The Gateway: Recent Episodes
Dr. Amin Vahedian, Dr. Biagio Palese + Russell Devereaux
Casual conversation exploring the intersection of technology, business, and research. With industry-leading experts, these discussions will analyze the forefront of innovation, critique the implementation of technology, and ponder the pathway we are traveling upon, as a society.
For this episode, we look back at 2024 and all of the wonderful guests we talked with. Thank you to everyone who listens and thank you to each of our guests:
Jalal Sarabadani
Kolina Koltai
Raffaelle Ciriello
Aidan Walker
Adam Hood
Doga Kurcuoglu
Thomas Smith
Joey Avraham
Denis Sitailo
Karl Swanson
Anna Klis
David Gunkel
Pete Pachal
Thomas Higgins
Happy New year to everyone!
For this episode, The Gateway is excited to speak with Thomas Higgins! Thomas is currently the supply chain optimization manager at Winland Foods. His professional background involves experience related to supply chain and inventory management, production and manufacturing planning, data analytics, data engineering, and machine learning applications. He has been working in the supply chain management and analytics space for the last 8 years.
For this episode, we explore the impact of social media and the consumption of information in academic spaces.
Pete Pachal is the Founder and CEO of The Media Copilot, a newsletter and podcast about how generative AI is changing the media. He also teaches creative professionals in journalism and PR about how to use AI tools, and he consults with companies of all sizes on how to incorporate generative AI into real work. Pete has a long career in journalism, previously holding senior roles in global newsrooms such as CoinDesk and Mashable. As a thought leader in tech, crypto, and AI, he often appears on TV news, including appearances on Fox Business, CNN, and The Today Show. He also puts his encyclopedic knowledge of Doctor Who to good use in his side hustle, the popular podcast Pull To Open
For this episode, The Gateway is excited to welcome David J. Gunkel (PhD Philosophy). David is an award-winning educator, researcher, and author, specializing in the philosophy of technology with a focus on the moral and legal challenges of artificial intelligence and robots. He is the author of over 115 scholarly articles and has published seventeen books, including The Machine Question: Critical Perspectives on AI, Robots, and Ethics (MIT Press 2012), Of Remixology: Ethics and Aesthetics After Remix (MIT Press 2016), Person, Thing, Robot: A Moral and Legal Ontology for the 21st Century and Beyond (MIT Press 2023), and Handbook on the Ethics of AI (Edward Elgar 2024). He currently holds the position of Presidential Research, Scholarship and Artistry Professor in the Department of Communication at Northern Illinois University.
For this episode the gateway is excited to welcome Professor Anna Klis. Anna earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2015 and joined NIU the following August. Anna is a microeconomist who applies the techniques of game theory to questions of public economics and externalities. She is also a faculty associate with the NIU Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy and the School for Public and Global Affairs.
For this episode the gateway is excited to welcome Dr, Karl Swanson. Karl brings over ten years of combined experience in data science and informatics at the intersection of the clinical and biomedical domains. Karl's passionate about developing innovative applications using artificial intelligence for clinical use cases. Karl holds a D.O. in Osteopathic Medicine, an M.S. in Computational Biology, and a B.S. in Biology. Karl has completed a residency in internal medicine and started a fellowship and combined research post-doc in clinical informatics at UCSF, but left to found a company towards this same aim.
The Gateway is excited to welcome Denis Sitailo a Principal Technical Program Manager with the GE Healthcare IT Business Development Team. Denis has been with the company for 15 years, starting as an intern in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Along his journey, he held multiple positions ranging from completion of the Information Technology Leadership Program, to running IT Infrastructure Integrations for GE Healthcare, GE Digital, and GE Corporate. In his various roles he has made significant contributions to integrating 30+ M&A deals, enhancing GE's digital footprint, and streamlining numerous processes. His expertise spans from understanding wide-ranging technology stacks, assessing W2W business processes, enterprise applications, change management, user enablement, and PMO/program management. Denis holds a bachelor's degree from Loyola University Chicago in Communications Networks and Security. Denis lives in Naperville, IL with his wife and two daughters. Outside of work he enjoys camping, gardening, cryptocurrency, and supporting Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression.
For this episode, The Gateway is excited to welcome Joey Avraham. Joey is a technology sales executive at Microsoft. Joey graduated from NIU in 2008 with a degree in accountancy and again in 2011 with an MBA. Joey has worked in Technology since 2008 starting his career at Dell and has worked at major companies like Google and Microsoft. Joey has 17 years of experience in tech sales with a specialty on Academic Medical Centers and R1 Higher Education Institutions.
For this episode, The Gateway is excited to talk with Thomas Smith!
Thomas is currently a coach in Dallas, TX with 7+ years experience building people up across sport, technology and art.
