of Key Conversations is joined by Dr. Kristie Dotson, the University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor at the University of Michigan, and Dr. Susanna Siegel, the Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy at Harvard University. Each year, the Lebowitz Prize is presented to a pair of philosophers who hold contrasting views of an important philosophical question that is of current interest both to the field and to an educated public audience. The professors discuss the topic for the 2023 Lebowitz Prize, which is the "Norms of Attention”.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why Professor Corey D.B. Walker Looks to the Past to Understand Today’s Complex World

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 4 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Professor Corey D. B. Walker is the Dean of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity, Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities, and Director of the Program in African American Studies. He pursued his education at two HBCUs and two of the oldest schools in America, and talks about how each of these formations gave him the ability to develop into the intellectual he is today. As an expert in the areas of African American philosophy, critical theory, ethics and religion, Professor Walker discusses the overlap between theology and democracy, and explores what it means to be human in today’s society.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Professor Emily Yeh Advocates for Environmental Protection for Tibetan’s Cultural Legacy

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 5 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2023 Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 8 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

The Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards are presented annually to three outstanding scholarly books published in the United States. The 2023 winners are Dennis Tyler for his book Disabilities of the Color Line: Redressing Antiblackness from Slavery to the Present; Jennifer Raff for her book Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas; and Deborah Cohen for her book Last Call at the Hotel Imperial: The Reporters Who Took On a World at War. This year, the Book Awards Dinner was held in person in Washington, D.C. in November 2023, where the three scholars discussed the impetus behind their books and the motives that keep them sleepless—and engaged—in liberal arts and sciences.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Exploring the Muddled Middle with Cathleen Kaveny

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 4 Dec 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Scholar and author Cathleen Kaveny focuses on the relationship of law, religion, and morality. As the Darald and Juliet Libby Millennium Professor at Boston College, she has dual appointments in both the Theology Department and the Law School—the first to hold the joint appointment. Kaveny has devoted her career to exploring the connection between law and theology and explores the use of prophetic language and rhetoric in the past, and how we use it in today's society. In this important conversation, Professor Kaveny breaks down the polarizing sides of cancel culture, the benefits of being in the muddled middle and how nostalgia can be dangerous for society.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Exploring Disability as an Identity with Professor Rosemarie Garland-Thomson

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 6 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Natalia’s Experience as a First-Gen Allows her to Connect to the Humanities—and her Students

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Wed, 4 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: Professor Ed Ayers on Teaching a Morally Engaging History

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The Civil War historian talks about combining intellectual, cultural, social, and economic history to truly grasp the U.S.’s past, especially events that took place in the South. He shares with Fred how he helps make free, nonpartisan, educational resources for teaching lively history lessons.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: Sociologist Marta Tienda on Why Demography is Not Destiny

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The Princeton University professor shares how instrumental one teacher was in her own path to college, and why the U.S. should do more to invest in higher education. She speaks to Fred about how important public policy is in shaping our individual and collective destinies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: Biologist Victoria Sork on What Trees Teach Us

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

The UCLA professor shares how the life-changing revelation that she could be a scientist, and work outdoors, led to her research on tree genomes and evolutionary biology. Plus, how she harnesses the teaching power of plants as the director of UCLA’s botanical garden.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why Harvard History Professor Maya Jasanoff Studies the Past to Understand the Present

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 29 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Growing up, Professor Maya Jasanoff was surrounded by academics and scholars—an environment she believes gave her the confidence to explore academia herself. Initially, her fellowship at Cambridge sparked her interest in studying the British Empire, and as she dove deeper into the subject matter, she began recognizing the many ways that British imperialism has infiltrated our world. Today, the author and professor writes about history and is interested in how people—and power— have historically crossed borders, and how the relationships between power and people shift and align over time.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Understanding the Intricacies of Life Expectancy with Professor Mark Hayward

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 1 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000

