The North Star

In this bonus episode of The North Star, guest host Chloe Caldwell sits down with Isaiah Johnson, Oberlin College & Conservatory Center for DEI Innovation & Leadership Changemakers fellow, Opinions Editor of the Oberlin Review , and co-founder of Oberlin's chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America. Isaiah reflects on what it means to be an agent of change from the inside —...

In this special episode of The North Star , the mic gets turned around as Executive Director JeffriAnne Wilder, Ph. D., takes the guest seat, interviewed by Changemakers fellow Chloe Caldwell. JeffriAnne reflects on what it means to carry Oberlin's almost 200-year legacy of inclusion into the present, pushing back on resting on historical laurels and asking what the college is doing right now...

In this episode, we speak with Eboni A. Johnson, STEM Librarian and Head of the Science Library at Oberlin College and President of Oberlin City Council, about her unexpected journey from a reluctant prospective student to a leader shaping both campus and community. Eboni reflects on how mentorship, representation, and access to information have defined her path, and how libraries serve as powerfu...

In this special Season 3 episode of The North Star, JeffriAnne Wilder PhD welcomes third-year student and Changemakers Fellow Chloe Caldwell, the first student guest and future host of the new Gen Z Edit, to share how Oberlin College has become her “second home” 2,000 miles from Montana. Chloe reflects on choosing Oberlin College for its conservatory and history of progress, the community she foun...

In this Season 3 episode of The North Star , Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder talks with Sinaya Surla—Oberlin College’s inaugural Human Resources Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—about what it means to make HR truly human. Sinaya reflects on her journey from Multicultural Resource Center staff member to policy shaper, sharing how seven-generations thinking, employee resource groups, and clearer c...

In this Season 3 premiere of The North Star, JeffriAnne Wilder, PhD talks with Alicia Smith-Tran, PhD—Oberlin College alumna, former varsity basketball player, and associate professor of Sociology and Comparative American Studies. Dr. Smith-Tran traces her path from reluctant campus visitor to faculty member dedicated to building classrooms where first-gen and marginalized students belong. She sha...

In the season finale of The North Star , JeffriAnne Wilder, Ph. D. sits down with legendary educator, anthropologist, and social justice activist Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Ph. D., Oberlin alumna, former president of Spelman and Bennett Colleges, and past director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art—for a powerful conversation about a life shaped by Oberlin, sisterhood, and an unwavering...

This special episode of The North Star turns the spotlight on Executive Director JeffriAnne Wilder, Ph. D., in a candid conversation with colleague Letisha Bereola about her journey, her identity, and leading Oberlin’s Center for DEI Innovation and Leadership amid a nationwide rollback of DEI. JeffriAnne reflects on leading in “quicksand” while programs around her were cut, the four pillars guidin...

In this episode, JeffriAnne Wilder, PhD welcomes Margaret Hunter, PhD, professor of sociology and strategic advisor for faculty DEI initiatives at Santa Clara University, for a candid conversation about nearly three decades of research and advocacy surrounding colorism, racial justice, and institutional transformation. Dr. Hunter’s pioneering work illuminates how skin tone, beauty cues, and social...

In this landmark episode, JeffriAnne Wilder, Ph. D.  welcomes Dr. Aldon Morris, professor emeritus, influential sociologist, and author of The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement and The Scholar Denied, to discuss how disruption and bottom-up leadership reshape our understanding of history, social movements, and American sociology. Morris shares the journey that led him to recover W. E. B. Du Boi...

In this inspiring episode, Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder welcomes Liz Gordon-Canlas, Managing Director of Zora’s House, a vibrant hub for women and gender-expansive people of color in Columbus, Ohio, to discuss how disruption can mean building radically different spaces rooted in care, connection, and collective courage. Drawing on her transformative journey through higher education, nonprofit leadership,...

We sit down with Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings Jr., teacher, principal, superintendent, consultant, and now professor at Howard University, to map a leadership journey that breaks barriers without losing its compass. From making history in Shaker Heights as the first Black superintendent at 35 to steering Alexandria City Public Schools through a pandemic and political crosswinds, Dr. Hutchings shares h...

Brand builder, marketing strategist, and entrepreneur Martin Ekechukwu joins Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder on The North Star to unpack how entrepreneurship can drive equity in a time when formal DEI programs are retracting. From his immigrant roots to founding WHTWRKS, Martin shares the mindset required to build resilient businesses, align profit with purpose, and create brand ecosystems—not mere diversit...

Dr. Herman Felton shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Jacksonville's inner city to becoming the 17th president of Wiley University, a transformative leader who has redefined what it means to lead an HBCU in today's challenging landscape. • Product of "scarcity" who discovered his dyslexia later in life • Joined the Marine Corps before attending Edward Waters Colleg...

This bonus episode features the inaugural show of the Conversation Series: Living Our Values , where Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder sat down with Dr. Airica Steed—a living change maker and history maker—to explore what it truly means to live your values through the lens of authenticity, equity, and collective excellence. Dr. Steed candidly reflected on navigating the complex realities facing women of color...

Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder welcomes back Dr. Tammy Hodo, educator, DEI consultant, and CEO of All Things Diverse, for an insightful conversation about the foundational role of psychological safety, civility, and inclusive leadership in building high-performing teams and sustainable workplace cultures. Drawing from her background in urban studies and two decades of leading equity and curriculum initiati...

Gardy Guiteau—educator, facilitator, coach, and principal of GJG Training and Consulting—returns to The North Star for a powerful conversation with Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder about his journey from student affairs to global DEI consulting, the role of dialogic inclusion and intersectional leadership in building human-centered organizations, and the critical importance of self-care and community for sus...

In this episode of The North Star, Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder sits down with Oberlin College students Natacha Lee and Skylar Leung—two Gen Z changemakers working at the Center for DEI, Innovation, and Leadership. Together, they discuss the evolving landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education, the challenges and opportunities facing today’s students, and how Gen Z is redefini...

Join Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder, Dr. Tammy Hodo, and Gardy Guiteau for a candid, reflective conversation about their journey creating one of the nation’s first global master’s degree programs in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Leadership at Glasgow Caledonian New York College (GC NYC). In this episode, the trio shares the story of how they came together, the unique vision and impact of the progr...

In this episode of The North Star, JeffriAnne Wilder, Ph. D. steps from behind the mic to take center stage. Interviewed by Letisha Bereola, she shares her personal and professional journey through the world of DEI leadership, higher education, and advocacy. From her upbringing in a multiracial family to the driving forces behind her work today, Dr. Wilder discusses the power of storytelling, the...

In this episode of The North Star , Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder is joined by Dr. Meredith Gadsby, associate professor of Africana Studies and Comparative American Studies at Oberlin College. A scholar, educator, and community leader, Dr. Gadsby shares her journey from Queens, New York, to 25 years at Oberlin, weaving together scholarship, activism, and leadership. Together, they explore the essence of B...

In this inaugural episode of The North Star , Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder sits down with Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar for an intimate and powerful conversation about leadership, legacy, and navigating complexity in higher education. As the first African American president of Oberlin, President Ambar shares her reflections on living Oberlin’s values, the importance of historical context...

Welcome to The North Star—a space for candid conversations on leadership, legacy, and navigating complexity. Subscribe, listen in, and let’s chart this path forward—together. 🔗 Find out more about Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder. 🌐 Follow the Center on social media: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram 🌎  Visit Oberlin College's website. Podcast Produced by: Paradigm Media Group