Drs. Holly Taylor Coolman and Dana Dillon share their perspectives as educators and theologians on social distancing, remote learning, and how Catholic social thought provides a framework for navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Coolman is assistant professor of theology and chair of the Department of Theology, and Dillon is associate professor with a joint appointment in theology and public and community service studies and associate director of the Development of Western Civilization program. Coo...
Mar 27, 2020•38 min•Ep. 193
Rev. James Cuddy, O.P. ’98 tells us how the PC Dominican community is managing during the COVID-19 crisis, talks about the impact on PC and its students, and shares some ideas about ways to worship outside of normal circumstances. Father is the College’s Vice President for Mission and Ministry. Follow the Providence College Podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Stitcher , Google Play , and YouTube . Visit Providence College on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube , Snapchat , and LinkedIn ....
Mar 19, 2020•34 min•Ep. 192
Dr. Deborah Levine, a medical historian who teaches in the Department of Health Policy and Management, shares public health lessons we can learn from American history. She discusses the power of physical distancing in containing the spread of the Spanish flu as well as other drivers of medical innovations beyond pure profit. Levine wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post , making a case for the development of a free or low-cost vaccine for COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. Follow the Providence Co...
Mar 12, 2020•24 min•Ep. 191
A lot of people dream about quitting their day job and joining the circus, but Terry Synnott ’94 has actually done it. After 13 years as a journalist, he joined Cirque du Soleil for four seasons as a skateboard artist performing at Madison Square Garden. We talk with Synnott about his unique skateboarding style and the side hustle that developed as a result — MODE Skateboards, which he started with his wife, Jenna. Follow the Providence College Podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Stitcher , Go...
Mar 09, 2020•32 min•Ep. 190
Stephan Delbos '05, a writer living in Prague and Plymouth, Mass., returned to campus in February for a reading for the Department of English. His poetry, essays, and translations have been published internationally. His play, Chetty's Lullaby, about trumpet legend Chet Baker, was produced in San Francisco, and his play Deaf Empire, about Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, was produced by Prague Shakespeare Company in 2017. Follow the Providence College Podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Soundcl...
Mar 02, 2020•41 min•Ep. 189
Former Friar soccer captain Nick Sailor ’17 returns to Providence College as its first director of training and education for diversity, equity, and inclusion, working with student-athletes and the entire Department of Athletics. Sailor is a bundle of energy and optimism as he discusses the objectives and challenges of his position, programs he’s already established, and his intent to extend his work and influence across campus. Follow the Providence College Podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify ,...
Feb 24, 2020•21 min•Ep. 188
Peggy Martin Weber ’76, who spent a lengthy career in Catholic communications, thinks of her new book, Enough As You Are , as a “giant hug” to humankind. She wants people to erase “nagging doubts that we are not good enough.” In this episode, she discusses some of the thoughts, anecdotes, and prayerful reminders about self-worth that she writes about and conveys distinct Providence College undergraduate experiences that have prominent places in three of the book’s chapters. Follow the Providence...
Feb 17, 2020•25 min•Ep. 187
If you walk through Slavin, you can't help but notice the glass room with rows of computers inside. Today we chat with Zach Gandara '19 & '21G and Matthew McGuane '20, two of the founders of the Providence College eSports club. Gandara and McGuane explain how a few friends around campus with nice laptops became an official college supported club sport. The eSports club is a welcoming organization with players of all levels playing and competing in different types of games from NBA 2K to Hear...
Feb 10, 2020•22 min•Ep. 186
Like any good entrepreneur, Patrick Callahan ‘20 identified a problem and with a team of two friends, the Peck app was born. In this episode, Callahan explains the origins of Peck app, its development, and his journey to PC from the suburbs of Chicago. We also discuss his involvement with the Entrepreneurship Club on campus. The Peck app makes it easy to customize what contact information you want to share with people you meet. The app can be found in the iOS and Google Play stores and is as sim...
Feb 03, 2020•19 min•Ep. 185
This week on the podcast, enjoy the keynote address from the college’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Convocation. This year’s speaker was Ndaba Mandela, the founder of the Africa Rising Foundation and the grandson of Nelson Mandela. Ndaba Mandela spoke to a group of students, faculty members, and staff members at the convocation — the largest community event of a week celebrating the life and legacy of Rev. King. Follow the Providence College Podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Soundcloud , Stit...
