This Prof Life Podcast: Women of Color in Higher Education

Dr. Pat Sanders

This Prof Life Podcast focuses on Women of Color (WOC) in higher education and empowering their voices. The experience can be enlightening and different at the same time. You will hear the challenges, successes and strategies women use to navigate academia. Join Dr. Pat Sanders, a Full Professor of Communications, as she talks to women who work in the academy. A former broadcast journalist, Dr. Pat now wants to tell the stories of BIPOC in higher education. She talks to women engaged in administration, teaching, mentorship, communications, media, and who are thought leaders. Visit her website at https://www.drpatsanders.com/ If you know someone you would like to add the conversation, email Dr. Pat at hellodrpat@gmail.com

  1. Liberated and Leading: Redefining Leadership on Our Own Terms (Part 1)

    5d ago

    Liberated and Leading: Redefining Leadership on Our Own Terms (Part 1)

    Are you currently in a leadership position in higher education or aspiring to step into one? Have you ever wondered whether you're truly free to lead in a way that aligns with your values, strengths, and authentic self? If so, you won't want to miss Part 1 of this powerful conversation with Dr. Chinyere Oparah. Dr. Oparah is an executive coach, Professor of Leadership Studies and Sociology at the University of San Francisco, and Founder and CEO of the Center for Liberated Leadership and NeuroSpicy Leaders. In this thought-provoking episode, she explores what it means to lead from a place of authenticity, courage, and liberation rather than conformity and expectation. Some of the key takeaways from this episode include: Examples of work focused on supporting Black women, women of color, and equity-oriented leaders navigating institutional complexity, burnout, and systemic pressure. The concept of "Liberated Leadership" as a flexible, collective framework centered on justice, joy, strategic courage, and authentic self-expression. Neurodivergence (particularly ADHD and autism) and its prevalence among academic leaders but often going undiagnosed, contributing to masking, burnout, and suppressed potential. How student mental health has significantly deteriorated post-pandemic, requiring professors to adopt new pedagogical strategies rooted in emotional intelligence and universal design. We will continue to talk in two weeks in Part 2! Find out more about Dr. Oparah's work Center for Liberated Leadership Follow her on LinkedIn Learn more about Dr. Pat on her website and follow on LinkedIn Find more episodes of This Prof Life Podcast here. If you're listening to and enjoying, leave a postive, 5-star review and comments. It helps the podcast to grow and reach more people!

    36 min

  2. May 27

    Save Yourself, Sis

    Women of color in higher education have always helped to carry institutions byteaching, mentoring, leading, advocating, and creating pathways for others. But in a rapidly changing political and economic climate, one difficult question remains: Who is helping us build security? In this new podcast episode, “Save Yourself,” I discuss: economic wellness for Black women and women of color in higher education entrepreneurship and monetizing your expertise overcoming fear and self-doubt building coaching, consulting, leadership, and mentoring opportunities why NOW is the time to create a backup plan It is estimated that more than 600,000 Black women have lost jobs over the past year and a half across industries. Waiting for institutional stability is no longer enough. This episode is a compassionate but direct conversation about preparing, building, and reclaiming agency over our futures. You are not starting from scratch. You are starting from experience. Be sure to rate, subscbe, share and support at All Episodes.

    18 min

  3. May 4

    The Pivot: Faculty, Leadership, Freedom (Part 2)

    Dr. Karen Dace, a now retired academic administrator, and I last parted with our conversation centered around the resilience of Black women and other women of color. In this episode, we dive into the shifts required to make headway in the academy, when to pivot to new horizons, and how to identify true allies. You can find Dr. Dace on LinkedIn: Dr. Karen Dace  You can find more episodes of This Prof Life Podcast on my website: drpatsanders.com or any podcasting platform. Let’s dive in!

    25 min

  4. Apr 11

    The Pivot: Faculty, Leadership, Freedom (Part 1)

    *]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:845e65f6-f240-4455-ab8c-b7f781ecf793-4" data-testid= "conversation-turn-10" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> In this inspiring episode, Dr. Karen Dace reflects on her journey from faculty to academic leadership and how she navigated a transition back into faculty and then retirement after DEI offices were eliminated as part of the current political echochamber. Dr. Dace shares her story of leaving behind a 30-plus year career rooted in advocacy and leadership, and how she reframed her recent retirement not as an ending, but as a new beginning. Still passionate about scholarship and impact, she continues working on a book, proving she is far from finished. Her story is a powerful reminder that titles may change, but purpose remains. Listen to a conversation about resilience, reinvention, and embracing your next chapter with confidence. Connect with our guest on LinkedIn Dr. Karen Dace Find more episodes of this podcast on my website: Dr. Pat Sanders or Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

    28 min

  5. Mar 18

    Scholarly Pursuits, Entrepreneurship, and Grief: One Woman's Story

    We know that scholarship is the pursuit of objective truth, and entrepreneurship is the pursuit of a future we build ourselves. But what happens when the ground beneath both of those pursuits is fractured by loss? How does one maintain their research, grow a business, and honor ambitions when grief is sitting at the head of the table? In this episode, we’re stepping into the difficult, often invisible intersection of the mind, the marketplace, and the heart. This episode is about building on broken ground and finding out what remains when the world as we knew it changes. Dr. Chinasa Elue, who was recently promoted to full professor at her institution, takes us on her journey. Join me as she shares an update centered around being an academic, an entrepreneur and a grief coach. You can find more about Dr. Elue and her work at https://www.drchinasaelue.com/ or on LinkedIn Find more episodes of This Prof Life on my website drpatsanders.com  or anywhere you find your favorite podcasts.

