CMC Conversations

Claremont McKenna College

CMC Conversations brings Claremont McKenna College students, faculty, alumni, and staff together to share the unique stories of our amazing community.

  1. Passing the Mic: A Senior Send-off with Parishi Kanuga '26 and Natalie Chen '26

    May 14

    Passing the Mic: A Senior Send-off with Parishi Kanuga '26 and Natalie Chen '26

    Just days before they walk across the Commencement stage, our beloved senior podcast hosts, Parishi Kanuga ’26 and Natalie Chen ’26, settled into our studio —this time as interviewees. A full-circle moment. Hosted by Lena Ciganer-Albeniz ’29, this special episode is a heartfelt reflection on the Claremont McKenna Collegeexperience. From the 'summer camp' feeling of freshman year to the intellectual depth of senior theses on love and microfinance, Parishi and Natalie share the CMC stories that shaped them. Tune in for a beautiful 'passing of the torch' as we celebrate our graduates and the lifelong community they leave behind and carry with them.

    41 min

  2. Apr 22

    Learn to Learn: President Hiram Chodosh on Leadership, Purpose, and What Comes Next

    President Hiram Chodosh has spent 13 years leading ClaremontMcKenna College by asking one question above all others: What are we here to do? In this special episode of CMC Conversations — recorded inpartnership with CMC Leads — Parishi Kanuga ‘26 sits down with President Chodosh to explore what responsible leadership actually looks like in practice: not the professional title, not the authority, but the small acts, the hard questions, and the courage to face what you don’t know.   He shares about growing up in New Jersey with little interestin school, finding the same fundamental question across theater, law, and higher education, what it means to hold your own value system inside a world of professional incentives, the India mediation project that became something no one could have predicted, and how to develop the confidence to handle your own lack of confidence. President Chodosh reflects on his final year at CMC, what CMCLeads: The Summit means to him, and what it’s like to face a new unfamiliar territory — just like the rest of us.

    47 min
  3. The Art of Gathering: Priya Junnar on Building Community at CMC's Athenaeum

    Apr 20

    The Art of Gathering: Priya Junnar on Building Community at CMC's Athenaeum

    For 13 years, Priya Junnar has led the intellectual heart of Claremont McKenna College as the fifth director of the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum — one of higher education's most distinctive speaker series, where students, faculty, staff, and a spectrum of luminaries gather around a dinner table to wrestle with the essential ideas of our time.   In this episode, host Natalie Chen ’26 sits down with Priya — CMC's First Lady and outgoing Ath director — to explore what it takes to curate nearly four nights a week of intellectually rigorous programming, how she learned to read a community's hunger for ideas, and why sharing a meal together still matters in an age of screens and algorithmic echo chambers.   They also talk about Priya's philosophy of serendipity in leadership, her passion for historical fiction and podcasts, the Beyoncé suggestion that became a Rutgers scholar guest speaker, the legendary CMC campus dog Theo, and what she's carrying with her into the next chapter. Learn more about Priya and the Athenaeum: https://www.cmc.edu/magazine/fall-2025/end-of-an-era https://www.cmc.edu/athenaeum

    34 min
  4. The Quiet Work of Leadership - Jennie Kung ’04

    Apr 14

    The Quiet Work of Leadership - Jennie Kung ’04

    What does it look like to build a career by running toward something — not away from it? Jennie Kung ’04 has spent her career crossing sectors that most people never imagine connecting: capital markets, Deloitte Consulting, Disney Imagineers, Johnson & Johnson, UCLAHealth, and now the Mayo Clinic, where she leads one of the most distinctive healthcare innovation platforms in the world. In this episode, Natalie Chen ’26 sits down with Jennie to explore how a CMC Gov and Legal Studies pivot became the foundation for a career reimagining what healthcare can feellike, and why the skills that matter most right now have nothing to do with what you majored in. They discuss the aha moment that sent Jennie from Disney to hospital administration, what serve-first leadership actually looks like in practice, how AI is reshaping who gets to lead, and why the best advice she has for graduating CMCers is simply: just chill out. This is a special episode of CMC Conversations in partnership with CMC Leads. The conversation continues at The Summit, April 24–25 on the CMC campus. https://www.cmc.edu/cmc-leads

