CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast

In this episode of The CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, host Eric Magrum sits down with Dr. Michael Klein to explore what it really means to use AI thoughtfully in academic and professional settings. Rather than treating AI as a magic solution, Dr. Klein emphasizes the importance of seeing it as one tool among many and why becoming overly dependent on a single technology can limit both creativity and j...

In this episode of the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, host Eric Magrum speaks with School of Media Art and Design professor Dr. Chen Guo about the field of interactive design and how the adaptive nature of the discipline has shaped her classroom and teaching techniques. Listen in as they discuss: Understanding what interactive design is and how it works The value of a learner-centered approach in tea...

In this episode of the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, host Eric Magrum talks with a JMU alum turned professor, Dr. Leonard Richards Jr, about his journey from student to educator and how that path shapes his teaching today. He reflects on mentorship, identity, and the importance of empowering students to take action and see their impact. Listen in as they discuss: What it means to teach as a verb, no...

In this episode of The CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, host Eric Magrum talks with Dr. Joe Leblanc and Karla Kale about mental health first aid, a practical approach that helps faculty and staff recognize when someone may be struggling and respond with care. Using the metaphor of being a first responder, they discuss how educators can learn simple, evidence-based tools to start supportive conversation...

Welcome back to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, where we explore the experiences, challenges, and strategies of dedicated educators. In this episode, host Dr. Eric Magrum sits down with Dr. Xuebin Wei, a geography professor whose work focuses on generative AI in data science, education, and geospatial analysis. Together, they unpack how AI is transforming the ways students learn, think, and engage...

In this episode of The CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, host Eric Magrum talks with Dr. Bobby Vaziri from JMU’s College of Business. Dr. Vaziri shares his transition from industry to academia, inspired by his father’s career and great mentors along the way.   Listen in as Dr. Vaziri discusses:   How humor, real-world examples, and presence help create inclusive classrooms   Why Success Workshops are ma...

In this episode of The CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast , host Dr. Eric Magrum sits down with Professor Yasmeen Shorish to discuss the role of generative AI in higher education and how educators can navigate its use thoughtfully and responsibly. Through conversations centered on learning, awareness, and ethics, the episode emphasizes keeping knowledge-building at the core while addressing important cons...

In this Part 2 episode of The CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast , host Eric Magrum continues the conversation with Dr. Julie Gochenour, diving into her personal teaching philosophy and what it means to create an engaging, trust-centered classroom. Through reflections on mutual respect, authenticity, and joy in teaching, the episode highlights how meaningful learning environments are built through connect...

In this episode of The CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast , host Eric Magrum sits down with Dr. Julie Gochenour to talk about what makes teaching, learning, and professional relationships truly meaningful. Through reflections on communication, authenticity, and purpose, the conversation explores how genuine connection shapes both the classroom and the work we do beyond it.  Tune in to hear:  Why genuine c...

In this episode of The CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, host Eric Magrum sits down with Dr. Tiara Brown from the College of Education at JMU. Dr. Brown shares her path from agriculture and sports administration to special education, spotlighting the power of inclusion and what meaningful transitions from high school to college really look like.  Tune in to hear:  -Why “small wins” matter—like one stude...

Welcome back to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, where we explore the experiences, challenges, and strategies of dedicated educators. In this episode, host Eric Magrum sits down with Dr. Bob Kolvoord, JMU’s Interim Provost, to discuss how the university—and higher education more broadly—is evolving in response to emerging technologies and shifting student needs.  Dr. Kolvoord shares insights on:  T...

Welcome back to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, where we explore the experiences, challenges, and strategies of dedicated educators. In this episode, host Eric Magrum continues the conversation with Dr. Meghalee Das, diving deeper into how user experience (UX) design principles can shape more intentional and student-centered classrooms.  Dr. Das shares insights on:  Applying UX design to create en...

Welcome back to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, where we explore the experiences, challenges, and strategies of dedicated educators. In this episode, host Eric Magrum sits down with Dr. Meghalee Das to discuss how principles of collaboration and user experience (UX) research can transform teaching and learning. Dr. Das shares insights on: Building collaboration and trust in academic and workplace...

Welcome back to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, where we explore the experiences, challenges, and strategies of dedicated educators. In this episode, host Eric Magrum sits down with Colleen Watson, a statistics teacher here at JMU, to discuss how authenticity and mentorship shape her teaching.     Professor Watson shares insights on:  Staying authentic in the classroom  Keeping students engaged in...

Welcome back to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, where we explore the ideas, experiences, and challenges shaping academic life. In this episode, math educator Dr. Elizabeth Brown joins us to talk about becoming a teacher, connecting with students, and navigating the balance between professional and personal life.  Elizabeth Brown shares:  The journey to becoming a math teacher and what inspired tha...

Overcoming challenges, embracing opportunities, and using your resources: A compilation of advice from faculty  Welcome back to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, where we explore the experiences, challenges, and strategies of dedicated educators. In this special episode, host Eric Magrum shares a collection of interviews with various faculty members, each responding to the question: If you could go...

Welcome back to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, where we explore the ideas, experiences, and challenges shaping academic life. In this episode, Grammy-nominated composer and associate professor Dr. Eric Guinivan joins us to talk about teaching, creativity, and the ongoing effort to support students while sustaining a meaningful work-life balance.  Dr. Guinivan shares:  Early teaching experiences,...

Welcome back to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, where we explore the experiences, challenges, and strategies of dedicated educators. In this episode, host Dr. Eric Magrum speaks with Dr. Modjadji Choshi , Associate Professor of Nursing at James Madison University, about her inspiring journey from a remote village in South Africa to becoming a globally experienced nurse educator.    In this episode...

Welcome back to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, where we explore the experiences, challenges, and strategies of dedicated educators. In this episode, host Eric Magrum speaks with Dr. Delores Phillips , Director of the African, African American, and Diaspora Studies Center at JMU, about her journey through higher education and her bold, creative approach to teaching and leadership.  In this episode...

Welcome back to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, where we explore the ideas, experiences, and challenges shaping academic life. In this Faculty Wellness and Well-being Week (FWWW) episode, host Dr. Eric Magrum speaks with Dr. Mollie Stambler, assistant professor at James Madison University, about health and wellness rhetorics, institutional wellness programs, and why community-focused approaches ma...

Welcome back to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast , where we explore the experiences and strategies of passionate educators. In this episode, host Dr. Eric Magrum sits down with Dr. Cindy Klevickis from JMU’s Faculty of Integrated Science and Engineering to discuss her journey from industry to academia and how she fosters a learning environment that feels like home.  In this episode, Dr. Klevickis sh...

Welcome back to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast , where we explore the experiences, challenges, and strategies of dedicated educators. In this episode, host Eric Magrum sits down with Dr. Robyn Kondrad , Associate Professor at JMU’s Department of Psychology, to discuss her journey in academia, her approach to excellence in teaching, and how she fosters strong connections with her students. In this...

Welcome to the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast , a space for continuous learning and actionable insights for faculty.  In this first episode, host Eric Magrum sits down with Dr. Timothy Ball , Professor in the School of Communication Studies at James Madison University, to explore his journey through academia, the key moments that shaped his career, and what excellence in teaching means to him. In this...