Culture and Belonging

Dr. Amanda Heitkamp defines deviance as any behavior outside social expectations and shows how cultural norms, cultural capital, and small acts of 'deviance' can help students feel they belong. She discusses mentorship, the educator’s role in creating safe spaces for trial and error, and the importance of autonomy for both faculty and students.

Carolyn Hutcheson, host of Troy Public Radio’s In Focus, reflects on her four decades in broadcasting and the craft of interviewing. Carolyn also discusses her passion for canoeing and outdoor education.

Danielle Hudson, a chemistry and physics lecturer at Troy University, describes her girls' STEM camp for rising 6th–8th graders that uses hands-on activities, field trips, and female mentorship to boost representation and belonging in STEM. We examine culture, stereotypes, the "leaky pipeline" for women in STEM, workplace barriers like parental leave and infrastructure, student food insecurity, and the power of service to create more inclusive pathways.

Dr. Tish Warr, discusses her research on the impacts of parental incarceration, the stigma children face, and paths to resilience. She highlights how family connection, employment, and community support influence reentry and recidivism, and offers insights on promoting belonging for first-generation college students.

This episode caps off the third year of the Culture and Belonging podcast. In that time we've talked to more than 36 guests, from students and staff to faculty and beyond. We've heard so many great stories and learned so many lessons about promoting intercultural competency. 
In this episode, Rich and Wendy reflect on how the podcast started, how far they've come, and where they would like to go from here. And they give their own personal definitions of culture and belonging. 
 

Troy University has more than 150 student organizations—so many that you could never hope to be an active member of them all. That hasn’t stopped Zara Smith from trying. She’s making it a priority to discover as many new experiences and perspectives as possible.
Zara is a member of Chi Omega sorority, a Trojan Ambassador, Chief Justice of the Student Government Association, and editor of Troy’s yearbook, The Palladium.

On this episode, Dr. Kerry Palmer shares how his experience working in K-12 education, particularly as a band director, changed his approach to leadership. And we'll talk about what we can do to promote a sense of belonging in higher education.

Today we’re talking to Dr. Javier Boyas, director of the TROY School of Social Work and Human Services.Together, we talk about how cultural understanding is not a destination but rather something dynamic and constantly evolving.

We are big believers in the power of study abroad trips. New sights, new sounds, new people—it all makes for a richer experience that goes beyond what students could learn from just reading about a new place. This month we’ve got another one of Rich’s students on to talk about her recent trip to Puerto Rico. Camille Bowers is a political science student here at Troy University. We'll hear what she learned in Puerto Rico and how she became a snowboarder despite living in Alabama.

To err is human. But being open about our mistakes in the workplace takes a culture of communication and trust. If you've ever been the new guy or gal in the office, you know it can take time to build that trust. Both of our guests today have changed departments at Troy University and share their experiences building a culture of openness.