Urban Impact
On Kean's Urban Impact podcast, the complex issues facing urban communities are examined through meaningful conversations with scholars, community leaders and others who are driving change.
Urban Impact is recorded and produced on campus at Kean, New Jersey’s urban research university.
Season 3 - Episode 5: Designing Change: Kean Architecture Students Are Transforming Urban Spaces
Kean University students and faculty are revolutionizing urban design through innovative, community-centered learning and research. This episode highlights how architecture students at Michael Graves College are tackling real-world issues including food justice, youth empowerment and sustainable urban planning, and making a lasting impact in their communities.
Season 3 - Episode 4: Urban Mayors Unite: Addressing New Jersey’s Housing Crisis
Two prominent New Jersey mayors, Plainfield’s Adrian Mapp and Passaic’s Hector Lora, discuss how they are driving innovative solutions to address the state’s 200,000-unit affordable housing shortage. Learn how their collective advocacy and efforts to amplify community voices are reshaping urban policy and development across 32 municipalities.
Season 3 - Episode 3: Building Courage, Confidence and Character: Natasha Hemmings' Vision for the Girl Scouts
Think those iconic Girl Scout cookies are just a sweet treat? Think again. Natasha Hemmings, CEO of Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, reveals how the organization is shaping tomorrow’s leaders, one badge and bold idea at a time. Tune in to learn how the Girl Scouts, in partnership with Kean University, are sparking curiosity and driving transformation—literally—through the innovation of a new mobile classroom.
Season 3 - Episode 2: Ndaba Mandela on Legacy, Leadership and Global Impact
Ndaba Mandela discusses legacy, leadership and community-driven change in the latest episode of Urban Impact. Learn about his very personal connection to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and how he’s carrying forward his grandfather Nelson Mandela’s vision for a brighter future.
Season 3 - Episode 1: How Anchor Institutions Help Shape Communities: A Conversation with Kean University President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D.
In this special kickoff to Season Three of Urban Impact, Kean University President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D., defines what it means to be an anchor institution and explains the critical role institutions like Kean play in building community partnerships and driving local development. He discusses the University’s unique contributions to the local community and shares his vision for the evolving impact of anchor institutions nationwide.
Season 2 - Episode 10: Inside Kean University's Journey to Sustainability, with Felice Vazquez
Hear how Kean University’s innovative efforts led to a prestigious Silver STARS rating for sustainability. Hosts Michael Salvatore and Barbara George Johnson talk with Felice Vazquez, Kean’s senior vice president for planning and special counsel to the president, about the importance of sustainability in higher education.
Season 2 - Episode 9: Sustainability Starts with Small Changes, Featuring Allison Edgley, Ed.D.
Kean University sustainability ambassador Allison Edgley, Ed.D., is back! In part two of her episode, she shares what she learned firsthand about sustainable practices in China and Iceland. The Kean lecturer discusses the small but impactful steps individuals can take to cut down on single-use plastics, food waste and overconsumption.
Season 2 - Episode 8: Sustainability Practices that Make a Difference with Kean University’s Allison Edgley, Ed.D.
Learn about new sustainability initiatives at Kean University from lecturer Allison Edgley, Ed.D., as she explores her role as a sustainability ambassador. Tune in to find out how your daily actions can significantly impact the environment and help create a sustainable future.
Season 2 - Episode 7: What is Trauma-Informed Care? How Counseling and Community are Key to Wellness and Healing
Did you know eight out of 10 Americans have faced trauma at some point in their lives? This statistic opens up profound discussions about the world of trauma-informed care in this episode of Urban Impact, featuring Kean Assistant Professor Jennifer Vinces-Cua, Ph.D. Learn how community support can foster healing and resilience.
Season 2 - Episode 6: Adapted Physical Education for the Disability Community – with Alex Stribing, Ph.D.
Join us for a compelling episode of Urban Impact with Kean Assistant Professor Alex Stribing, Ph.D., as she discusses the transformative role of adapted physical education in bridging gaps, promoting inclusion and fostering wellness among students with disabilities. Dive into the passion and creativity fueling Stribing’s commitment to making physical education accessible to everyone. #InclusiveEducation #WellnessForAll
Season 2 Episode 5: Facing the Tide: How Rising Sea Levels Shape Our Future - Part 2 With Coastal Geologist Jun Cheng, Ph.D.
Learn more about rising sea levels, the critical role of dunes along the Jersey Shore and innovative strategies to address climate challenges with Kean Assistant Professor Dr. Jun Cheng, Ph.D. on our latest episode of Urban Impact.
Season 2 Episode 4: Coastal Climate Change: Why Our Beaches Are in Trouble - With Kean Coastal Geologist Jun Cheng, Ph.D.
On this episode of Kean’s podcast, Urban Impact, geologist and Kean Assistant Professor Jun Cheng, Ph.D., takes us “down the shore” to discuss how the changing climate is impacting one of New Jersey’s most iconic and treasured landscapes: its beaches.
Season 2 - Episode 3: Can Carbon Capture & Environmental Justice Co-Exist? | Nicky Sheats, Ph.D., J.D.
