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In five years as DePaul president, Gabriel Esteban has guided the university through the fulfillment of many long-standing strategic goals and the trials of Covid-19. As he concludes his tenure, Dr. Esteban joins the DePaul Download podcast to reflect on these years and on what he’ll remember about our university. LISTEN NOW.

In today’s news, clickbait headlines and “deep-fake” videos can stand alongside legitimate, well-reported stories. Any business can quickly be victimized by a wrong, even malicious story or social media post. DePaul professors Ron Culp and Matt Ragas, co-authors of “Business Acumen for Strategic Communicators,” join DePaul Download to discuss how business leaders can both correct the record and save reputations without getting into a mudslinging contest. Culp and Ragas also discuss the Public Relations and Advertising program’s recent PRWeek award for Outstanding Education Program.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the federal civil rights law that removed barriers for women in education and sports. It’s also a year DePaul University is celebrating the induction of legendary Women’s Basketball Coach Doug Bruno into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. In his 36 years as head coach at DePaul, Bruno has advocated for the equal treatment of women. He recently led his team to the NCAA tournament for the 25th time.

The U.S. Senate recently confirmed the first African American woman on the U.S. Supreme Court—the pinnacle of the legal profession. This, however, isn’t the only legal arena where historically underrepresented groups are struggling to break through. While law schools have grown more diverse, law students of color still face challenges and barriers to success. DePaul Law Dean Jennifer Rosato Perea, a first-generation law graduate herself, discusses what her college is doing to introduce first-generation and students from historically underrepresented groups to the legal profession and the college’s other measures that will make a difference to diversity, equity and inclusion for its students.

Twenty-five years after the first book was released, the “Harry Potter” series continues to captivate college students’ attention. A DePaul study abroad trip is returning after a three-year break to explore places in the United Kingdom that inspired scenes in books and films. The two professors who lead the program— Rebecca Johns-Trissler, associate professor and director of the Graduate Program in Writing and Publishing, and Paul Booth, professor of Media and Cinema Studies—join DePaul Download to share how they plan a study abroad trip around a fictional world, why college students are still interested in Harry Potter and how they’ll discuss J.K. Rowling’s recent controversies with their students.

Reducing gun violence in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, coping with the trauma of incarceration by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and building a hospitality worker unionization movement–these are the stories young and early-career journalists are sharing on the Change Agents podcast.

Award-winning producer Judith McCray leads the project, which pairs journalists with activists from the communities they’re covering. It’s work that connects to her own experiences as a Chicago journalist of color—and her efforts to nurture the next generation of diverse journalists as the Diversity Faculty Fellow at DePaul’s Center for Communication Engagement. McCray joins the podcast to talk about this unique reporting technique, training reporters to build relationships and trust, and the evolving discussion of objectivity in journalism.