Doing Data Science at a Liberal Arts College with Aaron Hillegass

Aaron Hillegass is an author, the Founder of Big Nerd Ranch, and the Director of Applied Data Science at New College of Florida. He’s also the Executive Director of the Kontinua Foundation. He joins host and fellow New College alum Mike Palmer in a wide-ranging conversation about the blend of skills and digital competencies in machine learning, data, and AI that are becoming increasingly essential for professional success and career growth.

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Understanding Multilingual Learners with Dana Gastich French

Dana Gastich French is the founder and lead consultant for UpRiver Education, a company focused on multilingual learners and the educators who teach them. She joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about how an asset-based, inclusive understanding of English language learners is the key to overcoming the challenges that ESL continues to face in the US and beyond.

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Leading an Innovative Liberal Arts College in Challenging Times with Dr. Patricia Okker

Dr. Patricia Okker is the President of New College of Florida, the innovative honor’s college in the Florida system. She joins host and New College alum Mike Palmer to talk about what makes a New College education unique and how a liberal arts education can prepare you for the world of work and community engagement. Note: this episode was recorded in December prior to the recent appointments to the Board of Trustees.

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Building an Umbrella of Coping Skills with Dr. Jen Forristal

Dr. Jennifer Forristal is a Naturopathic Doctor and school wellness specialist who is focused on pediatric well-being. Founder of the Umbrella Project and author of The Umbrella Effect, she is creating a profound paradigm shift in the understanding of our personal well-being and that of our children. Jen joins host Mike Palmer in a discussion of developing coping skills in children, parents, and schools so that we’re better equipped to endure trauma and ideally grow in the process.

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ChatGPT and the Challenges of Large Language Models with Beth Rudden

Beth Rudden, the Chairwoman and CEO of Bast.ai, rejoins host Mike Palmer for a conversation about ChatGPT and other large language models as we enter a new phase of readily accessible generative AI tools. Why is ChatGPT prone to mansplaining? How might this relate to the Dunning Kruger effect? And how might a more ecological understanding of an “honorable harvest” as described in Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer help us rethink our relationship with data and its harvesting?

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Thinking about AI for Everyone with Beth Rudden

Beth Rudden is the CEO and Chairwoman of Bast.ai, a company that leverages emerging technology to build custom conversational AI tools or CATs for clients. Prior to founding Bast, Beth worked at IBM for 20 years, founding their Data Science practice and working with numerous clients to design and implement large scale solutions leveraging machine learning and training folks in data science.

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Staying Resilient and Managing Through RiFs with Esther Lee

Esther Lee has over 14 years of experience in learning, culture building, DEIB, and leadership development across different industries. She returns to the podcast to join host Mike Palmer to share her wisdom around how to navigate layoffs in the current market on both sides of the impact. You can check out her recent LinkedIn article to get more from her on this topic.

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Assessing the Nation’s Report Card with Chester E. Finn, Jr.

Chester E. Finn, Jr. is a Distinguished Senior Fellow and President Emeritus at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and a Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He’s the author of Assessing the Nation’s Report Card: Challenges and Choices with the NAEP. He joins host Mike Palmer in a conversation about the history of the NAEP, its challenges and opportunities, and the importance of having a shared set of standards for educational performance across the nation.

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