Providence College Podcast

This week’s guest is Dr. Raymond Sickinger ’71, chair of PC’s Department of History and Classics. Sickinger shares a personal story that inspires both his scholarship and his commitment to helping others as a 33-year member of the Society of St. Vincent De Paul. His new, award-winning book, Antoine Frederic Ozanam, tells the story of the 19th century Frenchman who founded the organization that became the Society of St. Vincent De Paul. A first-generation college student from Cranston, this PC icon arrived as an undergraduate in 1967 and — except for his years in graduate school at Notre Dame — has been part of the community ever since. In this interview, he talks about those faculty members and others he admired as a student, the colleagues and students who inspire him today, and how a Dominican priest cemented his connection to PC — and to his faith — through music.

In this episode, Daniel Arteaga ’19 describes his experience as a Father Smith Fellow, living and serving in the Solomon Islands with Archbishop Christopher Cardone, O.P. ’80. Arteaga, the president of PC Campus Ministry, also discussed how he chose PC and his majors in theology and philosophy.

The 2018-2019 academic year began on August 27, with Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum '18Hon. providing the keynote talk at Providence College’s annual convocation. A leading expert in race and race relations in American society, Dr. Tatum —whose achievements and impact PC recognized with an honorary degree last May — shared her remarkable insights with a large audience of faculty, staff, and students. This podcast takes the form of a recording of her live presentation. Subscribe to the Providence College Podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Google Play, Stitcher, and YouTube.

In this episode of the Providence College Podcast, we talk with Dr. Katherine Lacasse ’07, an assistant professor of social psychology at Rhode Island College, who studies how performing green behaviors impacts people's self-perceptions and political attitudes regarding environmental issues. She describes the courses at PC that ultimately influenced her research interests and how her knowledge of social psychology helps her as an instructor.

What will I do after I graduate? That’s a question on the mind of just about every college student — and his or her parents. This podcast episode features an interview with Eileen Wisnewski, the director of PC’s Center for Career Education and Professional Development. She describes the center’s comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to helping graduates find post-PC opportunities that are both meaningful and fulfilling, and she provides insights on the marketability of job candidates who have liberal arts degrees.

Risa Takenaka '19 is a Renaissance woman. The applied physics major traveled to Ghana in May to field test her soft-sand filter prototype, developed in Dr. Stephen Mecca’s engineering lab. Born in Japan, Takenaka also put her philosophy minor to work this summer comparing parenting styles in Japan and the United States. In this episode, Takenaka discusses how she manages her time as a Division I tennis player and her favorite places to eat in Providence.

A year after graduation, former Friar soccer player Amanda Klane ’08 co-founded Yasso, the Greek yogurt frozen dessert company. Today, Yasso pops and pints are available in more than 15,000 grocery stores in all 50 states. In this episode, she explains how the company develops new flavors, the lessons she learned on the soccer field, and what’s next for Yasso.

With NFL training camps underway, no one is more excited than Mike Rodak '13, who enters his sixth season as a sports reporter and analyst for ESPN, covering the Buffalo Bills. In this episode, Rodak discusses the logistics and spirit of training camp, game-day coverage, his thoughts on a league protocol for the national anthem, and the relevance of his liberal arts education to his career.

What is it like to be a state poet laureate? How does it feel to interview some of the greats in contemporary American poetry? In this episode, Chard deNiord, professor of English and an award-winning poet, discusses these questions, his new book, and his surprising entry point into poetry.

Sports journalist Sean McAdam ’81 joins us to talk about his new book, “Boston: America’s Best Sports Town,” his multimedia career, and his current work at the year-old Boston Sports Journal website. The book, which came out this spring, provides Sean’s insights on each of Boston’s professional sports franchises, some of the area’s unique sports traditions (e.g. the Boston Marathon and the Beanpot hockey tournament), Boston Olympians, college sports, and more. Sean tells us how he picked the four legends for his Boston sports “Mt. Rushmore,” including his reasons for selecting Bill Russell over Larry Bird to represent the Celtics.

Singer-songwriter Adam Hanna ’18 joins us on the Providence College podcast. Adam shared insights about the ways in which his PC experiences helped prepare him to pursue a career as a performer, his musical influences, and the songwriting process. This podcast also includes musical interludes – some of Adam’s original works and his cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road.” Adam Hanna and The Class of '18 - Thunder Road (Bruce Springsteen) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tukqTkfBczg Adam Hanna - Run While You're Young - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOucVnC-sik St. Dominic Weekend 2017 Highlights ft 100 Years - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f73OFyIGWPA

Surprise Ride is going places. On this episode, we talk to Rosy Khalife ’13 about the inspiration that led to the founding of this subscription box startup, their experience on Shark Tank, what’s next for Surprise Ride, and her family’s path to the United States.

As he approaches the 13th anniversary of the beginning of his presidency, Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80 joins us on the Providence College podcast. In a wide-ranging interview, Father discusses subjects including his path to the priesthood, what he enjoys about teaching a philosophy course each fall semester, and his fondest hopes for the College’s future.

Dr. Jeff Johnson of the Department of History and Classics, discusses his teaching and research specialties, which include radicalism during the Progressive Era in the American West. He also shared insights about the scholarly research process, and his involvement in a national program meant to provide K-12 teachers with access to new knowledge as it is being discovered by academic researchers. Having spent much of his youth in Wyoming and attended college in Montana, Dr. Johnson also discussed some of the issues related to the mythology of the Old West, and talked about his favorite Western movie (oh, and a chance meeting with Friar legend Kris Dunn in Chicago).

This week, we are fortunate to talk with World War II veteran Joseph DeStefano '52. DeStefano entered the Navy division of the Army in 1943 and served until 1946. In that time, he served throughout the Pacific helping to secure various islands and defeat the Japanese. After leaving the army, he enrolled at Providence College, played college basketball and baseball, and began his career in education. In this episode, DeStefano talks about what he learned in the army, the advice he gives most often, and what it was like to teach Ed Cooley at Central High School.

John Rock, senior associate athletic director for sports medicine, discusses the ways in which Providence College works to provide the support student-athletes need to compete at the Division I level. Over the course of 30 years at PC, John says he has seen tremendous changes but that the driving principle continues to be a focus on each student’s well-being.

Dr. Mitchell Kusy ’73 is a corporate psychologist, a Fulbright Scholar in organization development, and a professor in the doctoral program at Antioch University’s Graduate School of Leadership & Change. He discusses the commitment to “everyday civility” and the impact of toxic personalities, particularly employees, in the workplace.

Enjoy these highlights of Providence College’s One Hundredth Commencement Exercises, including greetings at Commencement Exercises by College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80, as well as his classmate Karen Monti Flynn ’80 & ’15P, president of the Providence College National Alumni Association, and Conor Glendon ’18, president of the senior class. Then, listen to David McCullough ’18Hon. present his inspirational Commencement Address.

Dr. Melissa Brymer '92, the director of terrorism and disaster programs for the UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, presented the keynote address at the Department of Psychology's 50th Reunion, discussing research-based efforts to improve the quality of care for families in need.

Lenny Alsfeld ’74, the president and CEO of FBT Investments, Inc. in New Orleans, La., recently returned to campus to discuss “Being St. Joseph Today: Father and Worker,” a personal reflection on St. Joseph’s virtues in the business world. PC’s Knights of Columbus chapter sponsored the event and honored Alsfeld with its first St. Joseph Medal, recognizing strong examples of fatherhood in today’s world. The former men’s hockey and tennis player is a father of four.