Fordham Conversations

Fordham Conversations Host Katie Fisher is joined by Fordham Professor of Chemistry Dr. Joan Roberts. They discuss the cause of seasonal affective disorder and the powerful impact light has on health.

Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon is joined by members of the Fordham Foundry.  Albert Bartosic, Shaun Johnson, Amy Jung and Milton Sussberg are part of this entrepreneurial hub that provides support for startup businesses.   They also sponsor a “Pitch Challenge” competition that provides startups an opportunity to pitch their businesses and social-enterprise ideas to an accomplished panel of judges for prize money.

Fordham Conversations host Robin Shannon explores independent media produced in the Bronx.  First we hear from Fordham University Freshman Kaycie Santiago who highlights the history of her High School in the documentary, “Mirror Mirrors? The Past and Present of Preston High School.”  This Bronx native offers her unique perspective as a researcher and historian on the Roman Catholic school for girls located in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx.  Then, we hear from Fordham Alum Marisa White who is The Director of Creative Services at BronxNet.  This Bronx native discusses the importance of Public Access television and the opportunities it provides for residents in the borough.

Arguably the Internet is one of the greatest tools for communication. But there is also a downside to Internet activity, especially for young users. Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon talks with Cameron Russell and Joel Reidenberg with The Center on Law and Information Policy at Fordham Law School or CLIP. They discussed their pilot program that offers privacy education geared to middle school students.

Qatar is considered one of the wealthiest countries in the world and traditionally one of the most conservative. Yet western culture is beginning to influence younger generations, especially when it comes to news.   Dr. Everett Dennis is helping train the next generation of journalist in the rapidly changing field of cross-platform media. He is Dean and CEO of Northwestern University in Qatar. Dr. Dennis is also former chair of the Communication and Media Management department at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Business.  Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon talks with Dr. Dennis about what it’s like to teach journalism in a conservative country.  They also discuss an NU-Q study on entertainment consumption habits in the Middle East, including the popularity of Hollywood content and its perceived morality – or lack thereof.

Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon and Fordham Professor Dr. Mark Naison take a literary trip through the gritty streets of the South Bronx with Naison's book “Pure Bronx”.   It’s a story of a young couple and the means they use to try and escape the poverty, desperation, and frustration that can sometimes come with living in New York City’s poorest borough.  There’s also a cast of characters that provide an opportunity for the reader to see the South Bronx through a variety of different, ethnic points of view.  

Social Stigma can take on many forms. It may be an unpleasant remark, a strange look or even the refusal of employment. Fordham Conversations Host Will Germain tries to understand the phenomena of stigma by talking with Tina Maschi. She is The President of the national Organization of Forensic Social Work. Maschi is also a professor at the Fordham University Graduate School of social service.

Jane Austen’s novels are still intriguing modern day audiences, over 200 years after they were penned. Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon continues her discussion with Dr. Susan Greenfield, professor of English at Fordham University.

Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park are popular novels by English Author Jane Austin. But they have also been reworked and reinvented by modern audiences two centuries after they were written.   Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon talks with guest Dr. Susan Greenfield, professor of English at Fordham University about the lasting appeal of Jane Austen

Football is more than just a game to most Americans. Whether we play it or watch it football can be a reflection of America’s character. And sometimes that reflection is hard to take. Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon talks with Anthropology Professor Hugo Benavides about the culture of American Football in relation to symbolism, gender and more.

Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon is joined by members of The Life Jacket Theatre Company to discuss their new show “America is Hard to See.” The show is about a rural community for sex offenders in Palm Beach County, Florida called Miracle Village.  Travis Russ is a Fordham University Associate Professor and founding Artistic Director of Life Jacket Theatre Company.  Amy Hayes is an actor, singer and dancer who recently joined Life Jacket Theatre Company.

Every year, thousands of people trek hundreds of miles from France to Spain as part of the Camino de Santiago.  This pilgrimage to the legendary burial site of St. James is taken by Christians to connect more deeply with their faith. Nonreligious travelers have been known to take the journey for the historic scenery, as a challenging hike, or to meet people from all over the world.  Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon talks with a group from Fordham University that walked the Camino de Santiago.   Dr. Richard Gyug is a Fordham Professor of history and medieval studies who created the course that takes Fordham students on the trip. Dr. David Myers is Professor of History and Chair of the Department. He has taken the five times. Cristina Iannarino is a Bronx native and a recent graduate from Fordham’s Rose Hill campus. She shares details of her journey.  Rachel Podd is a Fordham graduate student and PhD candidate in History. She was a chaperone on three trips.

Fordham Conversations Host Patrick Russomanno sits down with The New York Times bestselling author Father James Martin. They discuss his book, Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity.

The 60's original soundtrack Star Trek describes space as the final frontier. But Dr. Kirk Bingaman says there is another frontier we are only beginning to understand: our inner space. Fordham Conversations host Robin Shannon talks to the Associate Professor at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education. Dr. Kirk Bingaman authored "The Power of Neuroplasticity for Pastoral and Spiritual Care." His research has led him to understand how mindful meditation and prayer can help us manage our negative thoughts and actually change the neurological makeup of our brains.

There’s a new initiative at Fordham University that’s helping to tell the stories of Italians and Italian Americans throughout the 20th century who called the Bronx their home. Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon talks with Dr. Kathleen LaPenta, Dr. Mark Naison and Dr. Jacqueline Reich about the Bronx Italian American History Initiative

In the early part of the 20th century over 30 states took part in a social movement that used forced sterilization on American’s deemed “genetically inferior.”  North Carolina was one of the first states to implement the eugenic program, but also one of the first to try and seek justice for victims.  A new film tracks their efforts. Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon talks with filmmaker and journalist Dawn Sinclair Shapiro about her documentary, “The State of Eugenics.”

Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon talks with Authors and Professors Virginia Burrus and Karmen Mackendrick. They discuss their book “Seducing Augustine: Bodies, Desires, Confessions.” The publication from Fordham Press interprets St. Augustine’s autobiography Confessions from a seductive and passionate point of view. 

One of the oldest surviving instruments in America is located in a nondescript church in Manhattan's NoLiTa neighborhood. It was built in 1868 by Henry Erben. Fordham Conversations Host Kacie Candela talks with organist Jared Lamenzo about the Erben Organ that has produced music for tens of thousands of masses, weddings and funerals in the 150 years it has been in operation.  Kacie Candela also speaks with Monsignor Donald Sakano about the history of Old St. Pat's and Archbishop John Hughes - a 19th-century Catholic who laid the cornerstone of St. Patrick's Cathedral, founded Fordham University, and earned the nickname, "Dagger John."

The Trump administration has rescinded The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.  DACA lets undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children remain in the country under certain restrictions.  Now time is running out for Congress to decide what to do legislatively. Deciding what’s next for this group of so-called Dreamers has become a polarizing issue for many Americans.  Fordham University President Father Joseph McShane joins Fordham Conversations host Robin Shannon to discuss why Catholic leaders consider supporting Dreamers part of their social justice mission.

Most professionals will tell you networking is an essential part of business and some people are better at it than others when it comes to forming and maintaining these strong circles of contacts.  But what’s the underlying psychology behind networking?   Fordham Conversations Host Robin Shannon talks with Dr. Michelle Weber, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Management system in Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business. She offers suggestions for getting into the right networking frame of mind; explains how to network creatively and offers tips for anyone who is shy or just doesn’t like the idea of networking.