Saint Mary's Currents

The rise of special education students along with a shortage of special education teachers is a concern for schools in Minnesota and across the nation. This month Ben Rodgers speaks with Kate Nelson, program director for the M.A. in Special Education program at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, to understand what has led to this current situation and what can be done to combat it.

The recent closure of the labor and delivery unit at Fosston Hospital in northern Minnesota has raised numerous concerns about the healthcare crisis across rural Minnesota and the U.S.  
With reports that more than half of the hospitals in the nation are no longer offering maternity care, and with the 2022 Minnesota Department of Health findings showing a severe shortage of health practitioners of all types in our state, we turn to one of our experts at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota to share her perspective on this alarming issue. 
In this episode of Saint Mary’s Currents, we sit down with Julie Gauderman, DNAP, associate director of the nurse anesthesia program, and discuss the healthcare crisis's impact on practitioners, patients, and communities.

In our first episode of season three, Ben Rodgers and Michael Ratajczyk, associate professor of business and program director for the B.S. and M.A. in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics programs, discuss artificial intelligence and it’s impact on the workforce and workforce development.

On Jan. 19, 2023, the United States hit its debt limit, sparking economic and political concerns. But what does it mean when the debt limit is hit and what steps can be taken to correct the issue? Andrew Scott, an assistant professor of business, joins Saint Mary’s Currents host to discuss what national debt is, what policy prescriptions politicians might use to combat the issue, and how those policies might affect the average American.

In this episode of Saint Mary’s Currents, podcast host Ben Rodgers is joined by Tricia Klosky, Ph.D., associate professor of criminal justice, to discuss the psychology of serial killers and why, at a time when true crime entertainment is on the rise, society has such an interest in these individuals.

After many heavy topics were discussed in the first season of Saint Mary’s Currents, Paul Kotz, Ph.D., a core professor in the Ed.D. in Leadership program at Saint Mary’s, joins podcast host Ben Rodgers to discuss positivity and tell several stories that have impacted his outlook on life. We hope our listeners enjoy this entertaining episode as we begin the second season of Saint Mary's Currents.

The 2022 Trailer for Saint Mary's Currents by Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Saint Mary's Currents is a podcast where we address issues that are trending, relevant, and yes, sometimes divisive or controversial. Just as current is a flow of positive electric charge, the goal of Saint Mary's Currents is to find a positive path forward.

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota assistant professor of business Andrew Scott discusses inflation. With prices increasing at the fastest rate in 40 years, Scott outlines considerations people may need to make in their everyday lives while navigating these times of rapidly changing high prices.

In this episode of Saint Mary’s Currents, Saint Mary’s business and data analytics professor Michael Ratajczyk and philosophy Professor Joe Tadie discuss the Metaverse, its potential uses, and the ethics that apply to the technology.

As Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, Saint Mary’s Currents host Ben Rodgers is joined by history professor Erich Lippman, Saint Mary’s resident Russia expert, to discuss the historical context behind the invasion.

In this episode of the podcast, Saint Mary’s Currents host Ben Rodgers is joined by Andy Robertson, executive director of GeoSpatial Services, to discuss the topic of climate change. Working in the field of natural resource management and digital mapping, Robertson has seen the impacts of climate change up close. During their conversation, Ben and Andy discuss a variety of topics, including what climate change affects he has seen while doing fieldwork, the topic of environmental justice and how it intersects with climate change, and why a local response to the climate crisis is needed.

With news of the tragic suicide of former Miss USA and correspondent for 'Extra,' Cheslie Kryst, our focus has again turned to Mental Health in the United States. According to the CDC, suicide was responsible for more than 47,500 deaths in 2019, and is on the rise in almost every state. In this episode of Saint Mary's Currents, core assistant professor Ann Schissel, Ph.D. joins us to discuss depression and suicide, and offer advice and resources.

Most experts tend to agree that America is experiencing one of the most polarizing moments in politics in the country’s history. But was it always this way? What factors are leading to this division? How might we be able to pull ourselves out of this divide? In this episode of Saint Mary’s Currents, political science professor David Lynch, Ph.D. joins host Ben Rodgers to discuss the timely and urgent topic of political polarization.

Mallory Knipe, DSW, joins Saint Mary’s Currents host Ben Rodgers to discuss the recent research she presented at a … “Star Trek” convention. Over the course of the pandemic, Knipe, the program director for the MSW program and chair of social work at Saint Mary’s, conducted research  that looked at the interactions of people participating in the digital community Sid City Social Club. The online community was created by “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9)” actor Alexander Siddig to help support fans who were experiencing isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. After finishing the research, Knipe presented it during a panel discussion at Destination Star Trek in London.

In recent years, the topic of teacher burnout has been a concern among educators. Now with the COVID-19 pandemic, new stresses are being heaped on educators, leading to faster burnout and shortages in community schools. In this episode, Tracy Lysne and Sarah Haugen, program directors for the M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning program, join Saint Mary's Currents host Ben Rodgers to discuss what led to teacher burnout prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, how the pandemic has made the issue worse, and how to alleviate some of these concerns.