Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Dean Vakharia has an interdisciplinary background. An Engineering undergraduate, master’s in arts administration and Phd in Information Science. He has experience working in the corporate sector as well with non-profits. When the opportunity to be Dean of the HC came up, he threw his hat in the ring. On this podcast, Dean Vakharia shares his background, his vision for Pennoni Honors College, Honors Programs, Scholarships & Grants, Role of AI, C...
Mar 21, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 430
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter After finishing High School, Dr. Cannon joined the Marine Corps as an Arabic Cryptologic Linguist. Dr. Cannon loved the process of learning a language. So, after the Marine Corps, Dr Cannon attended the University of Pittsburgh where he discovered archaeology which he combined with his love for languages. Dr. Cannon joins us on our podcast to talk about UG Research at Frederick Honors College, Research Infrastructure, Research Fellowships, Success ...
Feb 27, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 429
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Making sense of the College News. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take. Topics discussed in this episode: College Visits and Why you should do them [] Our Guest: Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California. Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode Transcript. Calls-to-action: Follow us on Instagram . Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations: Apple Podcasts , Spotify . For Podcast Transcripts,...
Feb 19, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 428
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter In the Fall semester of 2024, Dr. Cannon used the Getting Started with UG Research Workbook as a resource in a class he taught the Honors College freshmen In this special episode, we talk to Dr Cannon and 3 students - John, Preeti and Jacob about their experience with the workbook! On our podcast, Dr Cannon talks about using the workbook, the students describe their experiences and suggestions, and finally some advice for high schoolers. To learn m...
Feb 11, 2025•21 min•Season 1Ep. 427
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter This episode is part of a series of conversations related to AI and Education. In this Episode, Dean Harper shares a Historical Perspective on AI, An approach to Gen AI, AI related Courses, Digital Infrastructure, Policies, Faculty use, Impact on Admissions Applications, Ethics, and Future of AI in Higher Ed. Topics discussed in this episode: Introducing Dean Graeme Harper, Oakland University [] Historical Perspective [] Approach to Gen AI [] AI Co...
Jan 28, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 426
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter I first spoke with Dean when he was a Sophomore at Whitewater. Since then, his research experience has grown and he has found his own research to pursue in the form of analyzing volcanic rocks from Iceland. This has not only equipped him with a number of skills, it has opened opportunities to pursue Grad School or industry. Dean joins our podcast to share his undergraduate college journey at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, Getting started w...
Jan 17, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 425
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter In this series of episodes, College Counselors share their takeaways from College Alumni and Student stories featured in this Podcast. In this episode, Paula shares her takeaways from the Podcast episode with Emily Woodland, Drexel University. Topics discussed in this episode: Introducing Paula Dennis, Jenks High School, OK [] Emily’s Story Takeaways [] A Question or Two to Reflect on [] Closing Thoughts [] Our Guest: Paula Dennis is a College Coun...
Jan 09, 2025•11 min•Season 1Ep. 424
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter In High School Kalen took internationally focused courses. He loved Public Speaking and Debate and participated in a number of competitions and won the state championship in his senior year. At 16, even though he couldn’t vote, he actively volunteered in political action organizations. Kalen joins us on our podcast to share his UG Experience at CU Boulder, Studio Lab, UG Research in Political Science, TEDxCU, and Advice for High Schoolers. In parti...
Dec 14, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 423
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Making sense of the College News of the week, curated by Alma Matters . Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: How Students, Colleges and Counselors are using AI in College Applications 2024[] Our Guest: Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California. Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode Transcript. Calls-to-action: Follow us on Instagram . Subscribe or Follow our ...
Dec 10, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 422
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter I last spoke to Thomas when he was a sophomore at Davidson and was pursuing an entrepreneurial venture called Portfolio Kings. Thomas stayed entrepreneurial in the second half of his college years and co-founded MESA, a startup to provide independent musicians an administrative infrastructure and also ensure that all rights holders on music NFT get paid. In this episode, Thomas shares his undergraduate & entrepreneurial journey at Davidson, co-...
