Providence College Podcast

The start of the semester is a time to reflect on the question: What is this all about? What are we up to at Providence College and in higher education in general? What do we seek and why? Renowned social critic Andrew Delbanco, keynote speaker at this year’s Academic Convocation, joined the Providence College Podcast to discuss these and other que…

Sometimes, faculty research mirrors the headlines. Robert Hasson III, assistant professor of social work, studies immigration and mental health. On this episode of the podcast, he reflected on recent visits to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, including a research trip to evaluate services provided to unaccompanied children. He was joined by his res…

With International Surfing Day on June 17, it's the perfect time to learn more about Keep It a Secret, a documentary produced and directed by Sean Duggan '93. The film explores the birth of surfing in Ireland against the backdrop of the Troubles, the decades-long period of conflict along religious lines. Duggan shares the inspiration for the film a…

With the start of the NBA Finals last week, we revisit our conversation with basketball legend Lenny Wilkens ’60, ’80Hon. A Hall of Fame player and coach, Wilkens shared stories from his NBA career, his time as a PC student-athlete, and his laudable community service work in his adopted hometown of Seattle. He also discussed his relationships with …

Lauren Jones ’05, the Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, discusses her pathway from PC to a leadership role in Gov. Maura Healey’s cabinet. Secretary Jones shares her insights related to the challenges and opportunities related to addressing workforce shortage challenges in the Commonwealth, and she offers advice for studen…

In this week’s podcast, we celebrate the Providence College Class of 2023 with a selection of remarks and addresses from a weekend series of events on May 19, 20, and 21. Speakers include Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P., the college’s president; baccalaureate commencement speaker Hill Harper '23Hon., a humanitarian, actor, author, and philanthropist; …

What’s the secret to happiness? Cognitive scientist and Yale professor Laurie Santos, Ph.D. ’21Hon. will tell you it’s no secret — it’s science. Two years after she first visited Providence College, as the Class of 2021 Commencement speaker and an honorary degree recipient, Santos returns to the PC Podcast to share what’s new in the world of well-b…

Music technology and production major Hashim Hassan '23, who was born in New York but grew up in Qatar, began studying violin at the age of five. On the Providence College Podcast, Hassan discusses what inspired his love of the instrument, why he chose to attend Friartown, and his post-graduate ambitions. He also shares recordings from his senior v…

Timothy P. Flanigan, M.D. '16Hon., '18G, the former chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brown University's Warren Alpert Medical School, presented this year's Fiondella Lecture. He shared stories from the front lines of the HIV, Ebola, and COVID health crises, describing how the humanities helped him through these challenging experience…

Brenda Chapman McGill, Ph.D. '75 shares stories about her experience as one of the first women — and very few women of color — to enroll at Providence College in 1971 as well as her return to the classroom for her doctorate in behavioral sciences, which she completed in 2016. She discussed the administrators that supported Black students when she w…

A conversation with basketball legend Lenny Wilkens ’60, ’80Hon. A Hall of Fame player and coach, Wilkens shared stories from his NBA career, his time as a PC student-athlete, and his laudable community service work in his adopted hometown of Seattle. He also discussed his relationships with Providence College icons Joe Mullaney ’65Hon., ’98Hon., R…

If you missed this year’s Anna E. Levoie Memorial Lecture, catch up on the Providence College Podcast. Hear Brianna Abbott ’17 and Mallary Tenore ’07 discuss science and health communication in the era of COVID-19. Abbott, who majored in chemistry and creative writing, is a health reporter for the Wall Street Journal. Tenore majored in English and …

Sean Dufresne ’23 leads a group of students expanding sports play-by-play opportunities on WDOM radio. A psychology major who is among the first students in PC’s communication minor, Dufresne is working to follow in the footsteps of PC alums such as Doris Burke ’87, ’92G, ’05Hon., Sean McAdam '81, and Cayleigh Griffin '14, who have established succ…

On this episode of the Providence College Podcast, Kelly Roosa Cohen '00 of Cohen Closing & Title describes the evolution of her business from its founding in 2015 to now, with five locations in southern New Hampshire and Maine. She also discusses challenges posed by the current housing market and shares advice for both new homebuyers as well as Fr…

2022 was a busy year for Abby Mansolillo '21, because she was crowned Miss Rhode Island in May and competed in the Miss America pageant in December — all while attending law school. We discuss what inspired her pageant pursuits, how she reflects on the pageant experience as a women's and gender studies major, and her ambition to become the second f…

Danika Bebe '23, a former head dream coach for the Transitions Program, joins us on the Providence College Podcast to discuss how the pre-orientation program for multicultural and first-generation families helped her grow as both a participant and a student leader. Bebe, who grew up in Tiverton, Rhode Island, is a public and community service studi…

