Episode 48 - Endowed Teaching Chairs

[00:00:10] Speaker A: Welcome to Kendall speaks. I'm Dr. Bryan Stewart, Kendall campus president. And today we have two amazing faculty and one of our chairs. First we have Dr. Smith, Associate professor senior in Global Business. Welcome. [00:00:25] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:00:26] Speaker A: And Dr. Ashan, Associate professor senior of Global Business also. Welcome. Glad to have you both here today. [00:00:31] Speaker C: Thank you for having us. [00:00:32] Speaker A: Both endowed teaching chairs and we're going to get into that, so congratulations on that. And also with us is our chair of Global Business, Alexis Portawanda. Welcome. [00:00:40] Speaker D: Thank you for having me back. [00:00:43] Speaker A: We'll start with you, Dr. Hassan. Tell us a little bit about your journey and how you got to the Kendall campus and the school for Global Business. [00:00:49] Speaker C: Sure. So this is my 13th year at Kendall Campus School of Global Business. So 2013 is when I joined, joined Miami Dade College as an associate professor School of Business. And I have been extremely fortunate in my collaborations and friendships and support from my administration and the peers. And 13 years later, you know, I have received many different awards. Thankful for that. [00:01:18] Speaker D: Yes. And publications. [00:01:19] Speaker C: Publications and program design, program development, curriculum design. So it's been 13 good years. [00:01:26] Speaker A: What brought you to South Florida? What got you to Miami Dade? [00:01:29] Speaker C: It's family actually. It's, you know, I was up in New York and my husband accepted a position here at UM So we had a small child. I had to relocate. I was teaching at City University of New York at that point. So when we relocated I was looking for a position, full time position and MDC was hiring at that point and I actually for a summer I worked at Hialeah campus as an adjunct. And then the position, full time position opened and I joined. [00:02:01] Speaker A: We're glad. We'll give your husband a hug and a thank you for coming to South Florida because it's our blessing. Well, Dr. Smith, tell us about your journey and how long you've been at the college. [00:02:09] Speaker B: Yes, I'm actually fortunate to be right with Dr. Hassan. Thirteen years. [00:02:13] Speaker A: Oh my goodness. [00:02:15] Speaker B: Yes. But my career journey started in banking and then I actually started teaching for Miami Dade county public schools. [00:02:21] Speaker A: Okay. [00:02:21] Speaker B: I taught business and I just found my passion teaching business and education. Then I actually started as an angelic professor at the Homestead campus. Then I received a full time position in August 2013 at the north campus. And then I was fortunate to transfer to the Kendall campus with Alexis and Dr. Hassan and in spring 2021. And I am able to continue my journey from there. I love it. [00:02:46] Speaker A: Well, we're glad, we're glad north had you for a little while. But now you're home, both of you are home. And not going anywhere. [00:02:52] Speaker D: Yes, we don't let them. [00:02:53] Speaker A: Yeah. Chair Portawando, talk to our listeners a little bit about the School of Business at Kendall campus and tell a little bit about our programs, if you would. [00:03:00] Speaker D: So School of Global Business at the Kendall campus is the largest. We offer the largest programs with Business Administration, our AA and Business Administration, which is an excellent program. It's robust with foundation in business. And what's great about all of our programs is that they, they can build off of that. So we have bachelor's programs, which not all schools do offer, but we offer bachelor's in Leadership, Management, Innovation. And we have concentrations in Human Resources, Accounting, Hospitality, Digital Marketing, which Dr. Hassan designed two of those four concentrations. And so we have our general business programs where Dr. Smith is the shining star for them and anchoring in their curriculum development and has been since she's been here. We have programs in marketing and entrepreneurship and Finance, Economics and Human Resources Accounting and more. And so what's great about all of our programs is that they evolve. We don't lie stagnant with the growth and development. So both these wonderful faculty in front of me have been instrumental in incorporating AI into their courses, both with certifications for students to earn certifications within AI, but also just in the curriculum design and development. So, Dr. She had IBIS years ago, before even the buzz of AI, she was buzzing about AI and worked with sustainability within AI, a project that went really well. We did it for multiple semesters. We had a display and learning resources poster display. So it was very well engaged with our bachelor students and so created with our librarian, Shamsha Karim, a libguide for it exclusively. And it's actually used. This libguide is actually used by other colleges that they find it and access