Welcome to Our Podcast Series!

Soul on Fire: Narratives that Inspire

Anne Wong

It is said that "the most powerful weapon on earth is the soul on fire" and that education "is not the filling of the pail but the lighting of a fire." This podcast series is a showcase for the stories of exemplary McMaster faculty. I hope that these narratives will inspire you and other members of our academic community to realize your own passions and academic potential.

— Dr. Anne Wong, assistant dean, Program for Faculty Development

The podcast series is a Program for Faculty Development and McMaster Institute for Innovation & Excellence in Teaching & Learning (MIIETL) collaborative project funded by the Forward With Integrity initiative.

Arshad Ahmad

Arshad Ahmad

"My real interest in education evolved following a series of critical incidents …"

Arshad Ahmad is the associate vice-president, teaching and learning at McMaster University and the director of McMaster's Institute for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

Read more and listen to
Arshad Ahmad's podcast

Catherine Anderson

Catherine Anderson

"This is my community … this isn't just my job that I do between these hours … this is how I've invested my life."

Catherine Anderson is a teaching professor in the Department of Linguistics & Languages.

Read more and listen to
Catherine Anderson's podcast

Jean Chamberlain-Froese

Jean Chamberlain

"Everyday, 800 mothers are dying from pregnancy-related complications … that's like two jumbo jets crashing every single day."

Jean Chamberlain-Froese is an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and an internationally recognized expert and consultant in women's health.

Read more and listen to
Jean Chamberlain-Froese's podcast

Kevin Dunn

Kevin Dunn

"Seeing all these Open Educational Resources develop is something I really am passionate about because not everyone has access to expensive textbooks"

Kevin Dunn is an assistant professor and associate chair, undergraduate, in the Department of Chemical Engineering. He focuses on teaching students the foundations of chemical engineering.

Read more and listen to
Kevin Dunn's podcast

Carolyn Eyles

Carolyn Eyles

"I took this group of students to the top of a volcano and just watching their faces as they took the environment in … That is what inspires me."

Carolyn Eyles is the director of the Integrated Science Program and a professor in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences.

Read more and listen to
Carolyn Eyles's podcast

Joe Kim

Joe Kim

"As a researcher, I've been really interested in the science of learning … how do teachers and students actually know what to do in this teaching and learning dynamic?"

Joe Kim is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour. As a teaching professor, Kim is actively involved in all aspects of the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Read more and listen to
Joe Kim's podcast

Bruce Wainman

Bruce Wainman

"If you are going to bother to bring 600 people into a room, then you better have something special to say."

Bruce Wainman is director of the Education Program in Anatomy, an associate professor of the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, associate member of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and coordinator of biological sciences for the Ontario Midwifery Consortium.

Read more and listen to
Bruce Wainman's podcast

Janet Landeen

Janet Landeen

"...I certainly had a long career seeing some things that needed to change in the system, then I thought maybe it would be good to influence new nurses as they were starting."

Janet Landeen is an associate professor of the School of Nursing. She joined the Faculty in 1987 following a 20-year career in hospital and community based psychiatric mental health nursing.


Read more and listen to
Janet Landeen's podcast

Fred Baxter

Janet Landeen

"I still get a real kick out of managing sick patients and helping them get better. I guess you could say I'm kind of wired to want to help people."

Dr. Fred Baxter is a clinical professor in the department of Anesthesia at McMaster University. His research interests include sepsis treatment and patient safety.



Read more and listen to
Fred Baxter's podcast