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Learning for Life @ Gustavus

Learning for Life @ Gustavus

By Gustavus Adolphus College

History professor Greg Kaster explores the intersections of liberal arts learning, current events, and real-world problem solving from the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minn. From conversations with cancer and climate change researchers to behind-the-scenes glimpses into higher ed decision-making, Kaster's short, engaging interviews introduce listeners to the people behind the ideas.
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Dance Me to the Liberal Arts

Learning for Life @ GustavusDec 30, 2020

00:00
01:04:21
"From Small-Town Pharmacist’s Daughter to Leading Global Investment Professional"

"From Small-Town Pharmacist’s Daughter to Leading Global Investment Professional"

150 episodes and counting!  For this 150th unique episode of the podcast, Greg speaks with special guest Marcia Page, Gustavus Class of ‘82 and Chair of the Board of Trustees, about growing up in Olivia, MN, where her dad was a pharmacist and drugstore owner; what she learned at a young age from both her parents; her path from Olivia to Gustavus; her expectation of becoming a pharmacist and how and why that plan changed; memorable experiences at her alma mater; the turning points, relationships, serendipity, and entrepreneurialism that led to her co-founding Värde Partners in 1993, “a leading global alternative investment firm” with 13 billion dollars in assets; her founding of MPowered Capital in 2021, an investment firm committed to diversity in the industry; her work on the Gustavus Board; and her aspirations for Gustavus in the years ahead.

Mar 26, 202401:05:42
"In-Betweenness, Boxing, Philosophy, and Buddhism"

"In-Betweenness, Boxing, Philosophy, and Buddhism"

Dr. John Cha, faculty member in the Department of Religion and Japanese Studies program at Gustavus, talks about the challenges and impact of growing up Asian-American on Chicago's South Side and in Quincy, Illinois; the influence in his teen years of Huey Newton and Bruce Lee; his academic path to philosophy and religion; being hired by Gustavus; understanding and teaching phenomenology; his comparative research on the 20th-century French phenomenologist Michel Henry and the 8th-century Indian philosopher Śaṅkara; teaching students about non-Western religions; and why learning about religion in general is important.

Mar 19, 202401:07:37
“It All Comes Back to the Liberal Arts Education”

“It All Comes Back to the Liberal Arts Education”

Sarah Calhoon Cuthill, ’85, on her path to Gustavus from the south Chicago suburbs; her love of music and fascination with France and international relations; studying abroad in high school and college; majoring in international economics; the twists and turns of her career path, eventually leading to her partnership status with Deloitte Global; her varied leadership work with the firm over the years; her case for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; her membership on the Gustavus Board; and what makes Gustavus extraordinary.

Mar 12, 202401:13:41
"Making My Life Count through the People I’ve Met at Gustavus"

"Making My Life Count through the People I’ve Met at Gustavus"

Communication Studies major Abigail (Abby) Vizenor, ’25, talks about her background and path to Gustavus; a memorable January Term in St. Maarten; interning for CADA, Inc., which supports survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence; her research and articles about the myth of "false reporting" and, most recently, teen dating violence; her enjoyment of Hamilton the musical and interest in sports photography; and her pitch for Gustavus.  Bonus: Her spoken word rendition of a number from Hamilton.

Mar 05, 202401:02:35
“Childhood Poverty: Uniting Voices to Empower Tomorrow”
Feb 27, 202401:05:45
"It’s Only Useless If You Make it Useless”

"It’s Only Useless If You Make it Useless”

Allie Skjerven Boyd, Gustavus Class of 2010, talks about her background and path to Gustavus, why she majored in History and Russian Studies, her path from graduation to working in the private sector with Fortune 500 companies Nestle and Clorox, how she obtained her current position with the Minnesota-based global firm Datasite, the nature, challenges, and rewards of her employment in the corporate world, the value of her humanities education in that setting, and her case for Gustavus and the liberal arts.

Feb 20, 202401:08:46
"The Liberal Arts College I Went to Changed My Life"

"The Liberal Arts College I Went to Changed My Life"

Dr. Pamela Kittelson of the Biology Department and Environmental Studies program at Gustavus talks about growing up in Colorado, her path to college and eventually an unanticipated PhD in plant biology, coming to Gustavus, teaching Gustavus students in the field and abroad in India and Bangladesh, the ingredients of teaching excellence, directing the campus Fellowships Office, her ongoing research on “diversity and change in plant populations,” the adverse impact of human beings on “the biological world” and how that affects her personally as a human being and someone who studies it, and what makes liberal arts colleges special.

