DePaul Download

In five years as DePaul president, Gabriel Esteban has guided the university through the fulfillment of many long-standing strategic goals and the trials of Covid-19. As he concludes his tenure, Dr. Esteban joins the DePaul Download podcast to reflect on these years and on what he’ll remember about our university. LISTEN NOW.

In today’s news, clickbait headlines and “deep-fake” videos can stand alongside legitimate, well-reported stories. Any business can quickly be victimized by a wrong, even malicious story or social media post. DePaul professors Ron Culp and Matt Ragas, co-authors of “Business Acumen for Strategic Communicators,” join DePaul Download to discuss how business leaders can both correct the record and save reputations without getting into a mudslinging contest. Culp and Ragas also discuss the Public Relations and Advertising program’s recent PRWeek award for Outstanding Education Program.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the federal civil rights law that removed barriers for women in education and sports. It’s also a year DePaul University is celebrating the induction of legendary Women’s Basketball Coach Doug Bruno into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. In his 36 years as head coach at DePaul, Bruno has advocated for the equal treatment of women. He recently led his team to the NCAA tournament for the 25th time.

The U.S. Senate recently confirmed the first African American woman on the U.S. Supreme Court—the pinnacle of the legal profession. This, however, isn’t the only legal arena where historically underrepresented groups are struggling to break through. While law schools have grown more diverse, law students of color still face challenges and barriers to success. DePaul Law Dean Jennifer Rosato Perea, a first-generation law graduate herself, discusses what her college is doing to introduce first-generation and students from historically underrepresented groups to the legal profession and the college’s other measures that will make a difference to diversity, equity and inclusion for its students.

Twenty-five years after the first book was released, the “Harry Potter” series continues to captivate college students’ attention. A DePaul study abroad trip is returning after a three-year break to explore places in the United Kingdom that inspired scenes in books and films. The two professors who lead the program— Rebecca Johns-Trissler, associate professor and director of the Graduate Program in Writing and Publishing, and Paul Booth, professor of Media and Cinema Studies—join DePaul Download to share how they plan a study abroad trip around a fictional world, why college students are still interested in Harry Potter and how they’ll discuss J.K. Rowling’s recent controversies with their students.

Reducing gun violence in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, coping with the trauma of incarceration by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and building a hospitality worker unionization movement–these are the stories young and early-career journalists are sharing on the Change Agents podcast.

Award-winning producer Judith McCray leads the project, which pairs journalists with activists from the communities they’re covering. It’s work that connects to her own experiences as a Chicago journalist of color—and her efforts to nurture the next generation of diverse journalists as the Diversity Faculty Fellow at DePaul’s Center for Communication Engagement. McCray joins the podcast to talk about this unique reporting technique, training reporters to build relationships and trust, and the evolving discussion of objectivity in journalism.

Through the global virtual internship program, one DePaul student assisted a Spanish film company in producing a documentary about the pandemic. Another helped an Irish nonprofit analyze social and emotional support needs for the refugees they serve. They did this without having to fly around the world. GianMario Besana, associate provost for global engagement, joins DePaul Download to discuss how new programs born out of expediency during the pandemic have expanded access and transformed global learning opportunities.

The Super Bowl is happening right in the middle of the winter Olympic games. While the pandemic has helped change watching habits, sports are still one of the reasons we watch live TV. Andy Clark, the director of the Sports Business Program at DePaul, joins the podcast to discuss these events, what they tell us about the power of sports, and the lessons they hold for business students.

Every business had to become a technology company during the pandemic, says Abigail Ingram, director of DePaul’s Women in Entrepreneurship Institute. While businesses across Chicago and the country closed their doors due to the challenges the pandemic has brought on, all the women-led ventures the institute supported have continued to thrive. DePaul Download talks with Ingram and WEI board chair Joan Hannant about the success of the institute and navigating the current economic climate. LISTEN.