He began his journey exploring what's possible by collaborating with researchers in NLP topic models,
then entrepreneurs with physical products and
finally global data decision platforms with software engineers across North America, Europe and Asia.
He now is back in sports, helping athletes take their next step in the sport with an emphasis on simplicity, gratitude and technique in training.
For this episode, The Gateway is happy to welcome Dr. Doga M Kurkcuoglu, a theoretical physicist at Fermilab. His current research interests are quantum technologies, quantum simulation, quantum algorithms and machine learning. Throughout his career, Dr. Kurkcuoglu has published in many subdisciplines of quantum physics. After completing Ph.D. program at School of Physics at Georgia Institute of Technology, he worked as Assistant Professor at Georgia Southern University. Then, he worked as postdoctoral researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and finally postdoctoral researcher at Fermilab, where he was promoted to staff scientist.
For this episode, the guys talk about AI in the classroom--a problem with so many solutions.
Links addressed in the episode:
https://today.umd.edu/your-favorite-prof-backed-by-a-bot
https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/toolkits/artificial-intelligence/index.shtml
https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/class-policies-for-ai-tools.shtml#:~:text=Introduction%20to%20Sociology-,Policy,CSCC%27s%20student%20code%20of%20conduct.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80e1gp9m9zo#
For this episode The Gateway is excited to welcome singer/songwriter, Adam Hood.
For all things Adam Hood please check out his website:
https://www.adamhood.com/
Or listen to his music anywhere good tunes are found:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4oqOpULfSzd2BRoBT4aTXk?si=9-AUT0WgSvS9cMHVmO8iCg
During this episode the Amin and Russ talk about the hype around technology and the elements of maturity within the start up sector.
In this episode, The Gateway is excited to talk with Aidan Walker. Aidan is a meme researcher and content creator. You can find more of his work on memes at his Substack blog, How To Do Things With Memes or on TikTok @aidanetcetera.
For this episode Unpacking the Ethical Paradoxes in Human-AI Companionship, The Gateway is happy to welcome Raffaele Ciriello, a tenured Senior Lecturer in Business Information Systems at The University of Sydney Business School. Raffaele specializes in compassionate digital innovation, focusing on decentralized governance and ethical/societal implications of emerging digital technologies. Raffaele gravitates toward dialectical inquiry and qualitative research but remains methodologically open-minded. Raffaele is deeply committed to mentorship, having guided dozens of research students across several countries, all while actively contributing to the academic community as a reviewer and editor. Raffaele has been recognized with teaching awards, Best AE Awards and as a Distinguished Member of the Association for Information Systems. Raffaele 's research appears regularly in leading journals and conferences. Raffaele live in Sydney with his wonderful wife and two mad scientists!
For this episode, Amin, Biagio, and Russ are excited to have to speak with Kolina Koltai! Kolina is a senior investigator and trainer at the open-source investigation outlet, Bellingcat. Kolina is an expert in sociotechnical systems especially in the intersection between misinformation and social media platforms. Kolina has focused extensively on scientific and health misinformation and currently focuses on non-consensual AI deep fakes and AI related misinformation. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in Information Studies and a postdoc at the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public.
A conversation about AI, content creation, and the implications new technology has.
UPDATE:
Here is a specific article regarding OpenAI and Scarlett Johansson:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/05/22/openai-scarlett-johansson-chatgpt-ai-voice/
Here are the links address in the episode:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7DfaV0tKB-/?igsh=MTk3azk0MTc1MW9uMw%3D%3D
https://www.bellingcat.com/
https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/22/24162429/scarlett-johansson-openai-legal-right-to-publicity-likeness-midler-lawyers
For this episode, The Gateway is excited to have Dr. Jalal Sarabadani! Jalal is an Assistant Professor of Information Systems at San Jose State University. He is an active researcher, focusing on the dark side of IT. His main area of research includes technostress, its influence on individuals and the way they cope with this phenomenon in different contexts. As a passionate teacher, he is also deeply committed to pushing the boundaries of his knowledge and encouraging his students to do the same. Jalal is also the CEO and co-founder of WritingChex, a startup that aims to empower students overcome challenges with writing skills using an AI-powered writing tutor to better prepare them for the writing component of English proficiency exams such as the IELTS or TOEFL. Outside of academia, Jalal is an avid explorer, seeking out new experiences through hiking and networking. He is always looking to learn, expand his skills, and stay out of his comfort zone.
This week Biagio, Amin, and Russ explore the impact generative AI is having on the publishing space.
