Wondering what the tech is happening?
Techies Today, the Purdue Polytechnic Podcast, features conversations with Polytechnic faculty, staff and students, plus alumni and friends of the college. Topics include:
- Profiles of faculty, staff and alumni
- Engaging research
- Exciting class happenings
- Interviews with students
- Interesting on-campus experiences
- And any topics that share Purdue Polytechnic’s message and promote our unique role as one of the 10 academic colleges at Purdue University
Techies Today is for everyone — from high school students to leaders in industry — with a potential interest in all things Polytechnic: aviation, computing and graphics, construction management, engineering technologies, technology education and technology management.
Techies Today, the official podcast of Purdue University’s Polytechnic Institute, is produced by the Polytechnic’s Office of Marketing Communications.
Have an idea for an episode? Send email to techiestoday@purdue.edu.
Behind the scenes in our podcast studio
How to listen
Techies Today episodes are available below in the Episode Guide (click on an individual episode to go to the page with an embedded player) and in most popular podcast player apps on mobile devices. See How to Listen to learn how to subscribe or follow (it’s free!) on your mobile device. Your app will notify you each time a new episode is published.
Episode Guide
The most recent Techies Today episodes are available right here:
Equity is not about treating everybody the same. John Gates, Purdue’s vice provost for diversity and inclusion, says it’s about providing people what they need to succeed, even if that means treating people differently—and what we do innately in our lives is what we should do in our classrooms and offices.
Mike Reckowsky, director of industry relations in Purdue Polytechnic, says companies that sponsor students’ senior capstone projects receive working prototypes that address real-world problems. See students’ unique problem-solving abilities on display during our Tech Expo, and learn why your company should partner with our college.
How did building cities in the dirt with toys and listening to soccer games on the radio lead a boy from Colombia to a distinguished career in industry and higher education that spanned three continents? It’s the story of Daniel Castro, the new dean of Purdue University's Polytechnic Institute.
James Letsinger, a 2013 Construction Management Technology grad, is overseeing construction of Purdue’s $140 million Engineering & Polytechnic Gateway Complex. He discusses what his job is like each day at the construction site and what it means to him to advance from being a graduate to building his school’s future home.
This episode of Techies Today features a visit with Toni Munguia, Purdue Polytechnic’s director of recruitment, retention and diversity. Learn why Toni loves her students like her own family. Toni tells us how she first came to Purdue, why working with students is so meaningful to her, and how her TECH 101 course makes a difference for students and the Polytechnic.
Abby Perez is a user experience engineer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. In 2018, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Purdue Polytechnic’s UX Design program with a minor in psychology and a certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This episode of “Techies Today” includes interviews with Abby recorded several years apart.
Kathryn Seigfried-Spellar, associate professor of computer and information technology, fights crime using cyberforensics, a branch of digital forensic science pertaining to evidence found in computers and digital storage media.
Nadeem Ali went on three internships while earning his mechanical engineering technology degree. Internships help “diversify your experience outside of your book-smarts” and make students especially attractive to future employers, he said.
Rosemary Astheimer’s students watch her pre-recorded video lectures before coming to class, allowing for class meetings to be used for active, hands-on learning and problem-solving. Astheimer says the “flipped classroom” method better accommodates different learning styles.
Mark Zimpfer, assistant professor of practice in Purdue Polytechnic’s School of Construction Management Technology, talks about the "almost limitless opportunities" for students studying construction management technology and about the construction industry-related YouTube channel he is helping to develop.
Purdue Provost Jay Akridge spoke with Polytechnic faculty and staff about new investments in faculty and facilities, making Purdue a "Teaching 1" institution, and preparing the University for the expected realities of 2030.
Renee Thomas, director of Purdue’s Black Cultural Center, knows that being active in the campus community leads to academic success. With music, performing arts and cultural programs, the Black Cultural Center encourages students to get involved in “edutainment” — education through entertainment.
Purdue Polytechnic students Lindsay Drake and Carson Deal started their college experience with a two-week Study Abroad trip to Europe even before attending their first on-campus classes.
Purdue Polytechnic Vincennes' Jim Tanoos discusses supply chain management, globalization, and how studying abroad provides students with unique insight into this increasingly global field of study.
Melody Birmingham-Byrd studied organizational leadership and has been a supervisor throughout her career, including more than seven years with Duke Energy. She reveals the inspiration for her career in management and shares advice about how to succeed in business in every phase of your career.
Mitch Daniels and Gary Bertoline discuss the $140M Engineering & Polytechnic Gateway Complex, to be built soon on campus.
Mark French’s videos, seen by over 6.5 million viewers, help students understand challenging mathematical concepts. We talked with Mark about his channel's origins and production techniques.
An introduction to Techies Today, the Purdue Polytechnic podcast, with clips of upcoming episodes.