Feb 13, 202401:02:47
“You Need to Constantly Stay Uncomfortable”

“You Need to Constantly Stay Uncomfortable”

Lt. Col. Jess Langerud, ’96, on his path to Gustavus and its nursing major, and from there to nursing and medical-related work in both the civilian and military (U.S. Army) sectors, the nature of his work and what he loves about it—including a major project with Poland’s military and his newest position as commander of an Army Reserves civil affairs battalion—the ongoing value of his Gustavus education, and his advice for leading a rewarding professional life. 

Nov 15, 202301:00:15
From Physics Major to Editor at the New York Times

From Physics Major to Editor at the New York Times

Kevin Quealy, ’03, majored in Physics at Gustavus and is currently editor of The Upshot, the online data visualization feature of the premier U.S. news organization.  In this episode, Kevin talks about his path to Gustavus and physics, how and why he went from there to the Peace Corps in South Africa, then the Missouri School of Journalism, and eventually The Upshot, where he has been in various roles since its inception in 2014, the feature’s purpose and the work involved in creating content for it, and one of his favorite Upshot stories concerning a certain Nike shoe.

Nov 07, 202354:10
From History Major to Park Ranger

From History Major to Park Ranger

Laura Abbott, ’06, on her early love of history, her path to Gustavus, how and why she became a ranger with the National Park Service, her work as a ranger on the National Mall in Washington, DC, including at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, leading running tours focused on various aspects of DC history, her subsequent posting at the pre-Civil War Fort Scott in Kansas, her current work at Yellowstone, what might come next in her NPS career, the transformative impact of Gustavus on her life, and her pitch for our nation’s parks.

Oct 31, 202356:23
Researching Glacial Melt in the Ecuadorian Andes

Researching Glacial Melt in the Ecuadorian Andes

Dr. Jeff La Frenierre of the Gustavus Environment, Geography, and Earth Sciences Department at Gustavus on his path to the discipline of Geography, how and why he decided to research glacial melt and its impact on people and communities, the process and challenges of conducting research outdoors at high elevations in the Andes, including Gustavus students in his fieldwork, the findings and significance of his research, his objectives as a teacher, and the appeal of teaching at a liberal arts college.

Oct 24, 202301:05:30
Students Are Here to Do Things Bigger than Themselves

Students Are Here to Do Things Bigger than Themselves

Senior Abby Joy Neptun, ’24, talks about her path from Chicagoland to Gustavus, majoring in Communication Studies and minoring in Political Science, her summer 2023 internship experience with World Chicago (a nonprofit organization dedicated to “citizen diplomacy”), her current fellowship with Emily’s List, her co-curricular involvement on campus, the transformative value of a liberal arts education, and what in her eyes makes Gustavus so special. Bonus: A special gift to listeners from Abby Joy at the episode’s conclusion.

Oct 17, 202358:55
Bridging Town and Gown

Bridging Town and Gown

Bridging Town and Gown: Shanon Nowell, Executive Assistant to the Provost of Gustavus and Mayor of St. Peter, Minnesota, where the College is located, on her background in theater, path to Minnesota and Gustavus, position in the Provost’s office and what she enjoys about it, decision to run for mayor, successful campaign, her priorities for the city, the honor of being mayor, and what makes St. Peter and Gustavus so special.


Mar 27, 202356:36
Unseen Passages: Refugees and the Collective Fight for Vitality

Unseen Passages: Refugees and the Collective Fight for Vitality

Ashley Ley '23 and Tessa Yeager ’24, co-chairs of the 2023 Gustavus Building Bridges Conference on March 4, talk about their backgrounds and paths to Gustavus, how and why they became involved in Building Bridges, the rewards of their involvement, developing this year’s conference topic and title, highlights of the conference program, their experiences as, respectively, a summer undergraduate research fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and a campus Sustainability Intern, and their pitches for Gustavus.

