Being The Change

To celebrate Constitution Day, Dr. Peter Levine of Tufts University, one of the foremost authorities on civics and how to teach it, gave a guest lecture at JMU. While on campus, he stopped by the podcast studio for a discussion about the current state of our civic life. 

Co-chairs of the strategic planning process and the director of Planning, Analytics & Institutional Research discuss how the process is moving forward and how JMU community members can get involved.

Increasing numbers of students, faculty and staff are riding the bus to campus rather than driving their cars. Not only is this a big win for the environment, but it's also a huge stress reliever and a positive lifestyle choice.

Join us for part two of our conversation with JMU Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Tim Miller (’96, ’00M) and Kathryn Hunt ('25), Student Affairs Presidential Engagement Fellow, about helping students find their place at JMU and get the most out of their Madison Experience.

As a new school year begins, JMU Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Tim Miller (’96, ’00M) and Kathryn Hunt (’25), Student Affairs Presidential Engagement Fellow, offer some tips to help students get the most out of their Madison Experience.

In a time of great change in higher education, Jim Schmidt, JMU's seventh president, lays out his vision for the future.

Host Andy Perrine (’86) briefly reflects on the first two seasons of Being The Change as we pause publishing for the summer, returning in late August for Season 3.

Iraq war veteran and inspirational speaker Justin Constantine (’92) died in 2022, but his spirit lives on. Hear how first-year JMU student Samantha Cornell is benefiting from Justin’s legacy because of Dhalia Constantine’s generosity, and how Navy nurse Racheal Fletcher (’05) cared for Justin stateside before discovering they both were JMU alumni. 

In the second episode in a series about JMU’s continued evolution as a research institution, Dr. Patrice Ludwig (’96, ’01M), biologist and interim assistant vice president of Research and Innovation, provides context on how research pervades the undergraduate experience at JMU, while students Corrinne Cullina (’25) and Tony Gelona (’25) describe their life-changing research experiences starting early in their careers at Madison.

From a teachers’ school for women, to a regional master’s-level university, to a national research institution, JMU certainly has evolved during its 117-year history. Dr. Anthony Tongen, vice president of Research, Economic Development and Innovation, and Dr. Rudy Molina, vice provost for Student Academic Success, discuss how this evolution continues to progress and what’s in JMU’s future. 

Successful investors and entrepreneurs Don Rainey (’82), Rusty Shepard (’86) and Rick Kushel (’87) describe why the College of Business’ business plan competition is such a formative experience for JMU students and why their endowed scholarship fund, which distributes $53,000 annually in competition prizes, charges the competition with real-world high stakes.

Dr. Kara Dillard, executive director of the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement, discusses the recent conversation on campus between Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (’93) and Minority Leader Ryan McDougle (’93), and how these two JMU alumni from opposite sides of the political spectrum collaborate despite their differences. 

Chaz Haywood ('97), clerk of the Rockingham County Circuit Court, and Megan Pullen ('18, '23M), the court's deputy clerk for historic archives, discuss how unearthing courthouse records dating back to the 1700s brings to life local history and demonstrates how much our lives have improved since the early days of the republic. 

Sierra Stanczyk ('09), Meghan Schenker-Fulcher and Carole Anderson ('86) discuss the phenomenal rise of Women for Madison, a group that has taken the JMU campus community by storm by celebrating successful women and supporting the university.  

Click here to register for Women for Madison's Women Who Amaze Summit, May 2-4, 2025.

Wears Woody apparel brand founder Mike Norwood ('89) discusses how he is chasing his entrepreneurial dreams while helping to fund research to find a cure for type 1 diabetes. 

Undergraduate applications to JMU have increased by more than 80% over the last five years, smashing records. Vice President for Enrollment Management Melinda Wood discusses the factors contributing to this incredible increase in JMU's national and international popularity, and how the university plans to navigate increased competition as college-aged populations decline. 

Eric ('91) and Lara ('92) Major describe how their support for JMU brings them great joy. And, as the university gears up for Giving Day on Feb. 27, Nick Langridge (’00, ’07M, ’14Ph.D.), vice president for University Advancement, explains how generosity is actually good for us emotionally and biologically. 

JMU alumni Jeff Gorman ('12) and Jake Cochran ('12), who comprise the critically-acclaimed band Illiterate Light, discuss their origins at JMU, their unique live act, and powering guitar amplifiers with bicycles. The Washington Post calls their sound "massive," and they currently are touring nationally.

Mary Sullivan, who coordinates the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) initiative for JMU and the region, describes how the program connects Virginia businesses with Virginia students looking for work-based learning opportunities. Ryzing Technologies’ Ross Ruffing describes how the program helped to double the opportunities at his company in Staunton, Virginia.