Square Pegs

Today, Arash Zaghi chats with Sheldon Gay, the host of the "I Must Be BUG’N" podcast. Sheldon shares his journey as a neurodivergent individual, reflecting on childhood experiences, educational challenges, and the importance of advocacy. He discusses how his unique learning needs were often misunderstood, highlighting the critical role of supportive environments and the value of diverse...

Dr. Dennis Grubb, an expert in environmental engineering and neurodiverse individual with ADHD and dyslexia, shares his journey and insights. He emphasizes the importance of creativity and resilience in overcoming educational challenges and excelling in his career. Dr. Grubb recounts his unique experiences from holding gold bars in Peru to his childhood in diverse educational systems across the U....

Today, we speak with Ivy, a high school senior and director of the documentary, “From Stigma to Strength, the Neurodiversity Project.” Ivy discusses her experiences with ADHD and dyslexia, highlighting the challenges of growing up undiagnosed and feeling isolated in traditional educational settings. She emphasizes the importance of teachers advocating for neurodiversity awareness and creating incl...

This episode of the Square Peg's Podcast features a conversation with Thomas G. West, an author and advocate known for exploring the strengths of individuals with dyslexia and the benefits of visual thinking. West discusses the importance of big-picture thinking over detail-oriented education, the problems with the current educational system's focus on narrow specialization, and the unique...

Discover the resilience that shines through adversity as Anthony, a graduate student, joins us. Anthony brings us on a journey marked by undiagnosed autism, schizoaffective disorder, and a battle with mental health that led to homelessness. His early love for science and technology, sparked by 'Star Trek' and nurtured in the solace of gaming and online communities, provided a beacon of hop...

Liz Spingola is a distinguished data scientist with a robust background in neurodiversity, digital accessibility, and inclusive education, currently working at IBM. Liz emphasizes the importance of instructor awareness and training around neurodiversity, the recognition of disability through an identity-first lens, the need for community feedback to create an inclusive environment, and the legal r...

Join us as we embark on an exploration of neurodiversity, music, and rhythm with Hayes, a PhD student in psychological sciences at the University of Connecticut. Hayes shares his fascinating research on rhythmic entrainment and its mathematical modeling, shedding light on the differences in rhythm perception and reproduction between autistic and neurotypical individuals. We also touch on the trans...

In this episode of Square Pegs, we delve into two important topics: first, we explore the strengths and challenges related to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as a form of neurodiversity and second, we explore the potential connections between environmental stressors in graduate school, mental health, and eating disorders. Sarah, a Teaching Assistant Professor at Stevens Institute of Technology...

In this episode of the Square Pegs podcast, we are joined by Autumn Deitrick, an engineering education doctoral student at The Pennsylvania State University. At the time of recording, she was finishing her master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and entering the doctoral program at Penn State. Autumn discusses her experiences throug...

On this episode of Square Pegs, we are joined by Connie Syharat, a doctoral student in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education. Connie shares reflections about her experiences working on neurodiversity-related research within UConn’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, culminating with a discussion of her current res...

On this episode of Square Pegs, we are joined by Dr. Nadia Kellam, Associate Professor of Engineering Education at Arizona State University’s Fulton School of Engineering. Her research explores the unique strengths faculty with ADHD bring to the research environment. Today’s conversation reflects on the strides that have been made in recent years in (re)educating faculty to think and teach in a mo...

On this episode of Square Pegs, we are joined by Jessica Schonhut-Stasik, a PhD student at Vanderbilt University and the Program Coordinator of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation. Jessica brings a unique and compelling perspective to our conversation around neurodiversity. She recounts her struggles to be “normal” prior to her autism diagnosis in adulthood, and the complicated dynamic of m...

Today on Square Pegs we are joined by Charlotte, a first-year PhD student in Chemistry at UConn. Charlotte, who returned to higher education later in life, understands the importance of strong mentorships and support systems for neurodiverse students. Her story of resilience and crafting the environment to facilitate her own success shows both the trials and triumphs faced by many in the neurodive...

On today’s episode of Square Pegs we are joined by Maggie Melo, an Assistant Professor at UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Information and Library Science. Maggie recently ⁠wrote an op-ed on the value of ChatGPT⁠, especially as a tool for neurodiverse learners, for "Inside Higher Ed" and she joins us to discuss the paradigm shift ChatGPT represents. As higher education engages in a fierce debate over w...

Today, we welcome Kianjai Huggan, a current graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree in Education at Harvard University. Kia also has an undergraduate degree in engineering and is a CEO of her startup company, Webquity, which she launched with the goal of increasing online accessibility for all kinds of learners. Kia looks back on how early experiences with robotics sparked her interest in engi...

Today, we are joined by special guest Dr. Joyce Kamanitz, a psychopharmacologist with over 35 years of experience in the medical field. We also welcome back Dr. Lexi Hain, who rejoins the conversation as a co-host as we explore how limitations in the medical and educational systems can shape our experiences and sense of self. The conversation gets personal as Dr. Zaghi takes us back to his initial...

This time, we chat with Dr. Caitlin O’Brien, a graduate who recently completed her doctoral degree in Structural Engineering at the University of Connecticut and is now working in the engineering industry. Caitlin shares pivotal moments in her life, including her diagnosis with ADHD as a senior in high school, challenges and moments of success in her academics, and lessons that contributed to her...

Today we are chatting with Angela, a recent UConn Structural Engineering graduate who studied with Dr. Zaghi. Angela shows how she not only came to accept her ADHD, but turn it into a strategic advantage in her graduate studies. Angela reflects on her educational journey, touching on how traits related to her ADHD, like risk-taking and creative problem solving, helped her to become a better resear...

Today we are chatting with Katherine, a 2nd year Ph. D. student in molecular biology at the University of Connecticut with ADHD. Katherine’s story is somewhat unique in the realm of ADHD, and we begin by talking about the unequal treatment which comes with the underdiagnosing of ADHD in women. This lack of acceptance of girls having ADHD played a significant role in her K-12 education, spurring th...

Today we are joined by Asia, who is pursuing her PhD in clinical psychology at UConn. Join us for a fruitful discussion about the unique strengths and needs of those graduate students on the autism spectrum. Asia hopes to remind other ASD graduate students that they aren’t alone, their work is important, and that their struggles are not insurmountable, no matter how it may seem in the moment. She...

In this first episode, Dr. Lexi Hain, Assistant Professor at the UConn School of Engineering, reflects on her struggles and successes with dyslexia and the anxiety it brings to schooling. She details early difficulties in elementary school with reading and the lasting anxiety this feeling of inadequacy brought. When she began her PhD, the drive to prove – mostly to herself – that she was good enou...

Introducing Square Pegs, the podcast about neurodiversity in academia with host Arash Zaghi, UTC Professor in Engineering Innovation at the University of Connecticut. Listen in as Arash interviews students and professors with neurodiverse work and life experiences.  Like what you’re listening to? Follow Square Pegs @squarepegspod on Twitter and Instagram. Have an experience, comment, or quest...