Best Gustavus Podcasts (2025)

1
University of Montevallo Acrobatics & Tumbling Head Coach | Kati Horstmann 30:55

10h ago30:55

30:55

In this episode, you’ll hear: How she looks for “good humans” and athletes who fit in with their culture. How she finds many of her recruits on Instagram and how she likes going to gyms to observe practices to see how recruits interact with coaches and teammates. Things she’s seen recruits do at practice that show her an athlete isn’t recruitable. …

1
West Liberty University Acrobatics & Tumbling Head Coach | Kelsey Kyle 32:42

14d ago32:42

32:42

In this episode, you'll hear: How DII recruiting rules are different and how she plans to contact athletes earlier. Why there is so much room for development and growth once an athlete is on an A&T team. How athletics are highly supported at West Liberty. How an athlete's willingness to try new things is absolutely KEY in A&T. That is possible to g…

1
Simpson College Gymnastics Head Coach | Emily Barrett Payne 27:39

29d ago27:39

27:39

In this episode, you’ll hear: Her preferred method of contact if you want to get recruited and how she likes communication “early and often.” Why vault and bars are the most recruited events at Simpson. Why on-the-mat skills are important, but what she thinks are the most important skills OFF the mat. What might be surprising about the Simpson Coll…

1
West Chester University Pennsylvania Gymnastics Head Coach | Barbara Cordova 27:05

1M ago27:05

27:05

In this episode, Casey chats with Barbara Cordova, head gymnastics coach at West Chester University in West Chester, PA. In this episode, you’ll hear: The difference between DII vs. DI & DIII-how DII can now talk to athletes of all ages. How West Chester balances being a competitive athlete and being a student. How West Chester prides itself on aca…

1
Hamline University Gymnastics Head Coach | Doug Byrnes 28:27

2M ago28:27

28:27

In this episode, Casey chats with Doug Byrnes, head gymnastics coach at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. Coach Bynes is entering his 26th year as head gymnastics coach at Hamline! In this episode, you’ll hear: How the Division III recruiting timeline differs a bit from other divisions. How there are always exceptions to the recruiting timeline. …

1
Calvin University Acrobatics and Tumbling Head Coach | Ellen Barker 28:31

2M ago28:31

28:31

In this episode, Casey chats with Ellen Barker, head acrobatics and tumbling coach at Calvin Univeristy in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Coach Barker is Calvin's first A&T coach as they enter their inaugural season in 2025! In this episode, you’ll hear: Coach Barker's sheer EXCITEMENT for the upcoming inaugural season. Why you don’t have to be a high-lev…

1
Gustavus Adolphus Gymnastics Head Coach | Aryn DeGrood 30:01

2M ago30:01

30:01

In this episode, Casey chats with Aryn DeGrood, head gymnastics coach at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN. Coach DeGrood is entering her 11th year as head coach and she is also an alumnus at Gustavus where she competed as both a gymnast AND a track and field athlete. In this episode, you’ll hear: Coach DeGrood talk about how it’s never to…

1
“Greg Kaster: A Legacy of Learning and Leadership" 1:07:36

3M ago1:07:36

1:07:36

Professor Greg Kaster's love for learning and deep appreciation for the people around him left an indelible mark on Gustavus Adolphus College, creating a lasting legacy beyond the classroom. This past summer, on June 22, 2024, Greg unexpectedly passed away. In this episode, Carley, who worked closely with Greg on his podcast, interviewed professors…

1
Podcast Trailer | Discover College Gymnastics 1:06

3M ago1:06

1:06

Choosing a college is a big decision, especially when you're a gymnast. With over 150 colleges offering gymnastics and acro/tumbling programs, it can feel overwhelming to find the right fit. Websites and brochures only tell you so much, and visiting every campus just isn't possible. That's where the Discover College Gymnastics podcast comes in! Eac…

1
"Studying and Countering Hate" 1:10:58

8M ago1:10:58

1:10:58

In this last episode of the 2023-24 academic year, Kenneth S. Stern, JD, Director of his alma mater Bard College's Center for the Study of Hate, leading expert on antisemitism and hate, and past speaker at Gustavus talks about his path from Brooklyn (NY) to Bard to Willamette Law School in Oregon; becoming involved in American Indian Movement co-fo…

