New Frontiers

Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs

New Frontiers brings together scholars, experts, and practitioners to discuss issues of international and global importance. Produced by the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs at Middlebury College, the podcast tackles a wide range of topics— from big tech, environmental conservation, global security, and political economy to culture, literature, religion, and changing work patterns—that, when examined as a whole, offers a comprehensive survey of the world's most pressing issues.

  1. Nuclear Threats: Life After Death After Life

    May 26

    Nuclear Threats: Life After Death After Life

    In this episode, Stephen Herzog of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies joins Mark Williams to discuss his co-edited book Atomic Backfires. Drawing on extensive research and case studies, Herzog examines renewed global fears surrounding nuclear weapons and proliferation, pointing to Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling during the war in Ukraine, the proliferation incentives created by the experiences of Iraq, Libya, and Ukraine, and concerns over weakening U.S. security assurances under the Trump administration. He also explores the unintended—and often counterproductive—effects of policies designed to reduce nuclear risks, including sanctions, military threats, counterproliferation strikes, and arms control agreements. New Frontiers (from the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs at Middlebury College) is a higher education podcast series bringing scholarly research and expertise to bear on national, international, and global affairs. Produced and edited by Margaret DeFoor and Mark Williams, director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Intro by Charlotte Tate, associate director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Edits by RCGA intern Mehr Sohal. Music CreditsForte by Kestra - Summer with Sound AlbumSoul Zone by Kestra - Light Rising AlbumTransitions by Mark Williams

    36 min
  2. US Terrorist Lists: Who Decides, and Why It Matters

    Apr 15

    US Terrorist Lists: Who Decides, and Why It Matters

    How does the U.S. government determine who gets designated a terrorist and belongs on the official “terrorist list”? What consequences could arise as a result of being put on the terrorist list, and what procedures are followed to ensure this designation—and the penalties that come with it—are justified? Explore these topics with Mark Williams and counterterrorism expert Jason Blazakis. A former director of the State Department’s Counterterrorism Finance and Designations Office, and founding director of the Center for Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism, Blazakis explains how making the terrorist list can lead to a range of negative consequences: asset freezes, criminal penalties, immigration issues, etc., the slow, evidenced-based procedures traditionally followed to ensure any terrorist designation was legally justified, and his concerns that recent changes in those procedures by the Trump administration could lead to their abuse. New Frontiers (from the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs at Middlebury College) is a higher education podcast series bringing scholarly research and expertise to bear on national, international, and global affairs. Produced and edited by Margaret DeFoor and Mark Williams, director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Intro by Charlotte Tate, associate director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Edits by RCGA intern Mehr Sohal. Music CreditsForte by Kestra - Summer with Sound AlbumSoul Zone by Kestra - Light Rising AlbumTransitions by Mark Williams

    34 min
  3. High Seas Research: Decoding Earth's Climate Past

    Mar 8

    High Seas Research: Decoding Earth's Climate Past

    In this episode, Rohatyn Center director Mark Williams talks with climate scientist Allison Jacobel about how researchers reconstruct the Earth’s climate history without a “time machine,” why the oceans and seafloor hold richer continuous climate records than land, and what understanding the past can tell us about contemporary climate change and our climate future. Listen as Professor Jacobel describes life on an international research team, and the high-stakes reality of oceanographic fieldwork — weeks or months at sea, working 12-hour shifts and navigating storms — while collecting water, plankton, and sediment samples to uncover chemical clues to Earth’s past. Jacobel also reflects on her recent 30-day North Atlantic research, describing shipboard life, collaboration with fellow scientists (including her Middlebury student research assistant), and how the data collected supports student learning back on campus.  Dr. Allison W. Jacobel is Assistant Professor of Earth and Climate Sciences at Middlebury College and a faculty fellow at the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs.  Her work focuses on understanding the climate system through the application of geochemical, sedimentological, and micropaleontological techniques. Specifically, she is interested in the reconstruction of abrupt and orbital-scale climate change and the carbon storage mechanisms that amplify insolation forcing. New Frontiers (from the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs at Middlebury College) is a higher education podcast series bringing scholarly research and expertise to bear on national, international, and global affairs. Produced and edited by Margaret DeFoor and Mark Williams, director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Intro by Charlotte Tate, associate director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Edits by RCGA intern Mehr Sohal. Music CreditsForte by Kestra - Summer with Sound AlbumSoul Zone by Kestra - Light Rising AlbumTransitions by Mark Williams

