Uploaded September 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
If this conversation doesn't inspire you to seek new opportunities to expand your horizon, we don't know what will. Brian's approach to life doesn't follow the straight-and-narrow path. His far-reaching interests led him to earn a master's degree in biological sciences and a doctorate in philosophy and medical ethics. Now in his 19th year of teaching at Penn College, Brian has taken courses in everything from business and culinary to legal studies and physician assistant. He tells us how this knowledge quest allows him to connect with students from all disciplines to deliver a more meaningful educational experience. Our insightful conversation touches on countless topics, from AI to Monty Python.
Mentions in this episode:
Dr. Craig Miller: https://www.pct.edu/podcast/2 Community Theater League: ctlshows.com/Bedside Manor: pioneerdrama.com/SearchDetail.asp?PC=BEDSIDEMAN Jen Wahl : https://www.pct.edu/podcast/24Philosophy of Science and Religion https://www.pct.edu/catalog/courses/PHL231The Stone Reader: Modern Philosophy in 133 Arguments | Peter Catapano and Simon Critchley: wwnorton.com/books/The-Stone-Reader/21 Lessons for the 21st Century | Yuval Noah Harari: ynharari.com/book/21-lessons-book/Neuralink: neuralink.com/Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow: interestingengineering.com/science/monty-python-and-the-holy-grail-airspeed-velocity-of-an-unladen-swallow Self_Reliance | Ralph Waldo Emerson: owleyes.org/text/self-reliance/read/self-reliance
Chapters:
0:00:00 - Introduction
0:02:30 - Chapter 1
0:02:31 - Path to Penn College
0:06:51 - Chapter 3
0:06:52 - On teaching
0:09:05 - Chapter 5
0:09:06 - On learning
0:11:16 - Chapter 7
0:11:17 - On mindset
0:12:44 - Chapter 9
0:12:45 - Learning as we age
0:14:22 - Chapter 11
0:14:23 - Career choice
0:16:23 - Chapter 13
0:16:24 - Penn College courses
0:19:55 - Chapter 15
0:19:56 - Family influence
0:21:57 - Chapter 17
0:21:58 - Student influence
0:23:00 - Chapter 19
0:23:01 - Teaching methods
0:24:43 - Chapter 21
0:24:44 - Community theater
0:26:44 - Chapter 23
0:26:45 - Performance in teaching
0:27:55 - Chapter 25
0:27:56 - Fear, knowledge, and student engagement
0:32:59 - Chapter 27
0:33:00 - Experimenting with interactions
0:40:22 - Chapter 29
0:40:23 - Recommended courses
0:43:15 - Chapter 31
0:43:16 - Sociology and artificial Intelligence
0:51:13 - Chapter 33
0:51:14 - Trusting information
0:56:19 - Chapter 35
0:56:20 - Self-Reliance
0:58:16 - Chapter 37
0:58:17 - Outro
If this conversation doesn't inspire you to seek new opportunities to expand your horizon, we don't know what will. Brian's approach to life doesn't follow the straight-and-narrow path. His far-reaching interests led him to earn a master's degree in biological sciences and a doctorate in philosophy and medical ethics. Now in his 19th year of teaching at Penn College, Brian has taken courses in everything from business and culinary to legal studies and physician assistant. He tells us how this knowledge quest allows him to connect with students from all disciplines to deliver a more meaningful educational experience. Our insightful conversation touches on countless topics, from AI to Monty Python.
Mentions in this episode:
Dr. Craig Miller: https://www.pct.edu/podcast/2 Community Theater League: ctlshows.com/Bedside Manor: pioneerdrama.com/SearchDetail.asp?PC=BEDSIDEMAN Jen Wahl : https://www.pct.edu/podcast/24Philosophy of Science and Religion https://www.pct.edu/catalog/courses/PHL231The Stone Reader: Modern Philosophy in 133 Arguments | Peter Catapano and Simon Critchley: wwnorton.com/books/The-Stone-Reader/21 Lessons for the 21st Century | Yuval Noah Harari: ynharari.com/book/21-lessons-book/Neuralink: neuralink.com/Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow: interestingengineering.com/science/monty-python-and-the-holy-grail-airspeed-velocity-of-an-unladen-swallow Self_Reliance | Ralph Waldo Emerson: owleyes.org/text/self-reliance/read/self-reliance
Chapters:
0:00:00 - Introduction
0:02:30 - Chapter 1
0:02:31 - Path to Penn College
0:06:51 - Chapter 3
0:06:52 - On teaching
0:09:05 - Chapter 5
0:09:06 - On learning
0:11:16 - Chapter 7
0:11:17 - On mindset
0:12:44 - Chapter 9
0:12:45 - Learning as we age
0:14:22 - Chapter 11
0:14:23 - Career choice
0:16:23 - Chapter 13
0:16:24 - Penn College courses
0:19:55 - Chapter 15
0:19:56 - Family influence
0:21:57 - Chapter 17
0:21:58 - Student influence
0:23:00 - Chapter 19
0:23:01 - Teaching methods
0:24:43 - Chapter 21
0:24:44 - Community theater
0:26:44 - Chapter 23
0:26:45 - Performance in teaching
0:27:55 - Chapter 25
0:27:56 - Fear, knowledge, and student engagement
0:32:59 - Chapter 27
0:33:00 - Experimenting with interactions
0:40:22 - Chapter 29
0:40:23 - Recommended courses
0:43:15 - Chapter 31
0:43:16 - Sociology and artificial Intelligence
0:51:13 - Chapter 33
0:51:14 - Trusting information
0:56:19 - Chapter 35
0:56:20 - Self-Reliance
0:58:16 - Chapter 37
0:58:17 - Outro
