Tony Villani is many things: chief among them, a visionary chronicler of non-fiction stories.  He recently joined the podcast to discuss some of his work, his creative process, and why he chooses the medium of independent filmmaking to display his artistic vision.  Villani also goes into detail on his latest project, Soldiers: Six Stories, Six Wars, including how it was made and why he chose to present the film in its final format. (Bonus content: stick around for a sneak preview on his...

If you were to ask Torie Weiston-Serdan about how it feels to be featured in Forbes, she would probably answer with one word: “humbled.”  Torie recently joined Jeremy on The Campfire to discuss her passion for critical mentoring and what it means to make a positive impact in the lives of youth. Plus, they go over the ways to be community-engaged, and what that looks like in CGU’s MA program that Weiston-Serdan directs.  To learn more about Torie’s work in critical mentoring, visit...

Before he was a university president, dean, or even a college professor, Len Jessup was a centerfielder for the College of the Siskiyous in Northern California with a drive to learn.  Today, he’s one of the most widely-recognized leaders in higher education, and has served as CGU’s 12th president since 2018. On today’s episode, Jessup sits down with Megan and Jeremy to discuss how he approaches leadership, and reflects on the experiences and mentors that helped him on the journey to where...

Can’t Have a Campfire without a flame. Did you know that The Flame magazine at CGU has been in publication since 2000? 22 years later, it’s still going strong! Join Jeremy and Megan as they discuss the magazine, its history, and some of the notable taglines throughout the years. Plus, they go over the newly launched digital edition of The Flame and talk about the remarkable design work of CGU’s very own Director of Design Services Gina Pirtle. Go to flame.cgu.edu to read the newest...

Welcome back and thanks for listening! Last season, we spoke with Diane Chase, CGU’s VP for academic innovation, student success, and strategic initiatives. Not only is she well-versed in student success but is a widely-renowned archaeologist.  Her work was recently featured in PBS’s NOVA documentary program, one of the most popular primetime science series on American television. “Ancient Maya Metropolis” features Diane Chase and her husband Arlen, who for over 25 years have directed...

Happy 2022! With the new year, we are excited to announce something new about the podcast: a co-host! Join Jeremy Byrum and new co-host Megan Castro, CGU’s assistant director of digital content & engagement, around The Campfire. In this new season, Jeremy and Megan will be teaming up to discuss “Campfire Bites,” smaller, themed conversation about what’s going on around campus, in the community, and in the world of higher education. For their first episode, Megan and Jeremy introduce...

For years, CGU Associate Professor of Economic Sciences Greg DeAngelo has been studying and interpreting data from coast-to-coast. Now, he and CGU’s Computational Justice Lab work closely with agencies in the public sector to address pressing questions of the criminal justice system. We sat down with Professor DeAngelo to discuss the finer details of the Lab’s work, along with its focus on finding causal effects of various justice issues and policies.

From Fulbright Scholar to software engineer, CGU alum Sasa Arsic sits down with Jeremy to talk about his pathway through an MS in Information Systems & Technology to working at one of the world's leading companies in the Geographic Information Systems technology space.  For a transcript of this episode, email cgupodcasts at gmail.com and include the episode title.

In this episode of The Campfire Jeremy talks with CGU epidemiologist Nicole Gatto about her ongoing research into the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccines interact with our immune system in highly complex ways, as do vaccinated individuals with society at large. Discussion around viruses and vaccines has suddenly become part of a larger conversation about the shared risks and rewards of public life as the country slowly transitions to a state of post-COVID normalcy. ...

CGU doctoral student Randal Johnson specializes in stress elimination. After many years of searching for answers in religion, philosophy, science, and personal development programs after walking away from a stressful and dissatisfying corporate career, Randall found the secrets to living successfully without stress and compiled them into his new book: The Seven Secrets of a Stress Free Life. In this episode of The Campfire Jeremy talks with Randall about his work as a doctoral student of...

For our first episode of The Campfire, we interview Diane Chase, vice president for academic innovation, student success, and strategic initiatives at Claremont Graduate University. Thanks to Diane and her team, CGU has been particularly successful in helping students transition to a temporary, hybrid-online learning model. Unlike many universities seeing shortfalls during the pandemic, CGU enrollment has remained stable. Diane is also an archeologist. For over 25 years she and her husband...

Vievee Francis, recipient of the 2017 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, and Lori Anne Ferrell, John D. and Lillian Maguire Distinguished Professor in the Humanities, talk about the impact of poetry on self-expression, how learning poetry is a modern-day luxury, and how social media is changing people's ideas about poetry. Lori Anne also discusses Forest Primeval's remarkable poetic structure, which directly influenced its receipt of the Kingsley Tufts Award. Additionally, Vievee shares her own...

Jenny Darroch, the Henry Y. Hwang Dean of the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito School, talks about how the principles of management formulated by business visionary Peter Drucker still resonate today. Darroch discusses Drucker’s enduring legacy with Nick Owchar, CGU’s executive director of advancement communications, and talks about how the Drucker School has used his philosophy to evolve to better serve its students, and its alumni, in a world that is far different than the one their...

For episode 2 of The Campfire we talk with two Claremont Graduate University doctoral students studying Public Health: Amay Singh, who is interested in global health-related stigmas, and Rebecca Ingrim, who is researching infectious diseases and causes of disabilities. Singh examines efforts to de-stigmatize health issues faced by women in India through public policy, education, and awareness, as well as how her experiences in her country of birth shaped her goal of working in global public...

For the first episode of The Campfire, we interview Claremont Graduate University Professor of Religion Patrick Mason, an accomplished scholar and authority on the topic of Mormonism. Mason examines Mormonism’s humble beginnings, as well as more complicated topics such as the politics surrounding the religion and how it has developed over time. He compares Mormonism to other religious minorities, exploring the paradox of a religion creating violence while searching for peace. Mason also...

Welcome to The Campfire. This is the idea place where thinkers and leaders from Claremont Graduate University talk about their intellectual, creative, and personal journeys. We are a place where innovators and ideas thrive. Please listen in as we bring these doers and innovators on air to share their experiences and insight. To view full show notes and listen to past episodes, visit: https://www.cgu.edu