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Artwork for The Academic Life

The Academic Life

Christina Gessler
Higher Education
Mental Health
Education
Sociology
Immigration
Sustainability
Gender Studies
College Radio
Writing Process
Student Engagement
Witch Trials
Death Penalty
Rehearsals For Dying
Academic Publishing
Cancer Care Industry
Project Management
Confederate Monuments
Witchcraft
Criminal Justice System
Community Engagement

A podcast for your academic journey—and beyond! Created and produced by Dr. Christina Gessler, the Academic Life podcast is inspired by today’s knowledge-producers around the world, working inside and outside the academy. Support our show by becoming a premium member! newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/academic-life

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Artwork for The Academic Life

Latest Episodes

A woman miscarries and is charged with murder. A new mother tests positive for a drug her hospital administers and loses custody of her newborn. Four women are convicted of horrific crimes against children they never touched, based on junk science an... more

Can I Say That: Your Go-To Guide for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is your safe space to learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion, and how you can be a force for change. Most DEI books focus on gender, race or the intersection of those two ... more

In Paper Heroines: Women Writers in Conversation and Community Across the Sea Islands, 1838-1902 (U South Carolina Press, 2026), Dr. Mollie Barnes studies the ways women represented their own and one another's lives in their personal diaries and th... more

Black women have always been the most relentless instigators for change—building a democracy for all. In The Instigators: How Black Women Have Been Essential to American Democracy (And What We Can Learn from Them (Harper, 2026), Atima Omara draws on ... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Dr. Luthra
Author of Can I Say That? Your Go-To Guide for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Imperial Business School, London
Episode: Can I Say That: Your Go-To Guide for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Mollie Barnes
Author of Paper Heroines, Women Writers in Conversation and Community Across the Sea Islands, 1838 to 1902
University of South Carolina Beaufort
Episode: Paper Heroines: Women Writers in Conversation and Community Across the Sea Islands, 1838-1902
Atima Omara
Author of The Instigators, How Black Women Have Been Essential to American Democracy and What We Can Learn From Them
Amara Strategy Group
Episode: The Instigators
Dr. Fidan Cheikosman
Acquisitions editor for science topics at Springer Nature; former PhD candidate in Istanbul
Springer Nature
Episode: End of An Academic Dream
Jaclyn Fiscus-Cannaday
Author of Reflection in Motion, Reimagining Reflection in the Writing Classroom
University of Minnesota
Episode: Reflection-In-Motion
Angela Simms
Author of Fighting for a Foothold, How Government and Markets Undermine Black Middle-Class Suburbia
Author, Fighting for a Foothold
Episode: Fighting for a Foothold: How Government and Markets Undermine Black Middle-Class Suburbia
Aimee Cliff
Author of Empathy Takes Action, an autistic therapist
Author; Psychotherapist in London
Episode: Empathy Takes Action: An Autistic Therapist on the Radical Work of Connection
Caroline Bicks
Author of Monsters in the Archives, My Year of Fear with Stephen King
University of Maine
Episode: Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King
Rebekah Paré
Founder and Strategy Officer for Paré Consulting
Paré Consulting
Episode: The Case for Career Services

Host

Dr. Christina Gessler
Host and producer of The Academic Life; focuses on scholarly discussions across education, policy, and culture.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 22 ratings
  • Answers the questions you didn’t know you have!

    You know that feeling after you finish an interesting book and have a million questions you want to ask the author? This podcast asks those questions. Dr. Gessler does a close read and stands in for the reader with thoughtful questions. I can visualize her coming to the interviews, her copy of the book about to burst with sticky notes! I’ve read so many books that I never would have found without This Academic Life.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Alli-Dee
    United States2 months ago
  • Engaging interviews

    Dr. Gessler is such an engaging interviewer. Her guests are varied, covering all aspects of life as an academic. She brings out the best in every guest.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Rebecca DB
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Great for listeners who want depth without jargon.
Engaging interviews: hosts draw out thoughtful insights.
High-quality, rigorous discussions with accessible delivery.
Varied guests: wide range of scholarly perspectives.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Paper Heroines: Women Writers in Conversation and Community Across the Sea Islands, 1838-1902
Q: How does your method of 'nested stories' and 'Recovering Constellations of Relationships' operate in practice?
Barnes describes mapping relationships across diaries, letters, and public records to reconstruct networks, showing how women influenced one another and how their work was shaped by broader social and political contexts.
Paper Heroines: Women Writers in Conversation and Community Across the Sea Islands, 1838-1902
Q: Can you take us through the women that you chose for this book?
Barnes explains that she selected a handful of women whose lives and writings illuminate Sea Island history from multiple angles, focusing on their diaries, journals, and relief work, while also highlighting the interconnections among their lives and communities.
The Instigators
Q: Could you define what an instigator is in your terms?
An instigator is someone who initiates action, starts a movement, and insights change for the better, often seeing something wrong and choosing to act to fix it, driven by love for their community and a willingness to mobilize even when it's not popular.
End of An Academic Dream
Q: What does the phrase end of an academic dream mean to you now?
It denotes a difficult chapter marked by disappointments but also a transformation toward a healthier, more intentional path, where success is redefined around purpose and well-being rather than traditional academic milestones.
Empathy Takes Action: An Autistic Therapist on the Radical Work of Connection
Q: How do you address the idea that some autistic people are described as low in empathy?
She discusses that empathy is not a fixed trait and that low reported empathy does not equate to moral failure; people can act morally and connect without fitting traditional empathy expectations.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Academic Life

What is The Academic Life about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, academically oriented show that centers on books, pedagogy, and policy across higher education and public life. Episodes often feature scholars, authors, and practitioners discussing research-driven insights on topics like mental health in academia, race and gender in institutions, urban policy, and public health. The conversations tend to blend personal career journeys with practical implications for students, educators, and policymakers, often weaving in archival or historical context and highlighting the real-world impact of scholarly work. A notable strength is the breadth of guest expertise—from novel scholarship to applied practice—coupled with accessible storytelling and sponsor reads that keep the show approachable for... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Academic Life?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Academic Life:

1. 99% Invisible
2. Freakonomics Radio
3. The Daily
4. The Ezra Klein Show
5. Up First from NPR

How many episodes of The Academic Life are there?

The Academic Life launched 6 years ago and published 329 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Academic Life?

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What guests have appeared on The Academic Life?

Recent guests on The Academic Life include:

1. Dr. Luthra
2. Mollie Barnes
3. Atima Omara
4. Dr. Fidan Cheikosman
5. Jaclyn Fiscus-Cannaday
6. Angela Simms
7. Aimee Cliff
8. Caroline Bicks

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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