UConn 360: The UConn Podcast

“Neurodiversity” has become a familiar term across American society, but mere awareness of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, and other neurological differences doesn’t mean much for the people who live with these – especially when it comes to finding work.

Studies differ on exact numbers, but the unemployment rate among neurodivergent people (a more precise term than neurodiversity) is definitely higher th...

If you've ever looked at a copy of UConn Magazine, visited the UConn Today website, or received any UConn-related material in the mail, you've probably seen the work of Peter Morenus. University photographer for nearly three decades, Morenus has photographed everyone from first-year students on their first day moving in to U.S. presidents. Here, he talks with UConn 360 about some of his most memorable assignments, the changes he's ...

In this episode, we sit down (finally in our real studio!) with Leo Lachut '89, Director of Academic Support and Assistant Director of First Year Programs and Learning Communities. A first-generation college student himself, Leo talks about how, while student needs have remained roughly the same since his undergraduate days, the resources to help them succeed have vastly expanded.

But there's another side to Leo Lachut: a limousi...

We're joined by Michael Willig, executive director of the Institute of the Environment and a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, who talks about why he doesn't lose hope even in the face of grim news about the climate and environment. One of the things that encourages him is the work that UConn is doing on a number of fronts, which he tells us about. He also discusses what it was like to s...

In this episode, Dr. Loneke Blackman Carr discusses the multiple caregiver role experienced by many Black women. She describes this as "The Black Superwoman Phenomenon,” which essentially means they keep their families and communities afloat, but to the detriment of their own health.  Her research is the first study to examne this role specifically in the context of a weight loss intervention. We also talk about the culture around ...

It's been a little over four years since UConn 360's humble origins in a conference room on North Eagleville Road, and now we have 100 episodes under our award-winning belts. Join us for a star-studded celebration that includes such beloved characters from the UConn 360 Cinematic Universe as co-founder Ken Best, who tells us about an exhibit he's working on that will be on display in Homer Babbidge Library; former student worker ex...

Many people probably think they know exactly what's in the dietary supplements and even prescription medications they take. Many people are WRONG. Professor C. Michael White, head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, drops by to tell us about flaws in the FDA oversight process when it comes to medications, counterfeit drugs, and how dietary supplements can pose real risks to people. And, in this installment of Tom's History Corn...

Hartford native Frederick Law Olmsted is famous for his work in designing Central Park, but he was also a driving force behind human-shaped landscapes from Niagara Falls State Park to Smith College to the Institute of Living. Sohyun Park, assistant professor in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, recently cohosted a symposium on Olmsted as part of a...

Stuart Miller, a professor of Hebrew, History, and Judaic Studies and Academic Director of the Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life, has been a force at UConn since 1982. Professor Miller is an expert in the history and literature of the Jews of Roman and Late Antique Palestine and throughout his career has worked closely with archaeologists, having served for many years on the staff of the Sepphoris Regional Proj...

Preston Green is a professor of educational leadership and law at the University of Connecticut and the John and Maria Neag Professor of Urban Education at the Neag School of Education. He's a nationally recognized expert on school choice, charter schools, and the complex legal landscape of American public education. He's also a great follow on Twitter, and a fun person to talk to about issues that are at the forefront of American ...

John Bell is an associate professor in the Department of Dramatic Arts, the director of the Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppetry, and one of the most fun guests we've ever had. He stopped by to tell us about the astonishing diversity of puppeteering traditions, the everyday objects that serve as puppets without being thought of that way, and even why some people are creeped out by puppets. He also fills us in on some great opport...

This week we return to the fabled UConn 360 Studio for a talk with Victoria Kostour '22, a first-generation Ukrainian-American and the president of the Ukrainian Student Association. She tells us what it's been like to watch the war in Ukraine from here in the United States, how she and her fellow students have responded with activism and organizing, and how the UConn community has supported her. We also find a very old copy of the...

This week we're joined by Jason Oliver Chang, Associate Professor of History and Asian American Studies, to talk about the pop-up course on anti-Asian racism he helped create for UConn; the increase in anti-Asian racist incidents and attacks since the start of the pandemic; and the role of scholarship in maintaining a strong democracy. We also take a stroll on Tom's History Sidewalk (real name pending) to the first visit by a forei...

This week, we sit down with Tanya Rhodes Smith, director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work in the UConn School of Social Work. She tells us about how social work is inherently political, how social workers can help make positive changes for individuals and society, and how research indicates that higher rates of voter participation correlate with better overall health in people. Also, back by semi-popula...

This week, we talk with Milton Levin '04 Ph.D., Associate Research Professor in the Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, about his research work, but also about the thing UConn's roughly 90,000 Instagram followers will recognize instantly: his breathtaking pictures of campus locations, especially Horsebarn Hill. Professor Levin tells us how he got interested in photography, what it's like to teach yourself to pilot a ...

Every year, UConn sends out a video celebrating the arrival of the holiday season - creative, funny, moving, and surprising, these videos are produced by the talented team at University Communications. On this week's episode, we interview videographer Angelina Reyes, the producer of the 2021 holiday video, to learn about what goes into turning a barn into a movie set, and what it's like to work with an actor named Geno Auriemma.