the information on that as well. And Nayri, she's been able to lead with our micro internship program. She helped to pilot that and very grateful for her guidance and direction in helping that build. She was a true champion for that. So our programs are robust and they have a variety of offerings, but we have such strong faculty that help to anchor them and keep them current. And so we're just very fortunate. [00:05:30] Speaker A: Two things you mentioned. One you didn't mention talk about the BIT center briefly because. [00:05:34] Speaker D: The BIT Center. Oh, that shiny, pretty object. Yes. Okay. So yes, our beautiful BIT center. And we're thrilled about it. So our Business Innovation Technology center is located in building R on the fourth floor and it's three spaces. One is like a collaborative classroom with open tables and great technology and has even like little Comfy lounge, couches in the back for those that really want to sit there and take it in. [00:06:04] Speaker C: And. [00:06:05] Speaker D: And then there's a social lounge in the center that students use to study and hang out and it's great to see that's always busy. And then we have a computer classroom with tiered seating in it. Both the two classrooms actually have Bloomberg terminals within them. And so faculty use Bloomberg terminals to present and yes, and then we have our VITA program that we are offering as well. And because of the BIT center, we're able to use the space to help with promoting vita, our, our tax assistance program there too. [00:06:40] Speaker A: Well, you mentioned AI, so I'd like to throw a question of AI to you too. You know, that's. We just opened our AI hub for the campus and it makes my heart happy to hear you two have embraced that. So talk a little bit about AI, Dr. Smith, and then we'll. [00:06:52] Speaker B: So our students are fortunate to have the resources that we have. So we do have certifications in AI. We have partnered with LinkedIn Learning as well Microsoft for our students to have the certifications and they embrace it and are so ready to just take on the world. The great thing about it, they are able to add these certifications to their resume. So it helps them with employment opportunities. Also within our micro internship programs as well, one of the great things that we have as faculty are the resources from cio. So we're able to learn about these different resources and then make sure our students are ready, share it with them, [00:07:28] Speaker A: get them on board. What about you, Dr. Sean, with AI, anything? [00:07:32] Speaker C: So yes, of course. I mean, if you look at business, business is being revolutionized by AI, right? It's. We are having tremendous efficiency gain. We are also looking at AI related displacement in the workforce. If you look at some research, current research, it shows that by 2035, about 90% of the tasks our business individuals are doing would be automated by AI. So we have this dichotomy right now. So we need to train our students for future, but we just don't know what the future will look like. So in that realm, we have to train students for problem solving. Whatever new tool will come up with AI, you have to have the curiosity to engage with it, to learn about it. So it's still the old school stuff that we have to talk about mindset and problem solving. AI is the tool to do that. Having said that, we as Alexis mentioned that with two other colleagues from the Bachelor's program, Dr. Melena Lobo and Dr. Richard Serapia, we had participated in the President's Innovation Fund. So that President's Innovation Fund came at an opportune time. That's the time when we are hearing about AI. It was not there yet. ChatGPT was not launched yet. But President Pumariyaga had that vision of talking about AI and she created that fund. And that fund became our anchor to engage ourselves, engage our faculty community, engage our students with this conversation of AI. So what we did is we anchored that conversation in our business Capstone course. So Business Capstone in the bachelor's program. This is a course students have to be creative and they're solving problems. They're looking at social and environmental problems and coming up with business solutions. So they're creating business models. But then the AI dimension was, okay, create the business solution that will increase efficiency, that will increase your impact of the business more. So it became really exciting and engaging project for all of us. It was multidisciplinary because it was management and innovation, leadership and management, innovation and supply chain. So what happened is our students, they were trained on some AI courses that came from actually Google, Google certification. And then they applied those in their every single module. So for marketing, how AI is increasing efficiency, how operations increasing efficiency, and they showcase those in forms of poster presentation to the community. And one of my students ended up presenting to, if I remember correctly, the Under Secretary of Commerce, our Antonio Delgado, the VP of