The Women Scholars and Professionals Podcast

Archive Dive: Sarah Akutagawa on All Shall Be Well

This summer, we're showcasing a few favorite podcasts from our archives. Listen in on this special episode from September 2020 with Sarah Akutagawa as she offers encouragement for grad students heading into a pandemic fall. 

“Because if the kingdom of God is like yeast that gets worked through the whole dough, then it is activated by kneading, but it rises by resting.” — Sarah Akutagawa

In this episode, we're highlighting a piece that’s a little different from other conversations in our archives. It’s a short spiritual meditation — about 12 minutes long — given by Sarah Akutagawa during a webinar last summer on the topic of starting grad school in a pandemic. Sarah offers these beautiful, pastoral words about the hidden work of God that is taking place in our lives without our doing anything — it’s a wonderful message of truth, and I think you’ll like hearing it again even if you listened before.

Sarah Akutagawa serves as InterVarsity’s National Director of Diversity in addition to being a part-time graduate student at Fuller Seminary.The webinar was hosted by InterVarsity’s Graduate and Faculty Ministry on August 4, 2020, and this episode originally aired on this podcast on September 14, 2020. So have a listen! We’re so glad you’re here with us.

— Ann Boyd

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

Archive Dive: Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil on All Shall Be Well

This summer, we're showcasing a few favorite podcasts led by our previous host, Caroline Triscik. Listen in on her conversation with Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil from August 2020 as they discuss the complex work of pursuing racial justice and reconciliation in our world.

“What needs to be repaired? First we have to ask ourselves, 'What’s been broken?’” — Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil

I’m a new host on this podcast, and as we transition into our upcoming season, I’ve been digging through our archives and reviewing some of my favorite conversations led by our previous host, Caroline Triscik. This summer, we are showcasing a few of those conversations here and I’m really excited to share them with you.

Let’s listen in on Caroline’s conversation with Dr. Brenda Salter-McNeil, professor and Christian leader and advocate for justice. This interview originally aired in August 2020, but it’s still very relevant today. I really loved listening again and hearing how Dr. Brenda describes her own experience in racial justice work as a journey, something that is still in progress rather than something that is completely finished. She talks candidly about the ways her own ideas have shifted and developed over the past several years, and she also offers some specific advice for women in academia. So have a listen! We’re so glad you’re here with us.

— Ann Boyd

 

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

Caroline Triscik: An Invitation to Listen and Remember

Listen in on our conversation with podcaster and counselor Caroline Triscik about her next step in her career, her time hosting this podcast, and the lessons she has gleaned along the way.

“We’re inextricably connected to one another, and if we are ignoring someone, then we’re ignoring ourselves as well.”​

— Caroline Triscik

For the past three years, over the span of multiple academic years, liturgical seasons, and even a global pandemic, Caroline Triscik has shepherded the listeners of this podcast through dozens of conversations with women in academia and beyond. Even as she built a platform to give voice to the experiences of a diversity of women, Caroline was in the midst of her own academic journey. At this juncture, Caroline is following her own call to invest in bringing healing to others through her work as a clinical mental health counselor. As I step into her shoes as podcast host for this next season, we thought it was only fitting to share some of Caroline’s own unique story in this farewell episode. We’ll hear a bit about Caroline’s journey, her decision to pursue this fresh calling, and even an original poem by her — plus a Spotify playlist featuring some of her favorite musicians. Join us for this conversation as we bless Caroline in this next stage of life and celebrate all that she has offered us through these years as podcast host!​

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

Susanna Childress: Beginning Again

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Caroline Triscik interviews poet and professor Susanna Childress about our season of grief, the process of healing, and the hope that comes as we begin again.

