Welcome to the Knowing What Counts Podcast, your go-to resource for expert financial guidance tailored to high-net-worth individuals and thriving businesses. Hosted by the experienced professionals at MP CPAs, this podcast dives deep into strategies that help you protect, optimize, and grow your wealth. From tax planning and wealth management to business strategy and financial decision-making, we bring you the tools and insights to navigate your financial journey with confidence. Tune in and ...
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Tim Provost Podcasts
This podcast is devoted to Yale College's greatest class ever -- the indomitable Yale College Class of 1987. This podcast rests on the belief that everyone has a story to tell. Here, we have extraordinary conversations about people's every day lives. We find out what people have learned, where they are and where they are going. Thanks to all of our classmates who have shared their lives. The generosity of spirit they show in each episode is remarkable. Special thanks to our podcast engineer, ...
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Interest Expense Limitations: What Your Business Needs to Know About IRC 163J
10:53
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10:53Send us a text The Interest Expense Dilemma: Breaking Down IRC 163j Limitations - Featuring: Estefania Cabrera, Senior Tax Associate Tax planning can make or break your business strategy, and nowhere is this more evident than with interest expense deductions. In this eye-opening episode of Knowing What Counts, Senior Tax Associate Estefania Cabrera…
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Estate Tax Mastery: Gifting Strategies for Wealth Protection
10:09
10:09
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10:09Send us a text Gifting Your Estate: Estate and Gift Tax Strategies - Featuring: Anthony Trinchini, Senior Tax Associate Financial security isn't just about what you build—it's about how effectively you pass it on. When senior tax advisor Anthony Trinchini joins the Knowing What Counts podcast, he cuts through the complexity of estate planning to re…
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Breaking Down the "Big, Beautiful Bill": Your 2025 Tax Planning Guide
10:02
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10:02Send us a text Big, Beautiful Breakdown: Big Beautiful Bill Tax Takeaways – Joe Oliveira Tax Director The tax landscape is shifting dramatically with the signing of the "Big, Beautiful Bill" this July 4th, and understanding these changes now could save you thousands in the coming years. Join tax expert Joe Oliveira as he cuts through the headlines …
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When Charity Meets Strategy: The Hidden Vehicles of Philanthropy
9:20
9:20
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9:20Send us a text Giving Smarter: Innovative Paths to Charitable Giving – Jason Warner Tax Senior Associate Charitable giving transcends simple generosity when approached strategically. In this enlightening conversation with tax senior associate Jason Warner, we uncover powerful charitable vehicles that can transform your giving impact while optimizin…
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Fringe Benefits: The Hidden Tax Implications of Workplace Perks
8:24
8:24
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8:24Send us a text Taxing the Extras: Fringe Benefits and Their Tax Consequences – Sam Moriarty Tax Senior Associate The complex world of fringe benefits sits at the intersection of employee satisfaction and tax compliance—a space where both employers and employees need expert guidance to navigate successfully. Tax Senior Associate Sam Moriarty pulls b…
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The Business Entity Blueprint: How Your Business Structure Shapes Everything
16:21
16:21
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16:21Send us a text Entity Essentials: Choosing the Right Structure for Your Business Selecting the right business entity structure might be the most consequential decision you'll make as an entrepreneur. Tax implications, liability protection, paperwork requirements, and future growth potential all hinge on this critical choice. In this comprehensive g…
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Tax-Free Exit: Section 1202 Stock Exposed
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11:21
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11:21Send us a text What Is 1202 Stock? Millions of dollars in potential tax savings are hiding in plain sight for many business owners. Section 1202 stock, also known as Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS), represents one of the most powerful yet underutilized tax strategies available to entrepreneurs planning their exit. Tax expert Phil Giguere brea…
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Beyond Borders: Understanding Your Foreign Tax Obligations
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15:46Send us a text Global Compliance: Tackling Foreign Tax Filings The hidden complexities of foreign tax compliance often catch even savvy taxpayers by surprise. Tax Supervisor Alex Leslie of MP CPAs draws from a decade of experience to illuminate the maze of international tax reporting requirements that affect Americans with global financial interest…
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Money & Meaning: Unlocking Donor Advised Funds
14:44
14:44
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14:44Send us a text Donor Advised Funds: The Basics and More Charitable giving becomes truly powerful when strategy meets generosity. Tax Director Lisa Behan from MP CPAs joins us to unpack the often-overlooked financial tool that's changing how smart philanthropists approach their giving: Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). The conversation dives deep into str…
