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UW Tacoma alumna Hien Hong teaches yoga and meditation in the Tacoma area. Her courses are geared toward members of the BIPOC community. We’ll talk with Hong about the lack of diversity in the wellness community. We’ll also talk about how she’s tackling these issues head-on through the courses she offers.

In this episode members of the UW Tacoma community talk about why they vote and why they think voting is important. For some, it's civic duty, while for others voting is a way to honor those who've gone before.  Their stories take us to North Korea and to the Jim Crow era South and serve to remind us why voting is so important.

In this episode of the pod,  "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. This relatively short piece, it’s only 100 lines, of narrative poetry was first published back in 1845.  "The Raven" was the 19th century equivalent of a viral sensation. There are stories that children would follow Poe around and flap their arms like wings until he turned and exclaimed “Nevermore.” The poem remains popular today. "The Raven" has been referenced in "The Simpsons" and there’s even an NFL team named after it. Well, we’ve decided to put our own spin on this classic tale of loss, grief, and possible descent into madness. A group of 18 UW Tacoma faculty, staff, and alumni came together to read sections of "The Raven."Read by:Maria-Tania Bandes-Becerra WeingardenPatricia SullyIsabell MurrayJoel LarsonKim DavenportDayna ChildsTony PeroneMaria CrisostomoIngrid WalkerAnnie NguyenAmora LenziKatherine FeltsRandy NicholsJohn BurkhardtJosh KnudsonJutta HellerDustin AnnisTessa ColemanMusic:For the Fallen, by Edward Elgar, played by John Burkhardt

In this episode of the podcast, we discuss identity, perfectionism, and higher education with UW Tacoma Academic Advisor Ashley Walker. A self-described, "multi-racial mother of two," Walker holds both a bachelor's and a master's degree from UW Tacoma.  Her success wasn't easy. Walker had to overcome societal expectations and lingering self-doubt to get to where she is today.

From villains with razorblade gloves to mad scientists and everything in between, the monstrous, or monsters, are big business. The horror genre is very popular but behind the jump-out-of-your-seat scares and the gore lies something else. In this episode, we'll talk about the monstrous with UW Tacoma Associate Professor Ingrid Walker and UW Tacoma alumnus Dustin Annis. Walker teaches a course called "Monstrous Imagination." We'll delve into what monster stories say about us as individuals and as a culture. We'll also discuss what these stories can teach us.

The 2020 election is fast approaching. As the race heats up, so too does the level of disinformation. In this episode, we talk with Jevin West. West is the director of the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public. West and his team study misinformation. We'll discuss the misinformation surrounding mail-in voting. We'll also talk about deep fakes and the very real possibility that it may take a while to determine who won the presidential election and how bad actors might take advantage of this situation to undermine the results. Finally, we talk about the corrosive role misinformation plays in society.

Katrina Johnson planned on becoming a nurse. Instead, she's become a public figure in the movement to bring more accountability to policing. In 2017, Johnson's cousin Charleena Lyles was shot and killed by Seattle Police who were responding to a burglary call made by Ms. Lyles. The shooting prompted Johnson to get involved in police reform. In this episode Johnson talks about her role in helping turn Initiative 940 into law as well as her role on Governor Jay Inslee's task force. Johnson also talks about how her life has changed in the last three years and what life is like in the spotlight.

Omari Amili earned a bachelor's and a master's degree from UW Tacoma. He's the author of three books - a memoir and two children's books. Amili is a sought after speaker and reguarly gives talks through Humanities Washington. Amili grew up in poverty. His parents struggled with drug addiction. The young Amili bounced around from place to place. He attended 15 different schools before dropping out. Amili got involved with a check cashing scheme and ended up serving time in prison. In this episode we talk about Amili's childhood, his books and how he found success post incarceration. We'll also discuss his love of basketball, including a time Charles Barkely bought him dinner.

