S2 E11: Higher Ed, Hoedowns, and Hootenannies with Leslie Yingling

The Manic Episodes

Mary & Wyatt are absolutely freaking out because the inimitable Leslie Yingling (she/her) is joining us on the pod. Leslie is one of Wyatt’s dearest friends in the whole world (she’s getting ordained to officiate Mary and Wyatt’s wedding!) and she is a certified badass in every way. Leslie Yingling is an Associate Dean of Students and an Assistant Vice Chancellor in Student Affairs at the University of Arkansas, where she works on increasing equity, ease of college completion and a sense of community and belonging among minoritized students. She has also worked as a housekeeper, a teacher, a reporter and copyeditor, and a reluctant backup singer in her brother's rock band. She studied political science, journalism, and psychology as an undergraduate, earning at just the wrong time a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Missouri and later a Ph.D. in public policy at the University of Arkansas. She believes that curiosity and learning can nurture generosity and justice. Her most salient felt identities are secular humanist, white woman, educator, parent, introvert, big sister, and friend. When she needs a time out, she spends time outside, with her family, or listening to two Steve Winwood songs repeatedly.