innovation, he brought in. So that kind of exposure, that kind of understanding at the beginning, when AI was. We are talking about AI that was instrumental. Now we can carry that conversation across different disciplines or in different semesters in different courses. [00:10:45] Speaker A: Well, I appreciate all three of your discussions there because AI is so important. And with our new AI hub, which I hope you will use and teach in if you'd like. [00:10:52] Speaker D: Yes, you can. [00:10:53] Speaker A: That you can. Absolutely. The gentleman from Google was here. I don't know if you're here for the grand opening of it, but he was talking about. And you were talking about the workforce. And I think that's one of the things that the Kendall campus is really strong at. You just talked about some ways to come to class and learn and talk about what that job's going to be in 2035. But he was talking about that people thought the teller would go away in banks, he goes, that's not true. They're even more important now because of what AI does and what they have to do with technology. So I think we have to have that mindset that, you know, jobs are going to change. And what you guys are great at are training students to be ready to do that. [00:11:27] Speaker B: Yes. [00:11:28] Speaker A: Well, I'm excited to talk about our next topic because I've been here two years and you two are the two endowed teaching chairs that I got the pleasure of honoring. Yes. [00:11:36] Speaker C: Yay. [00:11:38] Speaker D: That's right. [00:11:39] Speaker A: And so I want to talk a little bit about the endowed teaching chair and what that recognition means to you, both professionally and personally, because I know a lot of that award, it's about what you've done that even gets you considered for it. So I'll start with you, Dr. Smith. Talk a little bit about personally and then the professional aspect of it, if you would. [00:11:57] Speaker B: You know, I know that teaching is my passion, it's my responsibility, and it's how I make a difference. Receiving this award has really confirmed my passion. You know, some people spend their entire life trying to figure out their purpose. I figured out mine, but the award just confirms it. So it's just a great way of recognition. You know, we're recognized so often from our chair, from our school of business, from our campus, from our leadership, but [00:12:21] Speaker A: from your students even. [00:12:23] Speaker B: Yes, definitely, yes. And it was just a great opportunity. Our students were able to participate as well. They created videos, they created, you know, testimonials to just show their appreciation for us. So, again, I know that teaching is my passion, but receiving this award really confirmed it, and I'm very grateful for it. [00:12:40] Speaker A: Thank you. Dr. Shine, give us your perspective. [00:12:44] Speaker C: So personally, it's one of the milestones after a decade long journey. Right? So. And it didn't. I didn't come to that all on a sudden. It's because of all the support I have received all years, all these years. So the support from the colleagues, from the students, and getting the acknowledgment from the students, that's a big deal, particularly when you're trying out different things, when you're talking about AI, when you're talking about sustainability in a business course, all those risks we take and the students acknowledge those, acceptance those, and then they shine. And then our peers see that, our colleagues see that and recognize us. That's a huge, both personal and professional achievement in itself. So very grateful for the entire experience set. [00:13:35] Speaker A: Well, I want to give you my thanks because I see people in higher ed all the time over the last year or two that have talked about AI and how do you do it, and how we do it is with people like you that are doing in front of our students. And I want to thank you from my heart about how hard we work. And Chair Pontoando thank you for your leadership. What does this mean to you to have faculty who are this respected not only by their peers, but by their students in the community? [00:13:58] Speaker C: Yes. [00:13:58] Speaker D: Well, Dr. Sun and Dr. Smith, their work is undeniable. So the endowed teaching chair could be for no one greater. And so they are just tremendous assets to our. Our students and our curriculum and our department and our college. And so it's a pleasure to get to work with them and see this happen naturally. There's no force, there's no push. There's just internal intrinsic motivation. You learn about that in geb, don't you? Yes, that's it. And so that just happens with them organically, and we're grateful to be in an environment where it's able to be nurtured and to flourish and so that their work can continue. They're not resting on their laurels. They're ready for the next challenge. Time and time again, Dr. Hassan will come into my office and be like, okay, I don't wanna be bored. So this is my next. My next project. I'm like, okay. And then Nayree is certifying everybody under the sun in all of this