1
"Be Curious (and Play Hockey)" 1:05:25

8M ago1:05:25

1:05:25

International student, graduating senior, and Management major Thomas Patterer, ’24, has combined academic excellence with athletic success at Gustavus, earning him Academic All-Conference honors from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. In this episode Thomas talks about growing up in his native Klagenfurt, Austria; coming to the Uni…

1
"Grief, Loss, and Identity" 1:05:38

8M ago1:05:38

1:05:38

Dr. Patricia English-Schneider of the Gustavus Communication Studies Department talks about her background and love of musicals; her not exactly straight path to undergraduate and graduate degrees in her field; how she came to be a Com Studies prof at Gustavus; the genesis and content of her recent award-winning co-edited book, Narrative and Grief:…

1
“I Have Become the Person I Was Meant to Be” 1:04:51

9M ago1:04:51

1:04:51

Helena Shanks, ‘12, co-owner of River Rock Coffee and Tea, a fair-trade coffeehouse in St. Peter and Mankato, MN, on her family background and path from the Fargo-Moorhead area to Gustavus; majoring (for a time, uncertainly) in Chemistry; what she learned while working as an employee at River Rock both before and after graduation; how and why she e…

1
“I’m Not Just Changing What I’m Putting on Television Screens” 1:05:57

9M ago1:05:57

1:05:57

Jillian Hiscock, Gustavus class of 2005 and owner of the newly-opened (as of March 2024) A Bar of Their Own in Minneapolis, the only bar in Minnesota devoted entirely to women’s athletics, speaks about her background and path to Gustavus; some of her formative experiences there, including a philosophy course on schools and society; her work in coll…

1
"From Small-Town Pharmacist’s Daughter to Leading Global Investment Professional" 1:05:42

10M ago1:05:42

1:05:42

150 episodes and counting! For this 150th unique episode of the podcast, Greg speaks with special guest Marcia Page, Gustavus Class of ‘82 and Chair of the Board of Trustees, about growing up in Olivia, MN, where her dad was a pharmacist and drugstore owner; what she learned at a young age from both her parents; her path from Olivia to Gustavus; he…

1
"In-Betweenness, Boxing, Philosophy, and Buddhism" 1:07:36

10M ago1:07:36

1:07:36

Dr. John Cha, faculty member in the Department of Religion and Japanese Studies program at Gustavus, talks about the challenges and impact of growing up Asian-American on Chicago's South Side and in Quincy, Illinois; the influence in his teen years of Huey Newton and Bruce Lee; his academic path to philosophy and religion; being hired by Gustavus; …

1
“It All Comes Back to the Liberal Arts Education” 1:13:41

10M ago1:13:41

1:13:41

Sarah Calhoon Cuthill, ’85, on her path to Gustavus from the south Chicago suburbs; her love of music and fascination with France and international relations; studying abroad in high school and college; majoring in international economics; the twists and turns of her career path, eventually leading to her partnership status with Deloitte Global; he…

1
"Making My Life Count through the People I’ve Met at Gustavus" 1:02:35

10M ago1:02:35

1:02:35

Communication Studies major Abigail (Abby) Vizenor, ’25, talks about her background and path to Gustavus; a memorable January Term in St. Maarten; interning for CADA, Inc., which supports survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence; her research and articles about the myth of "false reporting" and, most recently, teen dating violence; her enjoy…

1
“Childhood Poverty: Uniting Voices to Empower Tomorrow” 1:05:45

11M ago1:05:45

1:05:45

Gustavus students Ainsley Langerud, ’24, and Alex Dillon, ’25, co-chairs of this year’s annual student-run Building Bridges (BB) Conference at the College on Saturday March 2, 2024, talk about their backgrounds and paths to Gustavus, the conference’s focus on childhood poverty, the work and rewards of planning BB and (without giving too much away) …

