WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue Polytechnic Institute, one of Purdue University’s 10 colleges, has launched a new podcast. “Techies Today, the Purdue Polytechnic Podcast” features conversations with faculty, staff, students and alumni, discussions regarding new and ongoing research projects, presentations about cultural awareness and updates on the college’s initiatives.
The podcast is aimed at a broad audience, including high school students who are considering Polytechnic majors, current students and their families, faculty and staff, industry partners, and friends of the college on campus and around the world. Listeners of the first six episodes will hear from a variety of students, faculty, administrators and alumni:
- Lindsay Drake and Carson Deal, current Polytechnic students, describe a Study Abroad trip they took before their first semester at Purdue
- Purdue President Mitch Daniels and Dean Gary Bertoline discuss the upcoming $140 million Engineering & Polytechnic Gateway Complex
- Gozdem Kilaz, assistant professor of engineering technology, talks about her work on a research project to convert plastic waste into jet fuel
- Melody Birmingham-Byrd (BS organizational supervision ’94), senior vice president and chief procurement officer at Duke Energy, shares advice with students on how to take their own giant leaps
- Jim Tanoos, clinical associate professor at Purdue Polytechnic Vincennes, discusses supply chain management, globalization, and why going on a Study Abroad trip provides students with unique insight into an increasingly global field of study
Purdue Polytechnic publicizes its programs in online news articles, social media, an annual magazine and other print pieces, and through video. In today’s media-driven world, starting a podcast is the next logical step, according to Melissa Templeton, director of marketing and communication.
“Podcasting is becoming more popular every day, so it’s a natural extension of our efforts to share Purdue Polytechnic’s stories with the public,” said Templeton. “As an on-demand audio program, the podcast allows listeners to learn about the Polytechnic as they drive, walk or even exercise.”
Podcast listenership in the United States is growing at an enormous rate, notes Templeton. Over half of the U.S. population has listened to a podcast at least once, and 32% of Americans listen to podcasts at least every month. In the last year alone, podcast listenership grew by 20 million people, with listeners age 12-24 representing a significant portion of that increase.
“There are many podcasts about Purdue sports but surprisingly few about academics,” said John O'Malley, Purdue Polytechnic communication specialist and host of Techies Today. “We wanted to be the first podcast, or at least one of the first, produced on campus at the college level that focuses on its people, programs and research.”
Podcasting is an audio medium analogous to prerecorded radio. To enhance the podcast experience, companion videos will be published on the Polytechnic’s YouTube channel for select episodes. Most podcast episodes will be approximately 15 to 20 minutes long.
“Our aim is for episodes to be easy to listen to when you’re walking between buildings at Purdue, driving to and from campus, or running errands around town,” O’Malley said.
Regular contributors to the podcast will include O’Malley, Templeton, Bertoline, dean of Purdue Polytechnic, and Brigid O’Brien, Purdue Polytechnic’s senior content marketing strategist.
Techies Today episodes are available now on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, Podbean, Spotify, Stitcher, and TuneIn. Download one of these apps on your mobile device, search for “Techies Today,” and subscribe to be notified each time a new episode is published. (Listening is always free; there is no subscription fee.) See polytechnic.purdue.edu/techiestoday to listen online and to learn more about the podcast.
Additional information:
- Techies Today, the Purdue Polytechnic Podcast
- How to Listen to Techies Today
- The Meteoric Rise of Podcasting (MusicOomph)
- Podcasting Stats (The Podcast Host)
About the Purdue Polytechnic Institute
The Purdue Polytechnic Institute is one of 10 academic colleges at Purdue University, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in a range of disciplines: aviation, computing, construction management, engineering technology, technology leadership and technology education. In addition to Purdue University’s main campus in West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue Polytechnic offers select degree programs in nine Indiana communities.
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Media Contact:
Melissa Templeton
Director of Marketing and Communications
Purdue Polytechnic Institute
templetm@purdue.edu
(765) 496-0094