University of Richmond podcasters cover an ambitious range of topics on their shows: from mental health and climate change to raising kids, and what mathematicians do when they’re not teaching math. Take a listen.

Professor Stephanie Spera was inspired to create a podcast after she invited environmental experts from various professions to guest lecture during an online-only class in 2020.

“I had a bunch of colleagues across environmental and climate science come into my class and give guest talks on their careers and importantly career trajectories,” said Spera, an assistant professor of geography and the environment. “And my students loved it.”

Her new podcast, How We Got Here, focuses on climate science and ways to protect the planet. Spera, whose research includes studying the effects of climate change on fall colors in Acadia National Park, partnered with Rachel Lupien, a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia. Their guests include ecologists, journalists, and activists who are actively working to lessen the damage caused by climate change.  

The HBO podcast In Session, cohosted by psychology professor Janelle Peifer, explored issues raised in the network’s In Treatment drama series.

“In our modern world, scientists and academics have a moral imperative to make their work accessible and meaningful to our communities,” Peifer said. “The In Treatment podcast enabled me to reach a wider audience than I could have ever imagined and speak to topics that I care about as a teacher, researcher, clinician, and citizen. It gave me a platform to normalize conversations about depression, identity, trauma, resilience, coping, and all things mental health — particularly for Black and other people of color.”

In No Need to Explain with the Mental Health Mamas, Tina Hallock partners with Serena Ward to talk openly about mental health, share some of what they’ve learned on their parenting journeys, and help listeners feel less alone  — while gently reminding them to take care of themselves as they take care of their people.

The Count Me In podcast, co-hosted by mathematics professor Della Dumbaugh, focuses on math’s contributions to society.

“I want students to understand there is a place for them in mathematics,” Dumbaugh said. “There are many ways to find success in the community.”

Dumbaugh and Deanna Haunsperger, a math professor from Carleton College, talk with other colleagues in the field to broaden the understanding of what it means to be a mathematician and how the subject permeates every aspect of life.

In addition, University of Richmond professors are frequently interviewed on podcasts featuring their expertise.

Political science professor Jenny Pribble, appeared on dozens of media outlets, including the Historias podcast, to discuss the 2021 general election in Chile.

History professor Samantha Seeley discussed her new book, Race, Removal, and the Right to Remain: Migration and the Making of the United States, in the New Books Network podcast. Seeley’s study illustrates how Native Americans and African Americans had faced a range of challenges surrounding forced migration and the right to remain in the history of U.S. expansion.