Articles discussed in the episode below:
https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/26/23570967/chatgpt-author-scientific-papers-springer-nature-ban
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2468023024002402
https://johnwiley2020news.q4web.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2024/Wiley-announces-pilot-of-new-AI-powered-Papermill-Detection-service/default.aspx
As the Vice President of Student Affairs for Northern Illinois University, Dr. Reneau strives to create meaningful connections across our entire campus. Reality is being augmented by new and novel technologies rapidly, how does innovation change the traditional campus experience? What does the future of learning look like?
For this episode, The gateway will explore technology and higher education with our good friend Kirk Paille! Kirk brings over 20 years of recruitment, sales, and operations experience to his role as Director of Solutions Architecture at Collegis Education, a company enabling innovation in higher ed as thought leaders and tactical pros. During his 12-plus years at Wiley Education Services (formerly Deltak) and AVENU Learning, he led cross-functional teams to facilitate the successful launch of multiple new college and university partners, in addition to leading existing partners in the expansion of program offerings to accelerate revenue. Prior to that, he held admissions leadership roles at DeVry University Online. Kirk leverages his recruitment experience and deep understanding of the student lifecycle to enable partner universities to implement process enhancements that drive student engagement. He earned his B.S. from John Carroll University in University Heights, OH, where he played collegiate football and met his wife, Amy. Kirk and Amy live in Naperville, IL with their dog Birdie and during his free time, he is an avid college and pro football fan, takes his endless pursuit to create the perfect chicken wing very seriously, and spends countless hours trying to improve his golf game. For more information:www.collegiseducation.com
The this episode, The Gateway is happy to welcome Don Kenobi.Don Kenobi is a hip hop artist/songwriter who resides in Cleveland, Ohio. A former college baseball player turned music artist, Don draws influence from seasoned hip-hop acts such as Mac Miller, J Cole and Gucci Mane . Don has established a solid international fanbase through his middle Eastern Roots while also generating a steady following in the US in his six year career. Don Has worked with the likes of Mick Jenkins, Mark Battles, Skydxddy, and Sarcastic Sounds which has evolved his sound through the years. Listen to Don Kenobi on Spotify! (https://open.spotify.com/artist/5IgGBVmqy3oXJ1d9dT05Sw?si=oWjegMhQRM6TzhtEWN25cw)
For this episode, Black Box Algorithms, the Gateway way will explore the unknown world of artificial intelligence while contemplating the ethical and social implications of utilizing technologies we don’t fully understand. To help us navigate this black mirror of existence, the gateway is excited to have Dr. Amin Vahedian. Amin is currently an Assistant Professor of Information Systems with Northern Illinois University. He received a Ph.D. in Business Analytics in 2019 at the University of Iowa. With a background in engineering, Amin enjoys research and teaching at the intersection of Applied Computing and Business. His research interests are in Business Analytics, Machine Learning, Deep Learning Applications and Spatial Big Data Analytics. His work has resulted in numerous top tier journal publications in addition to several presentations and proceedings in highly selective conferences.
For this episode, The Gateway will be venturing into the unlimited potential of generative AI. With novel tools like Chat GPT dominating the media cycle and our imagination, our future seems boundless… if these tools are utilized effectively. To help us exam the multitude of possible futures, we are excited to have Dr. Dominik Dellermann captain this conversation into a new frontier. Dr. Dellermann is the CEO and Founder of Vencortex—a ground-breaking start-up augmenting the entire decision-making process by combining human intuition with artificial intelligence.
David Hochberg! is an NIU alum and College of Business graduate. While at NIU, David completed his Bachelor of Science in Business with a Marketing emphasis. During that same time, David was an SA Senator, President of a fraternity, Tugs Chairman, and Homecoming King! After graduating, David’s career has taken him from scrap trading, to the financial industry with notable stops that include owner of Townstone Financial, Vice president of Mortgage Lending at Perl Mortgage and at Lower LLC where he currently presides. In addition to a glorious reign on NIU’s campus, and an impressive career, David is also the host of Home Sweet Home Chicago radio show airing on WGN AM 720 each Saturday from 10-1pm. David, thank you so much for being here!
For this episode, The Gateway will explore what it means to have a professonal calling, who we think should do what occupations, and how work and our identiies are interwoven. To help us explore the work we do, The Gateway is happy to have Dr. Bethany Cockburn. Bethany Cockburn earned her Ph.D. from the University of Iowa (2018). Her expertise and interests relate to work-related transitions, workplace stress and how team membership affects individual and team outcomes. For example, she has studied the impact of stress on physical and mental health and mortality; the effect of retiring and returning to work on one’s identity; and how team membership affects helping behaviors, deviant behaviors, and performance. Her research has been published in journals such as Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology and Journal of Management Studies. Bethany has taught classes such as managerial negotiations, strategic human resources and leadership and personal development.
