UConn 360: The UConn Podcast

Episode 132: Helping High School Athletes Eat Right

Jennifer Fields is an assistant professor of nutritional sciences at UConn and recently published a study about high school athletes and their lack of knowledge in nutrition. Fields knew that college student-athletes often turned to unscientific outlets, like social media, for nutritional information in the absence of formal education. Given this, she became interested in seeing if similar patterns existed for high school athletes. Fields found out it was, and she talks about the reasons why and how this lack of knowledge can hurt the high school athlete. One of the key differences between sports and regular nutrition is athletes’ calories and carbohydrate needs, and she discusses that with us. Fields also talks about what parents and families can do to help their high school athlete gain nutritional knowledge.

Episode 131: Hope Springs Eternal

Husky baseball coach Jim Penders joins this edition of the UConn 360 podcast as he enters his 22^nd season guiding this historic program. He is just the fifth coach to guide the team in the past 100 years and Penders talks about the responsibilities that carries. The Penders family has deep baseball and athletic roots in Connecticut and nationally, which inspires him every day. He has spent 33 of the past 35 years as part of the “Hook C” as a player, assistant coach and head coach – the two other years were spent in politics in Washington, D.C. Penders has led UConn to nine NCAA tournament trips and to the Super Regionals in two of the past three years. He previews the 2025 Huskies, which look to make UConn’s first trip to Omaha and the College World Series since 1979.

Episode 130: Trying to Make the Roads Safer

There are many ways that UConn impacts the citizens of Connecticut beyond its obvious academic mission. The Connecticut Transportation Institute is one of the outlets and it is led by director and associate research professor Eric Jackson. The institute serves to advance the maintenance and enhancement of transportation systems and safety, with a particular focus on Connecticut’s current and future needs. Eric joins us on the UConn 360 podcast to talk about his work and why traffic safety and fatalities have increased in recent years. The reasons are many and vary from the effects of COVID, to distracted driving, and many others. The CTI is doing important work and Eric tells the story in an interesting enlightening way.

Episode 129: Stopping the Loneliness on Campus

Anna Mae Duane is the director of the UConn Humanities Institute and is currently coordinating a year-long series of events to address the feeling of loneliness that some college students have. Anna was inspired to do this when she received a letter from a UConn student who had given up on companionship. Anna talks about events that happened in the fall semester and some that are planned for the spring. Listeners can email her at uchi@uconn.edu to find out more about the program. Anna also explains what parents can do for their younger children to fight loneliness, the role of the Humanities Institute on campus, and the value of a humanities degree to both a student and potential employers.

Episode 128: Seeing the Skies in Storrs!

UConn is the home to the oldest planetarium in the state of Connecticut as it was originally built in 1954. The facility underwent extensive renovations in 2023-24, led by the efforts of assistant professor of physics in residence Matt Guthrie. Guthrie worked with a number of different areas of campus on the project, which includes a new projector, new seating and a surround sound system. The building has also been renamed in honor of Cynthia Peterson, who served as the planetarium’s director for 35 years. Matt tells us about the shows at the planetarium and how you can come and see one! He also chats about renovations to a little-known observatory on the outskirts of campus.

 

Episode 127: Togetherness in Tradition

It’s the start of the holiday season and people are getting ready to celebrate all kinds of traditions. Associate professor of anthropology Dimitris Xygalatas joins the UConn 360 podcast to talk about his research in why rituals and events like holidays are so important to the human experience. Dimitris has performed research all over the world on this topic and explains why in-person events are even more crucial with the rise of social media and electronic communications. He also looks at other rituals like sporting events and how being at a live game brings people together. Dimitris also reflects on what being the parent of a young child means for him now. Leann Garnelis, the Social and Emerging Media Manager in University Communications, joins us as a guest co-host for this episode.

Episode 126: Off to Mars…Via Houston!

Jason Lee, an associate professor in the College of Engineering at UConn, has wanted to travel into space since he was a child. He got a chance to do that for 45 days – without ever leaving earth! For 45 days, Lee, lived in NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog habitat at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, participating in a simulated journey to Mars. He and three others operated in a constrained environment, completing mission-critical tasks, conducting repairs, viewing Martian landscapes through virtual reality, and making communication attempts with Mission Control. Lee talks to the UConn 360 podcast all about the experience, including what it was like to stay in touch with family and friends, what the diet was for the crew, and the future of space travel.

Episode 125: Cheese, Glorious Cheese

UConn is known around the country for great academics, championship basketball and the greatest ice cream you can find. Now, award-winning cheese can be added to that list! Cheeses produced at UConn’s Creamery have recently won major awards in national and regional contests, including winning a first prize at the American Cheese Society Annual Judging and Competition. Dennis D’Amico, associate professor of animal science, joins us to talk about the cheese making process at UConn, and also brought some samples along for your UConn 360 hosts to sample and enjoy. Jacie Severance from University Communications is a guest co-host this episode and started off by sharing a few of her favorite cheese puns!

Episode 124: Hoop Dreams

Coach Tom Moore is entering his 20^th season (during two stints) on the UConn men’s basketball coach staff and has been part of four national championships with the Huskies. He has been involved in college basketball at every level – a head coach in Division I and III and an assistant coach in Division I and II. He talks to us about the similarities, and differences, between Dan Hurley and Jim Calhoun and what it is like coaching in the age of NIL and the transfer portal. Moore also looks back on his background growing up in Central Massachusetts and how being a sports writer was his original calling in college.

Episode 123: Holocaust Education

Alan Marcus is a professor in UConn’s Neag School of Education and among his areas of focus is global education with an emphasis on the Holocaust and teaching difficult history. Last year, he led a program at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs that Taught lessons about the Holocaust and larger issues of identity. The program, which was also offered to local members of the community, consisted of interactive experiences with Holocaust survivors, a virtual tour of a Holocaust concentration camp, and a photography exhibit featuring E.O. Smith teachers and staff members in their life way from school. Marcus talks about how social media has affected the way the Holocaust is thought of in these times and what the future of this program might be.