1
"It’s Only Useless If You Make it Useless” 1:08:45

11M ago1:08:45

1:08:45

Allie Skjerven Boyd, Gustavus Class of 2010, talks about her background and path to Gustavus, why she majored in History and Russian Studies, her path from graduation to working in the private sector with Fortune 500 companies Nestle and Clorox, how she obtained her current position with the Minnesota-based global firm Datasite, the nature, challen…

1
"The Liberal Arts College I Went to Changed My Life" 1:02:46

11M ago1:02:46

1:02:46

Dr. Pamela Kittelson of the Biology Department and Environmental Studies program at Gustavus talks about growing up in Colorado, her path to college and eventually an unanticipated PhD in plant biology, coming to Gustavus, teaching Gustavus students in the field and abroad in India and Bangladesh, the ingredients of teaching excellence, directing t…

1
“You Need to Constantly Stay Uncomfortable” 1:00:14

1y ago1:00:14

1:00:14

Lt. Col. Jess Langerud, ’96, on his path to Gustavus and its nursing major, and from there to nursing and medical-related work in both the civilian and military (U.S. Army) sectors, the nature of his work and what he loves about it—including a major project with Poland’s military and his newest position as commander of an Army Reserves civil affair…

1
From Physics Major to Editor at the New York Times 54:10

1y ago54:10

54:10

Kevin Quealy, ’03, majored in Physics at Gustavus and is currently editor of The Upshot, the online data visualization feature of the premier U.S. news organization. In this episode, Kevin talks about his path to Gustavus and physics, how and why he went from there to the Peace Corps in South Africa, then the Missouri School of Journalism, and even…

1
From History Major to Park Ranger 56:22

1y ago56:22

56:22

Laura Abbott, ’06, on her early love of history, her path to Gustavus, how and why she became a ranger with the National Park Service, her work as a ranger on the National Mall in Washington, DC, including at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, leading running tours focused on various aspects of DC history, her subsequent posting at the pre-Civil War Fo…

1
Researching Glacial Melt in the Ecuadorian Andes 1:05:29

1y ago1:05:29

1:05:29

Dr. Jeff La Frenierre of the Gustavus Environment, Geography, and Earth Sciences Department at Gustavus on his path to the discipline of Geography, how and why he decided to research glacial melt and its impact on people and communities, the process and challenges of conducting research outdoors at high elevations in the Andes, including Gustavus s…

1
Students Are Here to Do Things Bigger than Themselves 58:55

1y ago58:55

58:55

Senior Abby Joy Neptun, ’24, talks about her path from Chicagoland to Gustavus, majoring in Communication Studies and minoring in Political Science, her summer 2023 internship experience with World Chicago (a nonprofit organization dedicated to “citizen diplomacy”), her current fellowship with Emily’s List, her co-curricular involvement on campus, …

1
Bridging Town and Gown 56:35

2y ago56:35

56:35

Bridging Town and Gown: Shanon Nowell, Executive Assistant to the Provost of Gustavus and Mayor of St. Peter, Minnesota, where the Collegeis located, on her background in theater, path to Minnesota and Gustavus, position in the Provost’s office and what she enjoys about it, decision to run for mayor, successful campaign, her priorities for the city…

1
Unseen Passages: Refugees and the Collective Fight for Vitality 55:23

2y ago55:23

55:23

Ashley Ley '23 and Tessa Yeager ’24, co-chairs of the 2023 Gustavus Building Bridges Conference on March 4, talk about their backgrounds and paths to Gustavus, how and why they became involved in Building Bridges, the rewards of their involvement, developing this year’s conference topic and title, highlights of the conference program, their experie…

1
From Young Namibian Reader to Gustavus Professor of Comparative Literature 1:03:56

2y ago1:03:56

1:03:56

Dr. Martha Ndakalako joined the Gustavus English Department in 2021 and talks in this episode about growing up in the De Beers mining town of Oranjemund in Namibia, her early love of reading, her “complicated” (aka interesting) path to a PhD in comparative literature at the University of Oregon with a focus on Namibian women’s digital literatures, …

