WCSUPodcasts

Are you feeling stressed? Listen to the calm tones of Dr. Brian Luke Seaward, an internationally known expert in stress management as he describes how you can achieve a healthy approach to life. Paul talks WCSU Homecoming, Tiesto and apple cider making with Bharbara Moraes-Viegas, the VP of student relations for the WCSU Student Government Association.

Jane Davis, the President and CEO of Ability Beyond, is the guest for this episode. We explore a purpose driven life where people come first through Jan’s work at Ability Beyond, a company that provides job training and placement for people with disabilities. If you are interested in what makes a determined, devoted, and meaningful life, then you’re in for a treat.

The WCSU Women’s Basketball Team won national Top 10 honors for their grades last year. Coach Kim Rybczyk and two players discuss what it takes to be scholar-athletes, and give us a glimpse of the upcoming season. In a new segment, Paul talks WCSU events with Bharbara Moraes-Viegas, the VP of student relations for the WCSU Student Government Association.

You have seen Wendell Minor’s illustrations in books and you can see his work in person at the WCSU art gallery starting Sept. 25. In this podcast, Minor discusses how he became a world-renowned illustrator, and what he does to stay that way.

Dr. John B. Clark, president of Western Connecticut State University, discusses student success, affordability of higher ed, and how his own experiences and background help him lead the university.

When was the last time that you had to deal with a difficult person? Do you wish you could of handled it a bit better? Our co-hosts talk about some different ways that you can walk a compassionate path when dealing with difficult people.

WCSU Biology Professor Dr. Mitch Wagener specializes in the study of eco-systems. When he began looking at the largest eco-system – the Earth – for effects of climate change, he became alarmed.

David Mitchell, the National Director of Philanthropy at World Vision U.S., is our guest for this episode. World Vision is one of the largest international humanitarian relief and development organizations serving people living in extreme poverty all over the globe. David discusses the role of compassion in not only building a strong community anywhere in the world but also how it can help to addr...

Dr. Michael Finkelstein, the founder and medical director of Sun Raven: The One of Slow Medicine, is our guest for this podcast episode. Dr. Finkelstein explains not only the role that compassion can and should play in medical treatment but also the importance of "slow medicine". We talk about how "the process" is more important than "the goals" in attaining a healthy life and why we should clearl...

We know what happens when there are too many “cooks” in the kitchen but what happens when there is more than one “Kukk” on a podcast? Elly Kukk (Reiki Master Teacher, Parenting Educator, and Chris’ wife) joins the podcast to discuss the role of compassion in parenting and marriage.

Dr. Forest Robertson loves Organic Chemistry. He explains how he teaches students to understand – and even love it – with an innovative classroom approach he invented.

Our guest for this episode, Jim Kennedy (CEO of The Network Support Company), has woven compassion with business and technology to become a successful entrepreneur. We discuss the differences between a workplace filled with “sharks" compared to one filled with “dolphins”as well as ideas for how to create a work environment where compassion drives success at all levels. Jim also offers insights int...

Love146 (https://love146.org) brings the concept of a compassionate achiever to life on the organizational level. Steve Martin, Love146’s CEO, is our guest for this episode where we explore not only how the name of the organization is connected to its purpose of stopping child trafficking and exploitation but also how compassion plays a role in balancing personal anger and frustration. We discuss...

William Beattie is the featured compassionate achiever for this episode. We discuss how individual and community success can both grow through the combination of compassion and religion. We use the efforts of the nonprofit and non-governmental organization he founded called Jericho Partnership (http://jerichopartnership.org) to highlight compassion’s role in personal and communal development.

Jay Murray is in charge of enrollment at WestConn. In this podcast, he discusses what students need to do to get accepted at the university, and what students can expect during their first year.

Episode Three This episode features the compassionate achiever Scarlett Lewis. She started the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement (http://www.jesselewischooselove.org) —after losing her six year old son Jesse in the Sandy Hook tragedy—in the hope of bringing social-emotional learning (SEL) to every school. If you want to learn how compassion, resilience, and “choosing love” can turn an elementary sc...

Episode Two Part II of the introduction to the Compassionate Achiever Podcast. A compassionate achiever is someone who attains success by helping others.

Episode One Part I of the introduction to the Compassionate Achiever Podcast. This episode provides an overview of “The Compassionate Achiever.” We discuss the link between compassion and success and the four steps to becoming a compassionate achiever: Listen, Understand, Connect, and Act (LUCA).

Episode Zero A short introduction to the Compassionate Achiever Podcast and the co-hosts: Dr. Christopher Kukk and Tracy Day. The podcast is based on the book called “The Compassionate Achiever” (http://compassionateachiever.com) and it’s about discovering how to “Unleash the compassionate achiever within you to unlock success."

New WestConn graduate Allison Vas explains how any WestConn student can earn a Fulbright scholarship, just as she did.

The Literacy Ladies, Michelle Witko & Dr. Darla Shaw, talk about...science...

Professor Dave Smith is retiring after 47 years of teaching percussion at Western Connecticut State University. He talks about how he did it, what got him started in drumming, and his particular love for the triangle as a musical instrument.

Dr. Chris Kukk is the energetic Political Science professor at WCSU who has written a book about compassion and how to practice it. He talks about the tools of compassion and his conversation with the Dalai Lama. Also, he wants you to know that in his family’s historic homeland of Estonia, Kukk means rooster...

The Literacy Ladies, Michelle Witko & Dr. Darla Shaw, talk about their favorite activities to do with their students at the end of the school year....

Lionel Bascom, a writing instructor at Western Connecticut State University, has a thing about Harlem. He spent part of his childhood there and as a scholar he has studied it ever since. His latest book, “Harlem: The Crucible of Modern African American Culture,” shows that not only did the flowering of African-American literature and music endure in Harlem much longer than is widely documented, bu...