Community Conversations: From local to global engagement

Dr. W.

Community Conversations: From local to global engagement shares the stories of community members and how they create change. It is through daily, consistent efforts of community members that the biggest changes in the world happen. This podcast will focus on individuals who are dedicated to their field, create positive change, and inspire the community members around them. Sharing these stories can be a powerful tool to highlight the influence of individual action.

  1. 07/12/2025

    Neurodiversity, Inclusive Teaching, and the Power of Advocacy: A Conversation with Dr. Sarah Silverman

    In this captivating episode, host Dr. Lisa Wiśniewski sitsdown with Dr. Sarah Silverman, educator, independent faculty developer, and passionate advocate for neurodiversity in higher education. Dr. Silverman shares her deeply personal and professional journey from her early academic experiences as a neurodivergent student to her transformative work supportingfaculty and graduate students in inclusive teaching practices. Listeners will gain insight into how Dr. Silverman’s background in entomology evolved into a career centered on faculty development, disability studies, and the social dimensions of teaching. She discusses the importance of peer mentorship, the challenges of navigating academia with non-apparent disabilities, and the critical role of empathy and accessibilityin the classroom. Through anecdotes and reflections, Dr. Silverman highlights the concept of "access friction" and the theory of "double empathy" by offering a nuanced perspective on how educators can better support diverse learners. The episode also examines the impact of social media,particularly LinkedIn, as a platform for engaging public scholarship and community building. Dr. Silverman’s thoughtful approach to sharing knowledge and fostering dialogue has made her a widely respected voice in the field. Whether you're an educator, student, or advocate, this episode provides a richand thought-provoking exploration of how personal experience and academic insight can intersect to create meaningful change in education and beyond. References from Dr. Silverman: 16 Horizontal Mentoring: The Positive Impact of a DiverseGraduate Student Professional Development Community Peer Teaching Consultants: Design Principles for Instructional Development and Program Alignment On the ontological status of autism: the ‘double empathy problem’ To connect with Dr. Silverman: Dr. Silverman's website Dr. Silverman's LinkedIn Dr. Silverman's Substack

    Neurodiversity, Inclusive Teaching, and the Power of Advocacy: A Conversation with Dr. Sarah Silverman

About

Community Conversations: From local to global engagement shares the stories of community members and how they create change. It is through daily, consistent efforts of community members that the biggest changes in the world happen. This podcast will focus on individuals who are dedicated to their field, create positive change, and inspire the community members around them. Sharing these stories can be a powerful tool to highlight the influence of individual action.