Schar School Podcasts

Women’s representation in the United States is under attack by the administration and the right-wing movement. They are prevented from joining the workforce, getting access to proper healthcare, and letting their voices be heard. David Ramadan and guest co-host Dr. Bonnie Stabile discuss the current state of the women’s movement with Katherine Spillar, Executive Editor of Ms. Magazine. Together, they emphasize the need to secure more women in decision-making positions of power to shape laws and policies centered on women's equality. Kathy also talks about her mission to put women’s stories and challenges into the spotlight, something which mainstream media greatly ignores.

This episode is about memory, politics, and who gets remembered. The Persisterhood Project is an oral history initiative launched at George Mason to collect and preserve the stories of women activists from 2016 to the present. Its premise is simple, but powerful. If women in political and grassroots movements do not tell their own story, too many of those stories will be lost.

The Virginia General Assembly is currently in session, and it is laser-focused on making big changes that will impact the lives of every citizen. Joining David Ramadan and co-host Commander Greg Brandon is the General Assembly’s chairman, Marcus Simon. Together, they discuss the state’s efforts to bolster public safety, from improving work relations with ICE to changing regulations about gun ownership. Marcus also explains their plans for redistricting, as well as why it is highly similar but still vastly different from gerrymandering. Find out what your elected officials are doing for everyone’s sake and what you can do as a citizen to let your voice be heard.

Data centers are going beyond the cloud and into the vastness of space. David Ramadan and his co-host Hina Kazmi explore this off-world progress with his guest Dr. Shareef Al Romaithi, CEO of Madari Space. Together, they explore the business, policy, and governance of space-based data infrastructure, which could be essential in building secure orbital data centers in low Earth orbit. They also discuss the colossal technical hurdles of bringing data centers into space, from the huge launch costs to the ever-increasing space debris. Discover how we can work together to ensure such an innovation can benefit the entire human race.

The American Legion – you know the name. Everyone does. But they are more than just a group of old veterans at a bar. What are their duties, and how do they impact the next generation of our armed forces and society as a whole? David Ramadan sits down with two distinguished leaders: Captain Len Wales, a Commander of McLean American Legion Post 270, and Colonel Glenn Yarborough, who served 2017 years in the US Army in Armor and Cavalry units.Together, they discuss the activities and programs organized by the American Legion for the youth, families, and communities. They also explore what the largest veteran’s organization today is doing to address loneliness and food insecurity faced by aging soldiers.

Confused about the Trump trials? There’s a podcast for that: Meet “Jack,” the weekly breakdown of all-things Jack Smith hosted by Allison Gill and the Schar School’s Andrew McCabe.