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SoundAffect

Conversations with smart people about stuff that affects our world, and how we affect it

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Recent episodes

SoundAffect: Bakari Sellers on a heavy heart, patience and a lot of work to do
SoundAffect: Bakari Sellers on a heavy heart, patience and a lot of work to do
April 1, 2022

“You can disagree with folk and still maintain relationships.” — CNN commentator, attorney and New York Times bestselling author Bakari Sellers on the latest SoundAffect podcast.

Listen to this episode
SoundAffect: Monique Johnson on beating the survival odds, succeeding beyond expectations, and channeling her power to help others
SoundAffect: Monique Johnson on beating the survival odds, succeeding beyond expectations, and channeling her power to help others
Jan. 14, 2022

Monique Johnson's drive, dedication and joy are undeniable. Born with diastrophic dysplasia dwarfism and scoliosis, doctors predicted she would not live past the age of 6. Now 36, with a business degree and a law degree, Johnson is a successful entrepreneur and artist who touches the lives around the world with her incredible tale of perseverance and her gifts of humor, painting and motivational speaking.

Listen to this episode
SoundAffect: Baker Perry and Panuru Sherpa on installing the highest weather station in the world
SoundAffect: Baker Perry and Panuru Sherpa on installing the highest weather station in the world
Dec. 15, 2021

Host Megan Hayes welcomes Dr. Baker Perry, a high altitude climber and higher education professional who along with a team sponsored by Rolex and National Geographic installed the world's highest weather station on top of Mount Everest. On this SoundAffect he is joined my Panuru Sherpa who helped lead the team.

Listen to this episode

SoundAffect is a podcast series of conversations with smart people about stuff that affects our world, and how we affect it.

All episodes

  • SoundAffect: Bakari Sellers on a heavy heart, patience and a lot of work to do
    SoundAffect: Bakari Sellers on a heavy heart, patience and a lot of work to do

    “You can disagree with folk and still maintain relationships.” — CNN commentator, attorney and New York Times bestselling author Bakari Sellers on the latest SoundAffect podcast.

    18:00
    April 1, 2022
  • SoundAffect: Monique Johnson on beating the survival odds, succeeding beyond expectations, and channeling her power to help others
    SoundAffect: Monique Johnson on beating the survival odds, succeeding beyond expectations, and channeling her power to help others

    Monique Johnson's drive, dedication and joy are undeniable. Born with diastrophic dysplasia dwarfism and scoliosis, doctors predicted she would not live past the age of 6. Now 36, with a business degree and a law degree, Johnson is a successful entrepreneur and artist who touches the lives around the world with her incredible tale of perseverance and her gifts of humor, painting and motivational speaking.

    25:41
    Jan. 14, 2022
  • SoundAffect: Baker Perry and Panuru Sherpa on installing the highest weather station in the world
    SoundAffect: Baker Perry and Panuru Sherpa on installing the highest weather station in the world

    Host Megan Hayes welcomes Dr. Baker Perry, a high altitude climber and higher education professional who along with a team sponsored by Rolex and National Geographic installed the world's highest weather station on top of Mount Everest. On this SoundAffect he is joined my Panuru Sherpa who helped lead the team.

    32:10
    Dec. 15, 2021
  • SoundAffect: Nikki Giovanni on holding on and letting go
    SoundAffect: Nikki Giovanni on holding on and letting go

    A Civil Rights activist and world-renowned poet, Nikki Giovanni's journey led her from Knoxville, TN to the forefront of the late 1960s Black Arts Movement. On the path she fell in love with hospitals and space, befriended gangsters and nuns, and determined that writing is not about keeping score - but it is about making a point.

    59:43
    March 27, 2020
  • Poet Engineer Richard Blanco on documenting a bridge generation and achieving artistic success without teenage angst or selling out
    Poet Engineer Richard Blanco on documenting a bridge generation and achieving artistic success without teenage angst or selling out

    Gay, Cuban-American, immigrant, poet, engineer, documentarian, historical figure, mentor, role model- Richard Blanco bears many labels yet keeps it real.

