East Texas - AKA the Pine Curtain - is home to over 12 million acres of pine forests and one of the nation's major producers of softwoods for commercial and industrial use. Forestry is also one of the largest programs at Stephen F. Austin State University, offering both undergraduate and graduate studies. In this episode, we discuss forest management, controlled burns, invasive pests, and how forestry is one of the strongest careers a college graduate can pursue, with a growing (no pun intended) demand for qualified job seekers.

Guest: Dr. Hans Williams, Ph. D, Dean - Dept. of Forestry

Host/moderator: Tom Reynolds, lecturer - Dept. of Mass Communications

After the Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that college athletes are allowed to earn money through endorsements and merchandising, it has transformed college athletics in many ways, both good and bad. In this episode, we explore the specifics of NIL and its connection to the "transfer portal", where stand-out athletes can transfer to any number of colleges offering the best licensing deals through outside sponsors. Can it ruin a college's sports program when all of their best players are being lured away?

Guest: Jonathan Shuskey - sports reporter/student athlete

Host/moderator: Tom Reynolds, lecturer - Dept of Mass Communications

The American poet Sylvia Plath is known primarily for her confessional writings and committing suicide at age 30. But Tarot expert and reknowned Plath scholar Julia Gordon Bramer, author of the forthcoming book "The Occult Sylvia Plath" discovered that the late poet was obsessed with Kabbala, the occult, and Tarot, which heavily influenced her later work and continues to be overlooked by virtually every other literary scholar. In this episode, Ms. Bramer shares her research into the little-known mystical life of Sylvia Plath.

With AI technology like ChatGPT rapidly advancing and improving, the challenge for educators is adapting it as part of their curriculum so students can learn to work with AI and not use it to cheat. In this episode, we discuss how university faculty can better understand AI and use it to its full potential for class assignments and training.

Guests: Dr. Steve Marsden, professor - English

Dr. Jason McIntosh, professor - English; writing program coordinator

Moderator: Tom Reynolds, lecturer - mass communications

In this third episode on the issue of AI and ChatGPT, we discuss the possibilities and ramifications of students using chatbot technology when performing writing assignments. Much of this is still open to debate regarding official policies when faced with academic dishonesty. How far down the AI rabbit hole can both students and educators go before things spin out of control? How can we as educators work with students in having AI be used as a valuable educational tool and not for cheating?

Panelists: Justin Hughes - SFA Graduate, AI independent study scholar

Dr. Marc Guidry - assoc. provost, professor of English & Creative Writing

Dr. Elizabeth Tasker Davis - chair, Dept of English & Creative Writing

Moderator: Tom Reynolds - lecturer, communication studies

The state of Wyoming recently passed legislation to ban TikTok, just the latest of many states that are clamping down on the popular app. What is behind all the fear and loathing of TikTok and is it the threat to personal security that so many politicians claim it is? In this episode, we dig deep into the Chinese-made social media phenomenon that boast hundreds of millions of users and explore the misconceptions and misplaced fears that surround it.

Moderator: Tom Reynolds, lecturer - Dept. of communication studies

Guest panelist: Dr. Bailey Thompson, associate professor - Dept. of mass communications

In recent years, several literary pundits have declared the long-form novel dead or at least obsolete. In this episode, we discuss the current fate of the contemporary novel and whether its demise is forthcoming or if it's simply tired conjecture that we've all heard before. We also delve into if AI will be writing long-form genre fiction (hint: it will) and if readers will even care.

#WillSelf. #TomWolfe #isthenoveldead #thenovelisdead #novels #literaryfiction #MFAprograms

Moderator: Tom Reynolds - lecturer, communication studies

Guest panelists: Billy Longino - adjunct professor, English & creative writing

John McDermoot - professor, English & creative writing; coordinator of SFA creative writing program

In this continuing examination of the controversial new AI language program, two new panelists join the discussion where we explore the ethical and moral ramifications that could arise from its widespread use in academia and beyond. Will students use it to cheat? Will AI gradually replace live educators in the classroom? Is there a way for AI to be successfully incorporated into the education curriculum and not usurp it?

Moderator: Tom Reynolds, lecturer - communication studies

Panelists: Dr. Elizabeth Spradely, professor - communication studies

Dr. Amber Wagnon, asst. professor - education

Justin Hughes, student; president of Student AI Exploratory Council