Hearing personal stories can create a deeper understanding of the harms of racism and systemic oppression, says DePaul professor and documentary filmmaker Chi-Jang Yin. As DePaul’s Presidential Faculty Fellow, Yin produced a series of videos, titled the Courageous Dialogue Series, interviewing students, faculty and staff about their experiences. She joins the podcast to discuss to how she gained trust with her sources, how the pandemic revealed deep inequities that still exist in our society, and the role of personal stories in diversity, equity and inclusion work.

The pandemic delayed the debut show of DePaul’s new Sasha and Eugene Jarvis Opera Hall. This November, the hall will finally host its premier show with a performance of La Calisto on November 12 and 14. DePaul Download takes you behind the scenes of the opera with Harry Silverstein, the director of DePaul Opera Theatre and chair of musical performance in the School of Music. He talks about the renovated performance hall, and how its unique design will serve opera students, other performers and the community.

Watfae Zayed studies neuroscience at DePaul, serves as Student Government Association president and a mentor, and teaches Arabic at her mosque. She joins the podcast to share how the pandemic has changed her as a leader, her own shift in career path, and how she balances all her responsibilities while still prioritizing a good night’s sleep.

Speech language pathologists treat patients with a range of health issues, from preemies in the NICU, to Parkinson’s patients, to those struggling with long-haul COVID-19. But finding treatment can be difficult. DePaul is meeting that need by starting a new graduate program and opening a community clinic to assist underserved children and adult clients in Chicago. Jayne Jaskolski joins the podcast to discuss the clinic and the new graduate program she directs.

This fall, the DePaul community started more than a new set of classes and work assignments. Students, faculty and staff also began working towards a B.A. — the charge to begin again. Furthermore, DePaul’s President, Dr. Gabriel Esteban, announced earlier this year that he will step down from his role on June 30, 2022. Dr. Esteban joins the podcast to talk about the community's return to campus after learning and working online during a global pandemic, to reflect on his time as president and to outline what's in store for this academic year.

COVID-19 is fundamentally altering the way people live, and that includes how they practice their faiths. In this episode, DePaul’s new Vice President for Mission and Ministry Rev. Guillermo (Memo) Campuzano, C.M., outlines how the university community can continue connecting in faith-based ways during a time when we’re encouraged to be apart. Fr. Memo first came to DePaul as a student in 1999 after escaping from Colombia as a political refugee. He returned to DePaul for his current role just weeks before the university announced it would move nearly all courses and operations to remote delivery to help slow or stop the spread of COVID-19. In this time of social distancing, Fr. Memo says we should follow the example of St. Vincent de Paul and focus on finding creative ways to reach to people who may be marginalized members of society. 

In April, DePaul welcomed a new member to the Blue Demon family, Tony Stubblefield – or Coach Stubbs as he prefers to be called – as the new men’s basketball head coach. The Iowa native comes to DePaul after spending 11 seasons at the University of Oregon. He joins the podcast to talk about his plans for the team, shares how he will recruit local athletes and even gives the DePaul community a personal factoid that many may not know about him.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected nearly every aspect of the collegiate experience – including commencement. DePaul wanted to ensure the Class of 2021 had the opportunity to participate in the time-honored tradition – even if it looked different than a typical year. So, the university planned Graduation Celebration, a 10-day outdoor, interactive commencement experience. DePaul’s interim provost, Salma Ghanem, shares more about all of the university’s commencement plans for the Class of 2021.

In a year that included the COVID-19 pandemic and protests for racial justice, DePaul’s College of Science and Health stayed busy as faculty and staff chipped in to make a difference by donating PPE equipment, publishing research to shape the conversation around the virus, and creating guidance on how to build an antiracist lab. As the college begins celebrating its 10th anniversary, Dean Stephanie Dance-Barnes joins DePaul Download to discuss the college’s past, present and future. 

