The Hayseed Scholar podcast has come to a close. In this farewell episode, Brent's brother Kyle hosts it and they chat about the podcast and why Brent is closing it down. Two friends of the pod, Matt McDonald and Jelena Subotic, also join to mention what they liked and what they (Jelena) did not like about the podcast.

Brent closes by asking Kyle, who is a LinkedIn rockstar, about the changing landscape of social media and reaching beyond an academic audience, before the two of them sign-off for good.

For those reading these notes, Brent wants to reiterate his thanks to everyone for listening and to all the guests who have been on the podcast and shared their life stories with him, and everyone, over the years.

Dr. Benjamin de Carvalho joins the Hayseed Scholar podcast. Ben was born in Switzerland to a mother from Norway and a father from Brazil. Ben talks about how that transpired, growing up in Norway, and how a Fulbright brought him to the United States in the late 90's. Ben recounts his time at the New School for his first Master's, moving to Cambridge for his M.Phil and PhD, and ending back in Norway at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, or NUPI, where he remains gainfully and happily employed, and thriving, to this day. Ben's impact on International Relations, and its history, includes his pathbreaking work on the 'Big Bangs' of IR with John Hobson and Friend of the Pod Halvard Leira in their 2011 Millennium article, the genesis of which he shares with Brent. It also includes his role, along with a critical mass of others, in founding the Historical IR section of the International Studies Association. Ben closes with how he approaches writing, both on his own and also with collaborators like Dr. Professor Leira, his love of cooking, and more!

Professor Jason Ralph joins the Hayseed Scholar podcast. Brent has known Jason's work for two decades, but only fairly recently met him in person. Jason grew up in the village of Norton Canes in South Staffordshire near the West Midlands of England. His father had worked in the coal mines years prior, but then started a business where all of Jason's family would eventually work. The original plan was to get a teaching degree focused in physical education, but that didn't quite work out. Jason's intellectual turn happened in a number of locations - working back at his father's business during breaks while reading the newspapers, in the US during a stint at 'Camp America', which put him close to UMass-Amherst, and then in Wales at Aberystwyth, where he would get his Bachelor's and then Master's, concluding with a PhD in War Studies at King's College London. But it was equal parts critical theory and security, as well as strategic studies and intelligence, that inspired Jason's interests. Jason's earlier work was on American Exceptionalism and the ICC, including a Review of International Studies article that Brent would read and begin to know Jason's research through. Jason talks about breaking into academia through positions at Exeter, and then Leeds, where he remains to this day. He reflects on his approach to writing, what he does to unwind, how playing the guitar helps with both, and more!