1
Meet the Leaders of Gustavus’s Pan African Student Organization 57:35

2y ago57:35

57:35

Jenesis Tompkins ’23 and Zachary Gbor '23, co-presidents of the Pan African Student Organization (PASO) at Gustavus, talk about their backgrounds and interests when younger, how they found themselves, somewhat unexpectedly, attending Gustavus, being students of color there, the place and purpose of PASO, the organization’s spring 2023 events, and f…

1
The Complicated and Poetic Bible 1:03:14

2y ago1:03:14

1:03:14

Gustavus Religion Professor Blake Couey talks about growing up working class in Georgia, his path from there to Princeton Theological Seminary and then Gustavus, his scholarship on the Hebrew Bible and the poetry of Isaiah in particular, the Bible’s complicated and even contradictory meanings (as, for example, around women and gender), teaching its…

1
Compassion and Belonging at Gustavus 55:29

2y ago55:29

55:29

Kate Dario, class of 2024, talks about her background as an adoptee from India growing up in St. Paul, her path to Gustavus and her major in Communication Studies and minors in Art Administration and Theater Design and Technology, the campus Compassion Initiative which she organized, the Gustavus Adoption, Recognition, Community organization, her i…

1
“A Passion for Asking Questions” 50:42

2y ago50:42

50:42

Happy Holidays, dear listeners! New episodes of the podcast will begin in January 2023. Until then we are offering some memorable past episodes. In this one, Katherine (Katie) Aney ’18 talks about her path to Gustavus and from there to the Harvard/MIT Health, Science and Technology program, her love of science and tennis, her research into pancreat…

1
A Global Gustie in Public Health 56:26

2y ago56:26

56:26

While Greg is absorbed in teaching and grading the last weeks of fall semester 2022, we are offering some memorable past episodes of the podcast. In this one from January 2021, Katie Schlangen ’14 talks about her challenging background and path to Gustavus, living and teaching in Seoul and Hong Kong, working and traveling internationally for a Minn…

1
"Degrees of Freedom" 1:05:11

2y ago1:05:11

1:05:11

While Greg is absorbed in teaching and grading the last two weeks of fall semester 2022, we are offering some memorable past episodes of the podcast. In this one, lawyer, professor of history, award-winning author, and Gustavus graduate William Green ’72 talks about coming to Gustavus from New Orleans as an African American student in 1968, his tim…

1
“A Covenant with Death” 1:08:57

2y ago1:08:57

1:08:57

While Greg is absorbed in teaching and grading the last two weeks of fall semester 2022, we are offering some memorable past episodes of the podcast. In this one, Dr. Paul Finkelman, distinguished historian of slavery and the law and the spring 2023 Rydell Professor at Gustavus, talks about the pro-slavery U.S. Constitution, Chief Justice John Mars…

1
Assisting Student Wellbeing 1:02:05

2y ago1:02:05

1:02:05

Eliza Scherschligt ’23 and Kathleen Grube ’24 on their backgrounds and paths to Gustavus, their choice of majors, attending college amid the COVID-19 pandemic, how and why they became campus Peer Assistants, the work of the assistants in promoting student wellbeing, what they have gained from that work, student stress and coping with it, and their …

1
Wittgenstein, Addiction, and Recovery 1:15:56

2y ago1:15:56

1:15:56

Dr. Peg O’Connor, Professor of Philosophy and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies at Gustavus, talks about teaching amid the COVID-19 pandemic, her background and fascination with the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and his thought, what it means to be a philosopher, her alcoholism and sobriety, bringing philosophy to bear on addiction and recover…

1
“You Have to Be Prepared to Be Surprised” 1:26:04

2y ago1:26:04

1:26:04

Dr. Bernard Powers ’72, Professor Emeritus of History at the College of Charleston, talks about his family background and growing up in Chicago, his path to Gustavus and experiences as a Black student there, why he majored in history, his PhD focus at Northwestern University, the significance of Charleston and South Carolina in the history of ensla…