Mar 01, 202355:23
 From Young Namibian Reader to Gustavus Professor of Comparative Literature

From Young Namibian Reader to Gustavus Professor of Comparative Literature

Dr. Martha Ndakalako joined the Gustavus English Department in 2021 and talks in this episode about growing up in the De Beers mining town of Oranjemund in Namibia, her early love of reading, her “complicated” (aka interesting) path to a PhD in comparative literature at the University of Oregon with a focus on Namibian women’s digital literatures, her current research on the #ShutItAllDown feminist protest movement across Namibia (part of a larger project about 21st-century feminist activism on the African continent), what makes African literature “African,” and her experience thus far teaching at Gustavus.

Feb 22, 202301:03:57
Meet the Leaders of Gustavus’s Pan African Student Organization

Meet the Leaders of Gustavus’s Pan African Student Organization

Jenesis Tompkins ’23 and Zachary Gbor '23, co-presidents of the Pan African Student Organization (PASO) at Gustavus, talk about their backgrounds and interests when younger, how they found themselves, somewhat unexpectedly, attending Gustavus, being students of color there, the place and purpose of PASO, the organization’s spring 2023 events, and finding and making community on campus.  

Note: Due to technical issues not discovered until after the recording, Greg and Zachary’s interactions are not properly synced and Zach’s comments in the last segment of the conversation are unfortunately lost.  We apologize but believe you will enjoy listening to this interesting, important, and at moments funny episode nonetheless.

Feb 14, 202357:35
The Complicated and Poetic Bible

The Complicated and Poetic Bible

Gustavus Religion Professor Blake Couey talks about growing up working class in Georgia, his path from there to Princeton Theological Seminary and then Gustavus, his scholarship on the Hebrew Bible and the poetry of Isaiah in particular, the Bible’s complicated and even contradictory meanings (as, for example, around women and gender), teaching its complexity and poetry to Gustavus students, why studying the Bible and religion matters, and what he enjoys most about being a  Gustavus professor.

Feb 06, 202301:03:14
Compassion and Belonging at Gustavus

Compassion and Belonging at Gustavus

Kate Dario, class of 2024, talks about her background as an adoptee from India growing up in St. Paul, her path to Gustavus and her major in Communication Studies and minors in Art Administration and Theater Design and Technology, the campus Compassion Initiative which she organized, the Gustavus Adoption, Recognition, Community organization, her involvement in diversity, equity, and inclusion work, being a student of color on a majority white campus, study away in London and Paris, and her pitch for Gustavus.

Jan 25, 202355:29
“A Passion for Asking Questions”

“A Passion for Asking Questions”

Happy Holidays, dear listeners! New episodes of the podcast will begin in January 2023.  Until then we are offering some memorable past episodes. In this one, Katherine (Katie) Aney ’18 talks about her path to Gustavus and from there to the Harvard/MIT Health, Science and Technology program, her love of science and tennis, her research into pancreatic cancer, and what her alma mater offers those who choose it as their college.


Dec 20, 202250:42
A Global Gustie in Public Health

A Global Gustie in Public Health

While Greg is absorbed in teaching and grading the last weeks of fall semester 2022, we are offering some memorable past episodes of the podcast.  In this one from January 2021, Katie Schlangen ’14 talks about her challenging background and path to Gustavus, living and teaching in Seoul and Hong Kong, working and traveling internationally for a Minnesota-based NGO focused on healthcare, her commitment to health access and policy, and graduate study in global health policy through the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Currently, Schlangen is Senior Program Coordinator - Immunization at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Dec 13, 202256:27
"Degrees of Freedom"

"Degrees of Freedom"

While Greg is absorbed in teaching and grading the last two weeks of fall semester 2022, we are offering some memorable past episodes of the podcast. In this one, lawyer, professor of history, award-winning author, and Gustavus graduate William Green ’72 talks about coming to Gustavus from New Orleans as an African American student in 1968, his time at the College, the social and political history of Black Minnesotans in the 19th and early-20th centuries (including the little-known story of enslaved woman Eliza Winston’s emancipation), and how that history informs Black-white relations in Minnesota today.  Prof. Green's latest book (not discussed here) is Strike! about the landmark and then-illegal 1970 Minneapolis teacher strike.

