Varying Viewpoints

Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute

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EDUCATION

The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice is proud to present the “Varying Viewpoints” podcast. Our podcast series highlights recent and relevant work of emerging and established scholars and provides an engaging way to share innovative scholarship that focuses on diversifying leadership, enhancing equity, and fostering justice in higher education.

APR 14

Episode 84: Reimagining Leadership Through Voice, Networks, and Feedback

The contemporary workplace in 2026 is defined by disruption, recalibration, and the lasting aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hybrid and remote work models, evolving conversations about inclusion, rapid technological advancement, and growing organizational distrust have fundamentally reshaped how we lead, live, and work. While moments of progress have emerged, recent trends reveal setbacks, performative practices, and widening gaps in advancement, raising urgent questions about leadership, power, and performance in uncertain times. In this episode, we spoke with Joanna Jenkins and Marybeth Gasman about their latest research report, “Reimagining Leadership Through Self-Advocacy Networks and Feedback,” which explores how power operates in professional settings and where leadership systems fall short. Revealing strategies from the three critical levers for growth and advancement: self-advocacy, strategic networks, and feedback. These areas emerged as essential tools for building influence, cultivating meaningful relationships, and creating environments where talent can thrive and inclusive leadership can advance. While this work centers on the experiences of women of color, the insights are widely applicable. When workplaces design systems that support those most marginalized, organizations become healthier, more creative, and more effective for everyone. Listen for individual strategies for advancement, tools for more collaborative professional relationships, and a collective blueprint for reimagining leadership and organizational culture in 2026 and the years ahead.

32 min
MAR 3

Episode 83: From Potential to Power: Strategies for Black Women’s Success

In this episode, we speak with Musu Davis, author of Black and Smart (Rutgers University Press), to discuss strategies for supporting Black women’s success in college. Drawing from her book and professional experience, Davis explores how families, students, and university leaders can work together to recognize talent, foster belonging, and dismantle barriers that often hinder achievement in higher education. The conversation highlights the unique challenges Black women face in campus life—ranging from underrepresentation in leadership to navigating stereotypes—while offering practical, research-informed approaches to create inclusive environments where brilliance thrives. Listen as we examine what it takes to move from potential to power and why intentional support systems are critical for equity, leadership development, and institutional excellence, especially for Black women in college.

35 min
11/21/2025

Episode 82: Why I Stayed, Why I Left: HBCU Faculty in Motion

In this episode, we speak with Erjia Yan (Drexel University), Robert Palmer (Howard University), and Chaoqun Ni (University of Wisconsin–Madison) to discuss their upcoming research brief on the challenges HBCUs face in recruiting and retaining faculty. They highlight the 8% decline of faculty at HBCUs between 2013 and 2022, despite the national numbers rising. The podcast explores the reasons why they leave, citing low pay, heavy workloads, limited research support, and bureaucratic hurdles, particularly when Predominantly White Institutions offer better salaries, lighter teaching loads, and stronger infrastructure. Despite the downsides, many remain deeply committed to HBCUs’ mission of educating marginalized students, strengthening the black community, and fostering close connections with colleagues and learners. Listen as we discuss the faculty retention issues at HBCUs and their implications for educational equity and institutional sustainability.

24 min
10/02/2025

Episode 81: Achievement Unlocked: Black Males, Video Games & Academic Success

African American males face significant challenges in pursuing quality education, often encountering systemic barriers that result in disparities in academic achievement, economic opportunities, and social outcomes. From high suspension and dropout rates to underrepresentation in gifted programs, the traditional education system frequently overlooks their potential. In this episode, we speak with Kenneth Jones, author of "African American Males & Video Games" and explore how video games serve as more than just entertainment—they offer a method to motivate and enhance the engagement of academic growth and development, a mental escape, and a source of resilience. Through the voices of four African American male college students, we delve into their experiences navigating education, the impact of negative media portrayals, and how gaming provides a sense of community, competition, and creativity. Listen as we discuss intersection of education, gaming culture, and social equity, challenging stereotypes and highlighting innovative ways to support Black male success in the classroom and beyond.

19 min
09/29/2025

Episode 80: Pivoting with Purpose: Navigating Higher Education During Uncertainty

In this episode, our JSSS 2025 Scholar, Victoria Parker, spoke with Anne Edwards, Director of Purdue University’s Black Cultural Center, about navigating the higher education landscape while dealing with uncertainty. Anne shares her journey from the hospitality industry to academia. Describes how she managed personal and professional challenges during her transition. She also provides guidance for professionals as they navigate through higher education. Learn about career transitions in higher education and gain advice on navigating uncertainty.

38 min
09/24/2025

Episode 79: Rewriting The Academy Con Cariño, Cultura Y Comunidad

In conversation with a first-generation Latinx scholar, this episode centers on how identity, culture, and care shape mentorship and research, and how this pushes back against academic norms not built with us in mind. In this episode, Lupita Romo, JSSS 2025 Scholar, and Sergio González, Assistant Professor of Higher Education at the University of Pittsburgh, reflect on what it means to bring one’s full self into academic spaces, create counterspaces that center identity and belonging, and hold space for care. They discuss how mentorship and research become acts of resistance and healing, how scholars navigate tensions while staying grounded in community values, and what possibilities exist when we center joy and cultural reclamation in our work. This episode is an invitation to reimagine the university as a place of transformation, where counterspaces are not just for surviving but for thriving. Learn how scholars of minoritized identities are creating intentional counterspaces that affirm student identity and challenge traditional academic spaces.

40 min
09/17/2025

Episode 78: The 25% Question: Unpacking the Legal Attack on HSIs

In this episode, Nathaly Santos, JSSS 2025 Scholar, and Stephanie Aguilar-Smith, Assistant Professor at the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education, unpack the recent legal challenge to the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) designation in Tennessee and explore its broader implications. What does this lawsuit mean for the future of HSIs, other MSIs, and MSI-focused research? They discuss the stakes, the rhetoric, and the potential impact on equity in higher education. Learn about the stakes of the lawsuit, why it matters for the future of equity in higher education, and how challenges to HSI designation may influence other MSIs across the nation.

35 min
09/10/2025

Episode 77: Rewriting The Gameplan: Latinx Student-Athletes Navigating Higher Education

Although the population of Latinx student-athletes is growing in the NCAA, they face unique challenges when navigating higher education structures, which until now have been overlooked in research. In this episode, Saul López, JSSS 2025 Scholar, and Guillermo Ortega, 2025 Elevate Fellow at the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions, discuss Latinx student-athlete experiences in higher education. Within the current context of college athletics, there are inequities for Latinx student-athletes navigating the recruitment process, accessing the necessary resources, and familial familiarity with higher education as an institution. Learn about the often-overlooked experience of Latinx student-athletes and how athletic programs reproduce inequalities in the form of limited access, confusing policies, and a lack of culturally relevant practices when working with Latinx student-athletes.

29 min

The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice is proud to present the “Varying Viewpoints” podcast. Our podcast series highlights recent and relevant work of emerging and established scholars and provides an engaging way to share innovative scholarship that focuses on diversifying leadership, enhancing equity, and fostering justice in higher education.

Creator

Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute
Years Active

2022 - 2026
Episodes

84
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© All rights reserved
Show Website

Varying Viewpoints

Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated Semiweekly