technology and hootsuite and everything. And she's like, no, I'm incorporating that already. I'm like, okay, all right. And so it's already there. They're already taking care of the work. And the title aside endowed teaching Chair beyond. Well deserved, but also not even needed. They're going to do this. This is just how they are and how they operate. And so, I mean, a point of pride is like, I mean, obviously I have the world's best faculty, but I have a great batting average here. You do two for two here. I mean, I don't know, but I think. I think that there's something in the water. And so. [00:15:35] Speaker C: Well, if I may, I may be biased, but we may have the best chair. [00:15:40] Speaker B: I agree. [00:15:41] Speaker D: We took a survey of the two of them and. [00:15:44] Speaker A: And you won. [00:15:44] Speaker D: And I got. [00:15:48] Speaker A: Let's talk a minute, though, about the latest thing is our new endowed teaching wall. What do you guys think about that? [00:15:53] Speaker B: Beautiful. [00:15:55] Speaker C: Oh, thank you for doing that. [00:15:58] Speaker D: And, yeah, and Dr. Diaz and you and Christine Mateo. [00:16:02] Speaker A: You don't know how many people would ask me what that wall was. I won't say. [00:16:05] Speaker D: We won't say. [00:16:06] Speaker A: But I am telling you, even from a distance now, it draws people to that building. So thank you two for being on that. You both mentioned teaching styles and philosophies. Let's talk either one. Whoever wants to go first. What are some of the philosophies that make you unique in the classroom. Because to me, as I hear you guys talk, the way you're teaching now was not what you did five years ago, even three years ago. And talk about some of those strategies. [00:16:28] Speaker B: So I would say, I love the quote, never stop learning because life never stops teaching. And one of the things that we all model for our students is continuous learning. The great thing about it, I'm not just teaching my students how to learn, I'm learning with them. Just like you mentioned with AI, the resources that we have, we are learning at the same time. And we learn so much from our students feedback to improve to the next semester. It's a great opportunity. But that's one of the teaching philosophies that I love. Never stop learning because life never stops teaching. [00:17:02] Speaker A: That's awesome. [00:17:03] Speaker C: That's awesome for me when I look at the students and I teach primarily in the bachelor's program. So if I'm going in that micro level, who I teach, what need they have. So we are looking at non traditional students who are bringing wealth of knowledge with them because they probably have 10, 15 years of work experience in different industries. And at that point, I'm not just a trainer for skills, I'm also somebody who helps them connect their dots in a critical manner, in a. So critical thinking, problem solving, these are extremely important. And I also challenge them with their preconceived notions because by that time they are bringing a lot of preconceived notions with them. Right? So it's much more of, well, every single business decision you're making, not just the what, why, who, but to what end. Think of your. To what end think of. Have a systemic perspective. You are part of this global system, not just, you know, you're not just part of the workforce. Now every decision you make down the line may. May impact 10,000 people. Right. May impact your community, may impact the water source, may impact the energy source. So think, have a bigger perspective of life. [00:18:20] Speaker A: Global perspective. [00:18:21] Speaker C: Global perspective, yeah. [00:18:22] Speaker A: Well, that's great. One of the things you've all hit on a little bit, and I'll start with you, Alexis, is, is collaboration. I'd like to explore a little more all the collaboration to make sure we capture. Because that's. And you just said, I think that's what's great about this department is how collaborative you are. And you've all mentioned other faculty you've worked with. So talk a little bit about some of that and then we'll go around the table Absolutely. [00:18:43] Speaker D: So they're two key collaborators. They know that things don't happen in isolation, in silos. And so they open their doors and their minds to working with others. And so it happens just with, you know, finding and identifying resources, funding sources for the certifications for the students, because we don't want that to be an obstacle for our students to not get certified just because they don't have, you know, $30 or whatever the cost is of particular certification. And so in working with people and their strengths and knowing areas of expertise, that's something that shouldn't be forsaken, is that if someone is strong in an area like, let's, you know, lean into that, and so they embrace that. They know Miami Dade College and the community, and so they are able to maneuver their resources very wisely and kind of create strategic partnerships and dotted line alignments that just really help joint