Dec 07, 202201:05:11
“A Covenant with Death”

“A Covenant with Death”

While Greg is absorbed in teaching and grading the last two weeks of fall semester 2022, we are offering some memorable past episodes of the podcast.  In this one, Dr. Paul Finkelman, distinguished historian of slavery and the law and the spring 2023 Rydell Professor at Gustavus, talks about the pro-slavery U.S. Constitution, Chief Justice John Marshall’s buying and selling of enslaved people, the proslavery jurisprudence of the antebellum Supreme Court, and the present-day monuments conflict.

Nov 29, 202201:08:57
Assisting Student Wellbeing

Assisting Student Wellbeing

Eliza Scherschligt ’23 and Kathleen Grube ’24 on their backgrounds and paths to Gustavus, their choice of majors, attending college amid the COVID-19 pandemic, how and why they became campus Peer Assistants, the work of the assistants in promoting student wellbeing, what they have gained from that work, student stress and coping with it, and their pitches for Gustavus.

Nov 22, 202201:02:06
Wittgenstein, Addiction, and Recovery

Wittgenstein, Addiction, and Recovery

Dr. Peg O’Connor, Professor of Philosophy and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies at Gustavus, talks about teaching amid the COVID-19 pandemic, her background and fascination with the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and his thought, what it means to be a philosopher, her alcoholism and sobriety, bringing philosophy to bear on addiction and recovery, William James and the history of Alcoholics Anonymous, and why the liberal arts education offered at Gustavus matters.

Nov 15, 202201:15:56
“You Have to Be Prepared to Be Surprised”

“You Have to Be Prepared to Be Surprised”

Dr. Bernard Powers ’72, Professor Emeritus of History at the College of Charleston, talks about his family background and growing up in Chicago, his path to Gustavus and experiences as a Black student there, why he majored in history, his PhD focus at Northwestern University, the significance of Charleston and South Carolina in the history of enslavement, the Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston which he founded and directs, the city’s new International African American Museum for which he served as interim president, and the sources of his hopefulness.

Nov 08, 202201:26:04
“Purity, Protection, and Preservation”

“Purity, Protection, and Preservation”

Dr. Hagar Attia of the Gustavus Communication Studies Department on growing up as an Egyptian American, her path from sociology to graduate work in communication, the focus and findings of her recently completed doctoral dissertation on “fundamentalist argumentation,” public deliberation (including her department’s co-curricular program in public deliberation and dialogue, which she co-directs), her involvement in voter engagement among Gustavus students, why communication studies matters as a major, and her love of watching historical dramas.

Nov 01, 202201:05:29
“Apply the Facts to the Law”

“Apply the Facts to the Law”

History and political science double major Eric O’Denius ’94 talks about his path to Gustavus and experience there, how he embarked on an eventual distinguished career in immigration enforcement with the United States government, the work of an Immigration Enforcement Agent and Deportation Officer, a particularly gratifying case involving a son and his father, the importance of effective writing in his work, having one of his affidavits cited in Supreme Court decisions, and what meaningful immigration reform requires.

Oct 25, 202201:03:47
Potted Plants, Tenements, and Colors

Potted Plants, Tenements, and Colors

Dr. Colleen Stockmann of the Gustavus Art and Art History Department on her background and path to art historian, including her undergraduate years at a liberal arts college, the unplanned origins of her PhD research on the plant drawings of William Trost Richards, her work on the landscape history of tenements in New York City and histories of color in the early modern world, the objects audit she is conducting with students at Gustavus, and “visual complicity” in and “visual solutions” to problems that confront us today. 

Oct 18, 202201:00:56
“You Never Get Bored” in the Lab

“You Never Get Bored” in the Lab

Gustavus senior and Goldwater Scholarship recipient Haley Jostes ’23, talks about her background and early interest in science, her path to Gustavus and her chemistry and biochemistry & molecular biology majors, working in labs on campus and in Germany, her research on PFAS or “forever chemicals” and how to remove them from water, the importance of writing to the work of science, the usefulness of a management minor to her career aspirations, her graduate school plans, why chemistry in general matters, and the strengths of the chemistry program at Gustavus.  