“It strikes me as a really important life-giving act to listen.” — Susanna Childress

After an incredibly long year of life in a global pandemic and acute awareness of racial injustice, poet and professor Susanna Childress invites to consider how we begin again. Revisiting our previous podcast episode, we continue our conversation about grief and suffering, particularly noting the loss of Susanna’s two children in utero and her process of healing. We ponder together the intersection of creative work, efforts toward justice and faith, as well as how the Church has so often missed the mark and even contributed to greater pain. As we contemplate together the power of words, both in healing and truth telling, Susanna generously shares a portion of an essay she recently wrote where she wrestles with how to discuss death and injustice with her young children. We pray that our conversation offers hope to begin again. 

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

Taylor Schumann: When Thoughts and Prayers Aren't Enough

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Caroline Triscik interviews author Taylor Schumann.

“Thinking about things is good, praying about things is good, but those aren’t where we end. That’s where we start.” — Taylor Schumann

We’ve all heard the phrase, “My thoughts and prayers are with [fill in the blank for the most recent community affected by gun violence].” It’s been spoken by leaders in our country and leaders in our churches time and again as we continue to wait for change. In her upcoming book from InterVarsity Press, When Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Enough: A Shooting Survivor’s Journey into the Realities of Gun Violence, writer and activist Taylor Schumann invites us to consider how to have our thoughts and prayers be not the end, but the starting point for action as people called by God to love our neighbors. Candidly sharing about her own journey of surviving a shooting while working at a college in Christiansburg, Virginia, Taylor allows us to witness the story of how gun violence has impacted her life and faith. In our conversation in this podcast episode, she offers more of her experience toward healing and also encourages us to join her in working toward a cultural shift regarding our country’s relationship with guns. I am so grateful for my conversation with Taylor and pray that you’ll find it as meaningful and challenging as I did.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

Anne Pharr: Welcoming Fierce

Listen in on a reading with professor Anne Pharr featuring a poetic meditation on living life with fierceness.

“Do I welcome my own fierce?" — Anne Pharr

In March 2021, Anne Pharr was invited to participate in a "Fierce Women Committee" as her college celebrated Women's History Month. Through this experience, Anne compiled a prose-poem to reflect the fierceness expressed through the lives of her colleagues — and her own life too. Anne shares this text-snapshot of a transformative experience to encourage us to find our own fierce and welcome it with open arms.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

Christine Wagoner: Finding Your Yes

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Caroline Triscik interviews author and ministry leader Christine Wagoner.

“I think there’s a lot of different yeses that you can have in different seasons...and I want to be open to other reasons to say no other than fear." — Christine Wagoner

Making decisions can feel daunting — especially those significant ones that seem to change the trajectory of our lives. In our latest podcast episode, author and ministry leader Christine Wagoner invites us to consider how to “find your yes” and lean into hearing from God in our lives. In our conversation about her upcoming book Finding Your Yes: Living a Life That’s Open to God’s Invitations, Christine shares her journey of learning to love all of who God created her to be, embracing years of undesired singleness, and experiencing the faithfulness of Jesus through it all. We hope you’ll enjoy this conversation.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

Sandy Jap: Wisdom in Business

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions director Karen Guzmán interviews business leader and professor Sandy Jap in this special edition podcast from our Dear Mentor LIVE series. Sandy Jap is the Sarah Beth Brown Professor of Marketing at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

For more information on the Dear Mentor series, please visit http://thewell.intervarsity.org/dear-mentor.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

Cheryl Bachelder: Leadership Grounded in Faith

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions director Karen Guzmán interviews business leader Cheryl Bachelder in this special edition podcast from our Dear Mentor LIVE series.

Cheryl Bachelder is the former CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc., a multibillion-dollar chain of more than 2,600 restaurants around the world. She has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, been featured on Mad Money, and received top industry awards. She had prior leadership positions at Yum! Brands, Domino's Pizza, RJR Nabisco, the Gillette Company, and Procter & Gamble. Today, Cheryl serves on a number of boards including the CEO Forum, an organization that encourages and disciples Christian CEOs and senior leaders. Cheryl holds a Bachelor’s and Master's of Business Administration degree from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

For more information on the Dear Mentor series, please visit http://thewell.intervarsity.org/dear-mentor.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

Grace P. Cho: Take Heart

“We want women to know that they’re not alone and that it doesn’t have to be a pretty bow at the end of our stories….in the midst of the hard thing, that God is still there and that we can see Him in those places.” -Grace P. Cho

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Caroline Triscik interviews writer and poet Grace P. Cho.

