UConn 360: The UConn Podcast

Bethany O’Brien is the author of a new UConn children’s book and is a proud UConn graduate. She met her husband in the first month of college in the West Campus residence halls and lives with her family in nearby Tolland, as they share their love of UConn with their two children. Bethany has integrated her passion for UConn by writing a children’s book that celebrates UConn’s success in men’s and women’s basketball – “The Lucky Husky”. The book has just been published, and a share of the proceeds will benefit the care and upkeep of our beloved mascot Jonathan! She joins us on the UConn 360 podcast to talk about her background and how she decided to write this book. The book is available on Amazon and information on appearances and book signings can be found on Instagram.

It’s October here at UConn (and everywhere else!), which means it is almost Halloween and horror film season. Our guest on this episode of the UConn 360 podcast is professor of English Greg Semenza, who has been a member of the UConn faculty since 2001 and teaches a class called “The Horror Film” that has 100 students enrolled in each of the last several semesters. He also is the faculty advisor of the Husky Horror Club, which has 500 undergraduate members. Greg is a horror movie aficionado, and we ask him about some of his personal favorites, what exactly qualifies as a horror movie and why they are so popular today. He earned his undergraduate degree from Rutgers and his graduate and doctoral degree from Penn State.

Husky Reads is one of the longest-running community impact programs for UConn Husky Nutrition & Sport out of the Neag School of Education here at UConn. Husky Reads is designed to promote nutrition and literacy among preschool children. The curriculum includes a series of 10 weekly lessons that introduce the preschool-age children to MyPlate while improving fruit and vegetable literacy. Our guest on this podcast is Sarah Larocque, who is the lead coordinator for Husky Reads, who explains the program to us. More than 800 preschoolers across Connecticut engage with Husky Reads each year at 15 early childhood education centers. Such sustained community partnerships are a hallmark of UConn Husky Nutrition & Sport as well as the University’s mission, values, and areas of focus in its current Strategic Plan.

Amanda Cooper is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication and her research focuses on the ways in which individuals and families navigate difficult transitions across the lifespan, particularly at the end of life. She has recently published a study in the Journal of Family Communication about what family members can do to maintain the personhood of their family members who have dementia. The topic is particularly timely as September is World Alzheimer’s Month and Sept. 21 is World Alzheimer’s Day. The study has specific tips, like maintaining a connection with the person by saying phrases like “I love you.”  Amanda is a relatively new member of the UConn community and talks about how much she enjoys being part of the institution and the welcoming environment it provides to researchers and educators.

It’s a special year for the UConn School of Pharmacy in 2025-26 as it celebrates its centennial year. Dean Phil Hritcko joins us on the UConn 360 podcast to tell us about all the festivities that are planned, including the Centennial Celebrationon Oct. 18. Dean Hritcko also gives us an update on what is new in the School of Pharmacy and explains the academic programs the school offers. There are a lot of different career options for pharmacy graduates than the traditional retail outlets and working behind a counter. Research has become a big part of the pharmacy field. He also talks about what is new in the global field of pharmacy, including how tariffs are affecting the production of medications.

The Dodd Center for Human Rights will be presenting its Second Human Rights Summit from October 22 and 24 and this year’s event will focus on Sport and Human Rights. The opening keynote event of the summit will feature a conversation with two pivotal figures in the history of sports and activism—Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the 1968 Olympians whose raised-fist salute became an iconic global symbol of the struggle for human rights. The summit is open to the public and all are welcome to attend. Our guest on this episode of the podcast is Jim Waller, the Christopher J. Dodd Chair in Human Rights Practice, Director of Dodd Human Rights Impact Programs, and the coordinator of the summit. He has an impressive background, which includes holding responsibilities with the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect.

It is a new season for athletics at UConn and it all starts with the women’s soccer team hosting an exhibition game on Wednesday night. Head coach Margaret Rodriguez is our guest for this episode as her Huskies won the Big East tournament last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. “Mags” played at UConn and was a long-time assistant coach before taking over the head coaching reigns. She talks about the culture that she has built in the program and what that culture is all about. Rodriguez gives insight on how parents can guide their children in the college recruiting process. The Huskies open the regular season on Sunday, August 17, against Stony Brook. For the complete schedule and ticket information visit uconnhuskies.com.

Eric Kruger is UConn’s Vice President of Facility Services and University Planning and took time out of his busy schedule to join us on the UConn 360 podcast. Eric oversees a team of skilled and dedicated workers who keep the UConn campuses running and in good condition, in addition to new buildings and construction.   Eric was named to his current position in March and oversees the planning and management of all facilities operations and the physical infrastructure of all UConn campuses. He has a long history at UConn and was the vice president for facilities and development and operations at UConn Health before taking his current job. Eric came to UConn in 2014 as executive director of facilities and operations. He previously was as an operations and engineering manager at Eversource and had a 20-year career with the U.S. Naval Submarine Force.

It’s the middle of summer and the weather is great! But, we all must be aware that hurricane season is upon us. Fortunately, the UConn Extension works with colleagues from across the United States as part of the national Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN). The goals of the network are to help residents, communities, businesses, and municipalities in the state to prepare for, mitigate, and recover from extreme weather events. Our guest on the podcast this week is Stacey Stearns, who is a communications specialist for the Extension and works with EDEN. Stacey gives us some prep tips for what we should all do to prepare for hurricanes, whether you own a home, a business, or a farm. The podcasters also remember storms of the past and how to prepare for all kinds of snow and rain. Also back in 2005, do you know what Slate picked as the U.S. city where the odds of perishing in a natural disaster are the smallest?

 

Episode 141: Well, Well, Well…

Water affects every part of our life, especially when it comes to our supply where we live. Mike Dietz is director of the Connecticut Institute of Water Resources, which is part of the UConn Extension. Among the services offered by the institute of testing of home well water, which is recommend to be performed every other year, but seldom is by homeowners. Mike tells us about what owning a home with a well is like and the differences in using a municipal supply. He also explains other issues facing our state and country in terms of water and how he first became interested in this topic as a youngster. Mike even gives Izzy some tips about drinking water safety for her upcoming trip to the Canary Islands!