An assumption about life expectancy is that the richer the society, the longer and healthier the individuals in that society will live—but in the case of life expectancy, money can’t collectively buy us more time. Sociologist and demographer Mark Hayward has spent the majority of his career studying all-things life expectancy, and in this episode he talks about the devastating societal impacts of inequality and unpacks some of the largest factors to living a long and healthy life: education, social networks, social policies, and brain development.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2022 Lebowitz Prize: What Is Wrong With Democracy and What We Should Do According to These Two Philosophers

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 3 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

This special episode of Key Conversations is joined by Dr. Cristina Lafont, Harold H. and Virginia Anderson Professor of Philosophy at Northwestern University, and Dr. Alex Guerrero, Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University. Each year, the Lebowitz Prize is presented to a pair of philosophers who hold contrasting views of an important philosophical question that is of current interest both to the field and to an educated public audience. The professors discuss the topic for the 2022 Lebowitz Prize, which is "Democracy: What’s Wrong? What Should We Do?"

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why Professor Kay E. Holekamp’s Research into Animal Behavior is Beneficial to Humans

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The Michigan State University Professor of Integrative Biology shares how her early fascination for animals led to an extensive career in researching mammalian behavioral development, and the importance of studying the social, ecological, and endocrine variables of a species. As a leading behavioral ecologist, Professor Holekamp’s initial field studies as a Ph.D. candidate transpired into decades of research on the spotted hyena including their reproductive success, their survival, and the forces shaping the species and its evolution.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kathryn Lofton Thinks About Religion Through Unique Systems of Worship

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The Yale University Professor of Religious and American Studies thinks outside the box when it comes to religion, and shares why she looks at everything from pop culture and video game communities to celebrities – like Oprah Winfrey and the Kardashians – for ways to talk about what guides moral decision-making in the U.S. Plus, how her background as a “red diaper baby” influenced her approach to American religious and social movements.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ricardo Padrón is Mapping Spanish Exploration of the Pacific

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000

The UVA Spanish Professor dives into the literature and cartography of European expansion, including the colonial history of early modern Spain and the transpacific, and reflects on the Renaissance and themes that remain relevant today. Plus he discusses how he views maps as context-rich stories of subjective interpretations made by cartographers.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why Geographer Bill Moseley Grounds His Work in Real Life

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

The Macalester College Professor of Geography shares how his time in the Peace Corps in Mali led to his lifelong love of indigenous agricultural practices, and a lasting interest in what people experience in their home countries. He continued to ground his years of development work and extensive studies in geography and agricultural policy on people’s real, lived experiences producing food.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Laurence Smith Knows the Many Stories Rivers Tell Us

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000

The Brown University professor of Environmental Studies shares his lifelong admiration of rivers and how he came to study many kinds of flowing water, including the melting glaciers of the Arctic. He encourages listeners to look for the nearest body of water to them and appreciate how we’re taking better care of the planet, in addition to how much more is left to do.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Buddhist Scholar Donald Lopez on the Staying Power of Ancient Questions

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000

The Buddhist and Tibetan Studies professor at the University of Michigan recalls how a tumultuous period in U.S. politics led him to his area of expertise. Plus, what he’s learned from his many meetings with a leading Buddhist philosopher, the Dalai Lama. And what attracted him to out-of-the-box thinkers like poet Gendun Chopel.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Howard Bloch Sees Human Choices in Medieval History

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 04:00:00 +0000

The Yale professor of French and Humanities shares how cathedral fires “of suspicious origin” played a role in the transition from Romanesque to Gothic-style architecture in Europe. Plus, how his scholarship challenges existing narratives on everything from historical relics to literary movements.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Biologist Victoria Sork on What Trees Teach Us

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sociologist Marta Tienda on Why Demography is Not Destiny

hello@lwcstudios.com (Fred Lawrence, Kojin Tashiro, Hadley Kelly) — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Professor Ed Ayers on Teaching a Morally Engaging History

