Wesleyan University Podcasts

President Michael S. Roth ’78 joins Wesleyan’s Executive Director of the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life and host of NPR’s Disrupted Khalilah Brown-Dean for a wide-ranging discussion on fostering hope in the face of cynicism, escaping our echo chambers, what DEI really means, and building fellowship by granting the permission to be wrong.

Wesleyan University's Democracy in Action podcast asks how institutions of higher education can cultivate the ways we show up as citizens. It underscores Wesleyan’s unwavering dedication to preparing future generations for a world where the free exchange of ideas and the vibrant clash of perspectives reign supreme. Each episode narrows in on a topic where universities and democracy intersect, begi...

Earlier this spring, Wesleyan University President Michael S. Roth ’78 was joined by Amin Abdul-Malik Gonzalez ’96, vice president and dean of admission and financial aid, to discuss the still-pending ruling by the Supreme Court on Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. University of North Carolina and Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard University, two cases which are expected to have broad,...

Acclaimed author, Wesleyan Shapiro-Silverberg Professor of Creative Writing, and Director of the Shapiro Center for Writing Amy Bloom talks to President Michael S. Roth about the rhythm of writing, the elasticity of language, and creating a home for creative writing at Wesleyan independent of major or department. Established in 2009 with a gift from John Shapiro ’74 and Shonni Silverberg ’76, the...

In this week's episode of the WesConnects Podc(A+), Roger Maynard Award winner Ralph Savarese ‘86 discusses teaching and coaching at Deerfield Academy, briefly living in Poland, the skills he learned from playing an individual sport, and his current position as an English Professor at Grinnell College.

In Episode 25 of the WesConnects Podc(A+)st, 7x All-American Jenna Flateman Posner ‘04 talks about being inducted into the Wesleyan athletics hall of fame and winning a national championship, being opportunistic while entering the workforce, and her current role as the VP of Digital at SNIPES.

Mike Whalen’s (Coach) college roommate, Steve Sorkin ’83, joined the podcast to reminisce with his good friend and former Wesleyan football teammate. Sorkin and Whalen shared several memories from their playing days in Middletown. They also went on to coach together, and against each other, for several years post-graduation before Sorkin made a career change and got into sales. The Wesleyan Univer...

Former Wesleyan dual-sport athlete (basketball and baseball), Christopher Roellke '87, is now the President at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. Roellke joined Chris & Coach to relive his days in Middletown, tell stories about legendary coaches Herb Kenny and Peter 'Kosty' Kostacopoulos, talk about how he met his wife Kim at Wes, and he discusses his path to becoming a University President, a...

Following an incredible baseball career as an undergraduate for the Cardinals, in which he was named to the NESCAC All-Conference Team three times and set the program record for doubles, Julian Sonnenfeld '11 is now helping athletes perform at their best for a living. Sonnenfeld is currently a fellow in Sports Medicine, Shoulder & Elbow surgery in North Carolina, where he is enjoying a fellowship...

Avery Esdaile '00 is currently the athletic director for Boston Public Schools. Prior to that, he spent 12 years at Wellesley College in the Athletic Department. The former Wesleyan men's basketball player joined Chris & Coach to talk about his career path, his current job and the impact of Covid-19 on sports, and how he got into athletic administration.

Blair Ingraham '14 played field hockey for four years at Wesleyan under head coach Patti Klecha-Porter and two years of women's lacrosse under head coach Holly Wheeler. After a successful playing career, she returned to Middletown to pursue her Master's degree while acting as a graduate assistant coach for both programs, learning from Klecha-Porter and current women's lacrosse coach Kim Williams....

In Episode 24 of the WesConnects Podc(A+)st, host Brian C. Adams talks to his former lacrosse teammate Jeff Jorve ‘04 about how he found his way to Middletown from Seattle, WA, his post-college career in China as a writer, working at the World Bank and, most importantly, how you should always follow your heart.

In Episode 23 of the WesConnects Podc(A+)st, Tim Gallivan ‘15 (men’s basketball) speaks about his unhappiness in financial services, how playing a sport in college builds resilience, and his current job as a full-time math teacher and part-time DJ.

In Episode 22 of the WesConnects Podc(A+)st, Julie Bennett ‘00 chats about participating on the undefeated women’s rugby team at Wesleyan, the importance of knowing the ins and outs of your resume, and what sales and trading is really like.

Kyle Weiss ’12, a former two-sport (baseball, football) athlete for the Cardinals, is now the Running Backs Coach for UConn Football. Weiss rejoins his former head coach, now athletic director Mike Whalen ’83, to relive his football playing days in Middletown and how his career in coaching began. Weiss also tells the story about how he met his wife, Jenna Waters Weiss, who is an Administrative Ass...

In Episode 21 of the WesConnects Podc(A+)st, Nick DiNardo '05 (football) addresses getting rejected from all six of his first interviews after college, working in the publishing industry, feeling like a failure, and his current position in Higher Education at Salesforce.

In Episode 20 of the WesConnects Podc(A+)st, recent graduate Henry Martellier Jr ‘19 highlights the Non-profit organization Prep For Prep, being a walk-on to the men’s lacrosse team, and working at Bloomberg.

Kathy Keeler ’78 is the only Wesleyan graduate to win an Olympic gold medal, as she helped stroke the women’s eight crew to a top finish at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Keeler, who was inducted into the Wesleyan Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008, caught up with Chris & Coach to reminisce about both her days in Middletown and competing in the Olympics. The gold medalist reflects on her time at We...

In Episode 19 of the WesConnects Podc(A+)st, Maggie Feldman-Piltch ‘14 describes how she found a way to be involved in everything, receiving her Master of Arts (M.A.) in Security Studies, and her own start-up company.

In Episode 18 of the WesConnects Podc(A+)st, International Student Noah Schlesinger ‘13 (men’s soccer) unravels his journey from the United Kingdom to Wesleyan, how he started a bowling league within the U.S. Trust and the tight-knit group of friends that came with it, and working in Private Wealth Management.

In Episode 17 of the WesConnects Podc(A+)st, Sam Ebb ‘13 reveals how playing a sport in college gave him structure, what turned him away from Law School and towards Business School, his time at Deloitte, and, finally, his transition to his current role in the sports industry.

Spike Malangone '09 was a 3-time All-American for the Wesleyan men's lacrosse team and was named the best defensive player in the country in 2009. He was one of three Malangone brothers to play for head coach John Raba and the Cardinals, joining his older brother Paul '05 and his younger brother Conor '11. Following a stellar playing career, Spike carried that momentum into the professional world...

In Episode 16 of the WesConnects Podc(A+)st, Joe Edmonds ‘16 (men’s basketball) discusses his college transfer process, landing summer internships in the sports industry while at Wesleyan, and some basic BTC knowledge.

The winningest hockey coach in the history of New England prep school hockey, John Gardner ’74, joins Chris & Coach to talk about his playing days, his career at Avon Old Farms, recruiting, coaching players that went on to have NHL careers, and he tells stories about the Stanley Cup! Gardner was inducted into the Wesleyan Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. He played baseball and hockey at Wes, includ...

Growing up in San Francisco, California, Perry Hammond ’03 chose to move east to enroll at Wesleyan University where he enjoyed a successful four-year career with the Cardinals men’s soccer program. Following graduation, he moved back west to begin a career in the sports industry, which included stops at Nike and Adidas. His career path has led him to his current role as General Manager at Lane Un...