InFormation

Episode 7: No One Goes to the Moon Alone

podcast@jcu.edu (John Carroll University) — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000

InFormation is hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg, President of John Carroll University. This is Episode 7.

About the Guest

Spencer Furin earned his degree in Engineering Physics from John Carroll University before pursuing his goal of joining NASA’s team in Northeast Ohio. As an electrical engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, he provides vital systems support for major aerospace missions, including serving in the Mission Evaluation Room for Artemis II.

Rooted in a broad liberal arts foundation, Furin brings a multidimensional perspective to technical engineering. His career spans hardware testing, backroom mission support, and cross-agency collaboration, driven by a passion for advancing space exploration and inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders.

In This Episode

How Furin's broad education at JCU shaped his approach to complex problem-solving

What Furin learned when moving from classroom theory to hands-on space hardware

What fueled Furin's determination to land his dream job at NASA Glenn

How Furin explains complex technical data quickly and clearly to Mission Control

How Furin's team figures out what to focus on first when multiple things go wrong at once

How Furin helps build trust across NASA centers, international agencies, and private companies

Why Northeast Ohio plays a much bigger role in space exploration than most people realize

How Furin creates a team culture where people feel safe saying "I don't know"

What the Artemis II Moon mission teaches us about high-stakes teamwork on Earth

One Thing to Try Inspired by this episode, take a moment to evaluate how your team handles high-stakes communication and problem-solving:

Ask yourself: Do I explain complex ideas in clear, simple ways when my team is under pressure?
Identify a team challenge: Do colleagues feel comfortable speaking up or admitting "I don't know" without fear of judgment?
Practice alignment: When competing priorities pull your team apart, pause and re-center everyone around the shared primary goal. Furin reminds us that returning to the Moon is not just a triumph of technology—it is a triumph of human trust, clear communication, and working together across boundaries.

Episode Credits

Hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg
Directed by Carmen Ferrante
Produced by Aaron Bennett
Creative by Danielle Dunne
Web & Distribution by Kara Kraus
Special thanks to Dan Slentz, Jasen Sokol, Blue Streak Media, and WJCU 88.7 FM.

Episode 6: Human-Centered Care in the Age of AI

podcast@jcu.edu (John Carroll University) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 15:58:33 +0000

Episode Notes

InFormation is hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg, President of John Carroll University. This is Episode 6.

About the Guest

Dr. Melissa Cole is the Dean of the College of Health at John Carroll University. Before leading the College of Health, she built a distinguished career spanning executive clinical leadership, healthcare operations, and nursing education, repeatedly guiding health systems through major operational and technological shifts.

Over time, she recognized that as artificial intelligence and modern technology rapidly transform care delivery, the need for human-centered, ethically grounded healthcare leaders has never been greater. That realization drives her work today: preparing clinicians and leaders who blend advanced clinical practice with compassionate, values-driven care. In this conversation, she reflects on what it means to keep the patient's humanity at the center of innovation, navigate technological disruption, and step into the future of healthcare leadership.

In This Episode

Easing administrative burden through AI to return time to bedside care
Navigating the rapid rise of AI and automation in healthcare ethically
Practicing technological discernment—knowing when AI should and should not be used
Keeping the patient’s individual story, dignity, and empathy at the center of treatment
Applying the Jesuit value of cura personalis to modern health systems
Preparing future clinicians to question, validate, and ethically integrate AI
Recognizing the vital role of advanced practice doctorates (like the DNP) in healthcare leadership
Leading with purpose through times of rapid industry transition and uncertainty

One Thing to Try

Inspired by this episode, take a moment to evaluate the tools and technology in your own daily routine:

Ask yourself: Is this technology truly helping me serve the whole person—or is it just helping me complete a task faster?
Identify one routine task: Where can you use time saved by technology to bring more empathy, focused attention, or genuine connection to the people you work with or care for?
Practice discernment: Before adopting a new digital shortcut, pause and consider: Just because technology can do this for me, should it?

Dr. Cole reminds us that technology is a powerful tool, but it can never replace human compassion. True impact happens when we use innovation not as a shortcut, but as a way to protect and uplift human connection.

Episode Credits

Episode 5: Growing Through Change

podcast@jcu.edu (Michele C. Murray) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

InFormation is hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg, President of John Carroll University. This is Episode 5.

About the Guest

Michele C. Murray is a higher education leader and scholar whose work focuses on student development, meaning-making, and purpose. She is the newly elected president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.

In this conversation, she reflects on the changes that have shaped her own career, how her understanding of leadership has evolved, and what she sees happening across higher education. She also explores why finding purpose matters during times of transition and how students—and all of us—can make meaning from experiences that don't go according to plan.

In This Episode

How change has shaped Michele Murray's personal and professional journey
The moments that can cause us to rethink our direction
How our understanding of leadership evolves over time
What students need in a rapidly changing higher education landscape
The role Jesuit education can play in helping students navigate change
Why purpose and meaning-making matter during times of transition
How to make meaning from experiences that don't go according to plan
What change requires if we want to grow rather than simply react
What to do when you don't know what's next
One question to carry with you through a major transition

One Thing to Try

Inspired by this episode, take a moment to reflect:

What change in my life is asking me to grow?
Am I reacting to this change, or am I making space to understand what it means?
What have I learned about myself from a transition that didn't go according to plan?
What is one question I need to sit with before deciding what's next?

Michele C. Murray reminds us that change isn't simply something we have to get through. It can also be an invitation to reflect, make meaning, and become more fully who we're called to be.