    59:42
    June 14, 2019
  • FEMA Administrator Brock Long and Appalachian professor Dr. Shea Tuberty on resiliency
    FEMA Administrator Brock Long and Appalachian professor Dr. Shea Tuberty on resiliency

    What happens when the FEMA administrator and a water quality expert and biology professor start talking about resiliency and the effects of climate change? The discussion moves from what it's like being on the front lines of America's worst disasters, to the interplay of environmental, social and economic resiliency, to how Appalachian is cultivating resilient students.

    42:11
    Feb. 5, 2019
  • Stewart Harris on free speech, hate speech and protected speech
    Stewart Harris on free speech, hate speech and protected speech

    “It’s not necessary to protect popular speech. It's hateful speech, or offensive speech, or unpopular speech that requires first amendment protection...”

    41:50
    Dec. 14, 2018
  • Jesse Jackson on polarization, politics and the power of the everyday citizen
    Jesse Jackson on polarization, politics and the power of the everyday citizen

    Civil Rights Living Legend Jesse Jackson discusses the past present and future of activism and the power of your vote.

    38:27
    Oct. 26, 2018
  • Damon Williams on how to move the needle on campus diversity and inclusion
    Damon Williams on how to move the needle on campus diversity and inclusion

    When a predominantly white campus wants to increase diversity and inclusion for all, it's important to acknowledge the difficulties and challenges along the way while continuing to move forward. Dr. Damon Williams shares his expertise on bringing communities together.

    54:34
    Sep. 26, 2018
  • Janine Benyus on 3.8 billion-year-old solutions to today's design challenges
    Janine Benyus on 3.8 billion-year-old solutions to today's design challenges

    How do we innovate solutions that will stand the test of time, and how can we measure how well they are working? The answers are all around us.

    37:51
    Aug. 15, 2018
  • Jehanne Dubrow on claiming a space for the military spouse in literature
    Jehanne Dubrow on claiming a space for the military spouse in literature

    Poet Jehanne Dubrow's work conjures up provocative and sensual imagery that frequently pushes against long-held notions of the role and contributions of the military spouse.

    33:47
    June 1, 2018
  • Chitra Divakaruni on bridging cultural and ethnic diversity through storytelling
    Chitra Divakaruni on bridging cultural and ethnic diversity through storytelling

    Prejudice, alienation, cultural misunderstanding and inspiration for overcoming life’s obstacles drive "One Amazing Thing" author Chitra Divakaruni. It's the latest SoundAffect podcast.

    18:13
    March 24, 2018
  • 100th Podcast Spectacular
    100th Podcast Spectacular

    App's UComm team takes a look back at where we've been and where we're headed.

    55:46
    Feb. 9, 2018
  • Dr. Nickolas Jordan on getting uncomfortable, taking risks, screwing up, and finding your truth
    Dr. Nickolas Jordan on getting uncomfortable, taking risks, screwing up, and finding your truth

    Dr. Nickolas Jordan, Associate Dean of the Reich College of Education and licensed marriage and family therapist, gets real about getting real, taking risks, screwing up and - very importantly - staying in relationship.

    25:48
    Sep. 27, 2017
  • What two South African geographers learned from Nelson Mandela about rugby, restitution and removing monuments
    What two South African geographers learned from Nelson Mandela about rugby, restitution and removing monuments

    On this SoundAffect podcast, two South African geographers share what they learned from Nelson Mandela about rugby, restitution and removing monuments.

    52:26
    Sep. 14, 2017
  • Dr. David Pilgrim on the Jim Crow Museum, multiculturalism race relations, diversity and how to be involved
    Dr. David Pilgrim on the Jim Crow Museum, multiculturalism race relations, diversity and how to be involved

    How one activist is using objects of intolerance to teach tolerance.