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Mon, 16 May 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Editor Bob Wilson Celebrates A Career of Literary Journalism

hello@lwcstudios.com (Hadley Kelly, Kojin Tashiro, Paulina Velasco) — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000

The retiring editor of The American Scholar magazine reflects on decades producing literary journalism, why he always supported women writers, and the role of journalists in turbulent times.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2021 Lebowitz Award Winners on How We Perceive Our Selves

hello@lwcstudios.com (Paulina Velasco, Hadley Kelly, Kojin Tashiro) — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 04:00:00 +0000

The Lebowitz Award is presented each year to a pair of outstanding philosophers who hold contrasting views on a topic of current interest in the field. The 2021 winners, New York University's Ned Block and Johns Hopkins University's Ian Phillips, speak with Fred about how they approach philosophy of mind – specifically, our powers of perception and how that affects our consciousness.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Professor Joan Waugh Debunks the “Easy Stereotypes of History”

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +0000

The UCLA scholar tries to understand the past on its own terms, while interrogating how we memorialize it. She speaks with Fred about the memory wars that have outlived the Civil War, the politics of Reconstruction that gave us Confederate monuments, and what we can learn from Gettysburg by visiting the place.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Princeton’s Doug Massey Unpacks U.S. Migration and Housing Segregation

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000

The multidisciplinary scholar’s wide-ranging interests led him to demography and population research early on. He speaks with Fred about what people generally misunderstand about immigration into the U.S., how border enforcement has backfired, and why racial segregation and housing discrimination persist around the country.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2021 Book Awards Keynote Roundtable

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000

The Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards are presented annually to three outstanding scholarly books published in the United States. The 2021 winners are Jenn Shapland for My Autobiography of Carson McCullers; Sarah Stewart Johnson for The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World; and Alice Baumgartner for South to Freedom: Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to the Civil War. During the ceremony, the authors shared their thought process that sparked their ideas, found commonality in courage, and reflected on the moments that spurred them on to pursue the work we honored.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Biophysicist Karen Fleming Explores the Rules of Life, Evolution, and Disease

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000

The biophysicist has been running a discovery research lab for two decades at Johns Hopkins. She speaks with Fred about the randomness underlying all molecular processes, computer models that enable the integration of multiple scientific disciplines, and what she sees as compelling strategies for a more inclusive STEM pipeline.

This interview was recorded remotely.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bro Adams Knows What the Humanities Can Do Beyond Campuses

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 04:00:00 +0000

William "Bro" Adams, the former head of the National Endowment of the Humanities, and President of Colby College and Bucknell University brought the humanities with him through his professional journey. While doing so he challenged colleges to rethink the impact liberal arts and sciences had on students, and the role they could play in the broader general public. In this episode, he shares how the meaningful life and the productive life can coexist and how they can both be served in higher education.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Yale’s Tracey Meares Deconstructs Our Relationship with the Police

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000

She’s a nationally recognized expert on policing. She speaks with Fred about the need to reimagine public safety and reform, the distinct American policing experience in a global context, and what it’s like trying to convince her law school students that criminal procedure is actually about constitutional law.

This interview was recorded remotely.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Anthropologist Elizabeth Cullen Dunn on Why Geography Is a Way of Thinking

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000

She has spent years studying displaced people living in refugee camps around the world. And has sometimes even been claimed by residents thanks to her ability to acclimate with her research subjects. Here, Cullen Dunn explains why geography is a way of thinking, how we can reconsider the role of charity in resettlement efforts, and what the digital revolution has to do with forced migration.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Biophysicist Martin Gruebele on the Future of Scientific Discovery

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000

He studies a broad range of fundamental problems in chemical and biological physics, and thinks deeply about the course of scientific inquiry. And finds fascinating ways to explain things to Fred in this episode, like what Zebrafish and chemical reactions in the Ozone layer can teach us about collaboration, and why more policymakers and scientists should be talking to one another. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Philosopher Susan Wolf on Meaningfulness as a Dimension of a Good Life

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000

The moral philosopher ponders why being happy and acting morally may not be enough to satisfy us. She believes we need a vocabulary of meaning in public discourse, and suggests we strive for vitality––not joy––in the face of uncertainty and suffering.