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From Passive to Powerful: Unlock Your Real Estate Tax Benefits
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14:06Send us a text What Is The Difference Between Passive And Non-Passive Rental Income? The complex world of real estate taxation contains hidden opportunities that could dramatically impact your bottom line—if you know where to look. Brian Moss, a senior tax associate with MP CPAs who recently passed all four parts of his CPA exam, breaks down the cr…
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Navigating the SECURE Act 2.0: Critical Changes for Your Retirement Future
13:24
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13:24Send us a text What is The SECURE Act 2.0? Retirement planning is undergoing a seismic shift with the implementation of SECURE Act 2.0, and your financial future depends on understanding these critical changes. Melissa English, Audit Director with over 23 years of experience at MP CPAs, walks us through the five major changes hitting retirement pla…
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Maximizing Your Stock Compensation Benefits with Expert Insights from Matt Baran
10:23
10:23
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10:23Send us a text What Are The Different Types Of Stock Compensation, And How Can Employees Maximize The Benefits While Navigating The Tax Implications And Potential Risks? Discover how understanding the intricate world of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, restricted stock units, and employee stock purchase plans can make a signifi…
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Unlocking Business Value: Mastering Valuation Strategies with Tim Provost
11:48
11:48
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11:48Send us a text What Are The Most Effective Methods For Determining A Business's Value? Learn the secrets of business valuation with Tim Provost, a partner at MP CPAs, as we explore the complex world of determining a company's true worth. Whether you're eyeing investment opportunities or planning strategic moves like mergers and acquisitions, unders…
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Tax Residency Complexities: Insights from Jeff Laboe on Statutory and Domicile Tests
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15:40Send us a text How Can Tax Residency Issues Impact Your Financial Situation, And What Should You Know About Audits? Learn the secrets to navigating the maze of tax residency with our latest Knowing What Counts Podcast episode. Join me, Sophia Yvette, as I sit down with Jeff Laboe, a tax manager at MP CPAs with over a decade of experience. Jeff brea…
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Estate Planning in Massachusetts: Expert Strategies with Tim Lafalam
12:18
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12:18Send us a text What Are The Key Considerations And Strategies For Effective Estate Planning In Massachusetts? Unravel the secrets of estate planning in Massachusetts with tax manager Tim Lafalam from MP CPAs, as he enlightens us on the intricacies of protecting assets and preserving legacies. Tim, who spearheads estate planning at MP CPAs, shares h…
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From Small Practice to Industry Leader: The Rise of MP CPAs with Tim Provost
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7:35Send us a text Meet Tim Provost with MP CPAs Unlock the secrets behind the incredible rise of MP CPAs as we sit down with partner Tim Provost, who takes us through the firm's transformation from a small practice to a full-service accounting leader. Discover how MP CPAs, originally founded by Rick Moriarty and Jay Primack, has flourished over the pa…
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Maritza Guzman -- talking about philanthropy and a whole lot more
31:03
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31:03Maritza Guzman was kind enough to share her story of being a Yale student and on spending her life devoted to philanthropy. Take a listen! Here is what her organization says about her: Maritza’s personal experience with social justice issues inspires her to help create more opportunities for communities of color. As the daughter of immigrants and t…
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Melissa Gilliam -- a medical researcher and physician takes on the challenge of being Provost at Ohio State
37:09
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37:09Melissa Gilliam is an amazing classmate. She had a storied career as a medical researcher but sought a completely new challenge at The Ohio State University. There, she is Provost and is shaping a land grant institution so it can serve thousands of students, the community and the world through its academics and research. Here is Melissa's bio: As O…
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Susan Anslow Williams -- Episcopal priest and turn around specialist for parishes in transition
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34:29Our classmate Susan Anslow Williams is an Episcopal priest in the Detroit area. She has spent her time since ordination helping parishes in transition. The past several years have been particularly challenging for Susan's flock and in this episode Susan shares here journey. Here is a bit about Susan's like, from her website https://revved4change.or…
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Joanne Lessner -- writer, singer, director, actor . . . she does it all!
