Access to Excellence Podcast

John G. Turner explains the real history of Thanksgiving. Were the Pilgrims religious refugees who established democracy and the holiday in New England, or invaders who betrayed their native allies and even enslaved them? A fascinating story with lots to digest.

Hakeem Oluseyi explains how he went from a life of crime to being one of the world’s renowned astrophysicists. He describes what aliens might look like – think a two-foot tall Incredible Hulk – and how the pull of the classroom overcame the pull of the streets.

Lisa Gring-Pemble, co-director of Mason's Business for a Better World Center and co-founder of the Honey Bee Initiative explains how the initiative has become and international phenomenon and how the Business for a Better World Center is helping businesses drive sustainability success.

Mason's Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a nationally recognized expert on the U.S.-Mexico border, has a slightly different view of the border region than we generally see on television news. She talks about the wonders and the dangers of the region, her research into border security, social movements and human trafficking.

Mason's Cynthia Lum, a former Baltimore City cop, talk about how evidence-based policing is part of an overall strategy to fight crime that also includes police being respectful to the communities with which they work.

Spencer Crew, A Robinson Professor of U.S. history at Mason and the first African American to lead a major Smithsonian museum, talks about the evolving role museums play in society, and how the Black community in the United States, and those who work with it, are trying to be the conscience of the nation.

Shane Caswell, co-director of Mason's S.M.A.R.T. Lab, discusses his research that could change the way we diagnose and treat concussions, and what the latest science tells us about concussions and CTE.

Robyn Mehlenbeck, director of Mason's Center for Psychological Services, discusses how colleges can help students, faculty and staff cope with the well-being stresses that have resulted from the pandemic, and how her center is extending services to the broader community.

A false story has been told in this country about people of color, said Gail Christopher, executive director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity and a Mason senior scholar and it’s time to tell the truth about the ‘bad idea’ of the hierarchy of human value.

Emergent Ventures, which looks for big and unique ideas, has raised $60 million and funded 200 projects. Mason economist and co-founder Tyler Cowen says the program grants are “something you can win that’s not about connections.” Push ideas, he said. “Make the world tell you no.”

Host Dr. Gregory Washington speaks with Ed Maibach, director of Mason's Center for Climate Change Communication about overcoming misinformation about climate change dangers.

Host and Mason President Dr. Gregory Washington speaks with Mason epidemiologist and public health expert Saskia Popescu about what she has experienced on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.