PCWB - A Professor & a Comedian Walk Into a Bar
A Professor and a Comedian Walk Into a Bar, PCWB, is a podcast co-hosted by Chicago comedian and comedy producer Mike Knight, and Sepehr Vakil, an Associate Professor in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. PCWB is co-produced by a phenomenal group of undergraduate students from Northwestern University, and produced by filmmaker and DePaul Professor Raphael Nash. PCWB is a highly original project born out of a desire to merge the worlds of academia and comedy, and have honest, informed, and engaging conversations about the complex cultural, political, and scientific issues that impact all of our lives. Tune in, subscribe, and share!
Episodes
Welcome Back! We're adding to our co-host roster – let's welcome, rising star, Samir Abdul to the PCWB squad!
Samir Abdul, originally from Darfur, Sudan, is an international comedian shaking up Chicago’s comedy scene. A survivor of the Darfur genocide, Samir blends personal stories of resilience with sharp, witty observations on American life.
In this episode, Sepehr, Mike, and Samir discuss life as an immigrant in comedy, how he alm...
Recorded in front of a live audience at Northwestern University, Sepehr and Mike welcome renowned stand-up, actress and podcaster, Zainab Johnson, and esteemed professor of African American Studies, kihana maraya ross. The group discusses Trump's continued attacks on universities like Northwestern, balancing resistance and joy, and maintaining self-awareness in comedy.
Originally recorded on April 3rd, 2025.
Sepehr & Mike have an impromptu convo to catch up on the recent grant terminations by the Trump administration, and how they are affecting their work, Northwestern, and academia at-large.
Listen to A Professor and a Comedian Walk into a Bar wherever you get your podcasts and watch new episodes on YouTube.
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MIKE'S WEBSITE: 👉 https://www.mikeknightcomedy.com/
SEPEHR'S FACULTY PROFILE: 👉 https://si...
This week on PCWB, we’re diving into the state of journalism today and if artificial intelligence has a place, segregation versus self-selection, and everyone's current fave hot topic, the cost of eggs, with Senior Lecturer & Director of Audio Journalism Programming at Northwestern, Natalie Y. Moore.
Listen to A Professor and a Comedian Walk into a Bar wherever you get your podcasts and watch new episodes on YouTube.
It's Women's History month, and Sepehr & Mike talk with statistician Elizabeth Tipton on why finding your people and building community is a necessity when working in STEM as a woman. Plus, they explore America's volatile engineering pool in the new Trump administration, and exploring the idea of Intelligent vs Smart in academic spaces.
Listen to A Professor and a Comedian Walk into a Bar wherever you get your podcasts and watch...
In Episode 7: Is America still appealing to immigrants? Is Trump undoing history? What does black conservatism look like these days? Mike and Sepehr chat with Professor Saida Grundy and comedian Clark Jones about racism and the black perspective under the current administration. Tune in!
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In our 6th episode Mike and Sepehr chat with Professor Julissa Muniz and comedians Kathryn Gongaware and Kyrie Da Comic about prison, policies and politics. Tune in!
This episode was recorded before the 2024 election
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Tap the link in bio to listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you pod. #PCWBpodcast...
PCWB EP5: Chat with Professor Alex Hanna and Comedian David Donnick on AI and it’s role in education
In Episode 5: How is AI effecting education? What are Trump’s contributions to the border crisis? How different is Institutionalism vs Gentrification? In our 5th episode Mike and Sepehr chat with Professor Alex Hannah and comedian David Donnick about election predictions and what’s best for America. Tune in!
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In Episode 4: What were people really hoping to see from each candidate? How were hispanic men feeling before, during and after the election? In our 4th episode Mike and Sepehr chat with Professor Juan Carrillo and comedian Anthony Fuentes to get their heartfelt thoughts on the election.
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In Episode 3: How does a comedian host a packed comedy show the day after last week’s election? How does a college professor address his students? In our 3rd episode Mike and Sepehr swap their own “day after” stories. Tune in!
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In this inaugural episode of PCWB, we sit down with 2 legendary Chicagoans - Professor David Stovall from the University of Illinois Chicago, and comedian Calvin Evans. We have a highly engaged discussion on the politics of DEI and critical race theory in the city of Chicago during Mayor Brandon Johnson's first term, and ahead of the DNC. Tune in!
Tap the link in bio to listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you pod. #PCWBpodcast
In Episode 2: We sit down with Professor Katherine Cho from Loyola University, an expert on student activism in higher education. We are also joined by Chicago actor, comedian, and movement artist Sonal Aggarwal. In our 2nd episode we talk with our guests about the recent student protests sweeping the country, and what we can expect in the approaching academic year.
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