Full Frame

Sean Randolph is Senior Director of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, a public-private partnership of business, labor, government and higher education.

Vanessa Chan is currently vice dean of innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering. Chan previously served as the chief commercialization officer at the U.S. Department of Energy. Under her leadership, the department created a series of reports that provided a roadmap for decarbonization.

Mike speaks to Dr. Ala Stanford about the Future of Healthcare.

More than 300 million people worldwide needed urgent humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations. How are workers on the frontlines providing life-saving services in global hotspots? MIrjana Spoljaric Egger is president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the largest humanitarian aid organization in the world. 

Henry Kissinger’s secret visit to China in 1971 paved the way for President Nixon’s historic trip the following year, ultimately leading to the normalization of relations between the two nations. Today, Kissinger is widely credited with shaping the modern U.S.-China relationship. Winston Lord, served as U.S. Ambassador to China from 1985 to 1989 and worked closely with Kissinger during this pivotal time. 

Arunabha Ghosh is the head of one of Asia's leading climate think tanks, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, based in New Delhi. He served as a special envoy for South Asia to the UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP, in 2025.

Biodiversity provides everything we rely on—food, clean water, medicine, and a livable environment. What can we do to protect biodiversity for the future? Russ Mittermeier is Chief Conservation Officer of Re: wild. He specializes in primatology, biodiversity and conservation.

In ancient China, bronze vessels symbolized ritual significance and political power. Centuries later, these artifacts are being rediscovered and revered as embodiments of a golden age. The exhibit “Recasting the Past: The Art of Chinese Bronzes” is captivating audiences at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Host Mike Walter speaks to the museum's director, Max Hollein.

Interview with urban planner Toni Griffin.

The numbers are shocking. Last year alone, more than 100,000 people overdosed in the U.S., and nearly 70 percent of those deaths were attributed to opioids such as fentanyl.  Nathan Morris grew up in Washington, D.C., in a low-income neighborhood, and was exposed to substance use from an early age. Eventually, he became homeless. At the peak of his addiction, he overdosed—but survived to tell his story.  This episode is called Overdose. 

Sera Koulabdara, CEO of Legacies of War Legacies of War is a U.S.-based advocacy organization addressing the impacts of war from unexploded ordnances, also called UXO founded by Sera Koulabdara. She has received the inaugural Award of Gratitude in 2024 and the Humanitarian Award of 2022 given by the Laotian government for successful advocacy efforts in securing funds for bomb removal and victims assistance.  Koulabdara grew up in Laos. Her work is inspired by her father, a doctor who operated on victims of UXO. 

Dr. Charles Limb is a neuroscientist and surgeon specializing in ear disorders at the University of California, San Francisco. He’s also a musician.  Limb has long been fascinated by the inner workings of creative minds, like jazz improv geniuses Herbie Hancock and John Coltrane. Limb’s research explores brain activity during improvised performances, revealing some surprising results. He hopes to answer some fundamental questions, including: What‘s actually happening in the brain when we play music? And what do those findings reveal about the roots of human creativity?

Jon Lee Anderson has covered some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones, offering firsthand accounts from the heart of turmoil and unrest. His fearless reporting has taken him to the front lines of major international crises, where he has documented the human cost of war and conflict with remarkable detail and courage. In addition to his coverage of global conflicts, Anderson’s work includes comprehensive profiles of some of Latin America’s most iconic figures. His insightful reporting has delved into the lives of influential leaders, activists, and cultural icons, providing readers with a deeper understanding of their impact on the region. Through his extensive journalism, Andersen has shed light on the complexities of both global and local narratives, enriching our knowledge of the world’s most critical issues.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders worldwide, affecting about 300 million people, according to WHO. The good news is they’re also among the most treatable disorders. This is a fundamental misunderstanding about social anxiety. It is not about a preference. When we think about preference for socializing, it’s more akin to introversion … Anxiety is about a fear of the social interaction, a fear of the evaluation and rejection,” said Dr. Fallon Goodman, an assistant professor of psychology at the George Washington University and director of the Emotion and Resilience Laboratory. People do get better with exposure, practicing social skills, and challenging their thoughts, Goodman added. “On the other side of that is a life that’s rich and filled with positive experiences and wonderful social relationships that can lead to a life that feels so much more full than a life of isolation or fearing those social relationships,” she said.