Dec 03, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 421
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter When I last spoke with Rebecca, she had just graduated from High School and was headed to the University of Texas Austin. Rebecca is a junior at UT Austin. In this episode, Rebecca shares her undergraduate experiences at UT Austin, Her Internships, Study Abroad in Ireland, and Majoring in Journalism. Check Out: The College Application Workbooks for Juniors and Seniors In particular, we discuss the following with her: The UT Austin Experience Transi...
Nov 21, 2024•38 min•Ep. 420
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter In this series of episodes, College Counselors share their takeaways from College Alumni and Student stories featured in this Podcast. Tom Stepkoski picked the 3 episodes from “College Vignettes Tell Tales”, my handbook for sophomores and juniors. In this episode, Tom shares his takeaways from Podcast episodes with Lorena of Davidson College, Aidan of UCLA, and Avinash of Princeton. Topics discussed in this episode: Introducing Tom Stepkoski, Westh...
Nov 14, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 419
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Tracy got her PhD from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. For years after that, she taught college students in programs called “Semesters at Sea”. During that time she was also an instructor for the Outward Bound with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). She noticed that all her students were wealthy. That insight led Tracy to found the STEP - an amazing program to provide guidance to high achieving, low income stude...
Nov 10, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 418
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Making sense of the College News of the week, curated by Alma Matters . Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: Lower Acceptance Rates at the Top US Colleges [] Enrollment Decline [] Our Guest: Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California. Resources referred to in this episode: Curated News at Alma Matters [0:11] EducationNext [] New York Times [] Episode Transcript: ...
Nov 05, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 417
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Digital SAT is here. Today we feature 2 high school seniors, Eva and Emily from Jenks High School to share their experiences with the Digital SAT. They talk about the structure of the test, how they prepared for it, The differences between the Paper and Digital Test, and their Advice for Juniors. Topics discussed in this episode: Introducing Eva Mahajan, Emily Seo, Jenks High School [] Digital SAT Overall Experience [] Setup [] Parts of the Test []...
Nov 01, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 416
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Beto liked Math and Science classes in High School. He loved to play soccer. In his senior year of high school, he started gravitating towards trade school and a career in welding. So, during the summer after high school, he started working as a welder. But then things changed for him. Beto joins our podcast to share his inspiring undergraduate college journey at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, Landslide Research, Summer Internships, Choosi...
Oct 27, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 415
Sign Up to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter As a junior In High School, Heidi was intrigued about College. Although her College Counselor wasn’t very motivating. And her parents were not College graduates. Her parents paid for a College Counseling program at a local community college. Heidi found this exciting and inspiring. Today, Heidi is the Director of College Counseling at Catholic Central High School in Michigan. Heidi joins us on our podcast to talk about her background, Catholic Centra...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 414
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Making sense of the College News of the week, curated by Alma Matters . Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: FAFSA [] Our Guest: Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California. Resources referred to in this episode: Curated News at Alma Matters [0:11] MSN [] SC Daily Gazette [] US News [] Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode Transcript. Calls-to-action: Follow us...
Oct 17, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 414
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Teddy grew up loving the Sciences, especially Chemistry. He felt that Chemistry with the help of Math helped explain natural phenomena. In addition, he enjoyed History, Orchestra and Quiz Bowl. He started to appreciate taking an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Teddy joins our podcast to share his undergraduate experience at UT Austin, Interest Chemistry, Being a Dean Scholar, Fabricating 3D nano devices, Winning the Goldwater Scholarship, a...
Oct 15, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 413
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Making sense of the College News of the week, curated by Alma Matters . Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: College Rankings [] Our Guest: Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California. Resources referred to in this episode: Curated News at Alma Matters [0:11] US News [] The Wall Street Journal [] Forbes [] Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode Transcript. Calls...
