Tell Me More

Space wasn’t always on Dr. Ellen Ochoa’s radar. So how did this high school flute player make her way to outer space? In a conversation with Professor Karen Panetta of the School of Engineering, Ochoa discusses her love of music — she even played her flute in space — and how she navigated her path to NASA. She also gives advice to students and describes her own role models, while sharing her persp...

Michael McFaul, who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014 under the Obama administration, shares in a wide-ranging conversation his view on Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election as well as his fears about a new arms race, and what it has meant for him to be banned from returning to Russia. McFaul is the author of "From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American A...

Documentary filmmaker and 1967 Tufts graduate David Sutherland is known for creating intimate portraits of people living on the margins of society. His most recent film, "Marcos Doesn’t Live Here Anymore," premiering on PBS, shows the human cost of U.S. immigration policy by following Elizabeth Perez and her husband, Marcos, as they fight to reunite their family after Marcos is deported....

As America gets closer to the 2020 presidential election, everyone wants to know, “Who will run?” But there’s another important question to ask: ”Who will turn out to vote?” There’s a gap in voter turnout between white people and people of color -- a gap that has an impact on election outcomes, and on our democracy. So where does this turnout gap come from? Who votes, who doesn’t vote, and why? In...

Earlier this year, Tufts hosted its annual celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that included a conversation — inspired by him — on resilience and hope. This year’s program welcomed Tufts alums Christina Greer and Zerlina Maxwell. In this wide-ranging conversation, they also share their thoughts on gender, race, and the intersection of the two.

Artist Lynda Cutrell wants to change how people look at mental illness. In an exhibit on display at Tufts, she uses photography, painting, sculpture and video to challenge what we think we know about people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder while highlighting what scientists have actually discovered about these illnesses. It’s a subject close to her heart. In this episode of Tell Me More , C...

Singer-songwriter Gotye—whose real name is Wally De Backer—has a passion for forgotten electronic instruments like the Ondioline, the Theremin, and the Rhythmicon, which he talks about with instrument designer Mike Buffington in a special two-part series of Tell Me More. In this bonus episode, Gotye and Buffington get deep about these lost instruments.

Singer-songwriter Gotye’s best-known song, Grammy-winning “Somebody That I Used to Know,” is about the pain of being treated as an inconsequential thing of the past. When it comes to music, Gotye, whose real name is Wally De Backer, has great respect for things of the past. Specifically, he has a passion for old electronic instruments, and is determined to show that they matter.

Time magazine named Temple Grandin one of the world’s 100 most influential people for her work to improve the quality of life of beef cattle and for her powerful advocacy for neuro-diverse individuals. In this episode, Grandin shares how growing up with autism helped her understand the different ways animals experience the world, why she believes we need to fix how we socialize with dogs, and some...

Life is Good president and Tufts graduate Lisa Tanzer emphasizes the importance of knowing what you stand for when it comes to the corporate brand, and she gives essential advice to students and business leaders alike, including the most important lesson she’s learned in her career.

Professor and author Dr. John Rich talks about applying a systems approach to tackling the consequences of trauma in the lives of young African-American men. Dr. Rich is the author of "Wrong Place, Wrong Time: Trauma and Violence in the Lives of Young Black Men." Now a professor at the Drexel University School of Public Health, Dr. Rich previously served as medical director of the Boston...

Blockbusters like Patty Jenkins’ "Wonder Woman" show the power that female filmmakers can have in Hollywood today. But what are the continuing challenges they face? In her new documentary “Half the Picture,” filmmaker Amy Adrion gathers insights from numerous successful female directors on their career paths, struggles, and hopes for the future. In this episode, Adrion takes a hard look...

The week before the death of President George H.W. Bush, former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu, who served as President Bush’s chief of staff from 1989 to 1991, reminisced about his time spent with the late president while Bush campaigned for the all-important New Hampshire primary. Sununu also shares his predictions for the 2020 presidential race, weighing in on whether a republican should co...

Bill McKibben offers his perspectives on climate change, including the critical underestimation that scientists made during the past 30 years, the best way for individuals to make a difference, and the one fact about our climate that you need to know—to understand our century. McKibben is the founder of 350.org, the first global grassroots climate change movement. His 1989 book The End of Nature i...

On average, we lose three rhinos every day to poaching. At this rate, rhinos in the wild may become extinct within a decade. In this episode, Matt Lindenberg, founder and executive director of the Global Conservation Corps, offers the drivers behind rhino poaching, the value of rangers—the unsung heroes of conservation—and the unique approach that Lindenberg’s organization is taking to curb the cr...

To date this year, there have been 297 mass shootings in America, including the recent tragedy at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. In this episode, former U.S. Congressman Steve Israel and filmmaker Sarah Ullman, co-founder of the SuperPAC One Vote at a Time, offer their perspectives on gun violence and gun control—one of the most divisive issues in America today. Israel is the author of...

Congressman Joaquín Castro, a Texas democrat representing the 20th Congressional District, talks about civic life, the importance of the youth vote, the role of the United States in foreign affairs—and the best way to reach your elected officials.  Castro also serves on the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees, and is First Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. He came to T...

The 72nd Governor of Virginia and former chairman of the 2000 Democratic National Convention, Terry McAuliffe talks about his work to decrease gun violence and introduce criminal justice reform in Virginia. Also, hear his suggestions on how to get young people re-engaged in politics. McAuliffe spoke at an event co-sponsored by the Tufts Political Science department and JumboVote, the school’s “get...

Visual artist Angela Lorenz offers insights into artistic experimentation, discusses graffiti in ancient Rome, and relates an artistic tragedy involving graham crackers. Lorenz’s work Victorious Secret , a re-envisioning of an often misinterpreted Roman mosaic, is on view at Tisch Library. She dedicated the artwork to celebrate 40 years of Title IX and came to Tufts as a guest of the Consortium of...

Author and journalist Morgan Jerkins discusses switching between writing fiction and non-fiction, what interests her most as a writer, and her advice for young people. Jerkins is the author of The New York Times best-seller, “This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in White America,” a collection of essays that weaves together her commentary on pop cultur...

Dr. Daniel Kraft is a physician-scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, and innovator. With more than 25 years of experience in clinical practice, biomedical research, and healthcare innovation, Kraft envisions the reinvention of medical education, revolutions in dentistry, must-have technologies for parents—and the apps that could help change the lives of patients. He came to Tufts to celebrate the 15...