Guests:

Leyla Santiago - Professor of the Practice, UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and former CNN Correspondent

Valeria Vargas- Mexican American Student at UNC Chapel Hill

Guest--Alvernia Disnew; Spiritual Care Specialist for UNC Health.

Alvernia Disnew is a certified ACPE educator for UNC Health and PHD candidate. Alvernia graduated from Norfolk State University in 2013 with a bachelor’s in psychology, minoring in special education. She then went on to earn two master’s degrees at Virginia Union University and Virginia Commonwealth University in seminary and clinical pastoral & patient counseling respectively. She focuses her work as a Spiritual Care Specialist for a diverse group of individuals. She has a plethora of experience working with children, adults, and seniors in different mental health, crises management, grief, and support situations.

Guest--Scott Geier, Assistant Professor, UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media

Scott began teaching as an adjunct at Hussman in 2017, after a career as an investigative reporter and web developer for Smith & Carson, Inc. His areas of interest include front-end web development, data visualization, augmented reality, photogrammetry, and generative art.

Guests: Sebastian Lunak and Louis Dramm

Guest: Pasquale Hinrichs

Guest: Linda Nguyen (@lindaeatsworld) is a food content creator and photographer based in North Carolina and Texas. Since launching her blog Girl Eats World, she’s been sharing local restaurants, travel stories, and lifestyle moments while spotlighting diverse cultures through food. Linda is passionate about using her platform to celebrate underrepresented voices while sharing the joys of connecting over cuisine.

Guests:

Sarah Bimo

Sarah Bimo is a PhD candidate in the Joint Graduate Program in Communication & Culture, at York University and Toronto Metropolitan University, which partner to provide a unique student experience. This program focuses on researching contemporary issues in communication and culture through academic and professional work. Sarah is particularly interested in studying digital culture, algorithmic media, and online identity. Sarah has published research in works like “TikTok and the Algorthimized Self: A New Model of Online Interaction” and “Why’s Everyone on TikTok Now? The Algorithmized Self and the Future of Self-Making on Social Media,” where she discusses differences in self presentation and identity management found on TikTok as opposed to other social networking sites such as Instagram and Facebook.

Aparajita Bhandari

Aparajita Bhandari is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at the University of Waterloo. Aparajita began her academic journey at the University of Toronto, earning a BSc. in Psychology with minors in Statistics and Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health. Her curiosity about technology's role in shaping society later led her to Cornell University, where she earned her MSc. and Ph.D. in Communication. Aparajita's interdisciplinary background now informs her unique approach at the intersection of critical internet studies, feminist media studies, and cultural theory.

Guests: Stella Harrison and Bailey Horne