39:41
39:41
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39:41Ever think that your neighbor is so annoying that you might cast them as a villain in your next novel? Well, Joanne Lessner has. She is a polymath who has been singing, writing, acting and performing since college. Is she the most famous? No. Has she made it to Broadway? Well, yes, but most of her career has not been there. Has she built a family a…
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Katharine Beals -- our only classmate to be banned for life from Twitter
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33:52
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33:52Katie Beals is a fierce advocate for her child and for all children with autism. She has strong views, which have left her in the unenviable spot of being cancelled by Twitter. Listen to her about children, about education and about speech. All fascinating. Here is a bit more about Katie: Katharine Beals has a PhD in linguistics and is an adjunct p…
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Oxiris Barbot -- a call to action from the NYC Health Commissioner who first faced COVID
32:41
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32:41Those of us in the New York City area saw our classmate, Oxiris Barbot, as a leader at the beginning of COVID. A doctor and life-long advocate for health care equity, Oxiris helped all of us through those first difficult first months. In this episode, she shares her perspective -- and challenges us all to make the world a better place. Here is a bi…
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Humberto Jasso -- a classmate explains how has spent a lifetime building bridges between people
32:16
32:16
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32:16Our classmate Humberto Jasso came to college with only the vaguest idea of what he was getting himself into! Armed with an adventurous soul and inquisitive mind, Humberto has spent a lifetime trying to build bridges between people and countries. Listen in as he shares a truly remarkable international perspective…
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Catherine Marquet Elliott -- she set out to teach French and learned how to teach about life
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49:27Catherine Marquet Elliott has spent her adult life teaching French in a public school in Massachusetts. Listen as she describes her journey form a young teacher who set out to teach French to a master teacher who realizes the classroom experience is about changing lives and helping young people transform. Catherine thinks about the classroom and he…
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Rob Raguso -- the closest person our class has to Indiana Jones
37:34
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37:34Rob Raguso is the closest thing Yale has to Indiana Jones. He travels to remote jungles to study bugs. He understands both art and natural history. He is an integrative thinker who is just a joy to speak with. Please spend 30 minutes eavesdropping on our conversation. You will be glad you did.Here is how Rob describes his work: "I study plant-insec…
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Charlotte Sussman -- sailing, 18th Century Literature and how it all fits together
43:22
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43:22I spent some time with Charlotte Sussman recently talking about our shared passions of sailing and literature. Charlotte is a Professor of English at Duke and recently the author of Peopling the World. One website explains: Through a literary lens, Professor Charlotte Sussman examines the 18th-century shift in Britain’s understanding of the value o…
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Dante Centouri -- the life of a standup physicist and finding out about the blue wig
35:03
35:03
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35:03Dante Centouri was many things in college: a physics major, a comedian who played the nose flute, and the drum major for the Yale Precision Marching Band. Since then, he has been a science educator, helping children around the country learn about science through his sensitive and funny teaching. Dante is now the Executive Director of the Armstrong …
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Kevin Berlin -- an artist shares his take on life, living and exploration
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36:07Kevin Berlin is a unique fixture in our class. In this episode, he tells us about his signature top hat, his work as an artist and his creative response to COVID. Kevin Berlin is an international artist best known for painting, sculpture, and performance. Berlin currently lives in Southampton, New York and Florence, Italy. Berlin, a Yale University…
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Carrie Baker -- feminist, activist, scholar and photographer
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36:03
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36:03Carrie's conversation was not what I had expected. I had read her work and seen her photography, but I was not prepared for the very personal perspective Carrie shared in how she has traveled her path. Listen. You will hear about the Yale of the late 1980s, about sexism and misogyny, and about a resilient classmate who has taken on the ideas and pe…
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Margo Pave -- being a single mother later in life and passing down values and traditions
37:22
37:22