Oct 11, 202201:01:33
Communication Studies, Reality TV, and Study Away in Vietnam

Communication Studies, Reality TV, and Study Away in Vietnam

Professor Philip Voight of the Communication Studies Department at Gustavus on his background in South St. Paul, MN, his path to forensics and communication studies, researching political advertising, teaching amid the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant innovations in his methods, his course about reality food television programming, memorable and rewarding experiences of travel with Gustavus students in Vietnam, changes in how Vietnam represents the history of the U.S. war against it, and why his field matters to a liberal arts education.

Sep 20, 202201:02:38
“We Were Not the Same People”

“We Were Not the Same People”

Bruce Gray ’61 and Owen (Sam) Sammelson ’58 talk about their backgrounds and paths to Gustavus, where each eventually became an administrator (in Bruce’s case, financial aid director, Dean of Students, and member of the Advancement team, and, in Sam’s case, Director of Admission and then Vice President for Administration), and the origins of and their roles and experiences in the College’s groundbreaking recruitment of Black students from the Jim Crow South and some northern cities amid the civil rights movement. 

Sep 13, 202258:49
"We Need People Who Ask Questions"

"We Need People Who Ask Questions"

Dr. Axel D. Steuer, 13th president of both Gustavus (1991-2002) and subsequently Illinois College (2003-2013), talks about his journey from Second World-War refugee to religious studies scholar, professor at his alma mater Occidental College, and eventually liberal arts college president, the role of his mother and the Lutheran church in the early part of that journey, his attraction to Gustavus and its presidency, how he and his administrative team led Gustavus’s recovery from the destructive tornado that hit the campus and town of St. Peter in March 1998, the ingredients of an effective presidency, and the importance and purpose of a college education.

Sep 06, 202249:02
"Science Does Not Just Happen in a Silo"

"Science Does Not Just Happen in a Silo"

Award-winning teacher Dr. Darsa Donelan of the Gustavus Physics Department and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies program on their path to science, physics, and the Gustavus faculty, the influence of their grandmother Jane and other important women mentors on their interests and career, their research trajectory and the contingencies that shaped it, sexism in the discipline, their work as faculty advisor to the campus Queers and Allies group, cosplaying in and out of the classroom, and why science and the liberal arts matter. Attention Star Trek fans! 

Aug 30, 202201:08:36
Learning in a Social Way, Feeding Curiosity, and Seeing Oneself at Museums

Learning in a Social Way, Feeding Curiosity, and Seeing Oneself at Museums

Joanne Jones-Rizzi, award-winning Vice President of Science, Equity, and Education at the Science Museum of Minnesota, on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the museum, returning to the museum in person, her African American-European Jewry family history and its importance to her identity and work, how she came to a career in the museum world focusing on equity and education, first in Boston and then in St. Paul, her role developing and producing the Science Museum’s exhibit RACE: Are We So Different? which opened in 2007, the premise and goals of the exhibit, restorative justice work in connection with it, the contrast between public responses to the original exhibit and its updated iteration, and why museums matter.

Aug 23, 202201:08:20
Unions Are “an Instrument of Civil Society”

Unions Are “an Instrument of Civil Society”

Dave Kamper ’96 on his path to Gustavus and the College Republicans, the lasting importance of his education in critical thinking there, his PhD research in history, becoming a professional labor organizer and writer on labor issues, collective actions by Amazon and Starbucks workers, why unions must do better in communicating and collaborating with one another, New Brookwood Labor College in St. Paul, and the case for worker power in a democratic society.

Aug 16, 202201:11:14
From Finance Major to NBA Podcaster

From Finance Major to NBA Podcaster

Dane Moore '12 talks about why he attended Gustavus and how it prepared him for "who and what I would be," his path to creating and hosting The Dane Moore NBA Podcast on Blue Wire about pro basketball and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Timberwolves' 2021-22 season, the hiring of Tim Connelly as new general manager, and the team's prospects going forward into next season and beyond.  Note: Recorded prior to the 2022 NBA draft.


Aug 02, 202201:10:31
Monstrosity, Freakery, and Print Culture in Early Modern England

Monstrosity, Freakery, and Print Culture in Early Modern England

Dr. Whitney Dirks, Visiting Assistant Professor in the Gustavus Department of History, talks about her young “gender bending” acting in Shakespeare plays, her self-designed interdisciplinary major in Renaissance and Theater Studies at Beloit College in Wisconsin, her research on the production, circulation, consumption, and meanings of print materials in early modern England about “monsters” like hermaphrodites, conjoined twins, and an alleged porcine-faced lady, teaching and learning the early modern period through hands-on student projects using period skills, and the value of historical skills and the liberal arts.

