Providence College Podcast

Actor, singer, author, and entrepreneur John O’Hurley ’76 & ’06Hon. joins us on Thanksgiving week – when he will be in some 30 million homes as the host of Thursday’s National Dog Show on NBC. In this interview, O’Hurley talks about his Providence College experiences, the ways in which Seinfeld changed his life, working in daytime television drama, and – of course – why dogs are so important t...

Rev. James Cuddy, O.P. ’98 returns to the podcast for a discussion on the subject of preaching. Father James, PC’s vice president for mission and ministry, describes his process for creating and presenting a homily and he shares some stories about things people have said to him “on the sidewalk” after Mass. Members of the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans, learn to preach by way of an exacting pr...

With a historically long line of military service in her family, U.S. Army Capt. Amberly Glitz Weber ’12 is fashioning her own story of duty to country. The decorated medical evacuation helicopter pilot has served in Afghanistan and is currently an operations officer in the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. In this episode, she speaks about her love of...

In this episode of the PC Podcast, restaurateur, cooking show host, and author Lidia Bastianich explains how her love for cooking connects her to her childhood in Italy. Bastianich visited PC for Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 4-6, to discuss her memoir, My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family and Food , and to see her grandson, Miles Bastianich ’22. The conversation was facilitated by Edward A. Iannu...

In this pre-recorded podcast, Dr. Sickinger, professor of history and of public and community service studies, discusses the origins of Halloween and how the tales of ghosts, witches, werewolves, and vampires have worked their way into our movies, literature, and nightmares — including examples from Rhode Island. Follow the Providence College Podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Soundcloud , Stit...

John Bowab took his experience writing and directing musicals at PC and turned it into a career as a director of national touring productions of Broadway shows starring greats such as Debbie Reynolds and Angela Lainsbury. Then he headed to Hollywood to direct television sitcoms, including 91 episodes of The Facts of Life, and television specials for stars such as Jay Leno, Johnny Carson, and Bob H...

In this episode, we talk with E.C. Osondu, associate professor of English, recent recipient of the BOA Prize for Short Fiction for his collection, Alien Stories . Osondu is the author of two books and short stories that have been published in Granta , n+1 , The Atlantic , McSweeney’s , Guernica, AGNI, and more. Born and raised in Nigeria, Osondu discussed the influence of his heritage on his writi...

Arthur F. Ryan ’63, ’90Hon., & ’89P is one of Providence College’s most distinguished and successful alumni. A math major at PC, Mr. Ryan became an acclaimed business leader, eventually becoming CEO of Prudential Insurance Company. In this podcast, he talks about how his Providence College liberal arts education, along with other lessons he learned during his student days, helped to set the st...

By standard measures, accountancy major Paul Mecurio ’82 was leading a successful life as a lawyer and investment banker on Wall Street. But after a chance encounter with Jay Leno, the Providence native found himself living a double life — managing mergers and acquisitions by day and performing stand-up at night. Mecurio discusses his transition from finance to comedy, a typical day of filming at...

Lisa Schenck ’83 & ’18Hon. is a former U.S. Army attorney and judge who retired as a colonel after 25 years of distinguished military service. That experience led to a second career, in academic life, as an associate dean at George Washington University Law School. A political science major and ROTC cadet as a PC undergraduate, Thibault describes the way in which her PC experiences, both in th...

Nearly every one of us exhibits resilience from time to time. Dr. Mary O’Keeffe, associate professor of psychology, has had a special interest in building resilience for decades — partly because it is so important to the mental health and well-being of students. Join us as O’Keeffe discusses how she has incorporated resilience into courses and helped initiate a c urriculum-based academic resilienc...

Meet Rev. Adam Young ’06, a competitor on the current season of “Worst Cooks in America” on the Food Network. Father Adam, the pastor of St. Paul’s Church in Cranston, R.I., jokes that God must forsake him in the kitchen, because he’s so bad at cooking. Learn how he will use the $25,000 prize if he wins and how food factors into the Church’s ministry.