When archaeologists started excavations in Anyang, China in the 1920s, they found artifacts that had survived thousands of years buried in the ground. They included bronze pots, clay jars and jade jewelry. They also discovered the early stages of the Chinese writing system.  Keith Wilson, curator at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, organized an exhibit featuring these objects in Washington, D.C. The city of Anyang, which is about 300 miles south of Beijing, existed for just two centuries. But in that time, it grew to cover over 14 square miles, about half the size of Miami. The exhibition gives a glimpse into what life was like in ancient Anyang.  “One thing about Chinese material culture is that it’s all primarily functional objects. They’re made for use,” Wilson.” I think people are much more accustomed to ancient Egypt and the Mediterranean world. Ancient China … is still not as well-known. So I hope that through a project like this, people can see that China had this incredibly important prehistoric and historic culture.”    

Returning to society after serving time in prison comes with many hurdles. According to research from the Prison Policy Initiative, formerly incarcerated individuals are ten times more likely to become homeless. This struggle is even more pronounced for people of color and women. Moreover, the FBI warns about a troubling rise in street gangs, numbering around 33,000 nationwide. These gangs, known for their brutality and organization, target young recruits, some as young as ten, fueling their growth. In a recent interview with Full Frame, Antonio Fernandez, a former gang leader who has since transformed his life, shared his journey. Through candidly recounting his personal struggles, Fernandez serves as a cautionary example for young people. His narrative not only highlights the challenges but also underscores the potential for redemption and second chances in life.

Today, the world is producing twice as much plastic waste as it was two decades ago. Plastics take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose. According to the United Nations, only about 9 percent of plastic in the world is recycled. Jesse Meiller is a marine ecologist and environmental toxicologist who studies microplastics, tiny bits of plastic that have been found everywhere, from the bottom of the ocean to inside human blood. “Microplastics are made from almost everything that we use everyday that is plastic. …They’re ubiquitous because they’re being shed from so many different types of plastic,” said Meiller, a professor at Georgetown University’s Earth Commons Institute. Meiller said single-use plastics are a big contributor to the plastic problem. From bags to water bottles, individuals can take action by eliminating single-use plastics in their lives. “Our individual choices make a difference. We need to carry that forward though, and affect change at higher levels as well in order to have systemic change,” Meiller said.

Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble is the founder of the AAKOMA Project, a nonprofit with a mission to meet the mental health needs of young people of color. The organization offers workshops, virtual counseling and consulting.  Youth and young people of color experience barriers to accessing psychological care for reasons beyond economic disparities. “People worry about how they’re going to be treated when they get into that mental health professional’s chair because there are different outcomes by different aspects of identity,” Breland-Noble said. “We also know that our research literature has not done the best job of developing interventions and understanding mental illness across all different types of populations.” The AAKOMA Project is working with researchers and institutions to collect data about youth of color on mental health, which can help drive policy changes.

By 2050, we will need 56 percent more food to feed 10 billion people, according to the World Resources Institute. But our global food system is challenged by climate change. How can we create a sustainable food system without using more land? Florence Reed works with farmers in Central America to restore degraded farmland and introduce regenerative farming practices. She is the founder of Sustainable Harvest International. “If all 500 million of those smallholder farmers around the world made this transition, they could get us 53% of the way to the United Nations goal for greenhouse gas reductions,” she said.

Daily headlines about shootings flood the news in the United States. As the shootings continue, how do those touched by gun violence move forward? Ryane Nickens has lost three family members to gun violence. She’s the founder of the nonprofit The TraRon Center that offers counseling programs, therapeutic arts, and workshops to raise community consciousness about the impact of gun violence.

The topic of climate change has been a key concern for decades. In order to save the planet nations have pledged to lower their carbon footprint in half by 2030.  The World Health Organization predicts that if something isn’t done, there will be around 250,000 deaths annually between 2030 and 2050, all linked to climate occurrences. Full Frame speaks with Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.

How has the relationship between China and the United States developed in the last 50 years, and where do relations stand today? Victor Gao served as an interpreter for Deng Xiaoping from 1983-1988. He’s currently vice president of the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization and chair professor of Soochow University.

How can art advance social justice? Los Angeles-based artist Nikkolas Smith calls himself an artivist, bringing activism into his artwork. His illustrations bring attention to systemic racism and police brutality in the hopes of sparking conversations and inspiring change.