This interview was recorded remotely.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paul Robbins on How to Save Biodiversity in the Planet

Fri, 28 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000

His research focuses on human interactions with nature and the politics of natural resource management. The professor and dean at the University of Wisconsin speaks with Fred about how the natural environment affects everything from racial and social justice to the population bust. And he reveals what coffee, frogs and workers can teach us about the survival of wildlife and humans.

This interview was recorded remotely.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lebowitz Award Winners on How We Reason in Moments of Transformation

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000

The Lebowitz Award is presented each year to a pair of outstanding philosophers who hold contrasting views on a topic of current interest in the field. The 2020 winners, University of Chicago’s Agnes Callard and Yale’s Laurie Paul, speak with Fred about their differing approaches to understanding and explaining what principles and mechanisms guide decision making when people face significant decisions.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Roger Guenveur Smith Makes the Sublime and the Profane Artful

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 04:00:00 +0000

The writer, actor and director creates characters that resonate in the moment and speak compellingly to the day's dilemmas. From his collaboration with Spike Lee, to his portrayal of Frederick Douglas, Otto Frank and Rodney King, he unfolds fascinating stories that span his prolific career, like his unlikely decision to audition for the Yale School of Drama.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Genetics Researcher Janet Westpheling on Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000

She knew early on she wanted to be a scientist. Today, her research at the intersection of academic and industrial microbiology addresses some of the most pressing energy issues of our time. The University of Georgia professor speaks with Fred about her upbringing, her work at The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, and her role as an educator and champion of scientific inquiry inside and outside of the lab.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Poet Evie Shockley on Why Poems Are an Analysis Genre

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000

The Rutgers professor, who left a career in law to pursue literature, speaks with Fred about the role of poetry in social justice, documenting and analyzing our lived experiences through poems, and why, contrary to popular belief, poems are one of the most accessible mediums of expression. And she reads two of her own.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2020 Book Awards Keynote Roundtable

Fri, 1 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000

The Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards are presented annually to three outstanding scholarly books published in the United States. The 2020 winners are Leah Price for What We Talk about When We Talk About Books: The History and Future of Reading; Sarah Parcak for Archaeology From Space: How the Future Shapes the Past; and Sarah Seo for Policing the Open Road: How Cars Transformed American Freedom. During the ceremony, the authors shared their thought process that sparked their ideas, marveled at how much our quotidian experiences tell us about the human condition, and reflected on the individuals who spurred them on to pursue the work we honored.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former Obama Advisor Joseph Aldy on How Climate Change Policies Can Bolster the Economy Post COVID-19

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Former Special Assistant to President Obama for Energy and Environment, Professor Joseph Aldy is an expert in thinking creatively about how climate change-friendly policies can bolster the economy in times of crisis. He reflects on lessons from 2009, and looks ahead at how we can build an American economy that is more resilient to risk in a post COVID-19 era.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Political Scientist Corey Brettschneider on Why We Should Distrust Our Presidents

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Brown University’s Corey Brettschneider has spent years studying constitutional law and the purpose and limits of the presidency. As the 2020 election draws near, he speaks with Fred about the likelihood of bringing back constraints to the most powerful office in the land, why the words in the oath of office matter, and what our current political climate reveals about civil liberties, civil rights and the constitutional powers of the three branches of government.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Latin American Scholar Yolanda Martínez-San Miguel Connects Latin American Identities Across Geography and Literature

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 04:00:04 +0000

As a critical reader and writer, Professor Yolanda Martínez-San Miguel at the University of Miami contextualizes colonial literature and contemporary Caribbean and Latino narratives, exploring issues of gender, sexuality, and migration. She speaks with Fred about feminism in colonial times, the literary thread between islands ruled by different empires, and what art and activism reveal about colonial legacies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Classics Scholar Peter Meineck on How Greek Theater Trains Better Citizens

