The UIUC Talkshow

In this talk, Yaron Brook challenges the morality of self-sacrifice, redefines what “selfishness” really means, and argues for a life built on reason, purpose, and personal happiness. When Yaron came to campus, we also sat down for a full conversation—watch it here: ⁠https://youtu.be/_SMJ76Hbu3s⁠ Bringing Yaron Brook to campus was much harder than it should have been. What I thought would be a fun...

Yaron Brook is an author, philosopher, and prominent speaker known for his ideas on living a rational, independent, and meaningful life. In this conversation, we focus on young people: how to figure out what you actually enjoy, why you'll probably have multiple careers, and how to take your own life seriously. We discuss independence, why people follow the crowd instead of thinking for themsel...

Brett Kaufman is an archaeologist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His work lives at a rare intersection: field excavation + ancient languages + hard science. He studies the peoples, states, and empires of the Middle East and North Africa—from the Bronze Age to the present—combining archaeological evidence with historical texts and Semitic inscriptions to understand how power, ident...

Leslie Looney is a professor of Astronomy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on star formation, the early evolution of planets, and building the powerful telescopes and observational tools needed to explore our universe. In this episode, we explore how stars and planets come to life, why building a giant telescope on the Moon could lead to revolutionary discoverie...

Robert Lawless is a Law Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Professor Lawless is one of the country’s leading experts on bankruptcy and consumer debt. In this conversation, he explains how the student loan crisis was created, why student loans are treated differently from almost every other type of debt, and how a series of legal and political decisions made them nearly im...

David Carroll, president & co-founder of CU Aerospace (UIUC B.S./M.S./Ph. D.), walked away from a top university post in 1998 to build a rocket company in the Illinois cornfields. A laser scientist by training, he didn’t stay in theory—he shipped: electric CubeSat engines, plasma systems, high-energy lasers, and even a genetic-algorithm tool that jumped from lab code to a cancer operating room...

<p>Geoffrey Challen is a Computer Science Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.</p> <p>With some professors, there's a before and after in your reality as a student—you see things differently. For me, that was Challen's CS 125 (now called CS 124).</p> <p>After I picked up my phone and called the head of physics, he said I couldn&...

<p>Stuart E. Eizenstat, a seasoned American diplomat and former ambassador to the European Union, offers an exploration of the craft of negotiation.</p> <p>Drawing on decades of experience and the insights of hundreds of interviews—including with titans like Henry Kissinger and James Baker—his latest book, <em>The Art of Diplomacy,</em> serves as a masterclass in both...

Max Boot, a Washington Post columnist and author, discusses his decade-long journey researching and writing Reagan: His Life and Legend. Through extensive archival research and interviews with nearly 100 people who knew Reagan, including Colin Powell and George Schultz, Boot reveals a more pragmatic president than commonly portrayed. The conversation explores Reagan's ability to compromise on...

Marie Arana is an author, former Washington Post reporter, and former Literary Director of the Library of Congress. Through her books and work, she has dedicated herself to creating a unified narrative for the Hispanic community, with notable works such as Bolívar: American Liberator, American Chica, and LatinoLand. EPISODE LINKS: Bolivar: American Liberator: https://amzn.to/4aPAvKU LatinoLand: ht...

Margaret Fleck and David Forsyth are computer science professors at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). In this episode, we have the ultimate computer science power couple: Margaret Fleck and David Forsyth. Together, they bring a rare mix of academic brilliance, humor, and a knack for keeping students hooked—plus, they’re married, which only adds to the chemistry. Margaret Fleck...

Carmen Rossi is a successful serial entrepreneur who has launched over 70 businesses across various industries—hospitality, restaurants, real estate, cannabis, clothing, law, travel, and more. He also owns and operates some of the biggest nightclubs and restaurants in Chicago, along with iconic campus spots like KAMS and Red Lion. His secret? The ability to truly listen. Carmen has an unmatched ta...

Bret Bielema is the Head Football Coach at the University of Illinois. 0:00 - Introduction 0:41 - How To Be The Best You 3:01 - Losing his Mother 4:34 - Hard Conversations 6:51 - Relationships 8:24 - What Drives Bret Bielema? 9:30 - Luck 10:57 - How to plan 13:07 - Why Coaching? 14:23 - Consistency 18:08 - Bret Bielema's Daughters. 19:39 - Failures 21:50 - How to work hard (and smart) 23:28 - Advi...

