National Champion Radio

Naomi Oreskes is Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. A world-renowned earth scientist, historian and public speaker, she is the author of the best-selling book, Merchants of Doubt (2010) and a leading voice on the role of science in society, the reality of anthropogenic climate change, and the role of disinformation in blocking climate action.Oreskes has worked as a consultant for the United States Environmental Protection Agency and US National Acadmey of Sciences, and has also taught at Dartmouth College, New York University, UCSD and Harvard University. She is the author of or has contributed to a number of essays and technical reports in economic geology and history of science in addition to several books.WATCH / LISTEN• Inside the Volvo Environmental Prize Winner | Naomi Oreskes(LINK)CONNECT WITH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSTWITTER / X: https://x.com/Nat_ChampionsINSTAGRAM: / nat_champions SUBSTACK: https://nationalchamps.substack.com/

Most Americans have no idea how far we've drifted from the constitutional limits on war and the stakes are sky-high. National Champion Dr. John Owen, winner of the 2025 Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order, exposes how today's reckless decision-making risks plunging us into an uncontrollable and unjustified conflict in Iran.In this urgent conversation, he reveals how the erosion of international constraints and constitutional protections is empowering a president who acts outside the law — and how this could reshape global stability forever. You'll discover why the gaps in military accountability matter more than ever, how social media fuels desensitization to war’s human toll, and the dangerous myth of quick, decisive victories.WATCH / LISTENhttps://youtu.be/M9o4bmfT7uMCONNECT WITH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSSUBSTACK: https://nationalchamps.substack.com/TWITTER / X: https://x.com/Nat_ChampionsINSTAGRAM: nat_champions

Laurene Allen joins us for a deep conversation on environmental health, water contamination, and how her work has contributed to cleaning contaminated water in her hometown of Merrimack. She is an American community and environmental health activist based in Merrimack, New Hampshire. She is known for her work addressing contamination from PFAS linked to the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics plant in Merrimack. In 2025, Allen received the Goldman Environmental Prize for North America for her community-based efforts to raise awareness of PFAS pollution and advocate for stronger environmental protections in New Hampshire.Following the discovery, Allen helped organize residents to seek more information from state agencies and the company involved. She co-founded the group Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water, which began hosting meetings, collecting data on affected households, and advocating for remediation. The organization later helped establish the National PFAS Contamination Coalition, linking communities facing similar pollution issues across the United States.

Mercouri Kanatzidis joins us for a deep conversation on chemistry, Novel solar cell technology , and how his research has contributed to the discovery of novel materials and formed unique structures and compositions. A 2025 Albert Einstein World Award of Science Recipient, Kanatzidis was recognized for his pioneering work in halide perovskite semiconductors and solar photovoltaic material.Now, Kanatzidis is a Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of chemistry and professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern University and Senior Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory.In the past, he has won the Samson Prime MInister’s Prize for Innovation in Alternative Fuels for Transportation as well as the ACS Award in Inorganic Chemistry. His work has impacted solar and fuel technology in addition to his research on nanotechnology. WATCH / LISTEN• Inside the Albert Einstein World Award of Science Recipient | Mercouri Kanatzidis (https://youtu.be/eceOJEfY5-g)CONNECT WITH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSTWITTER / X: https://x.com/Nat_ChampionsINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/nat_championsSUBSTACK: https://nationalchamps.substack.com/

Barney Graham joins us for a deep conversation on vaccine research, the fight against Covid-19 , and how his work shaped the first Covid-19 vaccine. A 2025 National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee, Graham is one of the leading scientists on vaccine research and worked at the National Institute of Health (NIH) during the head of the Covid-19 Pandemic. He is an American immunologist, virologist, and clinical trials physician.Now, Graham is currently a Professor of Medicine and Microbiology, Biochemistry, & Immunology and Senior Advisor for Global Health Equity at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, where he helps teach the next generation of doctors and immunology research. He is the former deputy director of the Vaccine Research Center (VRC), part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH). During his tenure at the VRC, Graham also served as chief of the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory. WATCH / LISTEN• Inside the National Inventors Hall of Fame | Barney Graham (https://youtu.be/VNwxHl5_dnM)CONNECT WITH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSTWITTER / X: https://x.com/Nat_ChampionsINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/nat_championsSUBSTACK: https://nationalchamps.substack.com/

