In this episode of The Outsider Within, we sit down with Dr. Sally Pirie, an anthropologist, visual artist, and professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. ​ Dr. Pirie shares her groundbreaking work in comics-based research, exploring how comics can democratize knowledge and make complex ideas accessible without oversimplifying them. She discusses her passion for normalizing gender diversity, her experiences as a mother of a transgender child, and the intersection of advocacy, scholarship, and creativity in her work. ​From her journey as a professional cartoonist to her pioneering work in comics-based research, Dr. Pirie offers insights into the power of art as a tool for resistance, storytelling, and truth-telling. She also offers practical advice for aspiring comic researchers and reflects on the importance of advocating for marginalized voices during challenging times. Whether you're an academic, artist, or advocate, this episode is sure to inspire and ignite your creativity.Tune in to hear how Dr. Pirie is reshaping the boundaries of research and making space for new ways of knowing.

In this thought-provoking and timely episode, we catch up with Dr. Raul A. Mora to discuss his work in the award-winning Literacies in Second Languages Project research lab and what it means to find community and purpose across and within our interconnected worlds.

Horses have always inspired the collective imagination. In this compelling episode, we talk with Dr. JuliAnna Avila about her research which “collapses the distance” between geographical and cultural boundaries, digital and physical spaces, and, most significantly, horses and humans. Influenced by New Literacies scholarship and employing a sociocultural theoretical framework, Ávila explores self-directed learning journeys; the flexibility of apprentice and expert positions; the influence of consumer culture; the philosophy and significance of the cultural roots of Vaquero horsemanship; the role of technology; and what the future of this continually evolving horsemanship might include.

As a country, we are in unprecedented times. In this special episode, we speak to four young voters all of whom are voting in a presidential election for the first time:

Rylee Gore- University of Memphis

Malachi Drumgole - James Madison University

Jeffrey Jones - University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

Quinton Smith - University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

In this episode, Dr. Stovall discusses some of the ideas that he feels are critical to becoming an antiracist educator and, more broadly, an antiracist community member who attends critically to questions of race and justice to create more accessible, welcoming campus communities.

In this inspiring episode, we had a chance to sit down with Councilwoman Jennifer Rouse. We talk about her journey from the classroom to a seat on the City Council and how she inspires young people to be civically engaged.

In this dynamic episode, we talk with scholar, activist, and social media influencer, Dr. Angel Jones about her unapologetic take on the role of public scholarship and social media to combat racism and advocate for justice.

In this provocative episode, we talk with Mathematics Educator, Dr. Danny Martin, about the problem of viewing math as neutral and untouched by racism and anti-Blackness.