efforts because some people have their goals as well, and so they can support it being the faculty arm to do that. And so I know that's speaking a little more broadly, but they're both very strong collaborators in all ways. [00:19:59] Speaker B: And I believe one of the key factors of MDC success is collaborative opportunities. You know, I have been very fortunate. Again, our department chair, she is on board and very supportive. Gotta be with great people everything we decide to do. Dr. Asan, I've had the opportunity to come collaborate with her and with the President's Innovation Fund, we also collaborated with BIT Center. MDC works to help our students with workshops, learning resources. Yes, there are. And they are so willing to help. And I think that's one of the great things. When we come up with an idea, they're ready to hop on board and support our students any way that they can. [00:20:34] Speaker D: And. And a shout out to Paul Klein in the speech lab. They help our, our students with their presentations, especially in, like, the capstone courses, to prepare for their public speaking of, like a very professional presentation. So that we even use a speech lab. [00:20:49] Speaker B: Yes. [00:20:49] Speaker A: Before I go, I have to say I came from another institution and the business program always struggled. We always competed with other. We had six campuses, but we always competed. And I know it's a battle sometimes, but it seems like recruiting at Miami Dade, I mean, the students are there. They come to us. It's not like, I mean, there'd be semesters, it would be really thin back in Texas, but here we seem to really survive a lot of the ups and downs. [00:21:16] Speaker D: We do. We are. And we've been managing, you know, within the department. We're managing just Our course offerings and. And what's working. And we're not settling on things that. Oh, that's been done before. Let's keep doing it. We are, you know, shaking it up a bit. [00:21:31] Speaker A: Being innovative. [00:21:32] Speaker D: We have to. [00:21:32] Speaker A: And it helps to have rock stars. [00:21:34] Speaker D: It does help. It does help. Yes. It's good to have that support and all in all levels. [00:21:39] Speaker C: And I'm. [00:21:41] Speaker B: It helps to have people that support us. So leadership. Any ideas that we have. You listen. [00:21:46] Speaker A: That's true. I interrupted you now talk about your collaboration because you first brought up the President's Innovation Fund. So. [00:21:52] Speaker C: So I'm a proud recipient of President's Innovation Fund twice in a row. Once with our business colleagues. But another is multidisciplinary. [00:22:00] Speaker D: Exactly right. [00:22:02] Speaker C: So going back to what example, Alexis was saying that every now and then I would walk into her office and she would say, yes, I need to hear that. Yes. Whatever crazy idea I have that I need, I'm going to collaborate with social science. I will collaborate with natural science. She will say, yes, and what can I do for you? [00:22:20] Speaker A: There you go. [00:22:21] Speaker D: That's the improv in me. Yeah. [00:22:26] Speaker C: So that helps. Also we have. So my collaborators are coming from psychology, social science, Professor Velis Crimes. We have worked on student life skill course for almost 10 years now since I've been here. [00:22:41] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:22:42] Speaker C: And the culmination of that was the President's Innovation Fund where we brought in the social science and AI and the workforce side for MDC online course in SLS 1106. But that we are not stopping there. Right now I'm thinking of collaborating with natural sciences completely going beyond my comfort zone. Right. Learning something new, challenging myself and hopefully have student engagement. May have some curriculum down the line. So, you know, it happens because of the culture we have created we have here at mdc, not just at Kendall campus, but at district, at discipline level, everywhere. [00:23:22] Speaker A: I'm going to ask a dangerous question. [00:23:24] Speaker C: Yes. [00:23:25] Speaker A: What do you guys need for me? [00:23:28] Speaker C: Support. That's it. [00:23:30] Speaker B: And we have it. So we just continue to ask for more. But we have it. [00:23:34] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:23:34] Speaker B: Yes. [00:23:34] Speaker A: I teach a pre calculus class in the mornings of honor college students. And when I started class this semester, I asked their majors. I think there's 31 of them in there, 29 of them in there. About 25 of them are business majors. Couldn't believe it. Honors college students. [00:23:49] Speaker D: Normally. It's not that. [00:23:50] Speaker A: No, I know. It's so. So if you. If you want. I still haven't for another month. If you want to. If you want to use them for A laboratory or anything. They're really brilliant students. Speaking of students, what do you think are the most important quality we need to deliver to our students right now? Is there any one or two things you can