Lauren K. Williams joins us for a deep conversation on mathematics, structure, and how abstract ideas quietly shape the modern world. A 2025 MacArthur Fellow and professor at Harvard University, Williams is one of the leading mathematicians advancing our understanding of algebraic and combinatorial systems—work that connects pure theory to powerful applications across science and engineering.At Harvard, Williams’ research focuses on algebraic combinatorics, representation theory, and cluster algebras, fields that study how complex systems organize themselves through hidden patterns and symmetries. Her work has helped reveal deep connections between seemingly distant areas of mathematics, offering new tools for understanding networks, geometry, and higher-dimensional structures that underpin everything from physics to data science.In this episode, Williams reflects on why abstract mathematics matters in a practical world, how long-range thinking differs from short-term optimization, and what it means to pursue originality in a discipline where progress is measured in decades. It’s a rare look inside the mindset of someone expanding the foundations of human knowledge.WATCH / LISTENhttps://youtu.be/9nZn0BXqnB4CONNECT WITH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSTWITTER / X: https://x.com/Nat_ChampionsINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/nat_championsSUBSTACK: https://nationalchamps.substack.com/

Dr. Ángel Adames-Corraliza joins us for a powerful conversation on climate, weather, and how the atmosphere shapes life on Earth. A MacArthur Fellow, Dr. Adames-Corraliza is one of the world’s leading atmospheric scientists, whose work is transforming how we understand tropical weather systems and their global impact.As a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and educated at the University of Washington, Dr. Adames-Corraliza has pioneered breakthroughs in understanding how moisture, storms, and large-scale circulation patterns interact in the tropics. His research explains how tropical systems influence everything from extreme weather and rainfall to droughts and climate variability across the globe. These insights are critical for improving weather prediction and helping societies prepare for climate-driven risks.In this episode, Dr. Adames-Corraliza reflects on why the tropics play an outsized role in Earth’s climate, the responsibility scientists have to communicate uncertainty and risk, and how better understanding the atmosphere is essential to navigating a rapidly changing planet.WATCH / LISTEN• How the Tropics Shape Global Weather | https://youtu.be/z0dMYeK0RXQCONNECT WITH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSTWITTER / X: https://x.com/Nat_ChampionsINSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/nat_championsSUBSTACK :https://nationalchamps.substack.com/

Dr. Pamela C. Ronald joins us for a powerful conversation on science, food security, and the future of humanity. A Wolf Prize winner, Dr. Ronald is one of the world’s leading plant geneticists, whose work has transformed how we think about agriculture, climate resilience, and global hunger.As a professor at the University of California, Davis, Dr. Ronald pioneered breakthroughs in understanding how plants resist disease and survive environmental stress—most notably through her work on rice. Her research helped identify genes that allow rice to withstand flooding and resist disease, leading to the development of climate-resilient rice varieties now used by millions of farmers around the world. These innovations have directly improved food security for some of the planet’s most vulnerable populations.In this episode, Dr. Ronald reflects on the role of biotechnology in a warming world, the responsibility of scientists to engage the public, and why feeding humanity sustainably—starting with staple crops like rice—is one of the defining challenges of our time.WATCH / LISTEN•    • Making Rice Resistant to Floods | Dr. Pame...  CONNECT WITH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSTWITTER / X: https://x.com/Nat_ChampionsINSTAGRAM:   / nat_champions  PATREON:   / nationalchampionradio  

Kerrie Holley joins us for a powerful conversation on innovation, equity, and the future of artificial intelligence. A 2025 inductee into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, Holley is best known as IBM’s first African American Distinguished Engineer and one of the visionary minds behind Service-oriented Architecture (SOA) a technology that became the foundation for cloud computing and modern enterprise systems.Now a leader in AI and healthcare and a member of the National Academy of Engineering Kerrie Holley reflects on a trailblazing career that continues to break barriers and inspire the next generation of technologists.WATCH / LISTENhttps://youtu.be/Y_GHxsFr03oCONNECT WITH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSTWITTER: X.com/Nat_ChampionsINSTAGRAM: instagram.com/nat_championsPATREON: patreon.com/NationalChampionRadio