1
“Purity, Protection, and Preservation” 1:05:29

2y ago1:05:29

1:05:29

Dr. Hagar Attia of the Gustavus Communication Studies Department on growing up as an Egyptian American, her path from sociology to graduate work in communication, the focus and findings of her recently completed doctoral dissertation on “fundamentalist argumentation,” public deliberation (including her department’s co-curricular program in public d…

1
“Apply the Facts to the Law” 1:03:46

2y ago1:03:46

1:03:46

History and political science double major Eric O’Denius ’94 talks about his path to Gustavus and experience there, how he embarked on an eventual distinguished career in immigration enforcement with the United States government, the work of an Immigration Enforcement Agent and Deportation Officer, a particularly gratifying case involving a son and…

1
Potted Plants, Tenements, and Colors 1:00:55

2y ago1:00:55

1:00:55

Dr. Colleen Stockmann of the Gustavus Art and Art History Department on her background and path to art historian, including her undergraduate years at a liberal arts college, the unplanned origins of her PhD research on the plant drawings of William Trost Richards, her work on the landscape history of tenements in New York City and histories of col…

1
“You Never Get Bored” in the Lab 1:01:32

2+ y ago1:01:32

1:01:32

Gustavus senior and Goldwater Scholarship recipient Haley Jostes ’23, talks about her background and early interest in science, her path to Gustavus and her chemistry and biochemistry & molecular biology majors, working in labs on campus and in Germany, her research on PFAS or “forever chemicals” and how to remove them from water, the importance of…

1
Communication Studies, Reality TV, and Study Away in Vietnam 1:02:38

2+ y ago1:02:38

1:02:38

Professor Philip Voight of the Communication Studies Department at Gustavus on his background in South St. Paul, MN, his path to forensics and communication studies, researching political advertising, teaching amid the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant innovations in his methods, his course about reality food television programming, memorable and rew…

1
“We Were Not the Same People” 58:49

2+ y ago58:49

58:49

Bruce Gray ’61 and Owen (Sam) Sammelson ’58 talk about their backgrounds and paths to Gustavus, where each eventually became an administrator (in Bruce’s case, financial aid director, Dean of Students, and member of the Advancement team, and, in Sam’s case, Director of Admission and then Vice President for Administration), and the origins of and th…

1
"We Need People Who Ask Questions" 49:02

2+ y ago49:02

49:02

Dr. Axel D. Steuer, 13th president of both Gustavus (1991-2002) and subsequently Illinois College (2003-2013), talks about his journey from Second World-War refugee to religious studies scholar, professor at his alma mater Occidental College, and eventually liberal arts college president, the role of his mother and the Lutheran church in the early …

1
"Science Does Not Just Happen in a Silo" 1:08:36

2+ y ago1:08:36

1:08:36

Award-winning teacher Dr. Darsa Donelan of the Gustavus Physics Department and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies program on their path to science, physics, and the Gustavus faculty, the influence of their grandmother Jane and other important women mentors on their interests and career, their research trajectory and the contingencies that shaped …

1
Learning in a Social Way, Feeding Curiosity, and Seeing Oneself at Museums 1:08:20

2+ y ago1:08:20

1:08:20

Joanne Jones-Rizzi, award-winning Vice President of Science, Equity, and Education at the Science Museum of Minnesota, on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the museum, returning to the museum in person, her African American-European Jewry family history and its importance to her identity and work, how she came to a career in the museum world f…

1
Unions Are “an Instrument of Civil Society” 1:11:13

2+ y ago1:11:13

1:11:13

Dave Kamper ’96 on his path to Gustavus and the College Republicans, the lasting importance of his education in critical thinking there, his PhD research in history, becoming a professional labor organizer and writer on labor issues, collective actions by Amazon and Starbucks workers, why unions must do better in communicating and collaborating wit…

1
From Finance Major to NBA Podcaster 1:10:30

2+ y ago1:10:30

1:10:30

Dane Moore '12 talks about why he attended Gustavus and how it prepared him for "who and what I would be," his path to creating and hosting The Dane Moore NBA Podcast on Blue Wire about pro basketball and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Timberwolves' 2021-22 season, the hiring of Tim Connelly as new general manager, and the team's prospects going f…

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Gustavus Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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