Last spring at the start of the pandemic, instead of canceling Shakespeare’s dark comedy, Measure for Measure, The Theatre School at DePaul University chose to go on with the show! They transitioned from a live in-studio play to a radio show. 2020 MFA graduate Maricruz Menchero joins the podcast to talk about her experience playing Escalus in the play-turned-radio-drama, unexpected benefits of the radio show and how her coursework introduced her to new skillsets for life after graduation.

For Julie Moody-Freeman, reading Black romance novels isn’t a guilty pleasure - it’s an area of study. Moody-Freeman is the director of DePaul's Center for Black Diaspora and a faculty member in the African and Black Diaspora Studies Department. On this episode, she discusses the history and importance of Black love in romance novels, which inspires her work as the host of The Black Romance Podcast. She also reflects on her conversations with Black romance writers, editors and scholars and the importance of their oral histories.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, political unrest and long-needed reckonings on race, 2020 presented many challenges for teachers and principals. To help educators, students and parents during these times, Donna Kiel, director of DePaul’s Office of Innovative Professional Learning and a College of Education professor, joins the podcast to outline DePaul’s programs and efforts that helped local teachers and principals transition to remote learning. She also shares strategies on how to be an anti-racist educator and ways to help students become more resilient during tough times. 

Like many things in 2020, the university’s cherished annual holiday event will look a bit different. Christmas from DePaul is going virtual. To give the DePaul community a behind the scenes look at this year’s event is its producers, Tony Peluso and Jamie Davis. On this episode, they talk about the challenges they faced due to COVID-19, explain how DePaul’s campus was used to help tell the story of Jesus’ birth and share how DePaul’s students were involved in creating this year’s event, in front of and behind the camera.

Earlier this year DePaul University named a new director of athletics, DeWayne Peevy. Coming from the University of Kentucky, Peevy sits down with DePaul Download three months into his tenure to share more about how he’s adjusting to DePaul’s campus and the city, his “ABCs of DePaul Athletics,” and some previously unknown facts about himself.

If you’re feeling uneasy or frustrated this election-season, you are not alone. The American Psychological Association found that many people are citing the 2020 elections as a significant source of stress in their life. To learn more about election-related stress and how to cope with it, listen to latest episode with Jocelyn Carter, associate professor in DePaul’s College of Science and Health and director of clinical training.

Elections have evolved the last few decades. From simply polling voters to using big data to sway voters’ decisions, DePaul Driehaus School of Business professor, former White House advisor and author, Bruce Newman, outlines political marketing’s growing influence in elections and, simply, within government. He also shares his analysis of the 2020 Presidential election and what the 2020 winner will need to accomplish before January’s Inauguration.

Debates have taken center stage during the dynamic 2020   Presidential election—from plexiglass shields, socially distanced audiences   and candidates interrupting one another to even a fly trending on Twitter. The debate moderators’ performances also have been scrutinized and criticized. To give her take on this year’s debates and share some of her experiences as a political debate moderator is Carol Marin, award-winning Chicago journalist and director of DePaul University’s Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence.

Families are increasingly burdened by financial strain due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and many are concerned with how they can afford a private university education. In response to that, this fall, DePaul University established the new State Scholar Plus University Scholarship Program. To talk about the new program, who’s eligible, and how it aligns with DePaul’s Vincentian mission and purpose is university President, Dr. Esteban.

Racial and ethnic diversity within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields remains low, and many scientists and researchers are seeking solutions to help address racism in their workplaces. To help, assistant professor and environmental scientist in the Department of Environmental Science and Studies for DePaul’s College of Science and Health, Dr. Bala Chaudhary, collaborated with another researcher of color to create the “Ten Simple Rules for Building an Antiracist Lab.”

The Esports market, or competitive video gaming, is anticipated to surpass $1.5 billion by 2023. At DePaul, Esports is even a BIG EAST-sanctioned program. DePaul’s director of Student Involvement, Courtney James, talks about DePaul’s unique Esports community, which draws hundreds of student gamers. Through their participation, the students find connection, an inclusive environment and even inspiration for career paths. James also discusses some of DePaul’s upcoming Esports events and the pandemic’s impact on the industry.