Jan 27, 2020•26 min•Ep. 184
Dr. Terza Lima-Neves '00 is an associate professor of political science and chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Johnson C. Smith University, a historically black college in Charlotte, N.C. She will receive Providence College's MLK Vision Award at the third annual MLK Convocation on Friday, Jan. 24, at 4 p.m. You can livestream the event here. In this episode, originally aired in March 2018, Lima-Neves, who emigrated from Cape Verde as a teenager, describes the issues fac...
Jan 20, 2020•23 min•Ep. 183
Like his livestock, which he chuckles “are always on the move,” Pat McNiff ’96 works diligently each day to move the needle of Americans’ food system and the way we eat. For more than a decade, this Rhode Island organic farmer has been producing natural, high-quality, farm-to-table meats, eggs, and more at Pat’s Pastured. And he’s doing it in environmentally sensitive and sustainable ways inspired by his education and experiences at PC. Follow the Providence College Podcast on Apple Podcasts , S...
Jan 13, 2020•25 min•Ep. 182
In our most popular podcast of 2019, Rev. James Cuddy, O.P. ’98 provides both insight and humor in this wide-ranging interview that covers Father’s own faith journey, his work as PC’s vice president for mission and ministry, and his newest vocation – chaplain in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Father James offers perspectives on the faith community among PC’s students, the personal reasons why service as a Navy chaplain is so important to him, and – with his trademark sense of humor – the factors and inf...
Jan 06, 2020•57 min•Ep. 181
San Miguel School in Providence is a distinct, mission-driven middle school with strong Providence College ties. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, San Miguel motivates and shapes boys from diverse and challenging backgrounds in a caring culture that emphasizes citizenship, service, and responsibility. Two Friars — San Miguel School founder Brother Lawrence Goyette, FSC ’72 & ’07Hon. and San Miguel graduate Francisco Vera Nicola ’20 —share the profound ways their lives have cha...
Dec 30, 2019•39 min•Ep. 180
In this episode, Rev. James F. Quigley, O.P. ’60, shares two timely homilies as Christians prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The first homily is a reflection on the holy season of Advent, while the second is Father’s Christmas homily. Merry Christmas from Providence College. Follow the Providence College Podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Soundcloud , Stitcher , Google Play and YouTube . Visit Providence College on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube , Snapchat , and LinkedIn ....
Dec 23, 2019•11 min•Ep. 179
In this podcast, six alumni who were awarded Fulbright fellowships to teach or do research in Nepal, Argentina, Spain, and the Czech Republic share how their experiences changed their lives and informed their career paths. Hear from Alanna Smith ’14 (Nepal), Emily Kennedy ’15 (Argentina), Vince Whalen ’15 (Spain), Kelley Garland ’16 (Czech Republic), Abby Guerino ’16 (Spain), and Jennifer Dorn ’18 (Czech Republic) in a discussion hosted by Dr. Dara Mulderry, director of national and internationa...
Dec 16, 2019•56 min•Ep. 178
If you missed Lessons & Carols, Providence College’s signature Advent celebration, on Saturday, Dec. 7, you’re in luck. Listen to the podcast of the event, which featured performances by the combined choirs of Providence College. Follow the Providence College Podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Soundcloud , Stitcher , Google Play and YouTube . Visit Providence College on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube , Snapchat , and LinkedIn ....
Dec 09, 2019•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 177
Kim Miale '01, a sports agent at Roc Nation Sports, represents superstars that include Saquon Barkley and JuJu Smith-Schuster. She recently returned to campus for a conversation with Patti Goff, assistant vice president for integrated learning and administration. Miale, who majored in English and political science, described her journey from Johnston, R.I. to Jay-Z's sports agency in New York City and answered audience questions about topics such as what it’s like to be a woman in a male-domina...
Dec 02, 2019•43 min•Ep. 176
Actor, singer, author, and entrepreneur John O’Hurley ’76 & ’06Hon. joins us on Thanksgiving week – when he will be in some 30 million homes as the host of Thursday’s National Dog Show on NBC. In this interview, O’Hurley talks about his Providence College experiences, the ways in which Seinfeld changed his life, working in daytime television drama, and – of course – why dogs are so important to him. He even visits his iconic Seinfeld character, J. Peterman, sharing a monologue that never air...
Nov 25, 2019•34 min•Ep. 175
Rev. James Cuddy, O.P. ’98 returns to the podcast for a discussion on the subject of preaching. Father James, PC’s vice president for mission and ministry, describes his process for creating and presenting a homily and he shares some stories about things people have said to him “on the sidewalk” after Mass. Members of the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans, learn to preach by way of an exacting process, which Father explains with his typical insights and good humor. Follow the Providence College...
