Major Insight

As a mechanical and manufacturing engineering double major, Laura Mayer is fascinated by how things work, how they're put together, and how they can be built even better. Laura is also interested in exploring the connections between engineering and business. And on this episode, she talks about discovering her passion for engineering, her mission to get more young women interested in the field, he...

As the editor-in-chief of one of the oldest college newspapers in the country, Chris Vinel takes human interest stories to heart. Chris currently leads a dynamic staff of writers and editors, who connect local and regional events to the college experience. On this episode, he also talks about keeping a student media organization running during COVID, how journalism can open doors for a variety of...

Jackson Polish aims to help redefine the sport of hockey. As the Founder of SP Analytics, Jackson created a hockey application that makes in-depth analysis of video and in-game data to make strategic decisions during competition. On this episode, he also talks about combining his interests in sport, business, and data analytics to build a future career in the sport industry. Featured Majors: Sport...

Jannie Kamara came to college with the goal of becoming a leader. Today she is the student body president of the Associated Student Government, where she advocates for more connection and inclusion across the campus and the community. On this episode, Jannie talks about the importance of diversifying your leadership style, her research on black female civil rights leaders, and how all students can...

As a biochemistry major who combines physics and engineering to study self-healing polymers, Jafer Vakil uses chemical reactions to create materials with industrial and commercial applications. His undergraduate work has already earned him multiple publications within the field of polymer chemistry. However, this is not the college career Jafer originally envisioned for himself. On this episode, h...

The community-building efforts of Madison McGirr are aimed at helping other people thrive. As a sophomore in Miami's interdisciplinary Western Program, she is interested in education reform, reducing poverty, and the effects of gentrification. Madison's work with nonprofits such as Our Daily Bread in Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as youth-based programs such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Dream Keep...

As an aspiring Chemical Engineer, with a concentration in Environmental Engineering, Emily Kuehl is using her time as a college student to make our world a cleaner, safer place to live. Her projects involve the detection of arsenic in water and soil samples, as well as research designed to remove other dangerous chemicals from drinking water. Emily is also a rock climber, trombone player, and a ma...

Connor Moreton wants to blur the lines between business and sustainability. As a double Corporate Sustainability and Marketing major, his work explores the middle ground between the economic, social, and ecological where viable new models can have both profitable and positive worldly effects. On this episode, Connor also talks about using sales as a powerful tool to identify problems and find solu...

Megan Cremeans wants to cause social and political change by exploring the ways in which democracy and education are inseparably intertwined. As an integrated social studies education and political science major, she uses applied policy to find practical ways to fight inequality and injustice, especially in schools where she researches public school funding disparities in Ohio. On this episode, Me...

While following her dream to become a criminal prosecutor, Reagan Brown has learned how to craft eloquent arguments, how to stand up for her beliefs, and how to keep cool in intense situations. As a comparative religion and psychology major, she has studied the controversial views of the Westboro Baptist Church during a faculty-led project designed to understand religious extremism. On this episod...

In this episode, we dive deep into the heart of human nature by hearing how the humanities can be a powerful way to learn more about ourselves, about the world, and each other. We'll also get to know more about the new host of this podcast, Peter Everett. As a double history and comparative religion major, Peter's research touches upon the value that can be found in studying the people and the pla...

The humanities enrich our lives in illuminating ways. They teach us to think critically, adapt to change, to ask the right questions. They teach us about ourselves, and even what it means to be human. As one of Miami's most high profile students, Jacob Bruggeman has been an outspoken champion of the humanities. On this episode, he explains how studying the humanities will help you succeed in colle...

As recently as May of 2019, an ingredient found in many common over-the-counter drugs was linked to the death of an infant. Curiously, use of this ingredient was still legal, and even FDA approved. This led Virginia Bulger to ask, "why?" Virginia's research explores the complexities of drug regulation legislation. And on this episode, she also talks about how her university experiences can help ot...

On this episode, Terry Tait talks about his research that frames the Iraq War within the emerging field of borderlands studies. Terry looks how individual people try to understand their circumstances in a global world, and at how our perceptions of borders -- both visible and invisible -- can have a profound effect on our lives. Featured Majors:  History, Arabic, Middle East and Islamic Studies Fe...

Max Leveridge wants to protect all species from extinction. On this episode, he talks about connecting a variety of environmental and sociological factors including geological conservation, animal behavioral ecology, and sustainability to do it. Featured Majors:  Environmental Earth Science, Environmental Science, Sustainability, Geographic Information Science Featured Organizations: Center for An...

On this episode, Ellen Florek talks about reexamining the U.S. educational system, her goal to protect women's rights, and how learning about disabilities studies and social justice can bring valuable insight to students pursuing almost any career path. Ellen's work as a political science major links law, reproductive rights, and disability rights to advocate for the kinds of policies and practice...

Abby Culpepper wants us to connect with places we're from and spaces we occupy, right here and right now. As a French and linguistics major, she uses language and literature to explore our relationship with local communities and with the wider natural world. On this episode, Abby speaks about her work with eco-poetics, why it's so important to appreciate the distinctness and richness of our own un...

Few fields are evolving as quickly as the field of genetics. Emily Wyatt found her calling in genetics while working in Miami University's Killian Neurobiology Lab, where she studies a protein that is known to be a possible leading cause of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her work has earned her a Howard Hughes Internship Award and she represented Miami at the 2019 International Emory Global Health Case...

For Charles Kennick, there are no boundaries between campus life and community life. During his time at Miami, Charles has become a leading advocate of student voice in all town-gown relations. He has served as the chair for the City of Oxford Student Community Relations Commission, as the Secretary for Off-Campus Affairs in the Associated Student Government, as a 3-time president of Miami's chapt...

As a student activist for LGBTQ rights, Hannah Clarke believes in being vocal and visible about inclusion and acceptance. Her work blurs the lines between academics and her social interests to show how both scholarship and activism can be deeply connected, and her debut novel, The Scapegracers , will be published next year. Featured Majors:  Classical Humanities, Creative Writing, Women, Gender &...

Where some people see challenges, Sara Rosomoff sees opportunities. While at Miami, Sara used this philosophy to research the complex history of Medicare and Medicaid, which will be published in a new book about U.S. healthcare policy. Her approach can also guide all students through the unforeseen challenges of pursuing their own passion projects. Featured Majors/Minors:  Economics, Political Sci...

Miranda Woods is following her dream of designing sneakers in innovative, unconventional, and socially conscious ways. On this episode, she talks about being named the 2019 Pensole x New Balance Co-Op Footwear Brand Design Winner, why she hopes to induce more authentic African America elements into American sneaker culture, and more. Featured Majors & Minors:  Architecture, Brand Design Featured S...

Imagine being able to cure the blind. It may not be as futuristic as you think. Not anymore. In the last decade, there have been serious efforts among scientists to solve this problem, including at Miami University. On this episode, Miami student Emilio Bloch talks about his work with retina cell regeneration, studying public health in Africa, alternate pathways for people interested in health-rel...

On this debut episode, Host and Miami student Jacob Bruggeman speaks with Emily Tatum about how her university experiences transformed her passions into internships with the Pentagon and U.S. Department of State, what it really means to be a global citizen, and much more. Featured Majors:  International Studies, Political Science, Spanish, Latin American Studies Featured Study Abroad:  Cuba in Tra...