The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the inequities built into the U.S. healthcare system. In this episode of the podcast we continue our conversation with UW Tacoma Assistant Professor Sharon Laing and UW Associate Profesor Wendy Barrington. We talk specifically about how the pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color. Laing and Barrington also discuss the health impacts of racism and why racism should be deemed a public health crisis. Listen to Part I: https://www.buzzsprout.com/265902/4900661-racism-is-a-public-health-crisis-part-i

On this episode of the podcast we talk about the social determinants of health with UW Tacoma Assistant Professor Sharon Laing and UW Associate Professor Wendy Barrington. Laing and Barrington research how different factors, including racism, impact a person's health. We'll talk about how racist policies and practicies negatively impact health outcomes for people of color. These outcomes include higher instances of certain diseases and a lower average life expectancy. Listen to Part II: https://www.buzzsprout.com/265902/5067431-racism-is-a-public-health-crisis-part-ii

Pro Bono means 'for the good.' In this sense we're talking about the public good or the common good. In this episode of the podcast we talk UW Tacoma Legal Pathways Director Patricia Sully and Tacomaprobono's Ashley Duckworth. Tacomaprobono provides free legal services to Pierce County residents. We'll talk about those services and as well as the different career opportunities within the legal field. We'll also address the pandemic and the looming eviction crisis as states across the country, including Washington, lift moratoriums on evictions. *Note: This episode was recorded before Governor Inslee extended the eviction moratorium until October 15.

UW Tacoma Associate Professor Jane Compson joins us to talk about mindfulness. Compson researches mindfulness and has created a program to help caregivers manage stress. We'll talk about her work and her efforts to incorporate mindfulness into the classroom. Compson will also walk us through a short mindfulness meditation.

The Tacoma Urban League has been serving the Grit City for more than 50 years.The Urban League's mission is "to assist African Americans and other underserved urban residents in the achievement of social equality and economic independence." In this episode we talk with the Urban League's President & CEO T'wina Nobles about differrent programs and services the organization offers. We also discuss the Black Lives Matter Movement, the effort to Make Black Count and how Nobles overcame homelessness and hardship to get to where she is today. 

Harold Moss is a local icon. The civil rights advocate and businessman became Tacoma's first African-American mayor in 1994. Moss recently sat down with UW Tacoma part-time lecturer Kim Davenport to talk about his life, including his experiences with racism in Tacoma and the death of George Floyd.

In this episode we hear from three members of the class of 2020. Raihab Baig, Aaron Johnson and Stacey Fernandez reflect on their time at UWT. They also discuss the challenges of this past quarter as COVID-19 forced all instruction to go online. Finally, the three talk about graduating from college at a time of so much uncertainty.

This is a special episode of the podcast. We asked the UW Tacoma community to help us congratulate the class of 2020. A number of faculty, staff and even some parents responded with their messages. Enjoy!

The COVID-19 pandemic brought out the best in people and the worst. In this episode we talk about racism directed at members of the Asian American community. We spoke with students, faculty and staff at UW Tacoma to get their perspectives on racist insults and attacks targeting Asian Americans. Rachel Endo, the Dean of UW Tacoma’s School of Education helps put what we’re seeing now into a larger historical perspective. Staff Psychologist and avid runner Paolo Laraño discusses racism he’s experienced while out for a jog. He also discusses the murder of fellow runner Ahmaud Arbery. Finally, UW Tacoma students Melissa Atienza and Joseph Daynot provide insight into their everyday experiences as Asian Americans.

Jeff Rice is the Managing Editor at the Puget Sound Institute at the University of Washington Tacoma. As a wildlife sound recordist, he serves as the program director for the Acoustic Atlas, one of the largest online archives of sounds of the American West. Rice has a background in journalism and public radio, as well as an MFA in Electronic Music and Recording Media. Rice has successfully found a way to marry his love for nature, storytelling and audio engineering in his work while also making an impact on the world around him. Sounds and Music from this podcast were used with permission, courtesy of Jeff Rice. Acoustic Atlas - www.acousticatlas.orgPuget Sound Institute - www.pugetsoundinstitute.orgJeff Rice's website - www.ecosystemsound.com

In this episode we chat with Riki Thompson. Thompson is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Writing Studies at UW Tacoma. We talk with Thompson about her research into online dating, specifically what makes a "good" profile as well as the differences between how men and women use online dates sites and apps. In the second part of the conversation we talk about how "survival dating" during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A follow up to the episode "Finding a Silver Lining In a Time of Pandemic," host Sarah Smith reconnects with friends overseas in Spain, Australia and Norway again to find out what's changed in their country, how they've adapted to life during a pandemic, and their perceptions of what's happening here in America. A big thanks to Nick Roden, Ph.D., Leslie Ihnot, Raul Moran and Anne Chappel for their contributions to this podcast.