Strength in the Midst of Change

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Sophia Kruz, CEW+’s 2015 Twink Frey Visiting Social Activist, documentary producer and director, and U-M alum. Sophia shares her insights into the impact of art on social reform, and filmmaking as a tool for justice. Make sure to listen to the end to hear Sophia talk about her upcoming projects and the power of filmmaking.

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Lauren Schandevel, a U-M alum of the Ford School of Public Policy and creator of the crowd-sourced document, “Being Not-Rich at UM”, which serves as a guide for low-income students on campus. Lauren shares her experiences as a first-generation, low-income student, and speaks about public policy and community organizing.

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra, artistic director at Healing Bells, a U-M Lecturer in Carillon, and affiliate faculty at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender and at the Center for World Performance Studies. Pamela shares her experiences with music, playing the carillon, and her insights into arts and healing.

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Erika Murcia, a 2016 CEW+ Scholar and MSW alum. She shares her insights into her work with poetry and trauma, as well as her own podcast, Somos Semillas, We Are Seeds (listen on Spotify at https://spotify.link/IhYSA4edLyb)

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Schinella D’Souza, a PhD student in mathematics and a 2022 recipient of the Irma M. Wyman CEW+ Scholarship. Schinella shares her insights into inclusivity and equity in teaching, and compassionate mentorship. You can download and subscribe to Strength in the Midst of Change from — Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud. Subscribe, listen, and enjoy!

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Liz DeBetta, Advocacy Program Manager at CEW+. Dr. DeBetta is an interdisciplinary scholar-artist-activist whose work is grounded in creativity and social justice to help create social change for individuals and communities that have been marginalized and oppressed. Liz shares her insights into storytelling, the experiences of being a nontra...

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Anne Ladky, CEW+’s 2006 Twink Frey Visiting Social Activist. She is a lifelong advocate for economic justice, committed to expanding opportunities for women and people of color in the Chicago region. Anne shares her insights about equal pay issues, workplace discrimination, and her time as a Twink Frey Visiting Social Activist at U-M.

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Anastasia Marie, a 2022 recipient of the CEW+ Joan P. Ireland Scholarship. She is a master’s student in the School of Environment and Sustainability studying Landscape Architecture, an alumnus of the University of Vermont and UNC School of the Arts’ music school, and a vegan. Anastasia shares her insights into the connections between ecology...

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Courtney Reid, MSW, LMSW, and counseling program manager at CEW+. Courtney aims to help others define their concept of well-being, identify meaningful goals and accomplish them while honoring their inner resiliency by giving consideration to one’s biopsychosocial circumstances. Courtney shares her insights about imagining possibilities and m...

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Mina Hernandez Garcia, a 2022 CEW+ Scholar and the first Amy Mecozzi Cho and Lawrence Cho Family Scholar. Mina is a PhD candidate in Educational Studies with a focus on “translanguaging,” or teachers’ and students’ use of multiple languages to make meaning in subject-matter classrooms. Mina shares her insights about supporting bilingual and...

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Chris Black, a longtime donor and friend to CEW+ and a current member of the CEW+ Leadership Council. Chris shares her insights on working with early career faculty, especially women in STEM. Make sure to listen to the end to hear Chris talk about how a CEW+ grant helped her finish her degree on time, and why she is a CEW+ donor today.

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Dr. Angie Perone, who is the Congressional Health Policy Fellow in Senator Tammy Baldwin’s office and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow at the National Academy of Medicine. She earned her PhD in Social Work and Sociology from U-M in 2021 and is a CEW+ Scholar alum. As of July 1, she is also a tenure-track assistant prof...

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features the Vice President for Student Life, Martino Harmon, Ph. D. Dr. Harmon shares his experience joining U-M at the beginning of the pandemic and his insights about listening to students and tapping into the help already available to U-M students to cultivate holistic student support. Dr. Harmon discusses the joy of being able to welcome student...

Join us in listening to an audio interview with CEW+ scholar and student caregiver Ronotta Holliday to hear about her work in business and women’s empowerment.

Join us in listening to an audio interview with CEW+ scholar and student caregiver Sarah Collins to hear about their work in the cross-section of climate change and education.

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Ruby MacDougall, a 2021 CEW+ Mary Malcomson Raphael Scholar and PhD candidate in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures with a focus on dance studies. Ruby shares her insights about the relationship between “modern” and “ethnic” dance forms in Chinese dance history, as well as being a graduate student parent during the pandemic. You...

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Elissa Welle (PhD ‘21). Elissa shares her insights gained through a major career transition. Elissa completed her doctorate in biomedical engineering at U-M in 2021, and then pursued a career as a journalist. Now on the Breaking News team at Detroit Free Press, Elissa talks to CEW+ Director Tiffany Marra about what led her to consider a care...

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Tim Constant, a recent Doctor of Education degree recipient at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and the Instructional Coach for Secondary Education at Clarenceville School District in Livonia, Michigan. His dissertation focused on intergenerational/historical trauma - like that experienced by indigenous communities around Indian Boarding...

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Deborah Smith Pollard, Professor of English Literature and Humanities at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and co-host and co-producer of “Sunday Morning Inspiration” on WMXD “Mix” 92.3 FM with Glenda Curry. In this episode, Dr. Pollard shares her knowledge about gospel music, how it has evolved through the years, and why it inspires her....

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Jessica Pelton, 2021 CEW+ Scholar and President of the CEW+ Student Parent Advisory Board. You can download and subscribe to Strength in the Midst of Change from Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud. Subscribe, listen, and enjoy!

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features CEW+’s 2022 Twink Frey Visiting Social Activist and senior researcher at the Urban Institute, Dr. Theresa Anderson. Dr. Anderson talks about her Twink Frey Visiting Social Activist project which builds on work she's been doing at a national level to develop a framework of policy systems that affect student-parent families. Her goal is to app...

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Dr. Scott Ellsworth, a professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies since 2007. He teaches courses on African American history, Southern literature, race and sports, and crime and justice in contemporary U.S. society. His book, “The Ground Breaking: The Tulsa Race Massacre and an American City's Search for Justice,” was re...

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Dr. Reshma Jagsi, who received the Carol Hollenshead Inspire Award for Excellence in Promoting Equity and Social Change at CEW's 2020 Advocacy Symposium. Dr. Jagsi is the Newman Family Professor and Deputy Chair in the Department of Radiation Oncology and Director of the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine (CBSSM) at the Uni...

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Wendy E. John, Head of Global Diversity & Inclusion at Fidelity Investments. Wendy has been with Fidelity for 24 years and leads the effort to ensure that Fidelity is a workplace and service provider where everyone can fully be themselves. Wendy talks about her life, what drives her in her work, and shares her thoughts on how diverse perspec...

This episode of Strength in the Midst of Change features Lyss Shumaker, 2020 LSA alumna and co-founder of the Michigan Caregivers and Student Parent Organization, a CEW+ Student Sponsored Organization focused on creating community among student caregivers through programming and events. Lyss talks about what inspired her to advocate for student parents and the unique challenges that they encounter...