🎙️ National Champion Radio | Dr. Eduardo Brondízio🏅 2025 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement🎖️ Two-time National Champion📚 Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Indiana University BloomingtonWhat can the Amazon teach us about coexisting with nature—and one another? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Eduardo Brondízio, Brazilian-American anthropologist and 2025 Tyler Prize laureate, about his groundbreaking work on the Amazon as both a vast “urban jungle” and a living laboratory of governance, economics, and ecology.As a pioneer in coupling Indigenous knowledge with scientific research, Dr. Brondízio shows us how community-led management of forests offers a model for sustainable production and dignified livelihoods. He joins us to explore how trade in açaí and other forest products can drive economic development while preserving ecosystems—and what that means for our collective future.🏛️ Highlights:From Indiana to the Amazon: bridging academic insight and on-the-ground practiceRethinking the Amazon as an “urban jungle” shaped by Indigenous cities, markets, and culturesHow açaí trade exemplifies ethical, community-driven economiesLessons in multi-level governance: local autonomy, national policy, global impactWhy Indigenous stewardship is key to future sustainability📺 WATCH / LISTENSpotify | Apple | YouTube🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with National Champions—our guests are America’s most impactful thinkers, creators, and pioneers.#EduardoBrondízio #TylerPrize #AmazonStudies #IndigenousGovernance #SustainableEconomies #NationalChampionRadio #Anthropology #EnvironmentalStewardship

Dr. Arogyaswami Paulraj joins us to unpack the future of wireless communication and the journey behind one of the most important breakthroughs in modern technology. As the inventor of MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology, Dr. Paulraj’s innovations have become the foundation of high-speed wireless networks from Wi-Fi to 5G impacting billions of devices around the world.A professor emeritus at Stanford University, Dr. Paulraj’s contributions to signal processing and wireless systems earned him the prestigious IET Faraday Medal in 2023, one of the highest honors in engineering. His visionary work continues to shape the landscape of global connectivity and inspire new generations of innovators.WATCH / LISTENhttps://youtu.be/zryEAyMlDUICONNECT WITH DR. PAULRAJStanford Profile: https://profiles.stanford.edu/arogyaswami-paulrajCONNECT WITH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSTWITTER: X.com/Nat_ChampionsINSTAGRAM: instagram.com/nat_championsPATREON: patreon.com/NationalChampionRadio

34567890123456789  views Jun 20, 2025🎙️ National Champion Radio | Dr. John M. Owen IV🏅 2025 Grawemeyer Award Winner for Ideas Improving World Order📚 Professor of Politics, University of VirginiaWhat shapes world order—military power, or the battle of ideas? In this episode, we speak with Dr. John M. Owen IV, winner of the prestigious 2025 Grawemeyer Award, about the enduring impact of political ideologies on international affairs.As a leading scholar at the University of Virginia, Dr. Owen has shown how ideas—liberalism, fascism, communism—spread across borders and reshape alliances. He joins us to explore how ideological rivalries still define the global balance of power and what lessons we can learn to build a more stable, just international system.🏛️ Highlights:Why ideas—not just interests—shape world orderThe Cold War’s ongoing legacyHow authoritarianism and liberalism compete todayWhat policymakers get wrong about ideology📺 WATCH / LISTENSpotify | Apple | YouTube🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with National Champions—America’s most impactful thinkers, creators, and pioneers.#JohnOwen #GrawemeyerAward #WorldOrder #PoliticalIdeology #UVA #NationalChampionRadio #InternationalRelations #Liberalism #Authoritarianism