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37:22Margo Pave has been a force since college, committed to justice and building the world in which she wants to live. Part of her journey has included becoming a single mother later in life. Listen in as Margo talks about the joys of raising children and the world she wants to leave them. You will leave the episode inspired and maybe a little exhauste…
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Tom McNulty -- the future of energy and what the climate change "debate" looks like now
33:14
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33:14Classmate Tom McNulty had a winding path to the energy business, but has spent most of his life thinking about our nation's energy supply -- how it is used, where it comes from and what the future holds. During the conversation, Tom kept talking about the climate change "debate," so I asked him what he meant by that. I was surprised by his answer. …
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Laura Ekstrand -- actor, director, community builder
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25:55Listen to Laura Ekstrand's take on things and you'll hear from a classmate who has built a creative community. She was co-founder of Dreamcatcher Reparatory Theater (now, Vivid Stage) with Janet Sales in 1994. She has her own podcast, Local with Laura Ekstrand, and an impressive body of work, which you can read about on her website: https://www.lau…
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Tamar Gendler -- lessons learned from life as a scholar and a mother
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37:42
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37:42Tamar Gendler is always so engaging and this conversation is no exception. In this episode, Tamar talks about her work as a professor, as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Yale, and as a parent to two amazing children, one of whom is transgender. This conversation will make you think and feel fortunate that we have such a thoughtful a…
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Doris Iarovici -- an author and psychiatrist discusses her art and her lessons from working with college students
34:00
34:00
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34:00Doris Iarovici has had such a rich and considered life. Doris brought her experience as an immigrant to Yale, and has emerged as a thoughtful and compassionate artist and doctor. Listen in as she shares her experiences and what it is like to have Minnie Driver play her in an adaptation of Doris' life story. Check out Doris' website: www.dorisiarovi…
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Jose Egurbide -- a lifetime of work developing restorative justice in Los Angeles
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31:34In this episode, Jose Egurbide shared how he went from Yale to become a criminal justice reformer in Los Angeles. Jose's story is both personal and uplifting. Listen in as he describes how restorative justice has changed lives and communities in Los Angeles. Truly inspiring.
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Sidney Hardee -- meeting Bart Giamatti in a dug out, building a business and looking back at a mother's influence
33:56
33:56
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33:56Had a great conversation with classmate Sidney Hardee, who shared some great stories about his time at Yale. His mother was a hug influence on Sidney, as were his fraternity brothers. He also talks about how he has built his own business. Listen in! So you know more about Sidney, he is the Managing Partner of Hardee Brothers, LLC and Global Investm…
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Mary Broach -- talking about philanthropy and how a determined group can make a difference
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31:54
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31:54Mary Broach has been changing her community by organizing women to support organizations that make a difference. Starting with a simple concept -- let's get 100 women to donate $1,000 each -- Mary and her colleagues have had a profound impact on the greater Philadelphia area. Each year, they band together and make a difference. Listen in as Mary ex…
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David Kramer -- thoughts about real estate, the future of New York City and making sustainable housing
37:40
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37:40David Kramer shares his thoughts about real estate, the future of New York City and making sustainable housing in the wide-ranging discussion. David is a native New Yorker who loves developing housing as part of his commitment to help build a better city. David joined Hudson back in the stone age of 1995 and has played a role in many of Hudson’s mo…
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Lan Samantha Chang -- a writer discusses her latest novel, The Family Chao
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34:17Sam Chang is an accomplished writer who has just come out with a novel, The Family Chao. The story of a family of immigrants and first generation children who struggle with life in a midwestern town. In this episode, we discuss the book, its themes of belonging, assimilation, alienation and ethnicity. For more about Sam and her new book, please vis…
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Natasha Zupan -- an artist shares her views of the world and her favorite color
33:24