Oct 08, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 412
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter This episode is part of a series of conversations related to using AI in Education. How AI is changing High Schools, Colleges, learning and College Applications.What High Schools and Colleges are instituting in terms of policies and guidelines about the use of AI in student work. In this Episode, Bill Hancock shares his views on AI, his early use of AI, the Do’s and Don’ts for students, Detecting AI, and Advice for College Applicants. Topics discus...
Sep 12, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 411
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Dr. Bala read “Comet” by Dr. Carl Sagan when she was probably in middle school. The book captured her imagination and she was fascinated by astronomy. Over time her curiosity led her to physics and ultimately becoming a Professor of Physics at Roanoke College, VA. On our podcast, Dr. Bala joins us on our podcast to talk about her background in academia, Physics and Research, Importance of doing UG Research, About CCL and commitment to UG Research, ...
Sep 11, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 410
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter This is the First in a series of conversations related to using AI in Education. How AI is changing High Schools, Colleges, learning and College Applications.What High Schools and Colleges are instituting in terms of policies and guidelines about the use of AI in student work. In this Episode, Jodi Foxx shares her views on AI, her own experiments with AI, the Do’s and Don’ts for students, and Advice for College Applicants. Topics discussed in this ...
Sep 04, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 409
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter 10X International School uniquely offers Experiential Programs to High Schoolers, To do research, build products, and in the process get a really good idea of what college program or career they want to pursue. On this Episode we feature 3 Grade 12 Student Researchers on a range of topics from Digital Safety in marginalized communities, Detecting CC fraud using AI, and Transformers in AI. The students are Pranav Morisetty, Pratosh Tiwari, and Saach...
Aug 29, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 408
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Making sense of the College News of the week, curated by Alma Matters . Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: ACT is Offering Digital Version of the Test [] State of Test Optional [] Our Guest: Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California. Resources referred to in this episode: Curated News at Alma Matters [0:11] US News [] Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode T...
Aug 27, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 407
Sign Up to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Even as an engineer, Iswari found herself explaining concepts to her peers. Teaching gave her a purpose. She became a certified Montessori educator and later Director of a Montessori school. Iswari believes it was that all-girls school she went to that built her self-confidence. Today as President of St. Mary’s Academy, Iswari is helping her students build theirs. Iswari joins us on our podcast to share her professional background, journey from engin...
Aug 11, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 406
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter For High School, Jai went to United World Colleges ISAK in Japan. He got to meet students from different parts of the world, live and study with them. He was very interested in Philosophy. He started a Philosophy club and wanted to grow up to be Professor. In this episode, Jai shares his undergraduate experiences at Brown University, Interest in Philosophy, Mice models, Majoring in Philosophy and Biology, and Advice for High Schoolers. Check Out: T...
Aug 08, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 405
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Sydney grew up surrounded by different cultures, languages which shaped his interests. He worked summers in the High School and used that money to travel. Sydney joins our podcast to share his University of Pittsburgh Honors journey, the Honors College, Getting the Voyager Scholarship, Majoring in Political Science, and his Advice for High Schoolers. Check Out: The College Application Workbooks for Juniors and Seniors In particular, we discuss the ...
Jul 15, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 404
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter In school Mary played rugby and took part in speech and debate. She was always interested in healthcare, and participated in Youth Partnership for health. Overall, she was committed to doing service and justice, and was very much grounded in Jesuit values. Mary joins our podcast to share her University of Pittsburgh Honors journey, Why Pitt?, Transferring to Pitt, Joining the Honors College, Social Innovation, Majoring in Healthcare Services Manage...
Jul 07, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 403
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Acting and Public Speaking were Mary Sarah’s passions while growing up. She loved to sing, dance and act. Theater honed her acting skills, so when she started to think about college, she was interested in pursuing Acting Programs. In this Podcast, Mary Sarah talks about her High School Journey, her interest in Acting and Theater, her college search process, and her advice for high schoolers. Check Out: The College Application Workbooks for Juniors ...
Jul 06, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 402
