Stacey Simms ’93 is an award-winning podcaster and author who has been sharing stories, advice and news about diabetes on her Diabetes Connections podcast , through her blog and in two books: “The World’s Worst Diabetes Mom” and “Still the World’s Worst Diabetes Mom.” In this ’Cuse Conversation, she talks about her approach to raising a son with diabetes and how she’s found professional success as a trusted voice in this space. Stacey, who started her career in television news before moving to t...
Oct 06, 2022•38 min•Season 4Ep. 11
Food was always at the epicenter of Ashia Aubourg's '18 life, and she dreamed of being a chef until an experience at an award-winning restaurant in Boston helped Aubourg realize an important lesson: not everyone has the same access to food. Aubourg started thinking about food inequality and food justice, and headed to Syracuse University to be one of the first students in Falk College's fledgling food studies program. Today, Aubourg serves as the lead of Asana's global culinary program, blending...
Sep 27, 2022•37 min•Season 4Ep. 10
As a student at Oberlin College, Ethan Bair experienced such a meaningful connection with Hillel and with his rabbi that he was inspired to become a rabbi. Something about building community and teaching the ways of the Torah to college students resonated with Bair, who earlier this summer was named Hillel at Syracuse University's new rabbi and will serve as Jewish chaplain at Hendricks Chapel. An accomplished Jewish community leader, Rabbi Bair shares how he assists with the holistic developmen...
Sep 22, 2022•26 min•Season 4Ep. 9
The Office of Community Engagement is hosting Food Insecurity Awareness Week to raise awareness about food insecurity issues on the Syracuse University campus and in the city of Syracuse. On this 'Cuse Conversation, we spotlight the incredible, data-driven work being done on campus to address food insecurity and food justice. Colleen Heflin, associate dean, chair and professor in the Maxwell School’s Public Administration and International Affairs (PAIA) department, and Len Lopoo, a Maxwell PAIA...
Sep 15, 2022•32 min•Season 4Ep. 8
In his new book, " There’s Just One Problem… True Tales from the former, one-time, 7th most powerful person in WWE, " Brian Gewirtz ’95 pulls back the curtain on professional wrestling by sharing “fascinating and hilarious” stories (those are Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s adjectives!) from his fifteen-year career with the WWE. Gewirtz describes how earning The Rock’s trust first led to a job in professional wrestling and later to a senior vice president role with The Rock’s production company. It ...
Sep 11, 2022•36 min•Season 4Ep. 7
For the first time in more than a decade, the Syracuse University women’s volleyball program has a new head coach: Bakeer Ganesharatnam, the seventh women's volleyball coach in school history. Ganesharatnam boasts an impressive coaching resume and has a reputation for helping student-athletes achieve success on the court and in the classroom. Ganesharatnam discusses what made the position so appealing, why he was the right person to lead the Orange, how he'll use analytics to help his team get b...
Aug 30, 2022•28 min•Season 4Ep. 6
What does it take to keep 21,000-plus students safe on a thriving residential campus located in the heart of an urban area? On this ’Cuse Conversation, we go behind the scenes with Craig Stone , associate vice president and chief of Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services , who joined Syracuse University this past spring. Campus safety is a critical undertaking on any college campus, and Stone and his team work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to protect our community a...
Aug 25, 2022•27 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Syracuse University is preparing for more than 4,000 first-year students to arrive on campus this week for Syracuse Welcome, the University’s new student orientation program. Syracuse Welcome represents the first steps in a student’s Syracuse University journey, and on this 'Cuse Conversation, Carrie Grogan Abbott G'03 , director of New Student and Family Programs , discusses what students and their families can expect during Syracuse Welcome. Abbott shares tips and best practices to ensure move...
Aug 22, 2022•30 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Leaving behind your family and friends and embarking on your Syracuse University journey can feel daunting to both the student and their family members. As the University prepares to welcome thousands of first-year students to campus for Syracuse Welcome, we invited Amie Freling '89, a well-known interior decorator, home décor expert and social media influencer, to share her tips on how to take a residence hall room and make it feel like home. Freling, who earned a bachelor's degree in illustrat...
Aug 17, 2022•28 min•Season 4Ep. 3
More than 12 million Ukrainians have fled their home since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded the sovereign nation on Feb. 24. Facing a violent present and an uncertain future, the fates of these women, children and elderly Ukrainians is up in the air. But one organization is providing medical assistance to these refugees: Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors Without Borders as it is known in the United States. Sana Bég ’04 is the director of communications for Doctors Without Borders in S...
