The Women Scholars and Professionals Podcast

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!

Sarah Akutagawa: A Message of Encouragement for Grad Students in the Pandemic

“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

Listen in on a portion of a recent webinar hosted by InterVarsity’s Graduate and Faculty Ministries on Anxiety and Aspiration: Starting Grad School During a Pandemic. In this brief episode you’ll hear from Sarah Akutagawa- InterVarsity’s National Director of Diversity and part-time grad student at Fuller Seminary as she offers thoughts on all of the complex emotions that entering this new academic year may bring. Through the image of baking bread and the parable of the yeast in Matthew 13, Sarah also invites us to consider the relationship between work and rest, as well as how we might experience Jesus and the kingdom of God in the midst of life as a grad student.

We are really grateful to Sarah and Grad and Faculty Ministries for allowing us to share these words of encouragement as many of you start or continue the adventure of graduate school in these strange times.

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!

Aubrey Kleinfeld: Supporting Student Mental Health

“Change and loss travel together, and there is so much loss that’s happened. Even just in imagining what it’s like returning to campus social distancing and wearing masks, and returning to campus that has that familiarity, but then also is so different than when you left.” — Aubrey Kleinfeld

Listen in as Women and the Academy and Professions associate Caroline Triscik interviews Aubrey Kleinfeld, licensed professional counselor at a university counseling center, as they discuss the mental health needs of students and faculty as we dive into an unusual new semester.

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. Brenda Salter McNeil: The Road to Racial Reconciliation

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Caroline Triscik interviews Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil, pastor and professor of reconciliation studies, as they discuss the complex work of pursuing racial justice and reconciliation in our world.

In addition to sharing about the recent release of her book Roadmap to Reconciliation 2.0 and her upcoming book Becoming Brave, Dr. Brenda offers her thoughts on redeeming the term "reconciliation," how we can heal from the impact of racial trauma, and how the collective voices of women can bring change in a world where racial injustice is rampant. We hope you'll find the conversation as rich and powerful as we 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!

Dr. Quyen Ngo-Metzger: For the Sake of Public Health

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions director Karen Guzmán interviews Dr. Quyen Ngo-Metzger, a professor in the Health Systems Science Department at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. Dr. Quyen Ngo-Metzger teaches and mentors students and junior faculty in prevention, population health, health disparities, and evidence-based medicine. We hope you'll enjoy this episode as we discuss work, leadership, and the coronavirus 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!

 

Rev. Twanda Prioleau: Self-Care and Justice Work

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Caroline Triscik interviews Rev. Twanda Prioleau, pastor and teacher in Baltimore, Maryland, as we discuss habits of caring for one's own soul through the hard work of fighting injustice.

Twanda is a teacher, preacher, mother, wife, and graduate student who brings a wealth of wisdom and pastoral care to our conversation. Twanda invites us to consider how we can practice self-care and seek rest and joy in the midst of all the roles we hold as women. Twanda also offers thoughts about what it means to own our story, as well as how we can engage well in much needed conversations around race and justice. I hope you find this conversation as meaningful as we 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!

Jamie Ong: Flourishing in NYC with Covid-19

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions associates Caroline Triscik and Jasmine Obeyeskere Fernando interview Jamie Ong, Environmental Protection Project Manager at the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation as they discuss nature, faith, family, and enduring Covid-19.

Living in the center of one of the most hard hit areas of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jamie Ong gives us a glimpse of her life as a professional woman working for NYC’s Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as her roles as mother and spouse. Jamie shares how her faith influences her work in the city, especially in restoring nature and making it accessible to all. She continues to seek the welfare of her community as a follower of Jesus in the midst of these challenging times. Additionally, she offers her story of contracting the virus, needing to isolate from her family in their NYC apartment, and her hope for her community to flourish.  

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!

Alexis Grant: A Vision for Equitable Health Care Everywhere

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Caroline Triscik interviews Alexis Grant, PhD student in the field of public health at University of Illinois at Chicago. In this episode Grant shares her passion about equity as a foundation for her research to work toward change in policies to bring health care and resources to communities. Additionally, she offers thoughts about the COVID-19 pandemic, how she sees the integration of faith and work, and how she is finding hope these days.

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!

D.L. Mayfield: The Myth of the American Dream

“I just have this belief that God really cares about how we live our lives and how we love our neighbor — and that continues to direct my life.” — D.L. Mayfield

Listen in as Women in the Academy and Professions associate Caroline Triscik interviews writer and activist D.L. Mayfield. In this conversation, we discuss the four main categories of Mayfield's recent book and unpack the ways Jesus might be inviting each of us to love our neighbors more fully. 

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!

Words of Hope: Coping with Anxiety

For our final episode in our Words of Hope series, we wanted to offer a brief podcast on a few ways to cope with overwhelming feelings of anxiety during this time. In this episode Women in the Academy and Professions associate and graduate level counselor Caroline Triscik offers several grounding exercises to cope with overwhelming feelings of anxiety.

While these exercises offer a clinically based approach rather than faith based, you may also choose to invite Jesus to be with you as you listen and engage in the exercises. This episode was originally part of a series of anxiety management podcasts created by graduate level interns at Messiah College's counseling center.

*This podcast is not intended to replace actual counseling, so if you find yourself experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression that are impeding your life socially, academically or occupationally, or in any other way, please contact a counselor near you.

For more thoughts from our team and Words of Hope episodes, as well as show notes for this episode, see our page 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!

Words of Hope: Lindsay Bruk

In these disorienting times, the Women in the Academy and Professions team wanted to offer some words of hope and peace to our community through brief episodes from each member of our team. In this episode Lindsay Bruk, Women in the Academy and Professions associate who focuses on our social media ministry shares her thoughts on finding hope these days, not just in the end of our suffering, but in the presence of Jesus as He walks with us always.

We pray it brings some encouragement to your day. We’d love to hear what has been bringing you hope as well, so feel free to reach out to us on social media or e-mail at wap@intervarsity.org

For more thoughts from our team and Words of Hope episodes, as well as show notes for this episode, see our page 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!