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 04:00:11 +0000

The NYU's professor elaborates on how to better understand and live through today's social and moral turmoil by learning from the great theater works of antiquity. Meineck illustrates what Greek drama can teach us about understanding trauma, being informed voters, embracing difference, and what we should, and shouldn't, expect from leaders and heroes.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: Celebrated Author Edwidge Danticat Retraces the Arc of Her Literary Genius

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 04:00:01 +0000

While promoting her new book, an accomplished short story collection called Everything Inside, the PBK member and noted writer talks about her formative experiences, like imagining herself not as Madeline but the classic’s author, and writing for a high school paper in New York City a mere year after immigrating to the US from Haiti. She opens up about “borrowed memories” in her life and her work, about the role of death and ritual in healing, and the continuity of purpose in her writing.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

College Admissions Field Welcomes a New Leader, Dr. Angel B. Pérez, Who Sees Its Strengths and Faults

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 04:00:06 +0000

As a high school student, a college counselor created what Dr. Angel B. Pérez calls his “pivotal moment”—one that would set him on a path to college, a career in higher education, and now the chance to lead NACAC, the nation’s largest organization of college admissions counselors. His path from the South Bronx to the academy is extraordinary as are the times in which he steps into this leadership role.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Math Professor Ken Ono Is Connecting Swimming, Ramanujan, and Hollywood

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Thu, 28 May 2020 04:00:06 +0000

He got a call to consult on the Hollywood film The Man Who Knew Infinity, starring Jeremy Irons and Dev Patel. The director was so impressed with his knowledge of the life and work of Indian math prodigy Ramanujan that he invited him on set. By the time the credits rolled, he was an associate producer on the movie. But Ono’s own life would make a fascinating big-screen story: a high school dropout pushes away from an intellectually gifted family and his father’s academic legacy, only to be given a chance at college and advanced studies in the very field he avoided for so long.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan Simon on the Intersection of Law and Psychology

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 04:00:25 +0000

While writing his dissertation, Dan Simon began to wonder how judges make decisions not from a legal, sociological, or economic perspective but rather from a psychological one. Today, the USC law professor has built a career investigating how factors of the mind—such as memory, false confessions, and the framing of interviews—influence rulings in the criminal justice system.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Middle East Scholar Jamsheed Choksy Retraces the Roots of the Western Belief in Good and Evil

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 04:00:07 +0000

Much of Western culture and religious beliefs are grounded in a bifurcated notion of an epic power struggle between dueling forces, often defined as “good” and “evil.” This underlying premise influences how we parent, how we practice faith, how we choose vocations, and how we vote. In this episode Jamsheed Choksy, chair of the Department of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University Bloomington, provides surprising historical context for how the West’s construction of these binary elements evolved—from Islam.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Laura Brown Traces Our Love of Animals Through Literature

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 05:00:03 +0000

Professor Laura Brown’s endeavors as a literature reader and critical writer have provided a window into humans’ relationships with various species throughout history. She reveals to host Fred Lawrence what alterity, monkeys, feminist portrayal, and imperialism have to do with each other and what she considers to be the status of the humanities in academia.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alfred Spector: Envisioning the Synergies between the Liberal Arts and Computer Science

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 05:00:10 +0000

In this episode, Dr. Alfred Spector offers an optimistic take on the evolving relationship between the liberal arts and computer science. Reflecting on his career experiences in creating a company, working for Google and IBM, and now diving into economic modeling, Spector provides a fascinating account of the evolution of computer science both inside and beyond the academy.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2019 Book Awards Dinner Keynote Roundtable