    Dr. David Pilgrim, leading expert on issues relating to multiculturalism, diversity and race relations, recently recorded a podcast at Appalachian State University as part of a week-long event exploring freedom of speech on college campuses and the First Amendment.

    42:09
    April 10, 2017
  • Dr. Lee Bird on protecting the First Amendment on university campuses
    Dr. Lee Bird on protecting the First Amendment on university campuses

    “Protection is often for the speech that we hate, not the speech that we all agree is appropriate.”

    Dr. Lee Bird, leading expert on First Amendment rights and freedom of speech, recorded a podcast at Appalachian State University.

    22:30
    April 10, 2017
  • FIRE Director Robert L. Shibley speaks out on free speech
    FIRE Director Robert L. Shibley speaks out on free speech

    Hear why censorship, like free speech, is a two-sided sword.

    Since starting FIRE in 2003, Director Robert Shibley has helped students and faculty on hundreds of college campuses defend and protect free speech. He was one of the guest speakers in Appalachian State University’s “Say What?” – a series of more than 30 events exploring freedom of speech on college campuses and the First Amendment.

    24:31
    April 10, 2017
  • Dr. Nancy Love on lyrics, the First Amendment and the power of music
    Dr. Nancy Love on lyrics, the First Amendment and the power of music

    How music influences political movements and people

    Dr. Nancy Love, political scientist who teaches critical, democratic and feminist theory and is the author of Trendy Fascism: White Power Music and the Future of Democracy, explores how music motivates, and our personal responsibility to recognize its power.

    25:00
    April 10, 2017
  • W. Kamau Bell on humor and serious issues
    W. Kamau Bell on humor and serious issues

    Critically-acclaimed comedian and sociopolitical explorer, W. Kamau Bell gets real about humor and social change, and why both are important.

    13:44
    Feb. 8, 2017
  • Chef, author and food justice advocate Bryant Terry talks (vegan) turkey
    Chef, author and food justice advocate Bryant Terry talks (vegan) turkey

    Chef and activist Bryant Terry gets pragmatic about healthy eating and why access to healthy, affordable food is a social justice issue we all need to understand.

    39:01
    Nov. 14, 2016
  • Jon Ronson on Public Shaming
    Jon Ronson on Public Shaming

    Is social media programming us to be intolerant?

    Hear Jon Ronson on the phenomenon of public shaming via social media. Have we come that far from the stocks in the public square? Is Twitter our new scarlet letter?

    28:38
    Aug. 24, 2016
  • Dr. Michael Eric Dyson on LGBTQ+, social activism, the millennial voice and President Obama
    Dr. Michael Eric Dyson on LGBTQ+, social activism, the millennial voice and President Obama

    Commentator, professor, activist and author encourages open and honest and exchange of ideas, and empathy in opposition.

    In a recent visit to Appalachian State University’s podcast studio, one of America’s foremost African American voices, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, shares his thoughts on 21st-century activism, and the value of empathy.

    22:55
    April 22, 2016
  • Dr. Nina Jablonski explores skin color and the role it plays in self identity, racism and evolution
    Dr. Nina Jablonski explores skin color and the role it plays in self identity, racism and evolution

    World-famous anthropologist on race, genetics and the genealogy of primates.

    Anthropologist and author Nina Jablonski posits human evolution has taken off like the world’s fastest sprinter, dramatically changing the human face of the earth. She explores skin color and race and the roles they’ve played socially, biologically and from a health perspective over the last 200,000 years.

    29:26
    April 13, 2016
  • How can we teach sustainability in our classrooms and in our communities?
    How can we teach sustainability in our classrooms and in our communities?

    An Appalachian State University faculty expert roundtable discussion

    Sustainability goes far beyond reducing our carbon footprint or diverting trash. In this episode, three Appalachian professors share their thoughts how a commitment to sustainability impacts research, creative work, and share how they are teaching Appalachian students to make sustainable choices.

