1861: The North Central College Podcast

While contributing to one of the most ambitious physics experiments in the world, Dr. Paul Bloom, professor of physics, made sure his students at North Central gained experience working right alongside him. “You don’t really know how to do science until you try to do science,” he says. In an expansive conversation, Bloom traces his journey to studying and teaching physics. He also discusses how th...

“Be kind, work hard and say hello.” It’s a simple philosophy, but one that helped guide Macy Fleury ’26 through a remarkable undergraduate experience at North Central College. After graduating with a degree in exercise science in December, she immediately began the next chapter of her North Central journey as a student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. This spring, she was recognized as b...

Dr. David Green, Paleka-Thomson Dean of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, joins the podcast following a landmark moment for the College: earning AACSB accreditation, widely considered the gold standard in business education.   Green reflects on his journey from rural Kentucky to higher education leadership, his passion for teaching and mentorship, and the evolving intersection of busine...

Today’s students — and their parents — are increasingly focused on the value of a college degree and how their college experience will provide them with a stable future. In her role as assistant provost for student success and engaged learning, Dr. Jenny Smith understands. After all, she’s a parent, too. In this episode, Dr. Smith addresses those concerns, and a whole lot more, as she talks about...

North Central’s new Master’s Entry to Nursing Practice (MENP) program will welcome its first cohort of students in fall 2026. The program is designed, in part, as an opportunity for career changers to enter the College’s master’s level nursing program, regardless of their undergraduate major. Our guest, Dr. Christina Nordick, founding director of the MENP program, knows a thing or two about career...

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Dr. Karl Kelley, a longtime North Central faculty member, as he retires from teaching at the College—or as he prefers to say:  moving to a new phase . From growing up on a farm in Virginia to being a first-generation college student, a bus driver, a computer scientist, and eventually a beloved psychology professor, Kelley’s journey has been defined by cu...

This fall, the North Central women’s triathlon team did something that no other Cardinal team had done before: they won a fourth consecutive team national championship. It was their eighth national title in nine seasons. Head Coach Tyler Woodward M’20 joins senior Bethany Smeed ’26 and sophomore Keeley Mick ’28 to share how each of them discovered the sport, why they chose North Central and what i...

In October, campus community members saw something they hadn’t seen in more than a decade: a print edition of the student newspaper, The Chronicle. The newspaper – which is still available digitally – returned to print this fall under the leadership of editor-in-chief Brianna Eloiza ’26, a journalism and media communication major who is also pursuing a minor in sport management. Listen along as Br...

Lauren Benson ’27 is a biology major, member of the Cardinal women’s volleyball team and first-generation college student who has found her home at North Central. She credits athletics for teaching her time management, teamwork and perseverance — and she channels those skills into student leadership roles and campus-wide service work. From early team bonding to connecting with faculty, Lauren refl...

Dr. Vicki Williams, vice president for student life, is a new face on the North Central campus. An avid sports fan and proud first-gen college graduate, she brings high energy and a fresh perspective as she works to enhance the vision for student life at the College. From campus events, clubs and organizations to student employment, residence and commuter experiences, gathering spaces, and more, s...

Dr. Carly Drake, associate professor of marketing, says that “Everything is marketing, all around us, all the time.” Her research focuses on gender, bodies, and fitness culture, and her teaching includes everything from the basics of marketing to helping students use digital tools to tell their own stories. Listen along as Drake shares her relationship-based approach to marketing and how she teach...

Growing up as a Cubs fan in west suburban Chicago, Wayne Randazzo dreamed of a career in the big leagues. But rather than on the field, he wanted to be in the booth calling games like Chicago legends Pat Hughes, Harry Caray, and Steve Stone. North Central’s award-winning, student-run radio station, WONC, proved to be the perfect sandbox for Randazzo to hone his craft as a live play-by-play announc...

Al Carius H ’06 and Frank “Grammy” Gramarosso are two of the most accomplished coaches in the nation. Together, as stewards of the North Central College cross country and track & field programs, they won a combined 31 NCAA Division III team national championships – 19 in cross country and 12 in indoor and outdoor track & field. At the center of that success was a focus on student-athletes...

Four years ago, on “Decision Day” at her high school, Olivia Rosenberg ’25 was wearing spirit wear for a big state school she planned to attend in the fall. Six months later, she found that college environment wasn't a good fit for her. After transferring to North Central College, Olivia has never looked back. She talks about majoring in communication studies and sociology, competing as part o...