Fri, 3 Jan 2020 05:00:06 +0000

The Phi Beta Kappa book awards are given annually to three outstanding scholarly books published in the United States. 2019’s winners are Imani Perry for Looking for Lorraine: the Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry; Adam Frank, for Light of the Stars: Alien Worlds and the Fate of the Earth; and Sarah Igo for The Known Citizen: A History of Privacy in Modern America. They revealed their thinking behind the works we celebrated and shared stories of unmatched discovery, spoke of love beyond adversity, and fueled our collective imagination with examples of unbound human curiosity.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why Dr. Dava Newman Will Be Among the People to Get Humans to Mars

Fri, 29 Nov 2019 05:00:15 +0000

Dava Newman has spent her career figuring out how to get humans to space, and helping them not only to survive there, but also to thrive. She is the Apollo Program Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT and the former NASA Deputy Administrator. Her multidisciplinary work combines aerospace biomedical engineering, control modeling, biomechanics, and human interface technology, and she is a leader in advanced spacesuit design. In this episode, she talks about her journey from her childhood in Montana to college at Notre Dame to her research at MIT to leading role at NASA, in addition to how close she thinks we are to getting humans to land on Mars.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Two Philosophers Ponder What It Means to Act Together

Fri, 1 Nov 2019 04:00:29 +0000

Philosophers Michael E. Bratman, from Stanford University, and Margaret P. Gilbert, from UC Irvine, are this year’s recipients of the Lebowitz Prize for Philosophical Achievement and Contribution, presented by the Phi Beta Kappa Society and the American Philosophical Association. In their respective work, each has expanded on the question of “What is it to act together?” based on sometimes divergent philosophical underpinnings of how two or more individuals interact in a collaborative effort.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Celebrated Author Edwidge Danticat Retraces the Arc of Her Literary Genius

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Fri, 4 Oct 2019 04:00:04 +0000

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Neuroscientist Susan Birren Is Mapping New Pathways from the Brain

hello@lwcstudios.com (The Phi Beta Kappa Society) — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 16:00:07 +0000

The human brain has 100 billion cells, and there’s still so much to discover about it. Brandeis University neuroscientist Susan Birren has dedicated her distinguished career to decoding the mysteries of how the brain functions and how it communicates with the rest of the body. In this episode, she talks to Phi Beta Kappa Secretary and CEO Fred Lawrence about the challenges and triumphs of such a singular pursuit.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: Economist Paula Stephan on Incentives and Gender Biases

hello@lwcstudios.com (Lantigua Williams & Co.) — Fri, 2 Aug 2019 04:01:00 +0000

As a college student, Professor Paula Stephan fell in love with economics as a way to understand and influence systems that impacted many people's lives. Years of documenting and analyzing the role of gender in academic performance and the impact of monetary and status incentives on scholars and universities have led her to startling conclusions. In this episode, PBK's Fred Lawrence asks the Georgia State University’s to go beyond the research.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: We Ask Literature Professor Ayanna Thompson “What Would Shakespeare Say?”

hello@lwcstudios.com (Lantigua Williams & Co.) — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 04:01:00 +0000

Fred Lawrence, Secretary and CEO of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, welcomes professor Ayanna Thompson. Professor Thompson specializes in Renaissance drama and issues of race in performance. She discusses the universality of Shakespeare while honing in on how he would have reacted to racialized readings of his work. Would he recognize that race plays a role in his plays? Would he agree with Thompson that one of his characters delivers “the first Black-Power speech in English”? What would he think of “Hamilton” and its non-traditional casting? These and other fascinating questions make for a memorable conversation with one of the country’s premiere Shakespeare scholars.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