Satoya Isophe '24 and Myles Johnson '24 join us on the podcast to discuss their work as mentors for the Friar Foundations program, which helps to ease the transition from high school to college ​for a small group of incoming Providence College students. Isophe and Johnson discussed their paths to their majors and minors and the many extracurricular…

As Black History Month draws to a close, revisit our conversation with Judge Melissa DuBose ’90, a product of Providence in every sense. She grew up in the Mount Hope section of Providence, R.I., before attending Providence College. She taught history in Providence Public Schools before turning to a career in law. She is an associate judge on the R…

Get to know Rev. Dr. Anderson Clary, Jr. ’69, who was honored last week with Providence College's MLK Vision Award, recognizing people who advance the principles embodied by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We talked with him on the Providence College Podcast about his path from segregated schools in Virginia to playing basketball for coaches Jo…

When competing with the big players in the beverage industry proved to be challenging, Jon Mason '96 pivoted his energy drink company into a lifestyle brand. We chat with this former Friar baseball player and entrepreneur about his journey from his hometown of Norwood, Massachusetts, to the West Coast and back to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where he n…

Patricia Smith, an award-winning author of eight critically acclaimed books of poetry and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, visited Providence this fall. Smith was the most recent acclaimed guest of the Jane Lunin Perel Poetry and Fiction Series, named for beloved English and creative writing professor emerita. Please enjoy Smith’s spirited presen…

The Providence College podcast caught up with Paul Tremblay ’93 just days after he attended the red-carpet premiere of M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin, an adaptation of his novel “The Cabin at the End of the World.” Tremblay — who has won the Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, and Massachusetts Book awards — talks about what it’s been like optio…

Marketing major Catherine Moran '23 discusses how the Chirico Career Center helped her land a summer internship at Trailblaze Marketing in Providence. Moran also shares how a class that she took just because it fit her schedule sparked an appreciation for musical theatre, and why she and three other daughters of her mother's roommates, all members …

Curious what it was like to work for the Queen? Historian Kathryn Lamontagne, Ph.D. ’01, ’03G worked in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace and joins the Providence College Podcast to discuss what that means, what it was like to meet the late queen, and her continuing scholarship on Catholic women in Britain. Lamontagne is a lecturer at Bosto…

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, get to know two recipients of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. scholarship, Emily Kim '26 and Justin Andries '23. Kim, an undeclared student in the Honors Program, describes her work on the MLK Convocation Committee. Andries, who designed his own individualized major in global health equity, discusses his research …

Given the country’s current hostile political climate, it can feel like American politics is polarized to a historic degree. This week, the Providence College Podcast asks Darra Mulderry, Ph.D. — a scholar of political and intellectual history — about the history of political division in the United States. How do our times stack up compared to the …

Prepare for the new year by revisiting on our most popular episodes of the Providence College Podcast in 2022: our conversation with the faculty directors of the Civ in London Program, Stephanie Boeninger, Ph.D., associate professor of English, and Margaret Manchester, Ph.D. ’83G, associate professor of history. The study abroad program for second-…

In this special edition of the Providence College podcast, we present a compilation of weekly homilies offered by our Dominican fathers during Advent, concluding with a Christmas homily from Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. ’78, ’82G, the college’s president. Also sharing reflections on the Gospels are Rev. Justin Brophy, O.P.; Rev. Jordan Zajac, O.P. …

As students receive notifications of their early admission to Providence College, Megan O’Rourke, associate dean of admission, and her colleague, admission counselor Michael Splann ’19, join the podcast to share insights into today’s college search process. We talk about parent involvement and support, lessons learned during COVID, higher-ed return…

If you missed Lessons and Carols, Providence College’s signature Advent celebration, you’re in luck. Listen to the podcast of the event, which featured performances by the combined choirs of Providence College. Subscribe to the Providence College Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, and YouTube. Visit Providence College on Fac…

For years, Quincy Bevely, Ph.D., assistant vice president for institutional diversity, and Nick Longo, Ph.D. '96, professor of global studies and public and community service studies, have taught the Dialogue, Inclusion, Democracy course together, teaching students across academic disciplines to solve public problems through dialogue and deliberati…

Andres Heredia-Belliard '23, this year's Newman Civic Fellow, joined us to discuss his community workstudy with Providence middle school students, his internships in Washington, D.C., and how financial aid made his Providence College experience possible. Subscribe to the Providence College Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, …

For this special bonus episode of the podcast, we wanted to feature a conversation on gratitude, presented by the Office of Human Resources. Three faculty members discussed what gratitude means to them and what it can do for all of us and our wellbeing. Rev. David Orique, O.P., assistant professor of history, led the presentation, followed by Matth…

Steve Caldeira ’81, member of the PC National Board of Overseers and chair of The Fund for Providence College, discusses how his experiences at PC helped him navigate a successful career in Washington, D.C., and motivated him to stay engaged with PC. In addition, Caldeira discusses upcoming opportunities to support PC students, including #GivingTue…