    48 min
  5. Lead When Nobody's Watching - Scott Akasaki ’98

    Apr 7

    Lead When Nobody's Watching - Scott Akasaki ’98

    What does it take to manage travel and logistics for one of the world's most famous baseball teams for over a quarter-century? In this episode, Parishi Kanuga ’26 sits down with Scott Akasaki '98, Senior Director of Team Travel for the Los Angeles Dodgers, to explore the "unseen" side of leadership. Scott shares how a homesick study abroad trip to Japan planted a seed that grew into a 26-year career in Major League Baseball, and why he believes the details are the true difference between winning and losing. He also reflects on what it means to watch Shohei Ohtani become the best player in the world, and why representation matters more to him now that his own kids are watching. Read more about Scott: https://www.cmc.edu/magazine/fall-2019/travelin-man https://www.cmc.edu/newsfeed/inside-baseball-careers-ath

    33 min
  6. Measuring the Unmeasurable: How Data Science Intersects with Psychology and Leadership - Professor Steven Zhou

    Mar 3

    Measuring the Unmeasurable: How Data Science Intersects with Psychology and Leadership - Professor Steven Zhou

    In this episode hosted by Natalie Chen ’26, Professor Steven Zhou elucidates how his work offers us new ways to observe, quantify, and study leadership. By observing human behavior in various contexts, such as in escape rooms, Professor Zhou argues that we can develop innovative, data-driven approaches to analyzing leadership. He offers us a glimpse into the research he and his students engage in within his Stats Lab to further investigate this.  In addition, Professor Zhou offers insight into how AI can be leveraged as a useful tool in the classroom and investigates alternative modes of performance assessment, such as structured debates, to uphold assessment integrity. Finally, Professor Zhou explores vocational calling, considering how we can rethink our pursuit of fulfillment and meaning in our lives, as it exceeds the value of a paycheck, integrates into the communities we touch, and guides the kinds of lives we lead.  Learn more about Professor Steven Zhou and the STATS Lab at Claremont McKenna College: https://www.cmc.edu/academic/faculty/profile/steven-zhou https://www.statslabatcmc.com/ https://stevenzhou.us/media/

    39 min
  7. Geopolitical Complexities of the Russia-Ukraine War - Professor Hilary Appel

    Feb 5

    Geopolitical Complexities of the Russia-Ukraine War - Professor Hilary Appel

    In this episode of CMC Conversations, host Parishi Kanuga ’26 sits down with Podlich Family Professor of Government and George R. Roberts Fellow Hilary Appel to discuss the ongoing geopolitical complexities of the Russia-Ukraine war. Professor Appel shares her unique perspective on the "phantom limb" rhetoric of the Kremlin, the systemic shifts she witnessed at the end of the Cold War, and the challenges of teaching international politics during an active "hot war". The conversation explores the necessity of viewpoint diversity in the classroom, the importance of academic empathy, and how even the most contentious global issues can be discussed with constructive dialogue and a seriousness of purpose. Professor Appel's Faculty Profile: https://www.cmc.edu/academic/faculty/profile/hilary-appel Professor Appel's Google Scholar Profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=EBwl5GEAAAAJ Learn more about the Keck Center for International & Strategic Studies: https://www.cmckeckcenter.org/

    30 min
  8. Fintech, Real Estate & Climate Finance - Professor Nishant Dass

    Jan 22

    Fintech, Real Estate & Climate Finance - Professor Nishant Dass

    In this episode of CMC Conversations, Parishi Kanuga ’26 speaks with Professor Nishant Dass, Charles M. Stone Professor of Finance and Director of the Financial Economics Institute at CMC. They discuss how technology and AI are reshaping finance, from payments to investment banking, and how CMC is adapting its curriculum to prepare students for a rapidly changing world. The conversation also highlights what makes CMC finance education unique and explores emerging technologies such as blockchain, AI, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Professor Dass's Faculty Profile: https://www.cmc.edu/academic/faculty/profile/nishant-dass Learn more about the Financial Economics Institute at Claremont McKenna College: https://fei.cmc.edu/

    31 min
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About

CMC Conversations brings Claremont McKenna College students, faculty, alumni, and staff together to share the unique stories of our amazing community.

Information

  • Creator
    Claremont McKenna College
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Claremont McKenna College
  • Show Website
    CMC Conversations