REPLAY: Former Diplomat Harold Koh Is Worried

hello@lwcstudios.com (Lantigua Williams & Co.) — Fri, 31 May 2019 04:01:00 +0000

In our first episode, Fred Lawrence, Secretary and CEO of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, chats with his longtime friend, professor Harold Hongju Koh from Yale Law School. Professor Koh is a distinguished former diplomat and a renowned authority on public and international law. Their intimate and revealing conversation covers Koh’s expansive knowledge of foreign affairs, his views on the state of our nation, and the lasting influence of a father whose curiosity and capacious mind still inspire him.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Middle East Scholar Lisa Anderson on Leading a University in Cairo During the Arab Spring

hello@lwcstudios.com (Lantigua Williams & Co.) — Fri, 3 May 2019 04:01:00 +0000

Her passion for Middle East studies was ignited during a college course with an intense teacher. She immersed herself in the region’s history and language--and has never looked back. For this episode, Prof. Anderson retraces her growing enthusiasm for and deepening knowledge of the Arab world, which saw her break scholarly ground in Libya, take up residence as a professor at American University Cairo, and eventually landed her in the president’s office mere weeks before the upheaval of the Arab Spring.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SPECIAL EXTENDED EPISODE: What Should We Make of the College Admissions Scandal?

hello@lwcstudios.com (Lantigua Williams & Co.) — Mon, 1 Apr 2019 04:01:00 +0000

In this special extended episode, Phi Beta Kappa Secretary and CEO Fred Lawrence invites two experienced colleagues to a frank discussion about the unfolding college admission scandal that has rocked higher education. There are no easy answers, and responsibility is spread around generously, but the exchange is one that will certainly spark discussions at home, in the classroom, and in vaulted academic halls around the country.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Historian Ed Larson Takes a Critical Look at the Presidency

hello@lwcstudios.com (Lantigua Williams & Co.) — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 05:01:00 +0000

Jefferson, Adams, Washington. Their names are synonymous with the bold experiment that was the United States in the late 1700s. But there is so much more to these men who wrestled with the notion of building a nation and battled one another politically. A Pulitzer Prize winner, Larson tears the pages of history to offer insight into what made these presidents tick. And what today's leaders can learn from them.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Economist Paula Stephan on Incentives and Gender Biases

hello@lwcstudios.com (Lantigua Williams & Co.) — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 13:52:36 +0000

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amy Cheng Vollmer: The Unofficial Ambassador for Good Bacteria

hello@lwcstudios.com (Lantigua Williams & Co.) — Mon, 3 Dec 2018 05:01:00 +0000

In this episode, Fred Lawrence, Secretary and CEO of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, welcomes professor Amy Cheng Vollmer from Swarthmore College. A microbiologist whose research centers on how bacteria react to different types of stresses, discusses her ongoing fascination with bacteria, why failure is important in her field, the need for STEAM, not just STEM, and what it means to her to be a Chinese-American woman in the sciences.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We Ask Literature Professor Ayanna Thompson “What Would Shakespeare Say?”

hello@lwcstudios.com (Lantigua Williams & Co.) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 04:01:00 +0000

Fred Lawrence, Secretary and CEO of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, welcomes professor Ayanna Thompson. She specializes in Renaissance drama and issues of race in performance. She discusses the universality of Shakespeare while honing in on how he would have reacted to racialized readings of his work. Would he recognize that race plays a role in his plays? Would he agree with Thompson that one of his characters delivers “the first Black-Power speech in English”? What would he think of “Hamilton” and its non-traditional casting? These and other fascinating questions make for a memorable conversation with one of the country’s premiere Shakespeare scholars.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Legal Scholar Harold Hongju Koh Talks International Law and College Cafeterias

hello@lwcstudios.com (Lantigua Williams & Co.) — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 04:01:00 +0000

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa Trailer

hello@lwcstudios.com (Lantigua Williams & Co.) — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 16:06:29 +0000

A podcast that features intimate and in-depth conversations with scholars and experts across many fields, including international law, Shakespeare, microbiology, economics of science, and astronautics. Listeners get a seat at the table to learn about the featured scholar’s background, research, and how their respective paths have led them to where they are today.

The Phi Beta Kappa Society presents Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa, a podcast that features intimate and in-depth conversations with scholars and experts across many fields, including international law, Shakespeare, microbiology, economics of science, and astronautics. Listeners get a seat at the table to learn about the featured scholar’s background, research, and how their respective paths have led them to where they are today. Produced by Lantigua Williams & Co.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.