    44 min

  6. Mar 3

    Workplace Trauma, Tone-Policing, and Racial Bias, What to Do? (Part 2)

    It's a fact. Honest conversations about workplace trauma are often avoided or even dismissed, especially when related to Black women and women of color.  In this episode, we continue to center the voices and experiences of Black women navigating workplace trauma, racial bias, and the unique challenges within higher education.  My guest, Ms. Ruth Abban, a psychotherapist who practices in the U.K., and I explore what workplace trauma looks like, how racial bias shapes opportunity and advancement, and the lasting impact these experiences have on identify, well-being and career paths.  This conversation is really for anyone committed to understanding, supporting, and transforming workplace culture, especially within academic and professional spaces.  Find all episodes here: Dr. Pat Sanders Explore Ms. Abban's work here: Ms. Ruth Abban or here: Abban Psychotherapist Ms. Abban has been nominated for the 2026 UK Black Stars List an amazing honor. Be sure to subscribe when you listen, leave a postive rating, and share.  Apple Spotify  Or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. If you find this work important, please visit Support Page so that I can continue to do this critical work. Until next time!

    17 min

  7. Feb 17

    Workplace Trauma, Tone-Policing, and Racial Bias - What to Do?

    Have you ever been tone-policed as a Black woman or woman of color? Or appointed to a role only to be removed when someone's discomfort outweighs your credentials? In academia, experiences and patterns like these that shape professional identity, leadership access, and psychological safety are not isolated incidents.  In this This Prof Life episode, I sit down with Ms. Ruth Abban, an integrative psychotherapist based in London, for Part 1 of a critical conversation on workplace trauma, racial identity, and bias in academic spaces.  In the episode, we discuss:  Tone-policing and respectability politics in higher education. The emotional and professional impact of racial bias.  How workplace trauma manifests for Back women and women of color.  Deconstruct identity-based stressors in institutional environments.  Join me for an honest and necessary discussion about navigating academia while protecting your mental health and sense of self.  To learn more about Ms. Ruth Abban follow her on LinkedIn.  To find out more about me and my journey, visit drpatsanders.com Listen to This Prof Life Women of Color Podcast on any of your favorite platforms. Please be sure to subscribe, download, share and leave a five-star rating.  If you are so inclinded to financially support the podcast, click the Buy Me a Coffee tab.

    30 min

  8. Jan 31

    Mentorship and Meaning in Higher Education

    Relaunch of This Prof Life: Women of Color in Higher Education Podcast! In this episode, Dr. Pat Sanders, offers a candid discussion on mentorship and sponsorship in higher education, with a particular focus on the lived experiences of Black women and women of color. Drawing from personal insight and professional observations, the episode examines the assumption that mentorship is inherently neutral or universally beneficial.  This episode explores how mentoring relationships for Black women and other women of color are often shaped by racialized and gendered labor expectations, requiring emotional, intellectual, and political work that is rarely acknowledged or rewarded.  The episode also assesses the limits of mentorship without sponsorship, highlighting how guidance and support do not always translate into structural change or career advancement.  Listeners are invited to consider how insitutions rely on mentorship as a symbolic solution, while failing to adress inequities in power, access and promotion.  Find other episodes of This Prof Life on Apple  Spotify Amazon  Pod News    Instagram  or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Be sure to leave a 5-star rating and to share.  Find out more about Dr. Pat here Dr.Pat Sanders or on LinkedIn Dr. Pat is approaching 30-years as an experienced academic administrator, college director, mentor and full, merited professor whose passions center around equity, inclusion and equality. She can be reached at hellodrpat@gmail.com where she invites recommendations for guests and topics for the podcast.  Thank you for listening. If you enjoy this podcast, you can enhance your support here:  Buy Me a Coffee Dr. Pat

    18 min
See All (62)

Trailer

5
out of 5
35 Ratings

About

This Prof Life Podcast focuses on Women of Color (WOC) in higher education and empowering their voices. The experience can be enlightening and different at the same time. You will hear the challenges, successes and strategies women use to navigate academia. Join Dr. Pat Sanders, a Full Professor of Communications, as she talks to women who work in the academy. A former broadcast journalist, Dr. Pat now wants to tell the stories of BIPOC in higher education. She talks to women engaged in administration, teaching, mentorship, communications, media, and who are thought leaders. Visit her website at https://www.drpatsanders.com/ If you know someone you would like to add the conversation, email Dr. Pat at hellodrpat@gmail.com

Information

You Might Also Like