Capitalizing on its wealth of influencers and thought leaders, Wayne State University will roll out a new podcast, the Today@Wayne Podcast, on May 18 that features interviews with WSU’s most prominent administrators, faculty, staff and alumni about the issues most affecting Detroit and the state.
The podcast, which will be released on Tuesday mornings of each week on the University’s website and popular podcasting platforms, will run for 10 weeks during the summer and resume in late August, at the start of the university’s fall semester.
“Given the university’s long, rich history in Detroit, we are excited about the opportunity to talk with listeners about our work and its benefits to the city, region and state,” said WSU’s Matt Lockwood, associate vice president of university communications and the podcast’s producer. “From the arts to medical and technological research to lending a hand in the fight against COVID-19, Wayne State has always played a key role in moving this city and state forward. And the Today@Wayne Podcast gives us yet another chance to underscore this fact in a fun, colorful and engaging way.”
The podcast will be hosted by veteran journalist Darrell Dawsey, an associate director of communications at WSU. A former newspaper reporter and the author of four books, Dawsey has worked at a number of media outlets locally and nationally, including the Detroit News, the New York Daily News and the Los Angeles Times. Dawsey has also served as host of American Black Journal, the longest-running Black news/issues program in the country.
Guests for the summer installments will include Police Chief Anthony Holt, a national leader in community policing and de-escalation training; Ned Staebler, the vice president of economic development and a driving force behind Wayne State’s investment in Detroit and the region over the past decade; WSU law professor Peter J. Hammer, the nationally acclaimed director of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights and a staunch defender of voting rights; and Graduate School Dean Amanda Bryant-Friedrich, a passionate advocate of advanced education at a time when some question the value of college degrees.