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Catalyze

News & Politics Podcasts

This is Catalyze, a podcast produced by the Morehead-Cain Foundation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With a wink and a nod to the Foundation's two chemist benefactors—John Motley Morehead III and Gordon Cain—“Catalyze” is meant to represent action, movement, and bringing about change. Our conversations with action-oriented alumni and scholars cover Carolina experiences, career evolutions, individual leadership approaches, personal values, and all kinds of stories of transformation, resilience, and achievement.

This is Catalyze, a podcast produced by the Morehead-Cain Foundation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With a wink and a nod to the Foundation's two chemist benefactors—John Motley Morehead III and Gordon Cain—“Catalyze” is meant to represent action, movement, and bringing about change. Our conversations with action-oriented alumni and scholars cover Carolina experiences, career evolutions, individual leadership approaches, personal values, and all kinds of stories of transformation, resilience, and achievement.

Location:

United States

Description:

This is Catalyze, a podcast produced by the Morehead-Cain Foundation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With a wink and a nod to the Foundation's two chemist benefactors—John Motley Morehead III and Gordon Cain—“Catalyze” is meant to represent action, movement, and bringing about change. Our conversations with action-oriented alumni and scholars cover Carolina experiences, career evolutions, individual leadership approaches, personal values, and all kinds of stories of transformation, resilience, and achievement.

Language:

English

Episodes

When the coronavirus takes over your beat: Laurel Wamsley ’06, reporter for NPR, on covering the pandemic

5/12/2020
Before March of this year, Laurel Wamsley ’06 covered stories for NPR focusing on cities, technology, policy, and criminal justice. Now, the Washington, D.C.-based alumna covers the coronavirus which, of course, has impacted all aspects of society. In between filing stories, Laurel spoke with Morehead-Cain from her home in the Columbia Heights neighborhood to share what the past two months have been like, how NPR has changed its approach to reaching Americans, and her thoughts on the impact...

Duration:00:20:51

Online events, kudos, other news from Morehead-Cain. Also: an update from Corrie White Conrad ’02

4/28/2020
These are strange times to be living in, but it’s also a very busy time for Morehead-Cain, so we wanted to get everyone up to speed. Last Thursday, we announced the Morehead-Cain Class of 2024. We want to wish a warm welcome to the 70 new scholars who are joining the Carolina community. This week, we’re launching our Virtual Morehead-Cain SEVEN Speaker Series, starting with Shilpi Somaya Gowda ’92. The bestselling author will offer advice and encouragement about getting started as a...

Duration:00:13:31

Bruce Gellin ’77 on the race for a coronavirus vaccine and the defense against COVID-19’s return

4/14/2020
Morehead-Cain called Bruce Gellin ’77, president of global immunization at the Sabin Vaccine Institute in Washington, D.C., to get a better understanding of what would need to take place before a coronavirus vaccine could protect against the next global outbreak. We also asked scholars to share their coping strategies amidst the pandemic (thanks to Nina, Drew, Lauren, Cameron, Lizzie, Michael, Cho, Grayson, and Luke for sharing their creative ideas). You’ll hear their responses at the end...

Duration:00:17:50

Niki Shamdasani ’15 on launching Sani, bringing South Asian-inspired formalwear to Rent the Runway

3/31/2020
The Catalyze podcast returns with Season Four, headlining with Niki Shamdasani ’15, the co-founder and CEO of Sani Designs. People told Niki and her sister, Ritika, that they were “delusional” for aspiring to break into the fashion world with South Asian formalwear. But in the past two years, the sisters have proved the naysayers wrong in big ways. Sani recently launched a partnership with Rent the Runway, a fashion subscription service for luxury items, to increase access to Indian...