While nearly every aspect of our lives was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, one area strongly remains the same DePaul – the university’s commitment to its Catholic, Vincentian and urban mission. To kick off the unique 2020-2021 academic year, DePaul Download sits down with DePaul University’s President Dr. A. Gabriel Esteban. He explains how the community’s commitment to the university’s mission is stronger than ever, even during these unprecedented times, shares remote-learning success stories and challenges the community to apply the mission to their personal lives.

Sister Helen Prejean has dedicated her life to opposing the death penalty after she witnessed an execution in her home state of Louisiana. Her efforts have sparked a national dialogue on capital punishment and she has helped shape the Catholic Church’s position on the topic. In 2011, she donated her personal archives to the university to help the DePaul community continue to learn from her work. On this episode of DePaul Download, Sister Helen talks about life’s work and what keeps her going. 

At the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic are bioethicists, experts who help health professionals and elected officials navigate tough decisions. While the toughest choice for most of us was just staying home, bioethicists, such as DePaul’s Craig Klugman and Valerie Koch, helped answer tough questions to prepare communities for COVID-19. They both served on statewide planning efforts to prepare for a pandemic, and on this episode of DePaul Download, they discuss the response to COVID-19 and what may come next.

University campuses across the country have been fundamentally disrupted by COVID-19. At DePaul, courses moved to remote delivery through the end of Summer Quarter and almost all university operations are being conducted remotely. Students, parents, faculty and staff are eager for some certainty about what the future holds. Will in-person classes at DePaul resume in the fall? Will COVID-19 permanently alter the way the university operates? While many details still aren’t known, DePaul President A. Gabriel Esteban, Ph.D., shares his thoughts on these questions and the factors DePaul is considering as the university begins planning for the fall.

Brian Coleman, a 2014 DePaul College of Education alum, brings his signature energy to this episode of DePaul Download to discuss being named 2019’s National School Counselor of the Year and how his DePaul experience helped him and his career. The counselor at Jones College Prep in Chicago shares his “unicorn philosophy” and provides a glimpse into what high student face today, giving a picture of an alum who exemplifies “Here, We Do.”

Alumna Karli Butler inspired the TEDxDePaulUniversity audience in 2018 with her story of the acid attack she survived in 2006, her recovery and the path she took towards forgiving her assailant. In this episode, DePaul Download checks back in with Karli to hear what she’s been up to, how the TEDx experience impacted her life and what it was like to share such a personal story with hundreds of people. Karli is a Double Demon, holding both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the College of Communication.

There is no shortage of advice for business leaders seeking to optimize their performance or for parents hoping to do the best for their children. A DePaul professor says it’s time for one group to consider learning from the other. Alyssa Westring, an associate professor of management & entrepreneurship and a DePaul Presidential Fellow, and a colleague recently published a book, “Parents Who Lead,” about how applying leadership principles to parenthood can help parents lead more purposeful lives. In this episode, Westring suggests solutions for the burnout years of parenthood and describes how leadership provides some guidance. She also discusses her Presidential Fellow project, which evaluates DePaul’s culture to identify opportunities to enhance the engagement, retention and career advancement for women and faculty of color.

In the 10 years since DePaul’s School of Hospitality Leadership was established, the hospitality industry has seen dramatic changes. Advancements in technology are improving how hotels, restaurants and convention centers operate; new trends are reshaping the travel experience; and far-off destinations are more within reach. How does DePaul prepare students to enter this fast-growing sector? With a combination of classroom instruction led by professors with industry experience and hands-on training. In this episode, Nick Thomas, the school’s director, talks about how hospitality leadership educators are meeting the challenge of evolving with the industry—and shares what he’s learned from spending time on the opposite side of the world.

