The Spotlight

Hosts Alexis Briggeman and Parker Allard sit down with Texas State University Professor Tom Alter who was recently and illegally terminated from his tenure position with the University. Follow along as they discuss what academic freedom looks like today and what this means for the University system.

In this episode, I sit down with Matt Benson—a Navy JAG Corps veteran, former federal prosecutor, and national security law practitioner who now leads his own private law firm—to trace a career built at the intersection of service and law. We talk about how his path from professional basketball in Germany to the JAG Corps, to the Navy Reserves, and finally to founding Benson Law APC reveals the unexpected ways leadership and legal expertise evolve across sectors. For listeners exploring public policy, military service, or government work, Matt offers a rare, grounded look at how a life of service can transform into meaningful impact in and beyond uniform.

Hosts Chandria Arboleda and Sophia Hansen sit down with Sherri Goodman, the Pentagon’s first deputy undersecretary of defense for environmental security, to discuss how climate change became understood as a “threat multiplier.” Goodman’s career—shaping the intersection of environmental sustainability and national security, and demonstrating feminist leadership in traditionally male-dominated institutions—offers a compelling lens on climate, resilience, and global cooperation, aligning closely with the forward-looking work of the ISCOR program.

Hosts Chandria Arboleda and Sophia Hansen sit down with Professor Robert Harkins, former DEA agent turned SDSU Faculty Lecturer, and Alice Wilshire, Homeland Security master’s student, about AI in security, post-grad opportunities, and the reminder that the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. Together, they explore how real-world experience, academic insight, and student perspectives intersect to prepare the next generation of security professionals.

Hosts Chandria Arboleda and Sophia Hansen sit down with Benjamin Moore, Global Affairs Strategist for Mayor Todd Gloria, to explore San Diego’s growing role in international diplomacy and exchange. Together, they discuss how local engagement, global partnerships, and how student voices can shape the city’s future on the world stage through big, bold ideas

In this episode, Josie and Purnell engage Professor Benjamin Gonzalez O'Brien in a comprehensive discussion covering the historical roots of sanctuary cities, their present-day struggles, and the effects of the second Trump administration's immigration policies on immigrant communities across the United States.

Fifty years after the Vietnam War, co-hosts Purnell Strom and Josie Hall engage SDSU Professor Gregory Daddis in a discussion about the conflict and its surprisingly timely lessons for today.

Co-hosts Purnell Strom and Josie Hall sit down with Jennifer Ruth, a prominent film maker and associate dean in the College of the Arts and professor in the School of Film at Portland State University, to discuss her latest film: The Palestine Exception. Tune in for a thoughtful discussion on free speech, academic freedom, student protests, and much more!

Co-Hosts Josie Hall and Purnell Strom sit down with American columnist and journalist, Peter Beinart, to discuss his most recent book: Being Jewish After The Destruction of Gaza. Join us for a unique look into Jewish identity in relation to the recent conflict in Gaza as we take a deep dive into the content of Beinart's book.