put your fingers on? [00:24:07] Speaker C: Problem solving. Problem solving. Problem solving. That's it for me. [00:24:11] Speaker B: And I would basically say adaptability, especially in a world that continues to change, resilience and just a passion for learning, but definitely being able to adapt to what's going on at. Yes, at all times, all levels. [00:24:24] Speaker D: I love all those. And I would just add, even though a link to problem solving, just critical thinking in general and being able to take thoughts further. You know, AI is going to spit back at you information you want to hear. But how can you further massage and tweak and improve and enhance that? Because it's not going to give you your exact needs. So you need to think a little deeper. [00:24:46] Speaker A: My next question had to do with innovation. And I think we've talked about that and you've talked about support within the department. But you know, I just want you to know that your innovation and your collaboration should be role models for other departments. [00:24:57] Speaker D: And definitely it is. And they're leaders and they, and they help mentor their peers and help them, you know, if they're exploring certain things with curriculum that they've worked extensively on themselves, they help other faculty do that. They help other faculty, you know, they just serve as role models constantly. [00:25:16] Speaker A: You know, a lot of the buzzwords right now and businesses, entrepreneurship, technology and global business. Talk a little bit, Dr. Smith, about how you get your students prepared for those trends. [00:25:26] Speaker B: So the first thing is telling them why they need it. Right. So we show them real cases, you know, real job opportunities. One of the collaborative opportunities is actually with MDC works. So we show the students what jobs are out there and then they have to research and say, well, this is what I need to be qualified. So we start there and we start by giving them certifications, all the tools that they need. We also bring in people from the industry, which is great because now you have hands on experience, you have a real life testimony to say, well, this is what you need and this is what we're looking for. The micro internships. I think that was just a great opportunity for students. Right. Especially at the 1000 level. I know we do have the internship, which is great for the bachelor students, but just having those micro internships, definitely great. Another thing we do is we show the students not only do they receive the certifications, but I actually complete the certifications with them just to show Them, you know, it's not just you, but it's needed for all of us. So again, the collaborative opportunities and just collaborating with other professors, I think that really helps the students as well because they get to see not only that, what goes on in my classroom, but also in Dr. Hassan's classroom and let's see how we can connect it and make it work. [00:26:39] Speaker A: That's continuous learning and you're mirroring the image they need to see. Yeah, that's great. Dr. Sean. [00:26:44] Speaker C: So I, you know, when I started at MDC, one of the massive opportunities I had was to. I was the founding faculty for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses program. [00:26:54] Speaker A: I didn't know that. I mentioned a lot. I didn't know you were the founding faculty. [00:26:58] Speaker D: Oh yeah, I was. [00:26:58] Speaker B: Wow. [00:26:59] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. So that gave me a huge vantage point into the community, what the community needs. Right. And also that trained me on entrepreneurship because I was trained by Babson College faculty on how to engage business owners. Or then that translated into the capstone course where I'm engaging the students, bachelor students in, in creating business models. Right. Creating new businesses, but with that lens of social entrepreneurship that you have to create a business model that solves a social or environmental problem. Problem. But that anchor, I'm anchoring all that conversation with the experience I'm still having with the Goldman Sachs program because I, every semester I teach a module for the Goldman Sachs program now. So it comes kind of, you know, circular kind of an experience. Right. I see where the industry is going right now with AI. All the small businesses either struggling or they're building efficiency. If they're building efficiency, I see that a lot of hands on kind of businesses, they're building more efficiency and they're also hiring a lot. So I can come to my class and tell my students, well, as you're forecasting your business model, think that this is where your efficiency will come from based on what kind of industry you are in. I have also worked with the community as a funder for social enterprises many years ago. So that gave me a vantage point of how to prepare students for funding. My students participated in many business Peach competitions and won, you know, different awards. So all those help me guide