Episode Credits

Episode 4: Telling Compelling Stories

podcast@jcu.edu (Pete Williams) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

InFormation is hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg, President of John Carroll University. This is Episode 4

About the Guest

Pete Williams is a retired NBC News correspondent and journalist-in-residence at John Carroll University. Over a career spanning decades, he covered breaking news, national policy, and landmark Supreme Court decisions — learning along the way that the facts of a story are never enough on their own. What matters is knowing which facts to choose, how to arrange them, and why your audience should care.

In this conversation, he reflects on what it takes to tell a story well: from his early days following President Clinton on Martha's Vineyard to a prime-time documentary connecting World War II saboteurs to Guantanamo Bay. He also talks honestly about the moments he got it wrong — and what he learned from them.

In This Episode

Why facts alone don't make a story — and what does
The process of selection: what to include, what to cut, and why it matters
Leading with meaning vs. leading with information
How deadlines sharpen your thinking (and when they don't)
What breaking news taught him about transparency and trust
The difference between listening and waiting to talk
How to tell your own story

One Thing to Try

Inspired by this episode, take a moment to reflect:

What story am I telling, and do I know why it matters to the person hearing it?
Where am I piling on facts when I should be building meaning?
What's one moment from my own life I could tell as a story, not just a list of things that happened?

Pete Williams reminds us that the best storytellers aren't the ones with the most information. They're the ones who know what to leave out — and how to make you care about what's left.

Episode Credits

Episode 3: The Importance of Being Present

podcast@jcu.edu (John Carroll University) — Sat, 30 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

InFormation is hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg. This is Episode 3.

About the Guest

Alan R. Miciak is the 26th President of John Carroll University. During his presidency, the University experienced significant enrollment growth, institutional momentum, and continued investment in its Jesuit mission and student experience.

As his time in the role comes to a close, this conversation focuses less on accomplishments and more on perspective. Reflecting on the demands of leadership, Dr. Miciak shares why he made a conscious effort this past year to be more present — to fully experience the people, moments, and relationships that can easily be overshadowed by constant planning and responsibility.

In this episode, he reflects on leadership not only as strategy and decision-making, but as attention, listening, and learning how to truly be where you are.

In This Episode

Why leadership constantly pulls attention toward the future
Learning to slow down and notice important moments in real time
The difference between managing responsibilities and being fully present
How presence changes conversations, decisions, and relationships
Recognizing when you’ve drifted into “next thing” thinking
Why listening is one of the clearest forms of presence
The role intentionality plays in leadership and everyday life
What people miss when they move too quickly through meaningful experiences
Treating presence as a practice instead of a personality trait
Reflecting on leadership through moments, not just milestones

One Thing to Try

Inspired by this episode, take a moment to reflect:

When was the last time I felt fully present in a conversation or experience?
What most often pulls my attention away from the moment I’m in?
What’s one small way I could slow down and become more intentional this week?

Dr. Miciak reminds us that presence is rarely automatic. It’s something we return to — moment by moment, conversation by conversation — by choosing to fully engage with the life that’s happening right now.

Episode Credits

Episode 2: Moving Beyond Fear

podcast@jcu.edu (Martina Moore) — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

InFormation is hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg, President of John Carroll University. This is Episode 2.

About the Guest

Dr. Martina Moore is a faculty member and leader in John Carroll University’s counseling program. Before coming to JCU full time, she spent 15 years building her own practice. Over time, she found herself most energized when working with and mentoring students, and began to notice a quiet but persistent sense that she was meant to do more of that work.

That realization led her to make a bold and deeply personal decision: to return for her Ph.D. and step fully into teaching. In this conversation, she reflects on what it means to listen to that inner voice, to trust it, and to say yes to what comes next.

In This Episode

Starting from gratitude instead of fear
Recognizing moments when something just feels right
Saying yes before you have everything figured out
Understanding how your calling shows up over time
Reframing a “step back” as a step forward
Moving through doubt, discomfort, and outside expectations
Choosing what’s true for you, even when it’s not obvious to others
Building the self-trust to take your next step

One Thing to Try

Inspired by this episode, take a moment to reflect:

When have I felt a sense of “this is right” in my life?
Where might fear be holding me back right now?
What is one small step I could take toward what feels true?

Dr. Moore reminds us that clarity doesn’t always come all at once. Sometimes, it begins with a feeling — and grows when we have the courage to follow it.

Episode Credits

Episode 1: Making Good Decisions

podcast@jcu.edu (Brother Matt Wooters — Guest) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 20:11:47 +0000

InFormation is hosted by Carolyn Noll Sorg, President of John Carroll University. This is Episode 1.

About the Guest

Brother Matt Wooters always wanted to be brave and make a difference in the world. A service trip to the Dominican Republic at 16 sparked a lifelong passion to serve others. Today, he is a Jesuit Brother, a trained therapist, and the Assistant Director of Campus Ministry at his alma mater, John Carroll University. He founded Brothers Keeper to create honest spaces for young men to talk openly about their lives, and he teaches Ignatian Spirituality to students navigating some of life’s biggest decisions.

In This Episode

Who was St. Ignatius of Loyola — and why is he sometimes called the world's first psychologist
The difference between making a decision and practicing discernment
The Examen: a twice-daily reflective practice you can adapt for any context
Consolation and desolation — what these Jesuit concepts reveal about your choices
What to do when fear is the loudest voice in the room
Three practical questions Ignatius recommends for any major decision
Why discernment is a camping lantern, not a flashlight
How serving others connects to your own sense of fulfillment

One Thing to Try

Inspired by this episode, take a moment to reflect:

I felt most alive when...
I felt afraid when...

Brother Matt explains how noticing these moments can clarify your choices, and this simple exercise is a great place to start.