Spring 2014 interns produced podcasts on a variety of topics focusing on the Retired Faculty of Florida, and also including the Mississippi Freedom Project and life histories in Gloucester County, Virginia. Image from the UF Magazine.
University of Florida Digital Collections Archive
To date, 50+ oral history podcasts are available on the University of Florida’s Digital Collections website, including final projects for the entire Spring 2011, 2013, Fall 2013, and Spring 2014 intern classes, as well as the Summer 2013 seminar and original SPOHP podcast series, released in 2009. Browse the following highlights for more information, and visit the UFDC to download the many available series.
To access information about individual podcasts, scroll through the UFDC collection. Podcasts below are from the Spring 2014 internship class. Podcasts are 15 minutes or less to facilitate easy access to local history for students, teachers, and the general public.
Education for Empowerment: Mississippi Freedom Schools’ Legacy in the 21st Century (created by Anna Armitage) 8:28
This podcast examines the continuities between the Mississippi Freedom Schools of 1964 with contemporary educational programs in the Mississippi Delta.
The Struggle Continues: Fighting for Civil Rights in the 21st Century (created by Anna Armitage) 7:42
This podcast challenges the narrative that claims that the civil rights movement ended in 1968. Instead, it connects the civil rights movement to continuing racial inequalities that persist today as a result of institutionalized violence such as immigration restrictions and mass incarceration.
Gender Discrimination in Veterinary Studies (created by Austyn Szempruch) 3:08
University of Florida emeritus professor and animal behaviorist Dr. H. Jane Brockmann discusses discrimination towards women. Topics include discrimination in the 1950s and 1960s, why she could not pursue veterinary medicine, and a brief background of her accomplishments.
Development of the University of Florida Veterinary College (created by Cassandra Hayne) 5:41
Maarten Drost, a member of the retired faculty of the University of Florida, discusses in this interview his early life on the farm in Holland and how it sparked his interest in veterinary practice. Drost was prominent member of the large animal science community and helped aid the development of the Veterinary College at UF in the 1970s.
Witnessing the Changes in Television Production and UF’s College of Journalism and Communications (created by Dana Edwards) 4:01
Dr. Howard Sidney Pactor, a former telecommunications professor in the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, discusses life as a student and professor. Sid was born in 1940 and got his start in television production in the north before coming to UF as an undergraduate and master’s student. He joined the faculty in 1970 and helped run Radio Center, a precursor to the current WUFT station produced in the college.
UF’s Interdisciplinary Approach to Audiology (created by David Aarons) 3:59
Dr. Kenneth Gerhardt, professor of audiology at the University of Florida, discusses what propelled him into audiology, his first mentor, and his research with the medical college on fetal hearing.
Alvin Warnick’s Transition to UF (created by Deniann Grant) 3:59
UF’s first animal physiologist talks about his mental breakdown at Oregon State University and why he decided to come to Florida in 1953. His transition to UF was “a blessing” and a well needed change from the stress of his previous job. He also discusses his experience with shock therapy and his time with the famous animal physiologist, Fred McKenzie.
Bridging the Gap: How the Role of Women in Academia at UF has Changed through the Years (created by Emily Kettenburg) 4:53
Retired University of Florida Professor Dr. Anita Spring recalls how unbalanced her studies in chemistry were, in relation to the ratios of men to women, and how it has changed today. She explains how her department (anthropology) was always pretty equal as far as women represented in professor positions, but how much the other fields were lacking in women leadership. She also mentions a few classes she helped start at UF.
Dr. Jacqueline Orlando of UF (created by Eugenia Hawk) 4:46
Dr. Jacqueline Orlando, licensed psychology, discusses her research conducted at the University of Florida. While exceling in her field, she developed breast cancer, and believes she has the key to solving any physical problems.
Ancient Latin America: Bringing interest in Ancient Cultures Outside of Eastern Europe (created by Jennifer Thelusma) 4:26
Retired UF faculty professor John F. Scott has devoted his life and research to studying ancient Latin American civilizations through art. In this podcast, Scott discusses what generated his interest in Latin American Civilizations and how his research has led him to begin a Non-western survey course in the Fine Arts School.
Retired Faculty of Florida: Dr. Jon Reiskind’s Life and Career at the University of Florida (created by Raina Shipman) 5:29
Retired University of Florida professor Dr. Jon Reiskind discusses his career at the University of Florida. Topics include what led to him researching spiders despite his arachnophobia, the struggles that he has faced as president of the United Faculty of Florida, the change in students throughout the years, and what holds the University back from being a higher ranking institution.
Down at the Tastee-Freez: The Courting Process in Gloucester County (created by Will Sweitzer) 3:06
Andy James, a retired owner of the J.C. Brown Oil Company, now sits on the Board of Supervisors for Gloucester County, Virginia. Mr. James goes into detail of what a normal Saturday night looked like for him in high school and the courting process that would occur there in Gloucester.
A Beekeeper’s Journey: The Progression and Transformation of the Beekeeping Industry (created by Will Sweitzer) 4:29
Former University of Florida Extension Entomologist and Professor Emeritus, Dr. Malcolm Sanford discusses how he became interested in beekeeping. Sanford also details the historical shift that occurred in the beekeeping industry, changing it forever.
Paul Nicoletti: Eradicating Hidden Dangers in America’s Food (created by Laura Molinares) 6:58
Paul Nicoletti, a former UF Professor of Veterinary Medicine, discusses his work revolutionizing the administration of Brucellosis vaccines to cattle, thus eradicating this disease from the human population in Florida and then United States. He was informed by his tenure as an epedemiologist with the USDA and as a scholar abroad in the Middle East. At the same time, Nicoletti recognizes that his achievements were in part due to the financial support of others; he concludes by discussing the importance of the scholarships he left UF students in his name.
Kurt Kent: Broadening Horizons for UF’s Journalism Students (created by Maria Fuentes) 21:32
Kurt Kent, Professor of Journalism and Communications since 1970, led a career as an educator before entering the administration at the College. As Director of Graduate Studies, he constructed the graduate program in the 1970s and 1980s before shifting his efforts to another passion: international studies. Founding the Florida FlyIns Program together with Dr. John Kaplan, Kent helped journalism and photography students travel Latin America to document culture and politics of foreign countries. The graduate school and international studies program together demonstrate Kurt Kent’s lifelong commitment to extending the bounds of education in Journalism and Communications.
Retired Faculty of Florida: Vernon Roan (created by Jes Baldeweg-Rau) 4:40
Doctor Vernon Roan, a former professor in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida, discusses his experiences both as an educator and as a researcher at UF throughout the years. As a researcher he elaborates on how his experience at the University earned him a position on the National Research Council and Council’s efforts to achieve an alternative and more efficient fuel energy. He explains how hydrogen fuel cells is our best hope of ending society’s dependence on fossil fuels, but recognizes that the lack of infrastructure based around hydrogen production is hindering America’s progress towards achieving a long term solution.