Jul 05, 2022•35 min•Season 4Ep. 2
As the United States celebrates Pride Month, the 'Cuse Conversations podcast wanted to spotlight the LGBTQ+ community here at Syracuse University. Alex Middleton '22 recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in speech language pathology from the communication sciences and disorders program in the College of Arts & Sciences. Alex discusses how they knew since middle school they wanted to be a speech pathologist, providing people with the voice to advocate for themselves. They share how a pa...
Jul 01, 2022•31 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Dino Babers is a family man. Entering his seventh season as Syracuse University's head football coach, Babers has always preached the value and importance of family as Syracuse’s head coach. On a special Father's Day 'Cuse Conversation, Babers shares stories from a childhood spent growing up on a military base with a father, Luther, who served in the Navy for 21 years, how that upbringing influenced his coaching style and how his father taught him discipline. Babers also shares why he treats his...
Jun 15, 2022•19 min•Season 3Ep. 26
Father Gerry Waterman has been making a difference in the lives of Catholic students on the Syracuse University campus since 2016. As the University's Catholic Chaplain, Father Gerry brings people together for sermons and service, and he is proud to share his faith with the campus community. Father Gerry discusses how the Catholic Center provided a sense of community to Syracuse students during the pandemic, how a fateful encounter while out for a run convinced him to join the Syracuse Universit...
Jun 10, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 25
After spending the last 25 years in leadership roles in higher education, Mary Grace Almandrez takes over on June 1 as Syracuse University’s new vice president for diversity and inclusion. Almandrez discusses why she is so passionate about making the Syracuse University campus a welcoming place for all, shares what diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility means to her, and explains why the Filipino phrase "Bayanihan" (building community) has played such an important role in her life....
May 31, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 24
April is a time for the Syracuse University community to come together and celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. This year’s theme is “Regrounding: Celebrating Our Identity,” focusing on sharing and celebrating the pride, strength and joy demonstrated by our on-campus AAPI community. It’s an important theme, especially following the challenges of the last two years, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a troubling rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and bias incidents. O...
Apr 28, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 23
Katie (Rowan) Thomson '09, G’10 helped grow the Orange women’s lacrosse program into a perennial power during her four years on campus. An electrifying playmaker, Thomson graduated as Syracuse’s all-time leader in points (396) and assists (164). A three-time All-American, Thomson’s teams won the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament game in 2007 and later reached its first Final Four in 2008. Thomson became the first female lacrosse player and second female student-athlete to have her jersey reti...
Apr 19, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 22
It’s a musical Cuse Conversation with Joanie Leeds '00, 2021 Grammy Award winner for best children’s music album. She teamed up with a female producer and several talented female musicians to create "All the Ladies, " an album designed to entertain, inspire, educate and empower. Joanie shares the story of her journey and the chances, odd jobs and interesting gigs she took along the way to becoming a successful artist who creates music loved by children and their parents . Learn about Joanie's sp...
Mar 31, 2022•35 min
As a kid growing up in Utica, David Essel wanted to be an NBA star. While he walked on to the Syracuse University men's basketball team, his time at the University ultimately led him on a very different professional journey. He's built a successful career writing about and supporting people through addiction recovery, relationship difficulties, grief counseling and professional challenges. Visit his website to learn more about Essel's work. He is a big believer in the power of positivity, which ...
Mar 10, 2022•22 min
Andrew Siciliano '96 doesn't know how he got so lucky. Every Sunday is surreal as he brings highlights from around the NFL to millions of fans around the world as host of DIRECTV's RedZone Channel. As Super Bowl 56 approaches, Siciliano will be in Los Angeles as part of NFL Network’s coverage of the big game. On this 'Cuse Conversation, Siciliano discusses the Super Bowl and the role he will play for NFL Network. He shares the biggest ways Syracuse University and WAER impacted his broadcasting s...
Feb 09, 2022•33 min•Season 3Ep. 19
The Winter Olympics are underway in Beijing, and Team USA’s top athletes have their sights set on winning gold on the world stage. But before these athletes compete, many of them work on developing healthy nutrition habits with Maggie McCrudden '14, the food and nutrition registered dietitian for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee who leads Team USA’s nutrition program. McCrudden, a former rower at Syracuse University, discusses how she developed a lifelong appreciation for food and its i...