Meet Sarah Kirchner ’21, newly published author and creative writing enthusiast. An English/creative writing and art history double major, Kirchner wrote Try and Catch Me (Typewriter Pub, 2019), a young adult fiction work that was published in June. Her sustained flair for creativity, her satisfaction in organizing and writing thoughts and stories, and her elation over discovering a passion for ar...

As the fall semester starts, revisit our episode with Dr. Raymond Hain on the humanities at PC. At Providence College, the humanities are an integral and flourishing element of the liberal arts experience; in some ways, they draw in the entire College community. In this podcast episode, Dr. Raymond Hain, associate professor of philosophy and associate director of the Humanities Program, discusses...

Rev. James Cuddy, O.P. ’98 provides both insight and humor in this wide-ranging interview that covers Father’s own faith journey, his work as PC’s vice president for mission and ministry, and his newest vocation – chaplain in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Father James offers perspectives on the faith community among PC’s students, the personal reasons why service as a Navy chaplain is so important to him...

Dr. Kathleen Cornely, professor of chemistry for 25 years, and her former student, R. Seth Pinches ’16, reunite in this episode of the Providence College Podcast to discuss their role in research that saved the life of a 17-year-old woman in England. Cornely and her students collect and isolate phages, viruses commonly found in the environment that show promise for treating drug-resistant infectio...

Madeleine Veith ’16 spent the last two years in Denver, Colo., as a missionary for Christ in the City, a Catholic non-profit dedicated to preparing young people to know, love, and serve the poor. Veith discusses the goals of this street ministry and how she grew from the experience, as well as how her PC experience prepared her for these years of service.

Nearly 20 years after its formation, the College’s Providence Alliance for Catholic Teachers program continues to excel in its mission of preparing educators to contribute to the enrichment of Catholic schools. The two-year teacher education program, which boasts more than 300 graduates, includes principals, assistant principals, and even alumni in religious formation among its ranks. Listen in as...

At Providence College, the humanities are an integral and flourishing element of the liberal arts experience; in some ways, they draw in the entire College community. In this podcast episode, Dr. Raymond Hain, associate professor of philosophy and associate director of the Humanities Program, discusses the interdisciplinary nature of the humanities, the significance of the Ruane Center for the Hum...

As the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing approaches, we talk with Dr. Theresa Moreau, assistant professor of physics, about PC’s affiliation with the NASA Rhode Island Space Grant Consortium. She discussed how the grant has funded undergraduate research at the College, as well as the value of hands-on fabrication experience for a budding engineer.

This week’s guest is Rev. David T. Orique, O.P., a member of the Providence College history faculty and Director of Latin American and Latina/o Studies. Father Orique, who grew up in a California agricultural community and worked in banking before becoming a Dominican, shares the story of his personal journey, along with insights about Dominican history and scholarship and some of his favorite thi...

Dr. Jay Pike, assistant professor of chemistry at PC, has been home brewing since his graduate school days. Now he and research students, such as biology major Alex Ventouris ’20, are studying how to decrease some of the organic compounds that create off-flavors in beer. Pike also discusses his course, The Scientific Chef, and some tips for enjoying beer at home.

Friar Foundations, a summer bridge program for incoming students, enters its sixth year this July. The program’s first and only director, Kaitlyn O’Malley, associate director of academic services, says she is gratified to “watch the journey, watch the development” of up to 25 students each summer. In this episode, she joins graduate assistant Tyre Richards ’19, a former participant and two-year me...

Yards are important social and recreational gathering places for families and friends. Chris Lambton ’99 understands that better than most people. The professional landscaper, media personality, and lifestyle expert craves working in and transforming yards, bringing smiles to property owners throughout Cape Cod. A star with his wife, Peyton, on HGTV’s Going Yard and a host of two DIY Networks show...

Sister Larraine Lauter, O.S.U. ’19Hon. has a lot to celebrate this year. She was honored at PC’s Commencement for work with her Kentucky-based organization, Water With Blessings, which has distributed more than 96,000 water filters to hundreds of thousands of families in 47 countries. In this episode, Sister Larraine discusses the organization’s successes in the fight to rid Haiti of cholera and o...