students, all that experience help me guide students for entrepreneurship and AI and technology. And at that intersection. [00:28:51] Speaker A: That's a great answer. [00:28:52] Speaker B: And I just have to add, Dr. Stone, thank you for your work with Goldman Sachs and the entire team. Because my students were able to conduct interviews with some of the entrepreneurs in the program and that was great. They had such an exciting time. So thank you for your work. [00:29:06] Speaker A: More great collaboration. So we'll start with you, Alexis. What excites you about the future for the school of business? Then we'll go around the table. [00:29:14] Speaker D: Well, I'm thrilled to see how we've already been incorporating in AI, and so I like that we're ahead of the game, but the game's not over, and so we're still in it. We're still working hard to make sure the students are on board with, with the work in AI and comfortable with it. I look at, you know, position descriptions for various types of jobs, and familiarity with AI is. Is now everywhere. So it's not something to avoid, it's something to embrace. And so that we're doing that, that. That makes me feel. That makes me feel good. I like that. The digital marketing concentration the Dr. Sun helped to develop created that. She incorporated these industry certifications for her students because that's what they need, these skills based on their resume. They need to show, like, I know this skill, and here's how you can know that I know it. It's because I did this. It's. You can't just say, oh, I did this. You have to show the connection. And so they're allowing that, knowing the importance of that for our students. And so we, we're setting our, our. Our students that are graduates up to be successful in acquiring positions. And so I'm excited to see the success of our students grow. [00:30:31] Speaker A: That's great. Dr. Smith, what about you? What excites you? [00:30:34] Speaker B: You know, we are always ready to take on the next step, the next level, the next program to be the first. [00:30:41] Speaker A: I love that. [00:30:42] Speaker B: So, for example, in sports management, so we do have the as in sport management as well. So I love the opportunity just to be part of it. I am just so excited to just be part of what's next. And being the first, like MDC is always. [00:30:55] Speaker A: That's it. You know, one of the great things about these podcasts is I get to have different people sit in these chairs. And I've had several of the athletes. We have over 225 athletes that are at Miami Dade College at this campus. They're at Miami Dade College, too, but they're all right. [00:31:09] Speaker D: They're our kids, specifically here. [00:31:11] Speaker A: And so many of them have no idea what they want to do. And so I really think we need to maybe have a podcast or maybe have a session with those athletes, because so many of them don't, or they don't know. They don't understand what goes on here. And so I'm so glad to hear you talk about that because I think there's some amazing growth with that program. [00:31:27] Speaker D: And Professor Bellotto now he will be. [00:31:30] Speaker A: Oh, that's right. [00:31:31] Speaker D: He'll be teaching in the program. He'll need a new hat. No, no, no, no. But he's going to be great faculty asset too, to join. [00:31:40] Speaker A: That's great. What about excites you? Anything? [00:31:43] Speaker C: I. I am looking at the future. I'm looking at the, you know, current with AI. AI keeps me up. Right. AI keeps me up. I'm looking at maybe going back to the idea that natural science partnering with Natural science and business, maybe some program on agri business. You never know because so we have been focused so much on the east coast of Florida, right. The service providing industries. But on the west we have all these nurseries and growers and we don't have much bridge, you know, educational bridge to connect there. Right. And we have always assumed, I guess, that those are labor intent intensive programs. But thanks to technology, they are becoming more and more tech driven. So maybe there could be a need there. Maybe we may need to explore that a little bit more. [00:32:33] Speaker D: The Coral Reef High School. [00:32:35] Speaker C: Exactly. [00:32:36] Speaker D: They have a academy in acrescience. There you go. [00:32:39] Speaker A: And of course we have the environmental center and our landscaping. I think both of those are areas that are ripe to grow and, and do more. [00:32:46] Speaker C: And I'm taking a course. I will have a title in a year. Hopefully it will be called Master Gardener. [00:32:53] Speaker A: Nice. All right. [00:32:54] Speaker C: University of Florida. It's a horticultural training, but lots of community engagement is involved there. So as part of community engagement, I would love to engage the students to kind of understand the need for the program, future program there. [00:33:08] Speaker A: So that's a great idea. Well, this has been a great advertisement, I think for your programs, but I want to give you one more chance