Feb 04, 2022•32 min•Season 3Ep. 18
When Jared Kraham '13 was sworn in as the mayor of Binghamton on Jan. 1, he made history as the youngest mayor in the city’s 220-year history. On this Cuse Conversation, Kraham shares how his time at Maxwell and Newhouse influenced him to become a politician, and why Syracuse University inspired him to join the next generation of policymakers and make a difference in his hometown. Kraham discusses the challenges of leading during COVID-19, how he convinced voters to entrust the future of their c...
Jan 26, 2022•32 min•Season 3Ep. 17
On the surface, Rob McClanaghan '01 seemed to be "living his best life." As a skills trainer for some of the NBA's biggest superstars, he was traveling the world in private jets, sitting courtside at big games and had just published a book about his work with the league's elite. But McClanaghan says that lifestyle was a "façade" that was hiding his struggles with anxiety and depression, something he kept quiet until sharing his story - including his 2019 suicide attempt - in a powerful essay in ...
Jan 12, 2022•35 min
When he was in the third grade, Marv Albert '63 decided he wanted to become a sportscaster. Albert followed his passion and studied journalism at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Before long, Albert was calling Syracuse Chiefs games alongside fellow Orange legend Carl Eilenberg H'53 . But Albert's big break came when another all-time Syracuse great, Marty Glickman '39 , hired Albert to be his researcher, spotter, statistician and backup announcer. After a deco...
Dec 28, 2021•36 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Felisha Legette-Jack ’89 was a standout for the Syracuse University women's basketball team who recently became the University's first female student-athlete to have her jersey number retired high atop the Dome. Playing basketball and earning dual degrees in child and family studies and psychology transformed Legette-Jack's life, and now, Legette-Jack is helping to change the lives of her student-athletes as the head women's basketball coach at the University at Buffalo. Hear how Legette-Jack, w...
Dec 15, 2021•34 min•Season 3Ep. 14
Ever since he was a child, Jim Morris ’77, G’78 dreamed of creating visually appealing films that connect with audiences; as the president of Pixar Animation Studios, he is living out that dream. Forty-four years after his first animated film, Morris produced the Academy Award-winning Pixar hit "WALL-E," bringing his love of movies full circle. Morris, one of the 2021 Arents Award winners , reflects back on his distinguished award-winning career while discussing his favorite Pixar projects. He r...
Oct 26, 2021•39 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Greg Sankey G’93 never forgot the important lessons he learned about leadership and crisis management during his pursuit of a master’s degree in education from Syracuse University's School of Education. As COVID-19 was threatening to shut down college athletics in the spring of 2020, Sankey, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, relied on his Syracuse education to guide one of the most powerful conferences in the NCAA through the global pandemic. Sankey reveals how those lessons learn...
Oct 21, 2021•40 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Bana Miller's '04 career focuses on advocating for our nation's veterans and their families. And with good reason, as Miller's husband is a veteran of the U.S. Army. Miller has seen first-hand the difficulties facing veterans and their families as they transition from active duty to civilian life. This summer, Miller was accepted into the 2021 Class of the George W. Bush Institute's Stand to Veterans Leadership program, one of a select group of executives from across different industries who are...
Sep 22, 2021•31 min•Season 3Ep. 11
When he was just 14 years old, Kevin Richardson H'20 and four of his friends were arrested and charged with raping and beating a white woman in Central Park. The case flamed racial tensions across the country, as Richardson and his friends, who would be known as the Central Park 5, were vilified in the media and deprived of their rights by the police during a three-day interrogation. Without forensic evidence, and despite their continued cries of innocence, the Central Park 5 were coerced into c...
Sep 17, 2021•36 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Jeff Rossen '98 has established himself as one of television's top consumer reporters through his "Rossen Reports" series. He's won awards for his work on NBC's Today Show and as Hearst Television's national consumer correspondent. On Sept. 11, 2001, Rossen was a rookie reporter for WABC-TV in New York City. In this 'Cuse Conversations podcast, he talks about what he experienced and what he learned reporting on 9/11 in Lower Manhattan two decades ago.
Sep 09, 2021•20 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Scott Hanson '93 has enjoyed a decorated sportscasting career since graduating with a broadcast journalism degree from Newhouse in 1993. But the role that he's best known for is hosting NFL RedZone, the live, whip-around the league show dedicated to providing fans of all 32 teams with an up close look at every touchdown, every big highlight, and every dramatic finish. It’s a unique role for Hanson, a former walk on and four-year member of the Orange football team. For seven consecutive, commerci...
Sep 08, 2021•30 min•Season 3Ep. 8
