ButterCup

Marisa Macy

Here we interview experts in the field of education and play

  1. Jul 13

    Ep 83 Andy Roszak

    Andy Roszak, JD, MPA, EMT-Paramedic, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Childhood Preparedness (ICP), where he equips early childhood professionals and child-centered organizations nationwide with practical emergency preparedness training, tools, and resilience strategies. He is also the Founder of Head Start East, a nonprofit organization founded in 2025 to provide high-quality professional development, technical assistance, and events for the early childhood education field. Since 2018, Andy has supported the Region II Head Start Association in advancing preparedness, health, safety, and environmental health initiatives across New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. That work will conclude this year after a strong and impactful run. A trusted advisor to leading organizations including Sesame Street in Communities and the U.S. Marine Corps, Andy has delivered training to early childhood professionals in all 50 states and 35 Native American Tribal Nations. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Community and Environmental Health at Old Dominion University. Andy is the author of the award-winning Preparing for the Unexpected book series, developed specifically for early childhood professionals: Preschool Preparedness for an Active Shooter, winner of the 2020 Independent Author Network Book of the Year Award in two categories; Preschool Preparedness for an Emergency; and Recovering and Reopening after a Disaster. With more than twenty years of experience in emergency preparedness across local, regional, state, federal, and nonprofit levels, Andy's previous roles include Senior Director of Emergency Preparedness at Child Care Aware of America, Senior Preparedness Advisor for Super Bowl XLVI, Senior Public Health Advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Senior Director of Environmental Health, Pandemic Preparedness, and Catastrophic Response at the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), where he worked closely with the CDC and 3,100 local health departments to strengthen community preparedness for pandemics, disasters, and public health emergencies. Andy began his career in the Chicago area as a firefighter, paramedic, and certified hazardous materials technician. He holds a Juris Doctor and Master of Public Administration from Southern Illinois University, a bachelor's degree in Fire Science Management, and is a graduate of Harvard University's Early Education Leadership Program. He is admitted to practice law in Illinois, the District of Columbia, and before the U.S. Supreme Court. Andy is the proud father of two young daughters and lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family.

  2. Jul 2

    Ep 82 Dr. Santa Ono

    Professor Santa J. Ono is a senior academic leader and internationally recognized scientist whose career centers on leading globally connected research universities and large-scale innovation institutions, with a focus on institutional transformation, research expansion, technology-driven innovation, sustainability, and public engagement. He serves as President of the Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford and Global President of the Ellison Institutes, advancing discovery in health, food security, clean energy, climate, and artificial intelligence. He is developing a major new research campus at Oxford Science Park—more than 2.3 million square feet of laboratory space—and overseeing the recruitment of up to 7,000 scientists, engineers, and clinicians. He directs platforms in AI, robotics, generative biology, and clinical research, and leads education initiatives including the Ellison Scholars Programme and doctoral programs conferred by Oxford University. At Oxford he is Professor of Ophthalmology & Immunology and a Senior Research Fellow at Worcester College. Previously, as President of the University of Michigan, he built a $1.2 billion AI research ecosystem, surpassed $2 billion in annual research expenditures, expanded access through the Go Blue Guarantee and Wolverine Pathways, and helped raise $4.3 billion toward a $6 billion campaign. As President of the University of British Columbia, he led major research expansion and sustainability leadership—UBC rose to the top rank in North America for impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals—and helped establish the $2 billion Digital Technology Supercluster. Earlier, he served as President of the University of Cincinnati and in senior roles at Emory University. He has published 170 papers, served on numerous editorial boards, consulted for leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and advised national science panels in the U.S. and Canada. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

4.3
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Here we interview experts in the field of education and play