    33 min
  4. Big Tech and Its Populist Critics

    Jan 12

    Big Tech and Its Populist Critics

    Besides working in Washington, DC, what do American politicians like Elizabeth Warren, Donald Trump, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Josh Hawley, and Bernie Sanders all have in common? As political scientist Gary Winslett observes, at least one thing is their strong, populist critiques of “Big Tech”. Whether it’s Apple, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, or Google, American populist politicians from the Left and Right find much to criticize: Leftwing populists typically stress economic concerns and monopolistic practices, while their Rightwing counterparts focus on free speech issues. But how valid are these critiques? How useful (and accurate) are the historical analogies used to support them? And how might the populists’ view of Big Tech affect America’s capacity for technological advancement and innovation down the line? Based on the research conducted for his new book—“Big Tech and its Populist Critics”—Winslett explores these issues, questions the validity of populist critiques from both political sides, and advocates for a 'dynamist' approach to public policy that promotes risk-taking, innovation, and a positive outlook towards technological progress. Gary Winslett is a Johnson Fellow in Modern Political Thought and associate professor of Political Science at Middlebury College. New Frontiers (from the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs at Middlebury College) is a higher education podcast series bringing scholarly research and expertise to bear on national, international, and global affairs. Produced and edited by Margaret DeFoor and Mark Williams, director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Intro by Charlotte Tate, associate director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Music CreditsForte by Kestra - Summer with Sound AlbumSoul Zone by Kestra - Light Rising Album

    33 min
  5. Are Madagascar’s Marine Biodiversity Programs Working?

    11/12/2025

    Are Madagascar’s Marine Biodiversity Programs Working?

    Are Madagascar’s marine biodiversity programs protecting the ocean—or leaving coastal communities behind? Mez Baker-Médard explores the promise and pitfalls of “feminist conservation.” With 90% of its plants and 85% of its non-flying animals found nowhere else in the world, Madagascar—with its extensive coral reefs—is home to incredible biodiversity. It’s also the site of multiple international projects whose aim is to preserve its biodiversity treasure.  How might we assess the efficacy of these international conservation efforts? In this episode of New Frontiers, environmental scientist Mez Baker-Médard discusses her new book Feminist Conservation: Politics and Power in Madagascar’s Marine Commons. Drawing on two decades of research, she explores how Madagascar’s internationally-funded marine conservation programs often marginalize local fishers—especially women—by excluding them from traditional fishing areas. Employing the concept of feminist conservation, which emphasizes local knowledge, traditions, and equity in environmental conservation decision-making, she critiques “top-down” conservation models and calls for a model that “trusts local knowledge, resists enclosure, and addresses the root causes of ecological and social harm. New Frontiers (from the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs at Middlebury College) is a higher education podcast series bringing scholarly research and expertise to bear on national, international, and global affairs. Produced and edited by Margaret DeFoor and Mark Williams, director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Intro by Charlotte Tate, associate director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Music CreditsForte by Kestra - Summer with Sound AlbumSoul Zone by Kestra - Light Rising Album

    29 min
  6. Unlikely Leaders: Lessons from “Today I Saw a Revolution”

    09/29/2025

    Unlikely Leaders: Lessons from “Today I Saw a Revolution”