On Season Two’s third episode, Kean University’s podcast Urban Impact takes a dive into the controversial topic of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) with Nicky Sheats, Ph.D., J.D., director of the Center for the Urban Environment at the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean. Sheats breaks down the problems with CCS from an environmental justice point of view and why plans to implement it will likely disproportionately impact low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.
Season 2 - Episode 2: What Is Environmental Justice? | Nicky Sheats, Ph.D., J.D.
On Season Two’s second episode, the Kean University’s podcast Urban Impact explores environmental justice with Nicky Sheats, Ph.D., J.D., director of the Center for the Urban Environment at the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean. Sheats explains the disproportionate impact of pollution on low-income neighborhoods and communities of color; how the Canadian wildfires brought a visual element to understanding pollution; and why measuring one pollutant at a time is part of the problem.
Episode 10: Kean’s Podcast Urban Impact Celebrates First Season
On the 10th and final episode of Season One of Kean University’s podcast, Urban Impact, hosts Michael Salvatore, Ph.D., and Barbara George Johnson, JD, recall their favorite moments from the first season. Take a listen and hear what caught their attention as the podcast’s season draws to a close.
Episode 9: Why Artificial Intelligence Is Flawed (Currently) - With Astrophysicist David Joiner, Ph.D.
On the ninth episode of Urban Impact, astrophysicist and Kean Associate Professor David Joiner, Ph.D., pulls back the curtain on artificial intelligence, revealing its current limitations, flaws and even potential biases.
Episode 8: Should We Fight Artificial Intelligence or Embrace It? The Role of AI in Education - With Professor Mia Zamora, Ph.D.
On the eighth episode of Urban Impact, English professor and director of the Master of Arts in Writing Studies program at Kean University, Mia Zamora, Ph.D., discusses the potential impact of artificial intelligence in the classroom and why she believes a humanist approach is critical to working with emerging technologies like A.I.
Urban Impact is recorded and produced at Kean, New Jersey’s urban research university.
Episode 7: Supercharging Student Engagement by Embracing Diverse Cultures
On the seventh episode of Kean’s podcast, Urban Impact, Ana I. Berdecia, director of the Center for the Positive Development of Urban Children at the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University, discusses the impact teachers have when they embrace the different cultures of their students and why stepping up cultural celebrations and measures that embrace diversity are key to engaging students on a deeper level.
Episode 6: The Power of Family Engagement in Education - With Sancha Gray, Ed.D.
On the 6th episode of Urban Impact, Senior Vice President for Entrepreneurial Education Initiatives Sancha Gray, Ed.D., discusses how intentionally developing programs that engage families in the education of their children supercharges positive outcomes, increases graduation rates and has the potential to disrupt the cycle of poverty in families.
Episode 5: The Power of Nonprofits to Transform Urban Communities
On the 5th episode of Kean’s podcast, Urban Impact, Kean Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs David S. Birdsell, Ph.D., explains what nonprofits need to do to maximize their impact and how they became such an important part of America’s social support network.
Episode 4: Urban Invasion: How Invasive Species Could Collapse Entire Ecosystems
On the 4th episode of Kean’s podcast, Urban Impact, biologist and Kean Assistant Professor Brenna Levine, Ph.D., discusses how the population density and higher average temperatures of urban areas make them susceptible to invasive species that are disrupting their biodiversity.
Episode 3: Are Urban Farms and Micro Forests the Key to a Healthier Planet? Ethnobotanist Daniela Shebitz, Ph.D., Explains
Daniela Shebitz, Ph.D., explains what an ethnobotanist is, why urban farming and micro forests are so important, and why solving the Earth’s carbon problem comes down to individuals not corporations.
Episode 2: How Does This Change Anything?
(What Is Urban Research - Part 2) Kean University Provost David S. Birdsell, Ph.D., Explains
On the second episode of Kean’s podcast, Urban Impact, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs David S. Birdsell, Ph.D., explains what Kean’s urban research designation means for students, researchers and communities across New Jersey.
Episode 1: What Is Urban Research Anyway?
Kean University Provost David S. Birdsell, Ph.D., Explains
What happens when a university is officially designated an "urban research" university? On the first episode of Urban Impact, Kean Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs David S. Birdsell, Ph.D., explains Kean’s important role as New Jersey’s first urban research university and the impact of the designation.
About the Hosts
Michael Salvatore, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Administration, Kean University
As Senior Vice President of Administration at Kean, Michael Salvatore, Ph.D. is dedicated to improving the campus community through the democratization of data and detailed analysis. With an extensive background in education, including a University doctoral teaching fellowship in education leadership, Michael brings a wealth of experience to his role. He is committed to closing learning and access gaps and creating a more equitable and sustainable ecosystem for student success.
Barbara George Johnson, Vice President of External Affairs and Urban Policy and Research, Kean University
Barbara George Johnson is Vice President of External Affairs and Urban Policy and Research at Kean University. At the John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy, Barbara oversees the work and mission of the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association, a one-of-a-kind organization of 32 urban mayors engaged in collective policymaking. Johnson has more than 30 years of experience as a public policy professional in New Jersey with an extensive background in health care, public health and public policy.