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33:24"What's your favorite color?" I asked, as if such a question would elicit a simple answer. It didn't. Our classmate, Natasha Zupan, has spent a lifetime not following her father's warning not to become an artist. She has created and travelled and explored. She has built a life centered around beauty and reflection. Listen in as Natasha shares her v…
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Lorraine Wang -- reinvention: the story of a former journalist who kept pivoting
29:38
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29:38Lorraine Wang enjoyed success as a journalist, becoming a senior editor of the LA Times. With journalism changing and becoming less of a stable career, Lorraine pivoted, earning a second bachelor's degree and ultimately going to law school. She is now starting again as a junior lawyer. In this episode, she shares her journey of reinvention.…
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Sonya Baker -- a singer and educator shares her journey
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41:33Sonya Baker is an accomplished singer and gifted educator who shared her journey so eloquently. Please listen through the end, where you will hear from Sonya about what it meant to her to sing "Ride the Chariot" as part of her time in the Glee Club. Thanks to the Yale Glee Club we have a a recording of Sonya singing her powerful solo of that spirit…
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Sharon Buccino -- environmentalist and recent Wyoming transplant
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31:40Please join the conversation with Sharon Buccino, who has worked at the Natural Resources Defense Council for decades. Having devoted her life to the defense of the wild and environmental advocacy, Sharon's perspective is both informed and insightful. You can read more about her work here: https://www.nrdc.org/experts/sharon-buccino.…
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Paul La Monica -- parenting special needs children and coping with the death of a child
29:45
29:45
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29:45Our classmate Paul La Monica offers his reflections on parenting special needs children and coping with the death of one of his children. Paul brings grace and wisdom to these serious topics. I laughed and I cried during this conversation. I will let Paul speak for himself.
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Kristin Hoganson -- historian and proud Midwesterner
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33:17Listen to Kristin talk about her perspectives as a professor of history who has considered America's Heartland -- what it is and what it means. She also shares her perspective on teaching in the pandemic. Kristin is a Professor of History at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is the author of Fighting for American Manhood: How Gender…
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Catharine Slusar -- actor, professor and very thoughtful educator
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35:59
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35:59Our classmate Catharine Slusar has built a life as an educator and an actor. Listen in as she discusses representation on stage, teaching undergraduates and learning along the way. Catharine also discusses how acting fits into a liberal arts education. Here is a bit more about Catharine: https://www.brynmawr.edu/people/catharine-slusar…
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Karen Painter -- observations about music, political rhetoric and the current state of academia
26:27
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26:27Karen Painter is a professor of music who has spent her academic career studying classical music. Her work concerning the use of music as a tool of political propaganda in Nazi Germany is interesting and relevant today, as is her more recent study of the poetry of German women. Take a listen! Karen is on the faculty at the University of Minnesota, …
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Steve Harper -- writer, actor, teacher and innovator
30:06
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30:06Listen in as Steve Harper takes along his journey from actor to writer to innovator. He talks about life and his web series, Send Me, a series that explores characters who ask to be sent back to the time of slavery. Along the way, we talk about race, the evolution of media and a whole lot more. For more about Steve, visit his webpage here: https://…
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Rob Long -- reflections on where comedy and entertainment have been and are going
25:19
25:19
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25:19Rob Long has had a varied career in entertainment, branching out to political discourse via Ricochet. Listen in to Rob's discussion of the changes in TV writers' rooms and how we might be able to have more meaningful conversations on issues of the day. Rob is always entertaining, so listen in. If you'd like to hear more from Rob, you can listen to …
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Morgan Grove -- turning a passion into a career and turning urban wood into opportunity
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30:04Morgan Grove has always seen the world differently. An architecture major who saw that buildings could and should be in harmony with nature, Morgan ultimately earned a Ph.D. and has spent much of his career working for the U.S. Forestry Service. Listen in as Morgan describes urban forestry, tells us about "urban wood," and scares the hell out of us…
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