for our audience, if they don't want to rush to the School of Global Business, I don't know how we could tell them anymore. But any other advertisements, any other thing you guys want to share with our [00:33:24] Speaker D: audience, I'll just say like, I mean I have two amazing faculty here and, and there's more of them. And so that. Just get to know your faculty. They're such a resource for you. Talk to them, have convers. That's what they want. That's what the faculty want. They're there because they like to teach, they like students. And so don't be afraid, don't be shy, talk to your faculty. They're there and they can connect You. There's so many resources at Miami Dade College that it. It is. It is easier to maybe avoid or get lost in the shuffle, but they're there for you. So use your faculty to help be your guide and. And connect for you. There's. There's just so much support and we want to help. And we want to help you get to the next spot for you, what you need and your goals and your faculty are there to. To do that, to help you with that. [00:34:13] Speaker A: Anything else? Endowed chairs you want to say [00:34:18] Speaker B: you [00:34:18] Speaker C: are going to have more endowed teaching chairs at Kendall campus in the near future. I am sure of it. And in School of Global Business. [00:34:26] Speaker B: That's it. [00:34:27] Speaker D: That's it. [00:34:28] Speaker B: I don't want to be my record, [00:34:29] Speaker D: but, I mean, there's more. There's not. There's more coming. [00:34:33] Speaker A: That's right. [00:34:34] Speaker B: Yes. And again, just thank you so much. And we are here. We're here for students. [00:34:38] Speaker A: Well, thank you for being here. Thank you. We do like to end our broadcast by turning the microphone around and letting you ask me any question you'd like. Like, so give you an opportunity if you want. [00:34:48] Speaker C: What keeps you up at night? [00:34:50] Speaker D: Interesting. [00:34:52] Speaker A: Besides my dog. No, I. I think I always say the hardest thing is when I put my head on my pillow, I want to make sure that I go to sleep. And I did the best I could for that day, whether it's dealing with students or faculty. And sometimes I go through the decisions I make because there's so many different things that flow through my office that, you know, people ask what I do. Well, I can't tell you what I do because every day is different. But there are things like that that stick with me at night. Sometimes it's hard to go to sleep. And those are the things that not frustrate me, but I guess stress me out a little bit. And it's not faculty and it's not students, because those are the two best things. It's all the other things we do that. What we. I think what we fail to realize is administrators. And I know you don't. I'm not pointing at you. [00:35:36] Speaker D: I mean. Right. [00:35:37] Speaker A: We're here for. We're here to do one thing, and that's to support you guys in the classroom. And. And that's when I think things get a little difficult at night when other people don't realize they're not the center stage. It's you guys and it's our students. [00:35:48] Speaker D: Absolutely. [00:35:50] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:35:50] Speaker C: And, you know, I will give you the question back. What can we do? What do you need from us? [00:35:57] Speaker B: That was my question. Yes, I agree. [00:35:59] Speaker A: Why? That's an easy question. I think. Keep doing what you're doing. Keep collaborating, because there's so many faculty that I see that are in their own little set, Excel. And we have one goal, and that's to teach students not just in business or math or chemistry, it's to get them to the finish line to a job. And the best way to do that is for us to collaborate. And I think that would be what I would say is to keep doing what you're doing. And hopefully other faculties will mirror that. They'll see how much joy you get out of it. Not the endowed teaching chair, because that's awesome, but just we do this because we the joy of teaching. And that's. To be honest, 7am is hard, but there's no more fun for me than walking in that class at 6:59 and teaching math for 50 minutes knowing that no one else can come in there and mess with my class. They're mine. [00:36:43] Speaker B: I agree. [00:36:44] Speaker C: Beautiful. [00:36:45] Speaker D: That is the power. [00:36:46] Speaker A: Well, thank you, ladies, for being here. I've been wanting to have this conversation with you, too, for quite a while. It wasn't so bad, was it? [00:36:52] Speaker D: It was great, Dr. Stewart. [00:36:55] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:36:55] Speaker A: And maybe the next conversation is for you to bring some of your students in, each of you, and we'll have separate podcasts on some of your projects. [00:37:02] Speaker D: Love that. That's a great idea. [00:37:04] Speaker A: Well, I want to thank our head writer, Christine Saenz, our executive producer, Paul Klein, and his colleague, producer Alex Bellows. Thank you for being here today, and goodbye for.