What does it mean to center students in higher education—and why does democracy depend on it? In this conversation, Christina Katopodis and Jason Hendrickson make a compelling case for transformative teaching as essential democratic practice. Public higher education is infrastructure for democracy, but only when it centers students. Together, we explore what transformative teaching demands: rigorous pedagogical practice, commitment to ongoing learning, and recognition that how we teach is inseparable from the democratic futures we're building. From syllabus design to classroom exercises, they offer both practical strategies and a fundamental reimagining of higher education's purpose.

Subscribe to the Futures Initiative's YouTube channel or listen wherever you get your podcasts to catch this essential conversation about the future of higher education and why the classroom is where democracy learns to think.

What can Puerto Rican Studies & Bad Bunny’s music teach us about the future of research?

Join us for Episode #4 of the Futures Initiative podcast, dropping January 20th, as Faculty Chair Shelly Eversley sits down with Director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (Centro), Dr. Yomaira Figueroa Brim and FI Fellow/PhD Candidate in English, Vallerie Matos for an insightful conversation on Puerto Rican and Diasporican cultural movements.

As a US colony, Puerto Rico offers genealogies of resistance, and models unrelenting efforts towards sovereignty, decolonization, and liberation.This episode explores how Puerto Rican history and cultural production can expand knowledge-making and scholarship in higher education. Guests discuss how the archival work at Centro and the artistry of Bad Bunny are exemplary projects of equity and innovation.

Subscribe to the Futures Initiative's YouTube channel or listen wherever you get your podcasts to catch this essential conversation about the future of higher education and why the classroom is where democracy learns to think.

Why does Queer Studies matter for us all?

Join us for Episode #3 of the Futures Initiative podcast, dropping December 16th, as Faculty Chair Shelly Eversley sits down with Professor of English and Director of CLAGS, Matt Brim and Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Kevin Nadal for a vital conversation about the integration of Queer Studies across academic disciplines and everyday life.

At a time when queer and trans communities are under direct attack by governmental policies and dangerous rhetoric, this episode explores why Queer Studies should be an integral component in all levels of education. Our guests make a powerful case for why Queer Studies is an essential field of study for everyone regardless of age, gender, and sexual orientation.

We'll also dive into the interdisciplinary possibilities of Queer Studies in the academy and beyond.

Subscribe to the Futures Initiative's YouTube channel or listen wherever you get your podcasts to catch this essential conversation about the future of higher education and why the classroom is where democracy learns to think.