2025 Wolf Prize Laureate | Pioneering Plant Immunologist | HHMI Investigator.Dr. Jeffery L. Dangl joins us to delve into the intricate world of plant immunity and its profound implications for global agriculture. As a leading figure in plant biology, his research has revolutionized our understanding of how plants defend themselves against pathogens, paving the way for sustainable crop protection strategies.A distinguished professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Dr. Dangl's groundbreaking work has earned him numerous accolades, including the 2025 Wolf Prize in Agriculture. His collaborative efforts have been instrumental in developing models that explain plant immune responses, which are now foundational in the field.WATCH/LISTENYouTube: https://youtu.be/hL8V51qveGcCONNECT WITH DR. DANGL UNC Biology Department: https://bio.unc.edu/people/faculty/dangl/------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: TWITTER: X.com/Nat_ChampionsINSTAGRAM: instagram.com/nat_championsPATREON: https://www.patreon.com/NationalChampionRadio

2024 Stockholm Prize Laureate | Founding Director, National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) Dr. Gary LaFree joins us to unpack the patterns, causes, and consequences of political violence. As one of the world’s foremost experts in criminology, his work has transformed how we understand terrorism—not just as isolated acts, but as data-rich phenomena with global implications.A distinguished professor and sociologist, Dr. LaFree has pioneered empirical approaches to studying conflict, drawing from massive global datasets to illuminate trends in political instability, state repression, and public safety. Honors & Awards🏆 2024 Stockholm Prize in Criminology🏅 Founder, Global Terrorism Database (GTD)🏅 President, American Society of Criminology (2005)🎧 WATCH/LISTEN YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACjSF95feAISpotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4af3gnXEaaJqxBRci1QCcE?si=57c0b3b10da946a1📚 Connect with Dr. LaFree START Consortium: https://www.start.umd.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: TWITTER: https://x.com/Nat_Champions INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/nat_champions/

Dr. John Alverdy, a two-time National Champion and the Harold and Lincoln Thompson Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago, takes us on a journey into the unseen world of the human microbiome. As a surgeon Dr. Alverdy is nationally recognized for introducing several new operations into the field, including minimally invasive pancreatic surgery, bariatric surgery, and surgery for disorders of the foregut including the esophagus and stomach. Also a globally recognized scientist, Dr. Alverdy is celebrated for his trailblazing research on microbial balance, gut health, and their vital roles in modern surgery and human resilience. 2x National Champion American Surgical Association Medallion for Scientific Achievement (2024) American Surgical Association’s Flance-Karl Award (2018) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WATCH/LISTEN: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG0s3XtN2aY Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6xcYZBOtgDq07zSFn0ZGne?si=0a88a65d1fd54427 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH DR. ALVERDY Research https://surgery.uchicago.edu/faculty/john-alverdy-md -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: TWITTER: https://x.com/Nat_Champions Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/nat_champions

Christopher Bailey is an American track and field athlete and 2024 Olympic gold medalist running the 1st leg in the Men's 4x400 relay. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Bailey attended Carver High School before competing for Mississippi Valley State University, the University of Tennessee, and finally the University of Arkansas. While at Arkansas, Bailey broke the school’s 400-meter record with a time of 45.09 and anchored the team to an NCAA Indoor Championship 4x400-meter relay victory in 2023. Bailey was a key part of Team USA’s gold medal-winning 4x400-meter relay team at the Paris 2024 Olympics, setting an Olympic record of 2:54.43. His speed and precision have solidified him as one of the top talents in American track and field. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WATCH/LISTEN: Youtube: •https://youtu.be/1SrOJ5n3b8c --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH CHRIS BAILEY INSTAGRAM : https://www.instagram.com/cb400m/ TWITTER : https://x.com/Cb400m_ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: Support us: National Champions Institute on Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/NationalChamp... X: @Nat_champions Instagram: @Nat_champions Facebook Group: / 464891635869440

Winner of the 2024 Gruber Prize in Genetics a $500,000 Prize from Yale University Hugo Bellen has revolutionized our understanding of human diseases through groundbreaking work with fruit flies. His lab has a promising cure for Alzheimer's that already works for mice and for fruit flies, yet because the drug is already generic no one wants to fund the clinical trial. At Baylor College of Medicine and the Duncan Neurological Research Institute, his innovations in genetic tools and screening methods have uncovered over 40 genes causing rare diseases. His lab's discoveries of how neurons interact with glial cells have provided crucial insights into common conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. His freely shared genetic resources have empowered hundreds of researchers worldwide.

