Austin Community Conversations

Toño Ramirez

Discussions about the interests, backgrounds and projects animating the members of a vibrant college community

  1. Celebrating Academic Excellence: Brinda Roy and Alex Watkins

    Apr 26

    Celebrating Academic Excellence: Brinda Roy and Alex Watkins

    On April 25, 2026, Austin Community College hosted its annual Student Research Symposium event, showcasing outstanding original academic work by ACC students across all disciplines.  Eleven ACC students were also honored at the annual Curiositas Academic Journal release ceremony, recognizing a carefully selected collection of noteworthy student submissions in the Liberal Arts.  For this episode I was  joined by Brinda Roy and Alex Watkins, who respectively serve as faculty leaders for the Symposium and Curiositas programs.  We were also honored to speak with Zoila Walston and Ashley Miramontes, two students who have been published in Curiositas. Chapters (00:00:00) - Austin Community Conversations(00:02:14) - The Conversation: Undergraduate Research(00:05:14) - The Future of the Liberal Arts(00:06:42) - Red Bench Interfaith Event Paper(00:10:52) - Ashley On Her Paper(00:13:40) - Ashley's Story of Scholarly Research(00:16:02) - The Ghost of Dorothy Barton(00:18:07) - Symphposium and the Liberal Arts(00:20:00) - The Center for the Liberal Arts(00:23:11) - The ACC Women's Symposium(00:29:44) - The Power of Academic Colloquia(00:32:33) - The Student Symposium and Curiosities Journal(00:37:42) - Ashley on her future(00:40:17) - Red Bench: The Literary Experience(00:46:32) - Share Your Paper With Family(00:52:37) - The Sensory Artists' Symposium(00:54:23) - CURIOSITY JOURNAL

    56 min

  2. Apr 18

    Madeline Vosch: Empathy Through Memoir

    Madeline Vosch teaches courses in Creative Writing, Humanities and Religious Studies disciplines at ACC.  We discuss her book ‘Undead:  A Memoir of My Suicide’, soon to be published by Beacon Press.  The book integrates her interdisciplinary scholarly background and creative voice into a powerful invitation to explore the intersection of profound vulnerability and profound compassion.   Please note that this episode contains discussions of self-harm and suicide. Chapters (00:00:00) - Community Conversations(00:02:21) - How Teaching at acc involves three separate disciplines(00:04:48) - What's a Good Reason to Read Memoir?(00:10:48) - The Memoir of My Suicide(00:12:54) - memoir of my attempt to suicide(00:15:01) - Ray You White: A Memoir(00:18:03) - The Book of Writing(00:20:11) - Several Things That Can't Be Said in This Book(00:22:34) - The Story of Jairus Daughter(00:25:59) - A History of Madness: An Archaeology of That Silence(00:27:50) - This Book Fails in Its Argument(00:30:48) - Understanding the Reasons People Commit Suicide(00:34:03) - "Suicide: A Moral Failure?"(00:38:37) - In the Elevator With Suicidal People(00:46:08) - Austin Community College's Fight Against Suicide(00:50:41) - Talking To a Suicide Survivor

    52 min

  3. Apr 7

    Bryan Port: Fostering Impactful Civic Leaders

    Bryan Port serves as the Director for the Center for Government and Civic Service at Austin Community College.  Bryan and his team bring civic engagement to life in new and innovative ways, and I invite you to learn about what they offer both to ACC’s students and the broader Austin community. Chapters (00:00:00) - Austin Community Conversations(00:01:10) - The Purpose of Public Education(00:03:04) - Brian Flannery on his Journey(00:04:17) - Professor Port on the Center(00:06:05) - The Center for Civic Engagement at Austin Community College(00:09:43) - The Civic Leadership Simulation(00:14:10) - The United Nations Climate Change Simulation(00:17:25) - Culture of Leadership Simulation(00:22:47) - The River Hacks Event(00:25:17) - The Center for Law and Community(00:33:13) - Questions for the Historians(00:36:33) - Community Partnerships at the Austin Center(00:39:32) - The Journalist Summit(00:41:22) - The Center for Clinical and Academic Research

    44 min

  4. Mar 9

    ACC's Character Education Initiative: Kelly Greenwood, Ted Hadzi-Antich, Arun Johns and Grant Potts

    My guests today are Arun John, Kelly Greenwood, Grant Potts and Ted Hadzi-Antich, and they’ll be talking about their work on the Character Education Initiative at Austin Community College.  I think this work has the potential for profound impact on the way that we think about both teaching and learning, and invite you to imagine the possibilities along with us. This episode features discussion of Claire Elise Katz' "Stolen Valor: How the Humanities '@ Work' Are Hidden in Plain Sight". Chapters (00:00:00) - Austin Community Conversations: The Character Education Initiative(00:02:42) - Interview with Ted Hatziancic and Grant Potts(00:03:28) - Teaching at ACC: A Motley Crue(00:07:19) - The Mission of Character Education at ACC(00:18:30) - Post-Bacc MS in Technology(00:19:10) - Philosophy of Character and Virtue(00:22:13) - Virtues of Learning Math(00:24:09) - The moralization of higher education(00:28:26) - Questions about human flourishing in higher education(00:37:41) - The value of liberal arts education(00:44:46) - Enable Faculty: Character Education(00:52:59) - Faculty on the Character Education Initiative(01:01:42) - What Would You Want Your Community College Students to Know?(01:02:13) - The Future of Character Education(01:06:32) - The College Community Initiative