In our conversation, Grace invites us into her experience of contracting Covid-19, her journey of sharing her voice through poetry, and the spiritual practices that have recently helped her sense God’s grace more deeply. Grace also shares about the book she recently co-edited, Take Heart: 100 Devotions to Seeing God When Life’s Not Okay. Thanks to (in)courage, we are able to offer a copy to one of our listeners. Listen in on our conversation to hear how you can be entered to win!

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

Dr. Christina Bieber Lake: The Flourishing Teacher

“Just like we have to learn how to give grace to ourselves, we really have to give grace to our students. I'm giving more grace than ever before....Some students would really just appreciate being seen by you and recognizing that their struggle is difficult." 

— Dr. Christina Bieber Lake

Listen in on an exclusive peek into our book club as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Jasmine Obeyesekere conducts an online discussion with author and professor Dr. Christina Bieber Lake. Together, they discuss thriving in academia — even during a pandemic.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

Tish Harrison Warren: Prayer in the Night

"At the end of the day it’s just what our hearts are set on- is the love of God real? Is it enough to actually bear the weight of our souls?” -Tish Harrison Warren

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Caroline Triscik interviews priest and author Tish Harrison Warren where they discuss human vulnerability, the nighttime prayer of Compline, and Tish’s upcoming book, Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep. Framed by the themes found in the prayer of Compline from The Book of Common Prayer, Tish welcomes us into her own journey of learning to embrace our shared vulnerability, to offer permission to grieve even the small sufferings, and to fall into the depths of joy. She reminds us of God’s goodness and presence with us even when answers to the questions surrounding suffering cannot be found. In our conversation Tish invites us to consider how the triune God is with us in our suffering, vulnerability, and joy.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

2020 Year in Review: Remembering God’s Goodness in an Uncertain Year

Even while we’re not through all of the challenges that 2020 brought to us, it still felt right to look back on the year that we had together with the All Shall Be Well podcast. As I listened to some of the conversations with our fantastic guests this year, I was struck by the way many of our guests invited us to remember the goodness of God, especially as we endure difficulty or heal from past experiences. My hope is that this year-in-review episode may allow us to see how Jesus has been with us in 2020 and remind us that he goes before us into this new year, whatever unknowns it may bring.

-Caroline Triscik, host of All Shall Be Well: Conversations with Women in the Academy and Beyond

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Caroline Triscik leads us through a review of some highlights of All Shall Be Well from 2020, featuring guests, Sheila Wise Rowe, Aundi Kolber, Grace P. Cho, Jamie Ong, Rev. Twanda Prioleau, Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil, Aubrey Kleinfeld, and Amy Peterson.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

Chandra Crane: Cheerfully Defying Stereotypes

“If someone is asking me to be more like the dominant culture and saying, ‘your identity is in Christ’ and what they really want is for me to be less loud or wear smaller earrings or to be more quiet and feminine, they’re not actually asking me to look more like Jesus, they’re asking me to look more like them." -Chandra Crane

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Caroline Triscik interviews writer and campus minister Chandra Crane. In our conversation we discuss ethnicity and culture, identity formation, and Chandra’s upcoming book, Mixed Blessing: Embracing the Fullness of Your Multiethnic Identity. Chandra works for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's Graduate and Faculty Ministries and is in the process of completing her M.A. at Reformed Theological Seminary. Chandra grew up in a multiethnic/multicultural family in the Southwest and is now happily transplanted to the Deep South. We hope you'll appreciate Chandra’s intelligence, sense of humor, and strong voice as we discuss the intersection of cultural identity development, gender, and faith in Jesus.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