Jul 26, 202201:07:37
“Spatial Relationships,” Colonialism, and Debt

“Spatial Relationships,” Colonialism, and Debt

Professor Joaquin Villanueva of the Gustavus Department of Geography talks about growing up in Puerto Rico and his “political awakening” in college there, his path from business major to languages and geography, the transformative experience of studying abroad in France, the diversity and interdisciplinarity of his discipline, turning a “geographic lens” on the French state’s treatment of African immigrant populations in suburban neighborhoods of Paris, the origins of the ongoing Puerto Rican debt crisis and its consequences for urban San Juan, and his pitch for Geography and liberal education

Jul 19, 202258:21
Editing The Gustavian Weekly

Editing The Gustavian Weekly

Editor-in-Chief Emily VanGorder ’22 and Assistant Editor-in-Chief Cadence Paramore ‘22, talk about their paths to Gustavus, student journalism, and their current positions with the student paper, the work their positions involve, pressing issues and activism among Gustavus students beyond the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, “objectivity” and journalism, their post-graduation plans, their pitches for Gustavus and advice for incoming students, and their pets (a cat, a dog, and snails).

Jul 05, 202201:00:20
“Playing for the Crowns on the Front of Your Jersey”

“Playing for the Crowns on the Front of Your Jersey”

In this 50th anniversary year of Title IX’s passage, Gustavus Head Women’s Hockey Coach Michael Carroll, the winningest coach in the program’s history, and senior All-American team member Kayla Vrieze ’22 speak about their paths to hockey (along with baseball in Coach’s case) and Gustavus, the challenges COVID-19 posed for the program, what they enjoy about hockey, what it takes to be a successful student-athlete on and off the ice, the ingredients of effective coaching, the team’s outstanding 2021-22 season culminating in a cliff-hanging loss in the NCAA Division III national championship game, how athletics and academics are complementary at Gustavus, and what’s ahead for each of them and the team.

Jun 28, 202201:04:13
Serving the Community and Justice

Serving the Community and Justice

The Honorable Judge Tanya Bransford ’80 of Hennepin County District Court, on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on court proceedings, her path to and experiences at Gustavus (including her formative experience in the political science department’s Washington., DC, semester program), her path to law school influenced by a Gustavus January Term, working in private practice, becoming and serving as a judge, approaching sentencing decisions, her current specialization in juvenile court and effecting positive changes in the juvenile detention system, her reactions to the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson, the inspiring story of her father James Bransford, and her pitch for Gustavus.

Jun 21, 202201:12:46
Charlotte Delbo and Writing and Reading the Holocaust

Charlotte Delbo and Writing and Reading the Holocaust

Dr. Sharon Marquart of the Gustavus Department of Modern Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS) program converses about her background and path from initial biology major to BA and PhD in French and eventually Gustavus professor, studying abroad in the French Alps, the life, “value system,” and significance of French Auschwitz survivor and author Charlotte Delbo, about whom she has written extensively, the provocative argument of her book On the Defensive: Reading the Ethical in Nazi Camp Testimonies, what writing involves, the GWSS program, and teaching at Gustavus.

Jun 14, 202201:02:01
“Gustavus Gave Me the Ability to Reason”

“Gustavus Gave Me the Ability to Reason”

Jeff Sorenson ’90 on growing up with a passion for hubcaps or wheel covers, his path to Gustavus and the history major, post-graduation days pondering what next on Santa Monica beach, launching, growing, and selling a successful wheel cover business that ultimately supplied most of Sam’s Club’s hubcaps, working subsequently in vendor management, launching a brokerage business of phone and internet providers, successful entrepreneurship, writing and recording music, and the impact of his Gustavus education on his career.

Jun 07, 202201:00:54
“Basketball to Me Has Been a Vehicle”

“Basketball to Me Has Been a Vehicle”

On the occasion of his retirement as the winningest Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Gustavus, Mark Hanson ’83 speaks about his path to and experiences at the College as a student and basketball player, his subsequent unanticipated return as an assistant and ultimately head coach, the impact of COVID-19 on the program, Gustavus’s success in combining athletic and academic excellence, his approach to coaching and the game, mentoring student-athletes, playing basketball in Sweden, the recruiting process and what he hasn’t liked about it, and what comes next for him.