    1h 13m

  5. Mar 6

    Ted Hadzi-Antich: Learning Via the Great Questions

    Ted Hadzi-Antich is a government professor and one of the founders of the Great Questions Seminar at ACC.  Here you’ll learn about how the Seminar focuses on the fundamental elements of close readings of source texts, open ended discussion, and classroom community.  By the end, I think you’ll find it easy to see why this pedagogy has captured the attention of media outlets ranging from the New York Times to the Chronicle of Higher Education, along with major four-year universities who have been surprised and inspired by what our faculty and students achieve together. Chapters (00:00:00) - Austin Community Conversations(00:02:13) - Teaching at ACC: The First Year(00:06:33) - In the Elevator With Students(00:08:07) - The Importance of Feeling Like An Impersonator(00:10:52) - The Great Questions Seminar(00:16:06) - The Character Education of Community Colleges(00:18:55) - The Great Questions Seminar(00:26:23) - A Day in the Life: The Good Life(00:29:01) - A Sense of Agency in College(00:31:21) - Community Colleges: The Career-Ready Student(00:37:43) - The mission of the student success class(00:40:19) - Community Colleges: The Diversity of Students(00:47:29) - Great Questions: The Pedagogical Model(00:53:00) - The Great Questions Program at Austin Community College

    1h 1m
  6. Grant Potts: ‘The Humility We Need to be Good Thinkers’

    Jan 21

    Grant Potts: ‘The Humility We Need to be Good Thinkers’

    Dr. Grant H. Potts serves as Dean of Curriculum Management at Austin Community College,, overseeing award plans and scheduling in accordance with state and federal reporting requirements.  He is a Professor of Philosophy, former Chair of the Philosophy, Religion, and Humanities department, and has served in various leadership roles at ACC and in national organizations dedicated to the study of religion and to community college teaching and learning. We discuss his approach to teaching, the value of religious studies as a preparation for a surprising range of personal and professional endeavors, and the cultivation of intellectual virtues as a goal for liberal arts education. Chapters (00:00:00) - Community Conversations(00:01:21) - What's in It for a College Student?(00:03:16) - Interim Dean Potts on the Different Roles(00:11:15) - Pushing the boundaries of higher education(00:18:13) - Denison College Student Experience(00:25:41) - Philosophy and curriculum management(00:29:31) - The Way Philosophy Prepared Me for Work(00:34:21) - How does religion help me understand the world?(00:41:57) - Discussing the Stakes of Religion(00:48:31) - Existential terror in philosophy(00:53:31) - The Limits of Knowledge in the Meno(00:59:24) - Exploring the Religion of Film(01:05:45) - The relationship between journal and classroom learning

    1h 11m
  7. Matty Martinez-Mandell: 'Anyone Can Be a Peace-Builder"'

    Jan 14

    Matty Martinez-Mandell: 'Anyone Can Be a Peace-Builder"'

    Matty Martinez-Mandell serves as coordinator for the Peace and Conflict Studies Center at Austin Community College.  We discuss the role that the center plays in promoting peaceful resolutions to conflicts of all kinds, the ways in which Matty’s distinctive academic background informs their work, and a few upcoming center events that merit your consideration. Chapters (00:00:00) - Austin Community Conversations(00:02:14) - Maddie Martinez Mandel Discusses the Center's Role(00:05:17) - What is Peace Tech? ((00:13:01) - The Peace and Conflict Studies Program at Austin Community College(00:17:46) - The PAC Center's programming(00:26:05) - How to Have Difficult Conversations(00:34:58) - The Difficult Conversations Series

    36 min

  8. 11/25/2025

    Prudence Arcenaux: 'What's That Person's Story?'

    Through poetry and prose, language becomes a vehicle for connecting readers directly with the thoughts, beliefs and lived experiences of authors.  My guest today is Prudence Arceneaux, who guides students as Chair of the Creative Writing Department at Austin Community College.   In addition to teaching Creative Writing courses, Prudence directs ACC’s literary magazine, The Rio Review, as well as the annual  Balcones Literary Prize.  She is also an accomplished poet in her own right, having published several volumes including Proprioception, recently released through the Texas Review Press. Our discussion addresses her academic journey, the risks and rewards of participating in a community of writers, and the role of creativity both within and outside of her discipline. Chapters (00:00:00) - Community Conversations(00:02:07) - Prudence Arsenault on Her Role as an Instructor(00:04:40) - When You Get To Know Your Students(00:06:40) - Exploring Your Specific Academic Pathway(00:08:36) - The Role of Creativity in Teaching(00:12:47) - The Division Between Art and Creativity(00:19:03) - Writing and the Creative Process(00:24:46) - How to Get Out of Math Class(00:30:42) - How to Get Out of the Trap of 'Writing'(00:32:15) - Why Poetry Is So Scary(00:36:27) - The Voices of Non-Traditional Poets(00:41:22) - A Poem for a Friend(00:42:03) - What should I expect to be in for if I attend a reading(00:46:56) - The Future of Censorship(00:48:52) - A message about the Rio Review

    51 min
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Discussions about the interests, backgrounds and projects animating the members of a vibrant college community

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