In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Geraldo Cadava, Professor of History at Northwestern University and author of The Hispanic Republican. Cadava takes us from the childhood experiences that shaped his interest in complex identities—moving between the affluent suburbs of Irvine and the borderlands of Tucson—to his scholarly work on the contradictory nature of Latino identity. He shares the compelling story of his Panamanian-born grandfather, a veteran and copper miner whose partisan evolution from a Ronald Reagan voter to a staunch Republican demonstrates how individual political reasons can lead to deep ideological shifts. Cadava also previews his upcoming, ambitious project of writing a book encompassing the past 500-year history of Latinos, A Thousand Bridges, which argues that Latinos have historically been both victims and agents of empire.

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In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Ingrid Daubechies, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor Emerita of Mathematics at Duke University and a National Medal of Science recipient. Daubechies takes us from her childhood fascination with calculating multiples to her groundbreaking work on wavelets—mathematical building blocks that have revolutionized image and signal analysis. She talks about how her research helped the FBI compress millions of fingerprints, analyze seismograms, and even distinguish authentic Van Gogh paintings from forgeries. She also tells the story behind the whimsical Mathemalchemy Project, a collaborative art installation that celebrates the pure joy and creativity of mathematics.

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In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Tammy L. Kernodle, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Music at Miami University, whose work explores African American music, gender, and race in American popular culture. Kernodle shares how her working-class upbringing in Danville, Virginia, and a home filled with music led her to Virginia State University, graduate studies at The Ohio State University, and a career dedicated to expanding the narratives taught in music history. She discusses her mission to change classroom conversations, create scholarships for underrepresented musicians, and broaden what audiences hear in the concert hall. She also reflects on her roles as curator of the New World Symphony’s I Dream a World Festival and her work on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

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