Nov 18, 2019•50 min•Ep. 174
With a historically long line of military service in her family, U.S. Army Capt. Amberly Glitz Weber ’12 is fashioning her own story of duty to country. The decorated medical evacuation helicopter pilot has served in Afghanistan and is currently an operations officer in the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. In this episode, she speaks about her love of medevac flying, her gratitude for the people and experiences associated with PC’s Army ROTC Patriot ...
Nov 11, 2019•28 min•Ep. 173
In this episode of the PC Podcast, restaurateur, cooking show host, and author Lidia Bastianich explains how her love for cooking connects her to her childhood in Italy. Bastianich visited PC for Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 4-6, to discuss her memoir, My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family and Food , and to see her grandson, Miles Bastianich ’22. The conversation was facilitated by Edward A. Iannuccilli, M.D. ’61, a retired physician who has written books about growing up in an Italian-American ...
Nov 04, 2019•49 min•Ep. 172
In this pre-recorded podcast, Dr. Sickinger, professor of history and of public and community service studies, discusses the origins of Halloween and how the tales of ghosts, witches, werewolves, and vampires have worked their way into our movies, literature, and nightmares — including examples from Rhode Island. Follow the Providence College Podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Soundcloud , Stitcher , Google Play and YouTube . Visit Providence College on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTub...
Oct 30, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 171
John Bowab took his experience writing and directing musicals at PC and turned it into a career as a director of national touring productions of Broadway shows starring greats such as Debbie Reynolds and Angela Lainsbury. Then he headed to Hollywood to direct television sitcoms, including 91 episodes of The Facts of Life, and television specials for stars such as Jay Leno, Johnny Carson, and Bob Hope. The child of Syrian immigrants who grew up in Pawtucket, R.I., Bowab also discussed his family’...
Oct 21, 2019•44 min•Ep. 170
In this episode, we talk with E.C. Osondu, associate professor of English, recent recipient of the BOA Prize for Short Fiction for his collection, Alien Stories . Osondu is the author of two books and short stories that have been published in Granta , n+1 , The Atlantic , McSweeney’s , Guernica, AGNI, and more. Born and raised in Nigeria, Osondu discussed the influence of his heritage on his writing, what it’s like to nurture young writers in Providence College’s Creative Writing Program, and ho...
Oct 14, 2019•26 min•Ep. 169
Arthur F. Ryan ’63, ’90Hon., & ’89P is one of Providence College’s most distinguished and successful alumni. A math major at PC, Mr. Ryan became an acclaimed business leader, eventually becoming CEO of Prudential Insurance Company. In this podcast, he talks about how his Providence College liberal arts education, along with other lessons he learned during his student days, helped to set the stage for his professional success. Later in the podcast, Mr. Ryan and his former professional associa...
Oct 07, 2019•41 min•Ep. 168
By standard measures, accountancy major Paul Mecurio ’82 was leading a successful life as a lawyer and investment banker on Wall Street. But after a chance encounter with Jay Leno, the Providence native found himself living a double life — managing mergers and acquisitions by day and performing stand-up at night. Mecurio discusses his transition from finance to comedy, a typical day of filming at shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and how studying Development of Western Civilization ...
Sep 29, 2019•36 min•Ep. 167
Lisa Schenck ’83 & ’18Hon. is a former U.S. Army attorney and judge who retired as a colonel after 25 years of distinguished military service. That experience led to a second career, in academic life, as an associate dean at George Washington University Law School. A political science major and ROTC cadet as a PC undergraduate, Thibault describes the way in which her PC experiences, both in the classroom and the ROTC battalion, set the stage for a remarkably successful career. You can read m...
Sep 23, 2019•43 min•Ep. 166
Nearly every one of us exhibits resilience from time to time. Dr. Mary O’Keeffe, associate professor of psychology, has had a special interest in building resilience for decades — partly because it is so important to the mental health and well-being of students. Join us as O’Keeffe discusses how she has incorporated resilience into courses and helped initiate a c urriculum-based academic resilience faculty fellowship program supported by Chris Riccobono ’01 and his wife, Amy Parillo ’03....
Sep 16, 2019•26 min•Ep. 165
Meet Rev. Adam Young ’06, a competitor on the current season of “Worst Cooks in America” on the Food Network. Father Adam, the pastor of St. Paul’s Church in Cranston, R.I., jokes that God must forsake him in the kitchen, because he’s so bad at cooking. Learn how he will use the $25,000 prize if he wins and how food factors into the Church’s ministry.
Sep 09, 2019•15 min•Ep. 164