    28:37
    Jan. 8, 2016
  • Economics in a sustainable world - how can we measure progress?
    Economics in a sustainable world - how can we measure progress?

    An Appalachian State University faculty expert roundtable discussion

    Sustainability goes far beyond reducing our carbon footprint or diverting trash. In this episode, three Appalachian professors discuss the economics of sustainability, and address the question of metrics. How do we know if we are making progress with our efforts toward becoming a more sustainable society?

    22:58
    Jan. 8, 2016
  • How social justice fits into the 3E’s of sustainability
    How social justice fits into the 3E’s of sustainability

    An Appalachian State University faculty expert roundtable discussion

    Sustainability goes far beyond reducing our carbon footprint and recycling. In this episode, three Appalachian State University professors explore social equity - what it is, and why it may be the most important of the 3E’s of sustainability.

    30:28
    Jan. 8, 2016
  • Faculty discuss sustainability’s 3E’s: economics, equity and environment
    Faculty discuss sustainability’s 3E’s: economics, equity and environment

    Are the 3E’s of Sustainability Sustainable? Hear what the experts say.

    24:09
    Nov. 18, 2015
  • Ray Suarez on why it's important to increase the number of black and brown college graduates and more
    Ray Suarez on why it's important to increase the number of black and brown college graduates and more

    Renowned journalist and author Ray Suarez talks about culture change anxiety, why it's important to increase the number of black and brown college graduates and what Appalachian can learn about family from Hispanic/Latino cultures.

    20:49
    Oct. 28, 2015
  • Bonnie Schaefer on Becoming a CEO, Owning a World-class Spa and more
    Bonnie Schaefer on Becoming a CEO, Owning a World-class Spa and more

    Bonnie Schaefer shares insight from her experiences as the owner of the world-class Westglow Resort and Spa and former CEO and co-chair of the board of Claire’s Stores Inc.

    14:49
    Oct. 23, 2015
  • Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on choosing to preserve our assets
    Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on choosing to preserve our assets

    The keynote speaker for the 2015 Appalachian Energy Summit, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., dropped by our studio to talk about ways to measure value in economic systems, how to effect lasting change in order to preserve the assets of communities across the world, and offered some advice to students for building their skills for success.

    22:32
    Aug. 14, 2015
  • Creative approaches to problem solving, featuring John Osborn
    Creative approaches to problem solving, featuring John Osborn

    Creative problem solving. What is it? How does it work, and why? In this Appalachian State University SoundAffect podcast, we talk with BBDO president and CEO John Osborn about the advantages of applying creativity to situations in the workplace and in life.

    26:02
    April 29, 2015
  • Moving Forward: Lessons from a Civil Rights Leader, featuring Julian Bond
    Moving Forward: Lessons from a Civil Rights Leader, featuring Julian Bond

    Civil rights leader Julian Bond recalls lessons from his experiences as an activist, and talks about the importance of finding – and acting on – opportunities to effect change.

    16:22
    Feb. 2, 2015
  • Success, Defined: featuring Soledad O’Brien and Ivan Penado '12
    Success, Defined: featuring Soledad O’Brien and Ivan Penado '12

    Hear award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien and a first-generation student from Appalachian State University define success and what can bring more opportunity to young people.

    19:47
    June 18, 2014
  • Generation on a Slackline
    Generation on a Slackline

    Discussing a diverse, global, digital information economy in motion - and Appalachian's role in it

    In their book “Generation on a Tightrope” (Jossey-Bass 2012), Dr. Arthur Levine and Dr. Diane Dean present challenges that educational institutions face in preparing this current generation of undergraduate students to understand and thrive in describe a diverse, global, digital information economy in motion. They join Provost Lori Gonzalez and Dean of Students JJ Brown to discuss Appalachian’s role in this challenge.

    24:50
    Dec. 5, 2013
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