What happens when we prioritize consumerism and conformity over freedom and exploration? Or when we exploit feelings and emotions to create artificial wants and desires? On this episode, Miami University Associate Professor  Jay Kimiecik discusses how we lost the inner experience of being human and how it can be found again. To learn more, check out the new book,  Exploring the Concept of Feel for Wellbeing and Performance.

Feel Lost? How to Find Your Feel for Life

To say the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is mired in controversy is an understatement of global proportions. On this episode, Adam Beissel, an assistant professor of Sport Leadership and Management, tells a story of corruption and bribery, power and propaganda, death and discrimination -- and about the geopolitical machinations of those who use global sport mega events like the World Cup for their own dubious gains.

When “Sportswashing” a World Cup Goes Wrong

The traditional college experience is less common than ever. Today, fewer and fewer students attend a single university right out of high school and graduate 4 years later. On this episode, Miami University Dean Jason Lane and Bethany Perkins, MU director of admission, explain how streamlining the college experience -- especially for transfer students -- can help solve one of the most critical issues now facing higher education.   For more info, Dean Lane and his coauthors also discuss this issue in greater detail in the recent report,  The Emerging Role of Public Higher Education Systems in Advancing Transfer Student Success.

Surviving the Enrollment Cliff

The teacher shortage has become a national crisis. COVID has exacerbated the issue, but other factors like burnout, a lack of adequate preparation and support, increased school violence, and political divides are also at play. We’ll speak with Dean Jason Lane from Miami University, and with experts from Cincinnati Public Schools, about how to address the issue. And we'll hear about a new initiative called TEACh Cincinnati, which aims to address the teacher shortage, while increasing diversity among educators at the same time.

Confronting the Teacher Shortage Crisis

Burnout is becoming a serious problem that’s rampaging through society like an invisible wildfire. It’s often brought on by the kind of grind culture that can generate feelings of exhaustion, helplessness, cynicism, and disengagement with our lives and jobs. On this episode, certified family life educator and family resource management expert  Megan Kuykendoll talks about the cultural values that perpetuate burnout, what happens when we compare our best days to our every days, and how to create better work-life habits by becoming more sustainably-minded. For additional information, visit the following resources:  Burnout book (Nagoski & Nagoski) The Feminist Survival Project (Nagoski & Nagoski) The Nap Ministry (Tricia Hersey)  Unlocking Us podcast episode on relationships (Brene Brown)

Burnout is Breaking Us. How to Survive Grind Culture.

We often think of the Olympics as a way to cultivate global peace and understanding through athletic achievement. However, they are also often leveraged as a political and economic tool by nations and organizations seeking to advance their own agendas. On this episode, we discuss the issues and controversies surrounding the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, including the recent U.S. diplomatic boycott, COVID, and issues involving gender, equality, and access among athletes.

How Geopolitics and Propaganda Impact the Olympic Games

We can’t stop aging. But we can start to slow and control it. Things like sudoku puzzles and gym workouts can increase longevity by exercising our brains and bodies. But what if we could simultaneously combine the benefits of both, and how powerful would the results be if we could? On this episode, Miami alumnus Adam Ortman ’12 from Activate Brain & Body speaks with Amanda Valentine from the Pound This podcast about the new science behind the brain-centric physical workouts that can build new neuropathways and help prevent dementia, while also boosting our capacity to live longer, heathier lives.

Start Aging Slower: New Exercise Science Behind the Brain-Body Connection

We often think of education as something that happens in schools, and where a curriculum is nothing more than a structure for lessons and learning. But Thomas Poetter, a professor of education leadership at Miami University, would challenge this as an extremely limited view. Education is about much, much more than schooling, and he argues that having a deeper, richer understanding of curriculum is critical for a thriving democratic society.

Why an Unscripted Education is Vital for a Democratic Society

On this special bonus episode, we continue the conversation with Adam Beissel, Miami University assistant professor sport leadership and management. This time we look ahead to the future of sport. We discuss how various technological, economic, and social factors will continue to shape the industry, as well as what new media and even global geopolitics will mean for the kinds sports that may dominate the U.S. in the years ahead.

BONUS: New Media Technology, Global Geopolitics, and the Future of Sport

Sport data and analytics are creating dramatic and fundamental changes across the entire industry. But that’s not all. Sport data and analytics are also leading what some have called an analytics revolution that is setting the pace for transformations all across society. On this episode, Adam Beissel, a Miami University assistant professor sport leadership and management, talks about what we may be gaining and losing with such an emphasis on data today, and what it might mean for the rest of us. Additional music: Lee Rosevere, “Let That Sink In,” “Thinking It Over.” Broke For Free, “Only Instrumental.”

How the Sport Analytics Revolution is Changing Society

Change is sweeping across higher education. Many economic and technological factors are forcing universities to stay relevant in highly competitive 21st century job markets, and increasingly diverse student populations are driving many social and cultural changes as well. But finding new ways to thrive in this environment is a challenge that deeply interests Jason Lane. An internationally recognized scholar who focuses on the leadership and governance of higher education, Jason Lane is also the new Dean of Miami University’s College of Education, Health and Society (EHS). On this episode, Dean Lane talks about the future of higher education, and about what he hopes to accomplish as Dean of a college dedicated to transforming society for the better.

