Ñý¼§Ö±²¥

two Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ taking samples in a conifer forest meadow

Graduate School

Welcome to Confluence!

On this podcast, we celebrate the people whose hard work, talent, and intellectual firepower drive the research and teaching mission of UM: our excellent faculty and our talented graduate Ñý¼§Ö±²¥.

We also aim to capture the bristling energy of intellectual life of this great university. An essential aspect of a great graduate experience is finding a community driven by curiosity and a willingness to dive deep into ideas.

This podcast aims to celebrate that rich culture of exchange and creativity through conversations with faculty and their graduate Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ about the ideas that move them and motivate their work. We delve into the theories and practices of graduate education, explore the cutting-edge ideas in research and creativity that underpin their work, and we try to have some fun!

Whether you’re already part of our community, or you’re part of a wider listening audience, we’re glad you’ve floated our way and joined our Confluence!

 

Podcast Episodes

river confluence

Ep. 96: Confluence Eddies Out

Our 95th episode is our last--at least, for a while. Host Ashby Kinch bids listeners farewell and reminds you of the vital nature of the strange but essential quest to understand the world that is higher education.
Madalynn Madigar posing on beach

Ep. 95: Madalynn Madigar (M.A. Ecocriticism) on Slow Apocalypse, Petroleum and Utopias

Madalynn Madigar shares about eco-melancholia, petromodernity, and apocalyptic narratives.
Richard Forbes on Ski Lift

Ep. 94: Richard Forbes (M.A. Journalism) on Melting Glaciers and Absurd Hope

Richard Forbes is a graduate of the Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism master's program at UM. He dives into the relationship between his school work, his life's work, and how he deals with the challenges that bridge the two.

Confluence Podcast episode featuring Richard Forbes
Graduate student panel

Ep. 93: Grad Student Panel on Resilience and Retention, GradCon 2023

On this episode, we revisit GradCon 2023 and an enlightening panel on grad student resilience. Six Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ reflect on their graduate journeys.
headshot of Annie Belcourt

Ep. 92: Annie Belcourt, Mentoring for Mental Health

Dr. Annie Belcourt, professor in the Public and Community Health Science department and chair of Native American Studies, returns to Confluence to round out our coverage of the M-HOPES grant.
Bryan Cochran in front of a lake or stream

Ep. 91: Bryan Cochran: Mentoring for Mental Health

Psychology professor Bryan Cochran returns to Confluence to pick up our series on the faculty educational program, M-HOPES: Mental Health Opportunities for Professional Empowerment in STEM.
Holly Schleicher backpacking

Ep. 90: Holly Schleicher, Co-PI on the M-HOPES Grant

Licensed clinical psychologist Holly Schleicher kicks off Confluence's newest series on graduate student mental health, but with a twist! Holly, along with Annie Belcourt and Bryan Cochran, offered a three-part educational series for UM faculty through a grant called the Mental Health Opportunities for Professional Empowerment in STEM, or M-HOPES.
headshot of Ruth Plenty Sweetgrass-She Kills

Ep. 89: Dr. Ruth Plenty Sweetgrass-She Kills, Lead PI of the Willow Alliance

Episode 89 rounds out Confluence’s series on the Willow Alliance, in conversation with Dr. Ruth Plenty Sweetgrass-She Kills, who leads the project.
Phoebe Bean petting a horse on the head

Ep. 88: Phoebe Bean (Ph.D.) Clinical Psychology

In episode 88, Clinical Psychology Ph.D. candidate Phoebe Bean continues Confluence's spotlight on mental and behavioral health programs.
Jenny Rotzal and a dog on top of a mountain

Ep. 87: Jenny Rotzal (Ph.D.) School Psychology

Episode 87 launches Confluence into a short series focusing on the mental and behavioral health programs at UM that serve key stakeholders in the community, the state and the region.

Ep. 86: A Conversation with Bryan Cochran on LGBTIQ+ Psychology

Bryan Cochran has been pushing the boundaries of the clinical psychology field to be more inclusive of LGBTIQ+ studies and treatment for over two decades. 
Dean Nicolai

Ep. 85: Dean Nicolai's Willow Alliance Story

In episode 85, Confluence's series on Willow Alliance faculty members flows on with Dean Nicolai, department head of Native American studies at Salish Kootenai College.
Diana Doan-Crider

Ep. 84: Diana Doan-Crider kicks off the Willow Alliance Series

Episode 84 marks the beginning of a short series on Confluence featuring faculty fellows on a grant with the Willow Alliance.