 

Carrie Bare: Advent is Still Happening in 2020

“I don't think God is gonna say, ‘Well, I'm not doing Christmas this year because of COVID. I'm going to take some time off.'” -Carrie Bare

Listen in as Ann Boyd, managing editor at The Well, interviews spiritual director Carrie Bare. This episode is the third in a three-part interview series with Carrie Bare where we discuss spiritual truths that can nourish us during these tumultuous times. In this episode, Carrie and Ann discuss celebrating Advent and Christmas within our pandemic reality.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

 

Carrie Bare: Jesus and Post-Election Politics

“What do I know is true? I know that God is on his throne and I know that he is the author of peace.” — Carrie Bare

Listen in as Ann Boyd, managing editor at The Well, interviews spiritual director Carrie Bare. This episode is the second in a three-part interview series with Carrie Bare where we discuss spiritual truths that can nourish us during these tumultuous times. In this episode Carrie and Ann discuss the aftermath of the US presidential election and the ways in which we can respond to our political divisions with our best, most Jesus-like selves. Although Carrie and Ann hold their own political opinions, their conversation strives to create space for listeners on either side of the aisle and ultimately, to promote a spirit of listening and honest communication.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

Kimberly Hill: The Legacy of Black Missionaries

“I like that model of people becoming stronger and making a lasting impact through caring for one another, not necessarily through using political or economic ways to become more powerful. Their power was in love and respect." — Kimberly Hill

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions director Karen Hice Guzmán interviews historian Dr. Kimberly Hill in which they discuss her studies around African American missionary work and Black internationalism.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

 

Carrie Bare: Remember God, the Hope of the World

“Love is going to win and evil is not. We just have to hang on to that.” — Carrie Bare

Listen in as Ann Boyd, managing editor at The Well, interviews spiritual director Carrie Bare. This episode is the first in a three-part interview series with Carrie Bare where we discuss spiritual truths that can nourish us during these tumultuous times. In this first episode Carrie and Ann discuss spiritual disciplines that can settle our anxiety-ridden minds and, in particular, what we can learn from studying Psalm 1. 

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

 

Janeen Uzzell: Surrendered to Christ in My Calling

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions director Karen Guzmán interviews Janeen Uzzell, as part of our Dear Mentor series. Janeen is the COO of the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organization that supports and hosts Wikipedia. She is a transformational leader, storyteller, engineer, and self-proclaimed global citizen. We are really grateful to Janeen for taking the time to offer her stories and wisdom to our community and we hope that you will find her message inspiring in these times of uncertainty.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

For more information on the Dear Mentor series, please visit http://thewell.intervarsity.org/dear-mentor

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!

 

Amy Peterson: Reclaiming Virtue in an Age of Hypocrisy

“I think hope is acting towards the belief that all things will be made new, towards the belief that God’s kingdom will come here on earth even when we can’t see evidence of it.” — Amy Peterson

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Caroline Triscik interviews writer, teacher, and postulant Amy Peterson as we discuss Christian virtue, our current American political climate, and her most recent book, Where Goodness Still Grows: Reclaiming Virtue in an Age of Hypocrisy. Having grown up in conservative evangelical Christianity, Amy unpacks over half a dozen virtues she recalls learning about in her upbringing and reimagines them, viewing them through the lens of Scripture and its cultural context. With intellect, humor, and compassion, Amy invites us to reimagine these virtues in our lives as well, sharing practices that cultivate these virtues and strengthen her connection with Jesus and the love of neighbor. We hope you’ll find this conversation to be a seed of goodness in this season.

For show notes or more information please visit our article at The Well.

If you'd like to support the work of InterVarsity's Women in the Academy and Professions, including future podcasts such as this episode, you can do so at givetoiv.org/wap. Thank you for listening!