David Ruzic is a Nuclear Engineering Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is widely recognized as The Illinois Energy Prof. EPISODE LINKS: David Ruzic's YouTube Channel: @illinoisenergyprof6878 David Ruzic's UIUC Website: https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/affiliates/druzic David Ruzic's Research Lab: https://cpmi.illinois.edu/about-cpmi/ David Ruzic's Research Top...

Carla Scaletti and Kurt Hebel are the founders of Symbolic Sound, creators of the Kyma Sound Design Environment. You may not have heard of the company or its founders, but you have definitely heard its products in films like WALL•E, The Dark Knight, Finding Nemo, games like World of Warcraft, Quake II, Mirror's Edge, and the music of A.R. Rahman. In this episode, Carla and Kurt take us behind...

Leon Dash is a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a former reporter for the Washington Post, and a Pulitzer Prize winner. Dash introduces himself as a "barefoot boy from Harlem," a humbling reminder of his roots that keeps him grounded. Imagine a young Leon Dash, shivering in the cold Washington winter, desperately seeking an indoor job. With nothing but hope an...

This is the 'After Hours' (Extended Version) of our conversation with Jolim, where we talk about the different ways to interpret failure, dealing with the pressure of academics, viewing time as an investment, being grateful, and finally compete in a fierce arm wrestling contest 💪🏼 Listen to the Full Episode on 'The UIUC Talkshow': here GUEST BIO: Jolim Chiu is an aspiring physici...

Jolim Chiu is an aspiring physicist and philosopher from the University of Illinois. He is one of our close friend and one of the deepest thinkers that we have met on campus. In this episode, we tackle the question, "What is the meaning of life?" Jolim has spent the better part of the last few years trying to get to the bottom of this question. He has created numerous models that has helped him ma...

Charles Gammie is a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Born with an insatiable curiosity and a love for mathematics, Dr. Gammie's journey to the forefront of astrophysics was anything but ordinary. Despite initially having ambitions of becoming a lawyer, a serendipitous encounter with a wise advisor steered him toward statistics and physics. Little did he know, this f...

Join Aaryaman and Juan David on a journey to Carbondale, Illinois, where they step inside Buckminster Fuller's iconic geodesic dome. In this special episode of The UIUC Talkshow, we have a conversation with Cornelius Crane, former president of RBF Dome, and the late Jon Davey, within the Fuller Dome itself. Buckminster Fuller was far more than just an architect and inventor - he was a boundles...

In this special episode of The UIUC Talkshow, Aaryaman gets a chance to sit down and have a conversation with a prominent businessman, philanthropist, and environmentalist, Mr. Firdos Cambatta, from India. From leading a pioneering role in the textile industry for the last five decades, Mr. Cambatta's journey is one of profound impact. Since retiring from his company, he has redirected his eff...

Robert J. Jones is the Chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 0:58 - What Drives Chancellor Jones? 2:28 - Becoming The Chancellor 5:04 - Mentors 8:30 - Student Hardships 13:11 - How UIUC Raised $2.7 Billion 19:29 - Is College Worth it? 26:45 - Should Colleges be Accountable for Student Debt? 29:10 - Is College about Getting a Job? 35:13 - Interdisci...

Karrie Karahalios is a Computer Science Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she conducts research on the impact of computer science on society, including areas like algorithmic auditing, community-centered computing, social media, and human-computer interaction. In a world often driven by haste and the urge to build for the sake of building, Dr. Karahalios stands out...

Timothy L. Killeen is the 20th president of the University of Illinois System, which includes universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield. EPISODE LINKS: https://ece.illinois.edu/about/directory/faculty/tkilleen OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 0:34 - Daily Schedule 2:28 - Physics 4:43 - From Soccer Player to President 6:37 - Surprises 10:50 - Affordability & College Debt 21:21 - Sa...

Mark Wolters is a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the creator of Wolters World, a popular travel YouTube channel with almost one million subscribers. EPISODE LINKS: Wolters World: ⁠ @woltersworld ⁠ Wolters World's Website: https://woltersworld.com/ Mark Wolters' Education YouTube: ⁠ @ProfessorWolters ⁠ Mark Wolters' UIUC Website: https://giesbusiness.ill...