Providence College Podcast

Dr. Jeff Johnson of the Department of History and Classics, discusses his teaching and research specialties, which include radicalism during the Progressive Era in the American West. He also shared insights about the scholarly research process, and his involvement in a national program meant to provide K-12 teachers with access to new knowledge as it is being discovered by academic researchers. Ha...

This week, we are fortunate to talk with World War II veteran Joseph DeStefano '52. DeStefano entered the Navy division of the Army in 1943 and served until 1946. In that time, he served throughout the Pacific helping to secure various islands and defeat the Japanese. After leaving the army, he enrolled at Providence College, played college basketball and baseball, and began his career in educatio...

John Rock, senior associate athletic director for sports medicine, discusses the ways in which Providence College works to provide the support student-athletes need to compete at the Division I level. Over the course of 30 years at PC, John says he has seen tremendous changes but that the driving principle continues to be a focus on each student’s well-being.

Dr. Mitchell Kusy ’73 is a corporate psychologist, a Fulbright Scholar in organization development, and a professor in the doctoral program at Antioch University’s Graduate School of Leadership & Change. He discusses the commitment to “everyday civility” and the impact of toxic personalities, particularly employees, in the workplace.

Enjoy these highlights of Providence College’s One Hundredth Commencement Exercises, including greetings at Commencement Exercises by College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80, as well as his classmate Karen Monti Flynn ’80 & ’15P, president of the Providence College National Alumni Association, and Conor Glendon ’18, president of the senior class. Then, listen to David McCullough ’18H...

Dr. Melissa Brymer '92, the director of terrorism and disaster programs for the UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, presented the keynote address at the Department of Psychology's 50th Reunion, discussing research-based efforts to improve the quality of care for families in need.

Lenny Alsfeld ’74, the president and CEO of FBT Investments, Inc. in New Orleans, La., recently returned to campus to discuss “Being St. Joseph Today: Father and Worker,” a personal reflection on St. Joseph’s virtues in the business world. PC’s Knights of Columbus chapter sponsored the event and honored Alsfeld with its first St. Joseph Medal, recognizing strong examples of fatherhood in today’s w...

This week join us for a conversation with Rudy Cline-Thomas ’00 on his journey as a finance major from PC to an innovative career in the sports industry, moderated by Dean Sylvia Maxfield of the Providence College School of Business.

Elise Italiano ’06, executive director of communications for The Catholic University of America, returned to Providence College for PC Campus Ministry’s Theology on Tap series. Enjoy her talk, “Pope Francis: Advice, Encouragement, Instruction.”

Adrian Beaulieu, dean of international studies since 2007, joins us on the podcast to discuss the College’s Study Abroad Program, where student participation has nearly tripled in the last decade. He explains the primary reasons for the growth and discusses top destinations, the confidence students realize from living overseas, the “typical” study abroad experience, and more. He SHOULD know … he’s...

Mary Burak ’15, a doctoral candidate at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, joins us on the podcast to discuss her research on the interactions of humans and large carnivores, such as lions, leopards, and hyenas in Tanzania and how her study abroad and research experience as a PC student affected her career path.

Isabel Ortiz ’19, a psychology major from Puerto Rico, is the guest on this edition of the Providence College podcast. Ortiz shares the story of Hurricane Maria’s impact on her family and the island where she grew up. That tragedy, she tells us, was made a bit more bearable by the warm embrace of her fellow students and others in the PC community.

As Holy Week begins, enjoy this podcast of Lenten reflections by Dominican priests at the College, based on the readings for each Sunday of Lent. This series, which continues through Easter, is offered to the Providence College community as a gift from the Dominican fathers.

In this episode of the Providence College Podcast, Dr. Jessica M. Mulligan, associate professor of health policy and management, details her research on the impact of the Affordable Care Act on coverage, access to care, and systematic exclusion in the American health care system in the new book she co-edited, Unequal Coverage: the Experience of Health Care Reform in the United States. She also dis...

In this episode, Dr. Terza Lima-Neves ’00, who emigrated from Cape Verde as a teenager, describes the issues facing women from the West African nation. Now an associate professor of political science at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., Lima-Neves discusses the memento she treasures from her PC days and the professor who nurtured her love of the academic field.

Dr. Steve Perreault of the Department of Accountancy joined us to discuss his research into the factors that influence whistleblower behavior, and the ways in which scholarly research enhances teaching. A fifth-year Providence College School of Business faculty member, Perrault also shared his insights on the valuable enhancement that a liberal arts curriculum provides to an undergraduate business...

With spring training underway, we're revisiting our conversation with Sean Walsh '03. In this episode, Walsh, assistant director of client services for the Boston Red Sox, talks about his rise from a three-month temporary employee to a 14-year (and counting) career with a premium sports franchise. We also discuss what his advice for fellow Friars pursuing a career in the sports industry, what his...

Political Science Department Chair Dr. Bill Hudson, working on the ninth edition of his book, American Democracy in Peril, joined us to discuss the eight enduring challenges to America’s future that he identified when the book was first published in 1988. He also talked about his students, his PC career that began when he joined the faculty in 1974, and a senior seminar conducted in his dining roo...

Seven Friar and former Friar women’s hockey players were part of a team that captured the world’s attention 20 years ago, winning Olympic gold for the U.S. team in Nagano. Several members of that team got together during Alumni and Family Weekend to talk about that experience, in a lively roundtable discussion hosted by PC’s 19-year women’s hockey coach, Bob Deraney. Recorded live.

PC Campus Ministry’s NOLA Immersion Program is far more than a vacation in the Big Easy. Bob Pfunder ’09, the campus minister who has led four of these service trips, and fundraising coordinator Tashiyra Freeman ’18 describe how the participants prepare to visit New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina, how they contribute to reconstruction efforts, and how the experience affects their commitment to fai...

In this week’s podcast, we discuss the joys of seeing America via Amtrak with Lisa Bates ’88, author of “Beyond the Rails: USA Cross-Country Train Travel.” Bates bought her first rail pass while studying abroad in Europe. Since 2014, she has taken four cross-country trips across the United States, racking up more than 21,000 miles of rail travel, many of them with her family — including three teen...

This week’s guest is Brian Lamoureux ’94, a School of Business practitioner faculty member who specializes in legal issues related to social media. He talks about balancing teaching with his work as a lawyer, the implications of living in a digital society, and the policy and politics of net neutrality.

Dean Ralph Tavares ’01, director of Multicultural Student Success Programs, is our guest on this week’s Providence College podcast. In a lively conversation, he talks about PC’s Martin Luther King Convocation Week, his work with multicultural students, and his own path to PC – plus that Grammy Award on the mantel at his childhood home.

In this episode of the Providence College Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Laura E. Williams, assistant professor of biology. In the Williams lab, she and her students study predatory bacteria and the microbiome. She is also working to advance the cause of women in the sciences. We talk about her involvement with 500 Women Scientists and why mentorship, even peer mentorship, can help retain capable w...

Roisin “Ro” McGettigan ’03 is a sports psychology coach and Olympic runner originally from Wicklow, Ireland. She competed at Providence College before turning professional under the tutelage of Ray Treacy ’82, head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country and track teams. McGettigan was an Olympic finalist in 2008 and is the Irish record holder in the steeplechase. In addition to her running a...