May 24, 202201:01:54
“Farewell to Leningrad”

“Farewell to Leningrad”

For this special episode, Greg speaks with his extraordinary and much-revered high-school history teacher, Mr. D. Stanley Moore, about Stan’s Minneapolis background and education at Beloit College, his study of the Russian language in the US Army and eventually Russian Area Studies at the University of Minnesota and Dostoevsky at Yale, his path to and career at Rich East High School in the postwar town of Park Forest, IL, traveling, teaching, learning, and camping in the USSR and Europe (including in the explosive year 1968), teaching in China during and after Tiananmen Square, Russia’s war on Ukraine, and his poetry, from which he reads.

May 17, 202201:08:14
From Pentecostalism to Liberation Theology

From Pentecostalism to Liberation Theology

Professor Thia Cooper of the Department of Religion at Gustavus on growing up poor and Pentecostal as the daughter of a single mom in New Hampshire, traveling to the Soviet Union at age 16 as it was breaking up, her study of international relations at Brown University, the questions that led her from there to graduate work in development studies and then liberation theology, her understanding of theology and its feminist and liberationist iterations, her books Queer and Indecent about the theology of Marcella Althaus-Reid and A Christian Guide to Liberating Desire, Sex, Partnership, Work, and Reproduction, and why studying religion and the liberal arts is important. Note: Some two months after this episode was recorded, Professor Cooper won Gustavus's Faculty Scholarship Award, announced on Honors Day, May 7, 2022. Congratulations Dr. Cooper!

May 10, 202251:01
Bringing a Play to Life on Stage

Bringing a Play to Life on Stage

Professors Kimberly Braun ’11 and Matthew Rightmire converse about their backgrounds and paths to theater directing and scenic design, respectively, the work of and their approaches to acting, directing, and designing (including all the tech elements), how a director and the production team interact in the process of staging a play, the differences between acting and directing, the subversive possibilities of theater, how a liberal arts theater education prepares one for success in the workplace and lifelong learning, and (no spoiler alerts necessary) their own specific collaboration on the spring 2022 play Gloria at Gustavus (taking place May 5-8 at the Rob and Judy Gardner Laboratory Theatre).

May 03, 202201:01:12
Becoming and Being a Vet (DVM)

Becoming and Being a Vet (DVM)

Dr. Joanne  (Biederman) Kamper ’96 talks about growing up on a hobby farm, her path to and experiences at Gustavus, pursuing veterinary medicine at the University of Minnesota, the nature and financial expense of veterinary training as well as the implications of that cost, her decision to focus on small animals, the Andover Animal Hospital in Andover, Minn., and her work there, the mission and operation of the Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone, Minn., and her work with its big cats, the question of animal rights, and the case for her alma mater.

Apr 26, 202201:05:41
“Nothing Occurs in a Vacuum”

“Nothing Occurs in a Vacuum”

Professor David Tobaru Obermiller of the Gustavus Department of History , winner of the College’s Edgar M. Carlson Award for Distinguished Teaching, on COVID-19’s impact on teaching and learning, the response of East Asian countries to the pandemic, his bicultural Okinawan and American background and how it has shaped him, his mother’s challenging life in Japan, Okinawa, and the U.S., his bumpy first-generation path to a college degree, studying abroad in Japan and deciding to pursue graduate study in Asian history, the development of Okinawan “ethnic nationalism,” China’s relations with the U.S. and Russia at the present historical moment, and the rewards of getting to know students well at Gustavus.

Apr 19, 202201:24:39
“Embrace the Unknown”

“Embrace the Unknown”

Dr. Sean Cobb of the Gustavus English department and Film and Media Studies program on his Arizona background and path from kicked-out college student to English and film professor in Minnesota, creating (with colleagues) the College’s Film and Media Studies minor, visual literacy, his research on the concept of “border” in postwar US literature and film, his love of film noir, films that are effective with students and films for our present historical moment, trends in movie-making and marketing, the ingredients for him of a satisfying movie, the advantages of a liberal arts college, and what he enjoys about Gustavus.

Apr 12, 202201:22:58