DePaul psychology professors W. LaVome Robinson and Leonard A. Jason recently received a $6.6 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to reduce African American youth violence. Robinson leads the project, Success Over Stress, reaching ninth graders in Chicago Public Schools. The program teaches coping skills to deal with stress, enhance resilience, and prevent interpersonal violence and suicide. The award is the largest research grant DePaul has ever received. In this episode, Robinson and Jason—collaborators for nearly 40 years—talk about the Success Over Stress Violence Prevention Project and how their work connects to DePaul’s Vincentian mission.

DePaul continuously looks for ways to evolve and offer students the best curriculum, campus life, technology and facilities. And results of the collective efforts are clear: U.S. News & World Report named DePaul one of the country’s “most innovative schools” in its 2020 Best Colleges rankings. As the university prepares to host the first annual DePaul Innovation Day for faculty and staff on Jan. 24, Interim Provost Salma Ghanem discusses how DePaul encourages innovation and the wide range of projects funded under the Academic Growth and Innovation Fund Program. 

A democracy that’s truly representative of the people depends on the people to exercise their right to vote. There are some groups of people, however, who regularly don’t vote—because they don’t know they’re eligible. Contrary to popular belief, in Illinois, a convicted felon regains eligibility to vote as soon as he or she leaves a corrections facility. Anyone awaiting trial in jail is eligible to vote, too. DePaul political scientist Christina Rivers, an expert in voting rights and a DePaul Presidential Fellow, helped pass legislation to provide voter education to soon-to-be released inmates. In this episode, she discusses these initiatives, her work with the Inside Out Program and her latest research: racial gerrymandering.

Thousands across the globe—from Singapore to Croatia—will sleep outside on Dec. 7 in solidarity with and in support of people experiencing homelessness. In Chicago, DePaul’s Institute of Global Homelessness is hosting the World’s Big Sleep Out on the Lincoln Park Campus. It’s one of IGH’s many initiatives to help end street homelessness around the world. In this episode, Lydia Stazen, executive director of IGH, joins DePaul’s president, Dr. Gabriel Esteban, in conversation about the Big Sleep Out, IGH’s place at DePaul, and IGH’s plans to turn the energy and momentum of Big Sleep Out into long-term, meaningful action.

In many American cities, including Chicago, the likelihood of being able to realize one’s dreams depends largely on your zip code. From neighborhood to neighborhood, sometimes from street to street, opportunity is not spread equally throughout the city. In this episode, DePaul Professor Horace Hall, who co-founded a Chicago youth outreach program, joins Professor John Joe Schlichtman, an urban sociologist, to discuss inequality and gentrification— issues at the root of controversies over development, housing, safety and education. The two experts discuss how gentrification affects Chicagoans and how people can be more mindful citizens.

A wide range of professionals must practice diplomacy in today’s complex world. Can you imagine a school in which a Chicago community organizer studies alongside a peer in the foreign service? Established with an anonymous $20 million gift, DePaul’s new Grace School of Applied Diplomacy is making that a reality. The school aims to empower a diverse generation of diplomats from a wide range of professions with the education and skills needed to develop solutions to society’s most vexing challenges. Learn more about The Grace School—the first of its kind in the U.S.—from two DePaul leaders who helped create it.

Dr. Esteban’s early life experiences in the Philippines influenced his journey to the presidency of DePaul. From his years growing up in the suburbs of Manila to his days facing tear gas as a student activist, Dr. Esteban shares the moments that changed his life—and how they connect him to today’s undergraduates. He also discusses the last time he played basketball, his favorite Chicago restaurants and how faith guides his approach to leadership.

Welcome to DePaul Download, a podcast exploring the people and initiatives that distinguish DePaul, the nation's largest Catholic university. Guests will include DePaul's faculty experts and our university president, Dr. Gabriel Esteban.  Subscribe today so you don't miss the first full episodes when they are released in late September 2019.