    For twenty years, Cathy Burke—author, leadership expert, changemaker—served as CEO of The Hunger Project Australia and later, Global Vice President. In this capacity, she worked to help end hunger by developing leadership at scale in communities across Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. Through her work with The Hunger Project, she met Dr. Badiul Majumdar, who—born into poverty—rose to become leader of a national movement that not only helped end hunger in his home country of Bangladesh, but transformed its political landscape too. Inspired by his commitment, energy, vision—and incredible results—Cathy wrote his biography, “Today I Saw a Revolution”. In this episode of “New Frontiers” Cathy sits down with host Mark Williams to discuss her book, the remarkable man it celebrates, and the lessons his life’s work can teach us about leadership, collective action, and political change. For more information on the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs at Middlebury College and the New Frontiers podcast series, visit our website. New Frontiers is a higher education podcast series bringing scholarly research and expertise to bear on national, international, and global affairs. Produced and edited by Margaret DeFoor and Mark Williams, director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Intro by Charlotte Tate, associate director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs.  Music Credits Forte by Kestra - Summer with Sound Album Soul Zone by Kestra - Light Rising Album

    35 min
  7. PART II - Nukes, Landmines, and Disarmament: A Conversation with Matthew Breay Bolton

    06/02/2025

    PART II - Nukes, Landmines, and Disarmament: A Conversation with Matthew Breay Bolton

    This is the second part in our two-part series on global demining and disarmament efforts, and the Trump administration’s decision to suspend all US assistance and funding for these international campaigns. In this episode, Mark Williams speaks with political scientist and Nobel Laureate Matthew Breay Bolton regarding the US role in helping to address the problems posed by landmines and unexploded ordinance—problems that past US policy had sometimes helped create. Their conversation examines some of the ethical, political, and strategic implications of the US decision to cease supporting global demining efforts—such as the potential rise in civilian casualties, abdication of moral responsibility, and the broader strategic disadvantages this policy change (and a US withdrawal from global leadership more generally) seems likely to impose on the United States.

    25 min
  8. PART I Nukes, Landmines and Disarmament: A Conversation with Matthew Breay Bolton

    05/14/2025

    PART I Nukes, Landmines and Disarmament: A Conversation with Matthew Breay Bolton

    How could activists, academics, NGOs and others lead the world to a Nuclear Weapons Ban treaty in 2017, despite resistance from the world’s major nuclear powers? Why do states, militaries, and militias still use landmines in war zones, despite their proven inability to deter an opposing military—or even delay its assault for an extended time? How effective have global efforts to clear landmines from post-conflict societies been? What role has the United States played in helping to create—and address—the problems posed by landmines and unexploded ordinance? And could the Trump administration’s decision to suspect aid for global demining campaigns affect those operations as well as America’s global influence and strategic interests? This is the first of a two-part series in which 2017 Nobel Laureate Matthew Breay Bolton joins host Mark Williams to discuss these and other topics. Dr. Matthew Breay Bolton is professor of political science and co-director of the International Disarmament Institute at Pace University, New York City. He is also affiliated with the Environmental Science and Studies department. Along with his wife, Emily Welty, Bolton was part of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) team awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. He has worked for more than 20 years with UN and NGO efforts addressing the humanitarian impact of landmines, cluster munitions, military robotics and the arms trade. For more information on the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs at Middlebury College and the New Frontiers podcast series, visit our website. New Frontiers is a higher education podcast series bringing scholarly research and expertise to bear on national, international, and global affairs. Produced and edited by Margaret DeFoor and Mark Williams, director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Intro by Charlotte Tate, associate director of the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs. Music Credits Forte by Kestra - Summer with Sound Album Soul Zone by Kestra - Light Rising Album

    36 min
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About

New Frontiers brings together scholars, experts, and practitioners to discuss issues of international and global importance. Produced by the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs at Middlebury College, the podcast tackles a wide range of topics— from big tech, environmental conservation, global security, and political economy to culture, literature, religion, and changing work patterns—that, when examined as a whole, offers a comprehensive survey of the world's most pressing issues.

Information

  • Creator
    Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © @MiddleburyCollege
  • Show Website
    New Frontiers