Showcasing excellence in teaching and research is the central goal of the 30 Brave Minutes podcast from UNC Pembroke’s College of Arts and Sciences.
Now in its seventh season, the monthly podcast shares news of faculty and student activity with listeners tuning in on campus and worldwide. Past episodes have highlighted critical societal issues such as suicide awareness and prevention, hurricane recovery, and food insecurity, in combination with more lighthearted topics such as human and pet interaction and favorite musical theatre moments.
Season Seven achieved the milestone of the podcast’s 50th Episode, “Researching Religion: Multi-Generational Perspectives with Dr. Mordechai Inbari.” The Episode showcases Dr. Inbari’s research into the views of young American evangelical Christians, work partially funded through a College of Arts and Sciences research grant. Born and raised in Israel, Dr. Inbari earned his Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and has taught at UNCP for 14 years. Dean Richard Gay and Associate Deans Ashley Allen and Joanna Hersey discussed new research led by Inbari and his team, which has resulted in valuable information about changing trends in the support for Israel by young American evangelicals, and how this support is often generational.
The current season also includes “Upon Her Shoulders: Centering Stories of Native Women,” with Dr. Mary Ann Jacobs (Lumbee), professor and chair of the Department of American Indian Studies, discussing her new book, Upon Her Shoulders: Southeastern Native Women Share Their Stories of Justice, Spirit, and Community.
Episode 52, “Hydrogeologists and the Science of Groundwater,” with Assistant Professor of Geology Dr. Madan Maharjan, shares research into the movement of groundwater across our landscape. “Poppies to Pembroke: Mentoring Teachers and Staying Creative” with Dr. Naomi Lifschitz-Grant, highlights Dr. Lifschitz-Grant’s work mentoring aspiring teachers as coordinator of Graduate and Undergraduate Art Education and discusses the local inspiration she finds as a painter. The November episode, “On the Field with the Cows: Animal Science at UNCP,” with veterinarian and Assistant Professor of Animal Science, Dr. Nicolas Negrin Pereira, focuses on work with students studying bovine reproductive health in the field and in the lab and the benefits of teaching animal husbandry to the next generation.
The most popular Episode remains “The Evolution of Comics,” Episode 49, from June 2021. Drs. Gay and three UNCP faculty members joined Allen with professional connections to the world of comics: Dr. Terence Dollard, professor in the Mass Communication Department as well as the creator of Comic Culture, showcased on the UNC-TV North Carolina Channel, Dr. Kevin Freeman, former associate professor in the Political Science and Public Administration program, and Dr. Robert Epps, associate professor in the Art Department, and freelance color artist. The episode begins by educating those who may not be as familiar with the world of comics and then references content and culture changes that will be especially meaningful to those who are well-versed in the comic world.
The 30 Brave Minutes podcast has more than 6,000 downloads and counting and is heard worldwide. In addition to the United States, the most popular countries tuning in are Canada and Germany. Still, listeners are found across the globe, including Africa, the Middle East, and from Australia to Finland and many in-between. The 30 Brave Minutes podcast celebrates the role of our faculty as scholars and mentors, as illustrated by the words of Episode 54 guest Negrin Pereira.
“I always tell my students that they are driving the car. I’m seated on the passenger seat,” Negin Pereira said. “So, if they want to drive a Ferrari, they will, they want to drive a very old model car, and 20 miles an hour, they will do as well. And my role is to guide them and ensure they don’t crash against the wall. We are just a tool, an educational tool, but they are the ones who drive the car, so I always tell them… don’t forget, you’re going to be professionals. And you must study hard, and you have to get the knowledge. Because that’s what people will look for, you being the best professional you can be,” Negrin Pereira said.
Tune in via traditional podcast apps or visit https://cas30braveminutes.podbean.com.