Doug Kingsley ’16 walked from the New York – Massachusetts border to the Atlantic Ocean during a 12-day October stretch to raise awareness about first responder suicide and mental health issues, while also raising funds to support an organization called Blue HELP. A Campus Ministry leader and ROTC cadet during his student days, Doug currently serve…

Our conversations with Father Smith fellows continue on the Providence College Podcast this week with Chris Bresnahan '23, a biology and theology double major who traveled to the Philippines this summer to continue research on an affordable, shelf stable vaccine alternative with Rev. Nicanor Austriaco, O.P. '20G. Bresnahan also discusses why he cho…

The experiences that Liz Duffy '23 enjoyed during her first few days on Providence College's campus convinced her that Friartown was the right place for her. Then, through Campus Ministry and her coursework, she got to know Dominican friars who reinvigorated her faith life as well. On the Providence College Podcast, Duffy discusses how the impact o…

Theodore Josiha Haig has had a long career in education both domestically and abroad, and it all started in Providence. As a student, he served as the first president of what was then known as the Afro-American Society, and he was the first director of PC's Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship. On the Providence College Podcast, he details h…

It only takes five minutes to start your day right. That's the lesson that Katie (Keefe) Wood '04 has been teaching to children ages 5 to 15 through her journal for kids, A Simple Seed of Growth, Gratitude & Giggles. The elementary and special education major developed the daily prompts to help her own children thrive during the pandemic. Since the…

On the heels of the release of her buzzworthy novel, Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance, Alison Espach joins the PC podcast to discuss writing about loss and teaching emerging writers at Providence College. Espach first found success with her debut novel The Adults, a New York Times Editor’s Choice. She has written for McSweeney’s, Vogue, and Outsi…

“Dear Future Friars” is an initiative of Providence College's Archives and Special Collections, part of Phillips Memorial Library. The goal is to collect stories of alumni through video and oral history interviews to save them as part of our campus history. The pilot round is focused on capturing the experiences of Black alumni and other alumni of …

This episode features the latest feature of “Wordplay: Theater for the Ear and the Imagination.” “Wordplay” is a series of audio plays from Dominican priest and professor emeritus of theater Rev. Matthew Powell, O.P. Father Powell brings in PC alums as his actors and records at a professional studio close to campus to bring his adaptations and scri…

Kyle McInnis, Ph.D., dean of PC’s new College of Nursing and Health Sciences, joins us to discuss the college’s expansion into these academic areas, the 10-month process that culminated in the Sept. 12 state approval of PC’s nursing program, and the work that remains before the first students begin studies in the new programs next fall. Subscribe t…

Meet Daniel Carrero ’23 from Lawrence, Mass. He’s a philosophy and creative writing double major who just returned from a semester at the University of Oxford in the U.K. where he studied philosophy and literature. Hear about Daniel’s experience at one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities, his involvement at Providence College, h…

During the pandemic, Sara Corben '14 filled her spare time by becoming a tourist in her own backyard. She launched the Weird Island podcast from her home in Pawtucket, with features on unsolved mysteries, conspiracy theories, and strange history unique to the Ocean State. Corben also discussed her career in global brand development at Hasbro. Subsc…

If you've ever seen a "Boston Strong" wristband, you can thank Lindsey Arruda '24, who designed and sold them to raise more than $11,000 for survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing. We talked with her about her recent successes, including her efforts to earn a Congressional Award gold medal, her reign as Miss Fall River, and her decision to major …

As baby boomers retire and the pandemic lingers, attention to estate planning is on the rise for people of all ages. Attorney and planned giving expert Andrea Krupp, Esq. joins the podcast to talk about the benefits of thinking ahead about where and how your assets are distributed. Whether you're considering a philanthropic organization in your pla…

Edmund “Ed” Dain, Ph.D., is the winner of the 2021-2022 Joseph R. Accinno Teaching Award — Providence College’s highest honor for excellence in undergraduate instruction. Get to know Dain, and it’s clear to see why students love his philosophy and Civ courses. To Dain, philosophy isn’t a subject — it’s a skill. You don’t learn about philosophy; you…

Five weeks into his tenure as PC’s athletic director, Steve Napolillo discusses his approach to leadership and team building, and why it is important to “fear complacency.” In a wide-ranging interview, Napolillo shares the good advice his father, Bob, provided when Steve was considering leaving the Pawtucket Red Sox for a job at PC almost 20 years …

Can the study of pop culture be an academic discipline? Absolutely. And Andrea McDonnell, Ph.D., director of the new Communication Program at Providence College, is a foremost scholar in the area of media discourse and its intersection with gossip, celebrity, gender, and politics. The author of “Celebrity: A History of Fame,” with co-author Susan D…