Harald Hess's induction into the 2024 National Inventors Hall of Fame celebrates a career defined by transformative discoveries and bold scientific leaps. His groundbreaking co-invention of PALM microscopy shattered the diffraction barrier that had limited microscope resolution for centuries, revealing the nanoscale world with unprecedented clarity. This achievement emerged from an unusual career path that wound through the nation's premier research institutions - from MIT to the University of Chicago, Princeton, and Bell Labs - where he initially focused on pushing the boundaries of ultra-low temperature physics. His pioneering work on evaporative cooling techniques helped advance our understanding of exotic quantum states. Rather than staying within established research domains, Hess repeatedly ventured into new territories, ultimately revolutionizing biological imaging. PALM microscopy's impact has been profound, enabling researchers to observe molecular processes that were previously invisible, advancing fields from neuroscience to materials science. His journey exemplifies how scientific breakthroughs often emerge from the courage to cross traditional boundaries.

2024 National Champion Dr. Robert Costanza is a pioneering ecological economist who first calculated Earth's ecosystem services value at $33 trillion. Here is the 2024 winner of Japan's prestigious $500,000 Blue Planet Prize given yearly by The Asahi Glass Foundation. GUEST LINKS: Website: https://www.robertcostanza.com/ Books: Addicted to Growth: Societal Therapy for a Sustainable Wellbeing Future: https://www.routledge.com/Addicted-to-Growth-Societal-Therapy-for-a-Sustainable-Wellbeing-Future/Costanza/p/book/9781032003368 Toward an Integrated Science of Wellbeing: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/toward-an-integrated-science-of-wellbeing-9780197567579?cc=us&lang=en& An Introduction to Ecological Economics, Second Edition: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ecological-Economics-Second/dp/156670684X

Dr. Asad Madni is a visionary engineer, inventor, and leader, whose innovations have revolutionized multiple industries, from aerospace to automotive safety, positively impacting our lives each and every day. In 2022, he was awarded the IEEE Medal of Honor; in 2023, the John Fritz Medal; and in 2024, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fam. Join us this week as we hear about all the places Dr. Madni's brilliant mind has taken him and how those journeys have deeply impacted our world today.

2024 National Champion Dr. Adrian Bejan, a renowned mechanical engineer and professor at Duke University was awarded the prestigious 2024 AMSE Medal the highest honor from the Association of Mechanical Engineers which was originally awarded in 1920. Dr. Adrian Bejan and Andre Ray explore a wide range of topics, from personal experiences growing up in different eras to the importance of education and activism. They discuss the implications of political change, the prediction of election outcomes, and the significance of independent thinking. Dr. Bejan elaborates on his Constructal Law, which explains the flow of ideas and systems in nature and society. The conversation also touches on the impact of technology on education, the future of society, and the metaphor of basketball as a reflection of life. They conclude with reflections on the influence of figures like Nelson Mandela and the importance of nurturing individualism in a free society. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Make sure to stay up to date on all our social channels @Nat_champions on X and Instagram. Support the podcast under "National Champions Institute" on Patron. Discuss this week's episode in the official National Champion Radio Facebook group. New episodes every week.

2024 National Champion Dr. Sara Seager, a renowned astrophysicist and professor at MIT was awarded the prestigious 2024 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics worth $1M. She discusses her groundbreaking work in the search for habitable worlds beyond our solar system, particularly focusing on Venus and the potential for life there. She shares insights into the challenges of funding space exploration, the importance of scientific inquiry despite skepticism, and her personal journey in the field of astrophysics. Dr. Seager also highlights the significance of her recent Kavli Prize award and her memoir, 'The Smallest Lights in the Universe,' which intertwines her life experiences with her scientific endeavors.