Duration:00:20:11

Episode 22: Michelle Jana Chan ’96

5/29/2019
This episode features Michelle Jana Chan ’96, an award-winning journalist based in London. Michelle began her career with Newsweek magazine in New York, Beijing, and London, before she moved into radio and then television as a news producer for CNN. She is now travel editor of Vanity Fair, contributing editor at Conde Nast Traveller, and the BBC’s presenter of Global Guide. She also writes for the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Travel & Leisure, and Tatler. Michelle has been the...

Duration:00:24:11

Episode 21: David Royle ’78

5/22/2019
Today you'll hear from David Royle, Morehead-Cain Class of 1978. Originally from Bristol, David leads the editorial team that launched the Smithsonian Channel—which is the youngest channel to have ever won an Emmy. David was previously Executive Vice President of Production for National Geographic Television & Film, where he helped launch the National Geographic Channel. He was the Executive Producer of the award-winning television series National Geographic Explorer. Under his leadership,...

Duration:00:24:31

Episode 20: Audience Q&A with Taylor Branch ’68

5/16/2019
You're about to hear the second half of a recorded visit with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Taylor Branch. Last week we published a moderated Q&A with him, and now you're about to hear an audience Q&A. This conversation was recorded live during a recent visit Taylor made to the Foundation, when he was in Chapel Hill to be inducted into the NC Media and Journalism Hall of Fame. A member of the Morehead-Cain class of 1968, Taylor is best known for his trilogy of books...

Duration:00:27:15

Episode 19: Taylor Branch ’68

4/30/2019
Catalyze Season Three continues with a bonus episode featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author Taylor Branch ’68. This interview was recorded in front of an audience during a recent visit Taylor made to the Foundation, when he was in Chapel Hill to be inducted into the NC Media and Journalism Hall of Fame. A member of the Morehead-Cain class of 1968, Taylor is best known for his trilogy of books chronicling the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and much of the history of the...

Duration:00:28:05

Episode 18: Jim Exum ’57

3/27/2019
Today you'll hear from Jim Exum, one of eight members of the first class of undergraduate Morehead-Cain Scholars: the Class of 1957. Jim is also a former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. After attending law school on a full scholarship at New York University, Jim practiced law in North Carolina until 1967, when he began a term in the North Carolina House of Representatives. The same year he joined the House, the governor appointed him Resident Superior Court Judge in...

Duration:00:23:48

Episode 17: Danae Ringelmann ’00

3/20/2019
On this episode of Catalyze, you'll hear from Danae Ringelmann ’00, co-founder of Indiegogo—a crowdfunding platform that disrupted the fundraising industry when it hit the market in 2008. While Danae and her team were getting the company off the ground, people told them it was a mistake to host it online. In more recent years, the company has faced criticism for its “anything-goes” approach to its mission of democratizing finance. Danae and her team have weathered it all, helping 15 million...

Duration:00:25:06

Episode 16: Jim Cooper ’75

3/13/2019
You're about to hear from U.S. Representative Jim Cooper, Morehead-Cain Class of 1975. Born in Nashville, TN, Jim represents the state's 5th District, which includes Nashville and surrounding areas. In Congress, he's known for his bipartisan work on the federal budget, health care, and government reform. When Congress is not in session, Jim teaches part-time at Vanderbilt. After Carolina, Jim won a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford, where he earned a B.A./M.A. in politics and economics....

Duration:00:20:31

Episode 15: Jenny Youngblood Campbell ’95

3/6/2019
You're about to hear from Jenny Youngblood Campbell ’95, chief marketing officer for the dating app company Tinder. Jenny formerly worked as a managing director at the marketing agency 72andSunny—with clients including adidas, Google, Starbucks, Uber, and eBay. Before that, she was a senior global brand director at Nike. In our conversation, you'll hear more about her fast-paced career, the cultural value of the high-profile companies she's worked for, and her year-long trip around the world...

