In this episode of The CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, host Eric Magrum sits down with Dr. Michael Klein to explore what it really means to use AI thoughtfully in academic and professional settings. Rather than treating AI as a magic solution, Dr. Klein emphasizes the importance of seeing it as one tool among many and why becoming overly dependent on a single technology can limit both creativity and judgment.

Tune in to hear:

• Why AI should complement, not replace, core skills like critical thinking
• How to avoid over-reliance on any one tool (AI or otherwise)
• What long-term impacts of AI we should be paying attention to, including environmental concerns
• How faculty can help students build resilient, adaptable, tech-informed learning practices
• Questions worth asking as AI continues to shape classrooms, research, and professional life

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CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast would love hearing from you! Do you have a question for our guests, a teaching tip to share, or a story about faculty life? Send us a message by clicking on this text. Your message might make it into a future episode.

In this episode of the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, host Eric Magrum speaks with School of Media Art and Design professor Dr. Chen Guo about the field of interactive design and how the adaptive nature of the discipline has shaped her classroom and teaching techniques.

Listen in as they discuss:

• Understanding what interactive design is and how it works
• The value of a learner-centered approach in teaching
• Increasing student engagement in the classroom through hands-on experience
• Encouraging students to step out of their comfort zones and submit their work to conferences

Tune in to this discussion of the impact of a learner-centered approach and how your field can influence your teaching style.

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CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast would love hearing from you! Do you have a question for our guests, a teaching tip to share, or a story about faculty life? Send us a message by clicking on this text. Your message might make it into a future episode.

In this episode of the CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast, host Eric Magrum talks with a JMU alum turned professor, Dr. Leonard Richards Jr, about his journey from student to educator and how that path shapes his teaching today. He reflects on mentorship, identity, and the importance of empowering students to take action and see their impact.

Listen in as they discuss:

• What it means to teach as a verb, not just a role
• Supporting first-generation students and students of color
• Navigating identity as a Black educator at a PWI
• The value of feedback, self-reflection, and growth
• Balancing personal life, mental health, and academic work

He also shares a reminder: be yourself, trust your journey, and know you’ve earned your place.

Subscribe to the Podcast listserv!

CFI Faculty Lounge Podcast would love hearing from you! Do you have a question for our guests, a teaching tip to share, or a story about faculty life? Send us a message by clicking on this text. Your message might make it into a future episode.