Month: February 2023

Transforming Obesity Treatment

Transforming Obesity Treatment

Dr. Ania Jastreboff, an associate professor in medicine and pediatrics (endocrinology) at Yale School of Medicine, co-director of the Yale Center for Weight Management, and medical director of the Yale Stress Center, and President Peter Salovey discuss breakthrough medical interventions for obesity and diabetes.

Toward Freedom: The Power of Art Inside Prison Walls

Toward Freedom: The Power of Art Inside Prison Walls

Grounded in themes of tribulation, redemption, and hope, ISM Fellow and theater professor Dr. Ron Jenkins joins Ariana Hones (M.Div. ’23) in conversation on the transformational power of Dante’s Divine Comedies inside prisons. In this episode, Dr. Jenkins discusses his course, Gospel, Rap, and Social Justice, and his use of Dante’s poetry to create theater pieces with currently and formerly incarcerated people. He states, “bringing Dante and art into prison is a way of humanizing a dehumanizing situation.” Dante serves as both a mirror reflecting the injustices in our prison systems as well as a catalyst for freedom.

Ryan Darr and the Ethics of Apocalypse

Ryan Darr and the Ethics of Apocalypse

In his interview with ISM M.A.R. student Madeleine Hutchins ’23, ISM Fellow and religious ethicist Ryan Darr pulls no punches in talking global climate crisis: “…we’re entering a mass extinction event, which would be, from what scientists have found about life on Earth, the sixth in Earth’s history — and the first caused by one species in particular.” Darr is a Postdoctoral Associate in Religion, Ecology, and Expressive Culture, and from 2019 to 2022 was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Philosophy and Religion at the Princeton University Center for Human Values. He holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Yale University.

Ep. 50 – Australian Biologist Danielle Clode on the Extraordinary World of Koalas

Ep. 50 – Australian Biologist Danielle Clode on the Extraordinary World of Koalas

Upon seeing an adorable Koala sitting on an eucalyptus branch in Australia, few would expect the beloved marsupial to emit a booming bellow to alert potential mates or rivals of its presence. But this powerful roar is just one of koalas’ many surprises, which delight and astonish in Australian biologist Danielle Clode’s new book, “Koala: A Life in the Trees.” Clode explores the enigmatic koala’s 24 million years-long saga of evolutionary adaptations, conservation triumphs, and endangerment catastrophes, and the prospects for their future following the 2019 bushfires that devastated Australia’s koala populations. We speak with Clode about the ancient ancestors, ecology, evolving relationship with humans, and uncertain fate of Australia’s bellowing marsupial.

Dance’s Integral Connection to Human Experience

Dance’s Integral Connection to Human Experience

In this episode of the Yale University Press podcast, we talk with Mindy Aloff about her book Why Dance Matters. Why Dance Matters is a passionate and moving tribute to the captivating power of dance, not just as an art form but as a language that transcends barriers.

Living buildings pioneer Jason F. McLennan on YDS Living Village and architecture for the future

Living buildings pioneer Jason F. McLennan on YDS Living Village and architecture for the future

Renowned sustainability architect Jason F. McLennan discusses Yale Divinity School’s Living Village complex, the relationship between religion and the environment, and his response to critics of green building.

Reading Reloaded

Reading Reloaded

For their thirtieth episode, Hannah and Mark revisit the application reading process detailed in episode 1. They share insights into the office’s new initial review process, which helps officers invest more time in the files that will get a full hearing in the admissions committee, and they detail the notes and ratings officers use when writing application workcards. Despite the significant increase in applications over the past three years, admissions officers still review files one at a time and make decisions via committee discussions.