How to Keep College Relevant in a 21st Century Society

When compared to their white counterparts, black male students have the lowest test scores, the highest dropout rates, and the highest suspension and expulsion rates. Nathaniel Bryan, a Miami University assistant professor of teacher education, says these are not the failures of most students, but rather due to a school system that fails to understand and meet their academic and social needs. On this episode, we discuss Nathaniel Bryan’s upcoming book,  Toward A Black Boy Crit Pedagogy - Black Boys, Male Teachers, and Early Childhood Classroom Practices, the dire need for more black male teachers, and the importance of culturally relevant teaching, as well as a new high school program designed encourage more students of color to become teachers.

We Are Losing a Generation of Brilliant Black Boys

College is not only a time of growth and change. It’s also a time of newfound freedom. Many students will use this freedom to explore new relationships, but the world of young adult relationships today is far different than the one their parents may remember. On this episode, certified sexuality educator Richelle Frabotta talks about what new college students, and their parents, should know about establishing healthy relationships, issues around consent, the importance of open communication, and more. Additional music: Broke For Free, “Add And”

How to Help Prepare Teens for a New World of College Relationships

Every 75 seconds, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. Most of these cases will go unreported, and this has led Dr. Veronica Barrios to ask: Why? Of all the crimes that occur, why is it that violence against ourselves and our bodies is the least reported of all crimes? As a Miami University assistant professor of family science and social work, Dr. Barrios explores the barriers that prevent many victims of intimate partner violence and sexual assault from reporting their experiences, as well as what can be done to change this culture of non-disclosure. Additional music: Broke For Free, “Black Lung.” Lee Rosevere, “Under Suspicion.” Little Glass Men, “Golden.”

Why Sexual Violence is a Social Disease, and How to Help Find the Cure

There are about 500 million new tweets generated every day, and a surprising number -- about 10 million per day -- are about alcohol. This is generating a near endless well of data for public health researchers, who study how social media can influence our behavior and shape our reality in dangerous and unhealthy ways. On this episode, we explore what happens when social media makes it seem like “everyone’s doing it,” and what you can do about it, especially if you have high school or college-age students who are active on social media. Additional music: Blue Dot Sessions, “Highride.” Lee Rosevere, “Let That Sink In.” Little Glass Men, “Golden.”

How Social Media Influences Behavior and Shapes Reality

Across the nation, a shortage of school psychologists is becoming a critical problem for school districts everywhere, especially when suicides and other mental health and trauma-related issues among K-12 students are on the rise. On this episode, we talk about this understaffed area of education, as well as a plan that’s addressing the ongoing shortage, while also providing the extra support that many schools need. Additional Resources: To get involved, visit Miami University’s Department of Educational Psychology at miamioh.edu/edp. To learn more about the Hamilton County Educational Service Center, visit hcesc.org. Music: Ketsa, “Psychic” and “Better Days Ahead”

Confronting the Critical Shortage of School Psychologists

For decades, critics have called for education reform on several fronts. What hasn’t received much attention is rethinking how new teachers are trained to become professional educators in the first place. But Dr. Leah Wasburn-Moses aims to change this by starting with one of the most powerful experiences aspiring teachers can have: Student Teaching. In this episode, we discuss her new book, Student Teaching: Past, Present, and Future, and the profound implications it has for education reform. Additional music: Ketsa, “Parallel Worlds.” Little Glass Men, “Golden”

Reforming Education Through Student Teaching

Across his celebrated career as a teacher, scholar and theorist, civically-engaged leader, and university dean, Dr. Michael. E. Dantley has kept education at the heart of his mission to change lives for the better. On this episode, Dr. Dantley reflects on his mission to build an educational system that works for everybody, to ask tough questions around power and privilege, and to enact transformative social change by being an outspoke champion of social justice, racial equality, diversity and inclusion.

Critical Reflections on Education, Inequality and Leadership

How our brains develop as children will profoundly impact our entire lives. Research is showing how critical our earliest years are for cognitive function, academic ability, social skills, and emotional wellness. So in this episode, we discuss the new book,  Enhancing Brain Development in Infants and Young Children: Strategies for Caregivers and Educators. The book covers the different phases of healthy brain growth, as well as what parents and teachers can actually do with this information. Plus, tips on technology use, managing screen time, and more. Music: Lee Rosevere, “Curiosity.” Broke For Free, “Budding,” “Something Elated.”

How Early Brain Growth Impacts a Child’s Entire Life

When the coronavirus suddenly shutdown the entire sport industry, fans and athletes everywhere were forced to reckon with the magnitude of the pandemic. Since then, many teams and leagues have returned. But nothing is as it once was, and the future is still uncertain. To understand what happened, and how the industry can move forward, two Miami University researchers talk about the new book,  Sport and the Pandemic: Perspectives on Covid-19's Impact on the Sport Industry, which explores all aspects of this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Reframe from Miami University

Reframe from Miami University

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