Advanced degrees are increasingly out of reach for many. Receiving financial aid has gotten more difficult too.

Many schools are already rethinking how they support their graduate students.

We'll get an update on financial aid and hear what some Connecticut institutions are doing to make their graduate programming more affordable and accessible.

Guests:

• Emily Roberts: Financial Educator and Owner of Personal Finance for Ph.Ds
• Kymberly Pinder: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Dean of the Yale School of Art
• Jessica Blake: Federal policy reporter for Inside Higher Ed, based in Washington, D.C.

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A recent study found that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline may have contributed to a decline in suicide deaths among young people.

This hour, we learn what the research tells us and what questions remain.

We also hear from Connecticut advocates working to connect people with mental health resources and reduce stigma.

Later, two residents share their personal experiences navigating mental health challenges and how speaking openly about those struggles can help others find support.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential, and offers support 24 hours a day.

Guests:

• Anupam B. Jena: Professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School and physician in the Department of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital 
• Kai Belton:state representative for the 100th district, Middletown
• Jacquilyn Davis: Director of Learning Workforce Development, Mental Health Connecticut
• Rob Santos: Comedian and Connecticut resident 
• Rachael Perillo: Connecticut resident 

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There currently are over 2,000 confirmed cases of measles in the United States of America, including some cases in Connecticut’s surrounding states.

Today, we get an update on measles closer to home, and abroad.

Plus, we’ll hear about the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other parts of central Africa.

Guests:

• Dr. Ulysses Wu: Chief Epidemiologist at Hartford Healthcare
• Dr. David B. Banach: Head of Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiologist at UConn
• Provash Budden: Americares Deputy SVP of Emergency Programs

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Actor and playwright Sam Shepard wrote over 40 plays and worked with some of the biggest names in entertainment.

After his death, Connecticut biographer Robert Dowling started a journey to learn everything he could about this larger-than-life artist. His book is “Coyote: The Dramatic Lives of Sam Shepard.”

Today, we listen back to a conversation with Robert Dowling. He’s a professor of English at Central Connecticut State University. This conversation took place at the Ferguson Library in Stamford.

"Where We Live" is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

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Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we live, work and communicate.

Now, Pope Leo XIV is weighing in, warning that AI poses urgent moral and ethical challenges for society.

This hour, we explore the growing debate over artificial intelligence from the Vatican to Connecticut.

We’ll hear from philosophers, theologians and researchers about the risks, rewards and unanswered questions surrounding this rapidly evolving technology.

Guests:

• Nancy Dallavalle, associate professor of religious studies, Fairfield University
• Michael Patrick Lynch, professor of philosophy, University of Connecticut
• Chetan Jaiswal, associate professor of computer science, Quinnipiac University
• P.R. Lockhart, economic development reporter, Connecticut Mirror

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There’s no question that transportation impacts nearly every part of our lives – from getting to work and school, to accessing health care and building community.

This hour, we’re digging into Connecticut’s plan for statewide transportation improvementsefforts.

We’ll listen back to “Connecticut on the Move,” a panel conversation recorded at the Parkville Market in Hartford.

We’ll unpack what investments are being made today and how those investments will impact tomorrow.

Guests:

• Matt Hart, Executive Director, Capitol Region Council of Governments

• Yvette Highsmith, Regional Vice President, Community Health Center, Inc.

• Chris Davis, Vice President, Public Policy, Connecticut Business & Industry Association

• Carlos Mouta, Owner and CEO, Parkville Market

Where We Live is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

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Contrary to popular belief, host Catherine Shen is a human with real human emotions. The fact is, she cares about her feelings!

In this hour, technical producer Dylan Reyes returns for a conversation with Cat on growing up and the music that shaped them.

Music Featured (in order):

• "Moon Prism Power Make Up!" by Arisawa Takanori
• "Bright Sized Life" by Pat Metheny
• "Fool" by MAYDAY
• "Tayo'y Magsayawan" by VST & Company
• "Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto" composed by Gang Chen (陈钢 Chén Gāng) and Zhanhao He (何占豪 Hé Zhànháo) as performed by Chloe Chua and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rodolfo Barráez
• "无心生大梦 (Unintentional Big Dream)" by 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning)
• "Moon in One's Cup" by Yu-Peng Chen
• "Dahil Sa Iyo" by Pilita Corrales
• "Linus and Lucy" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio
• "紙上飛行 (Flying on Paper)" by 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning) & CORSAK
• "Take Me Back (Owakare No Jikan)" by Ginger Root

Or, find it all in this playlist!

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When students at Simsbury High School discovered that there was little to no data on Asian American students in Connecticut, they launched a new project to change that.

Through out this year, these students have been collecting oral histories from Asian American voices across Connecticut in the oral history project “Make Us Count.”

The project debuts at a community-wide event happening this week at Simsbury High School. It will feature best-selling author Celeste Ng.

Michelle Henry is an English and Asian American Studies Teacher at Simsbury High School. She helped develop this project with students. She was named Educator of the Year by the Granby-Simsbury Chamber of Commerce.

Today, we hear from her and the students behind this project. We'll also hear from Jason Oliver Chang, who helped get Asian American and Pacific Islander studies in all Connecticut public schools.

Guests:

• Jason Oliver Chang: Associate Professor of History and Asian American Studies and Department head of social and critical inquiry at the University of Connecticut
• Michelle Henry: English and Asian American Studies Teacher at Simsbury High School
• Raelyn Medina - Senior at Simsbury High School
• Vivian Amsterdam - Senior at Simsbury High School
• Dhriti Mallavarapu: Senior at Simsbury High School

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For migratory birds, nighttime light can be deadly. Artificial light draws birds off course, increasing the risk of exhaustion, window collisions and predation.

Experts say the problem is growing as Connecticut skies become brighter.

This hour, we explore how light pollution impacts birds, river ecosystems, insects and even human health.

Plus, an amateur astronomer shares why protecting dark skies matters not just for science, but for our connection to the natural world.

Guests:

• Craig Repasz, director of Lights Out Connecticut
• Misha SemeLev, associate university architect for sustainability, Yale University
• Alan Sheiness, board of directors treasurer, Lyme Land Trust 

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Arthur Sze took an non-traditional path to becoming the U.S. Poet Laureate.

Born in 1950 to Chinese immigrants, his family wanted him to pursue a safe career path that would assure security and prosperity. But while studying at MIT, he felt the call to write and study poetry; a call that changed the trajectory of his life.

Sze spent his career translating traditional Chinese poetry. He also taught at the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico and is now a professor emeritus of the institute.

Sze is currently traveling the country with his signature Poet Laureate project “Words Bridging Worlds,” a series of workshops and readings that celebrate poetry in translation.

He joins us for a conversation on poetry, the power of language and the art of translation.

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Charlie Widmer describes himself as a multi-genre musician, but his range goes far beyond most artists. From opera to bluegrass, he's pretty much done it all.

Widmer is now the Connecticut State Troubadour, an official position devoted to music education and community.

One of his major goals is to make more people comfortable pursuing music, he said.

"My whole goal with being an educator is to try and just help people be less hard on themselves," he said. "It's not about being perfect. It turns out no one has it figured out. It turns out everyone's pretending. And I think it's time we take the masks off."

Today, we’ll hear about Widmer's musical journey across the globe, and his ongoing work to nurture the local music scene in Connecticut.

Where We Live is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

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