Duration:00:20:47

Episode 14: Peter Henry ’91

2/27/2019
On this episode, you'll hear from Peter Henry ’91, an expert in global economics and a recent recipient of UNC's Distinguished Alumni Award. Peter was the youngest person ever to serve as dean of New York University Stern School of Business. In January 2018 he stepped down—after eight years in the role—to return to his economic policy research. Prior to NYU, Peter was a member of the faculty at Stanford University. Peter led an economics advisory group for Barack Obama's presidential...

Duration:00:25:53

Episode 13: Jim Reston ’63

2/20/2019
You're about to hear from author and playwright Jim Reston, who graduated in the Morehead-Cain Class of 1963. Jim is from Washington, D.C. and has been not only an eyewitness to major historical events of the last few decades, but actually participated in them: from the Civil Rights movement, to the Vietnam War, to the Watergate scandal, and more. Jim's father was James Reston Sr, a prominent New York Times journalist and editor—but Jim managed to blaze his own trail in the writing world....

Duration:00:24:55

Episode 12: Jonathan Reckford ’84

12/19/2018
Our final episode of our second season features someone who knows a great deal about living a life of service. We talk with the CEO of Habitat for Humanity International: Jonathan Reckford, Morehead-Cain Class of 1984. Listen to Jonathan talk about his varied career path, which includes a stint in strategic planning for Disney and an SVP role at the company that founded CarMax. The conversation ranges from the elements of leadership, to the importance of data in nonprofit work, to the real...

Duration:00:28:53

Episode 11: Cathy Alston-Kearney ’81

12/12/2018
This week we talk with Cathy Alston-Kearney, an alumna from the Morehead-Cain Class of 1981. Cathy grew up in Nashville, North Carolina and now lives in Warrenton, North Carolina—population 862. For twenty-one years, Cathy was the executive director of the Warren Family Institute, helping underprivileged families find affordable housing. She now works as the student success director for Warren County Schools and as a pastor for Oak Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church—a denomination...

Duration:00:29:54

Episode 10: Jason Kemp ’03

12/5/2018
This episode of Catalyze features Major Jason Kemp, former commander of India Company, Third Battalion, Second Marines—and now an officer in the U.S. Marine Reserves. Jason currently lives in Raleigh, and he works for a utilities company called Pike Electric. On top of that, he spends a few hours a week helping veterans get connected to the Triangle community through a network called Marine for Life. During his ten years of active duty, Jason completed two deployments to Iraq and another on...

Duration:00:29:04

Episode 9: Jed Lau ’98 and Kerry Anne Harris ’11

11/28/2018
Gender roles often prescribe that a husband should be the breadwinner while a wife should stay at home. But the modern feminist movement can also make women feel guilty if they do choose to stay at home with their kids. How does a high-achieving, values-driven college graduate like a Morehead-Cain navigate these challenges? In this episode of Catalyze, Jed Lau, Morehead-Cain Class of 1998, and Kerry Anne Harris, Morehead-Cain Class of 2011, share their unique stories of intentional living...

Duration:00:33:24

Episode 8: Meg VanDeusen ’14

11/21/2018
This week we’re continuing a season that highlights lives of service. You'll hear from Meg VanDeusen, Morehead-Cain class of 2014. Meg is a former Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, former Girl Scout Troop leader, and current senior manager of operations and finance at a small nonprofit called Feedback Labs. Our conversation starts with her foundation in service: through the Girl Scouts and the Carolina Center for Public Service. We also discuss her experiences teaching abroad and her...

Duration:00:29:59

Episode 7: Amir Barzin ’06

11/14/2018
Welcome to Season 2 of Catalyze, a podcast from the Morehead-Cain Foundation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As we shared during our first season, Catalyze features stories of values-driven leadership. This season we’ve chosen to highlight lives of service. Our first episode this season is a conversation with Dr. Amir Barzin ’06, a Persian-Texan who works in family medicine at UNC. After attending Carolina as a Morehead-Cain, Dr. Barzin worked as a law-clerk and an EMT...

Duration:00:25:52

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