For this episode, The Gateway is going to explore ways to cultivate a culture of giving in a corporation. To help us do so, we are happy to welcome Henry Heisler! As a General Manager at Perficient, Henry has executive leadership and P&L responsibility for the California market, including leading sales and consulting teams, operations, as well as stewardship of Perficient’s award-winning company culture. With over 20 years of experience working at the intersection of technology and business, Henry is passionate about creating transformative value for clients by aligning people, process and technology to business strategies and objectives. Henry also serves as co-chair of Perficient’s newest employee resource group, the Giving ERG, which is focused on employee volunteering and support for meaningful charity causes, and inspiring further enthusiasm and action across Perficient’s global organization.
Diversity has been highlighted within news reports, articles, and leaders across the globe. While this commitment to embracing diversity is justified, it is difficult to develop strategies to invigorate change beyond boilerplate stump speeches.
The well-crafted diversity statement has become an integral element of a modern company. Saying the right things about inclusion is only the first step; embodying equity at all levels of business must be scaffolded by intentionality, commitment, and compassion.
To help explore ways to embrace the complexities of who we are, the College of Business is proud to have special guest and NIU alum, Jocelyn Moore. Jocelyn Moore is globally astute Human Resource Executive. Jocelyn is the General Manager, Global Diversity & Inclusion at Microsoft. In this capacity Jocelyn is responsible for leading Global Diversity & Inclusion for the Microsoft Customer & Partner Solutions group and for all geographies. She brings 20 years of progressive Human Resources experience from global companies like Aon Hewitt, Medline Industries, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and DXC Technology. Jocelyn has held many transformative Human Resources roles. She started her career as a HR Coordinator and worked her way through the ranks to more progressive complex Human Resources positions.
Prior to joining Microsoft, she was with a North American based company, responsible for transforming the entire HR department. Jocelyn also spent time as the VP Global Talent Acquisition with DXC Technology, responsible for recruiting 30,000 new employees each year across the company’s global footprint. In this capacity, Jocelyn was directly responsible for leading all Global Talent Acquisition strategies, including relationship management, workforce planning, talent channels, and overall governance.
She recognizes she was helped along her career journey and wants to pay it forward. Over the years, Jocelyn has done resume and interviewing workshops, served on many nonprofit boards all focused on helping students with diverse backgrounds, and has had several mentees. She holds a Bachelor of Science in HR Management and MBA from Northern Illinois University was the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Management Department and the 2021 Distinguished Alumni for the NIU College of Business.
Please join the College of Business for this inspiring conversation with Jocelyn Moore and moderator, Dr. Christine Mooney on March 1st from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. (CST).
For this episode, The Gateway will be taking to the putting greens with the hopes of finally beating the windmill as we discuss innovation, hospitality, and providing a unique entertainment experience for customers with Puttshack’s CEO, Joe Vrankin.
Puttshack is a leading concept in the emerging and growing market of competitive socializing. Combining a tech-infused mini golf game with exceptional food and beverage offering, Puttshack has multi-generation appeal. Patented Trackaball™ technology al-lows guests to play a point scoring game surrounded by an upscale and exciting environment. Puttshack currently operates 9 total locations in the U.S. and U.K. with 11 more locations coming soon.
Joe Vrankin is a 20+-year C-Suite executive – Current CEO of Puttshack, Former CEO, Topgolf International. Joe’s core experience is focused on middle-market businesses, within multiple industries, that find themselves at a key inflection point in their company development. At the start of 2019 Joe joined Puttshack as its CEO and a member of its board of directors. Joe served as CEO of Topgolf for five years and joined when there was just one location in the U.S. Topgolf was acquired in early 2021 by Callaway in a transaction valued at $2.6 billion.
https://www.puttshack.com/
For today’s episode, Feeling the Flow, The Gateway is proud to welcome Chandler! Chandler is best known for his viral smasher “Hot Pocket” — a collaboration with critically-acclaimed producer Matty Beats and his consistent tracks with Fellaair. Originally from Newport News, VA, he grew up on the likes of Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, Missy Elliott and more. This garnered a love for the wide variety of sub-genres within rap and hip-hop. He began writing lyrics at the age of nine and never put the pen down. He stopped putting out his solo work publicly in 2014 to pursue an education at VCU and a career as a rock band’s drummer. During his time in that role, he played on bills that featured acts like DRAM, Dirty Heads, The Knocks, Biz Markie, etc. That band has been mentioned in The Huffington Post and The Chicago Tribune. In 2018, Chandler left the group and relocated to take on New York City and the entertainment industry. After appearing in theatre productions in Manhattan and Brooklyn through early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic acted as reason for Chandler to make a public return to his most beloved art form. So in 2021, he did. In 2022, with songs like “mister” & “DOUBLE GOOSE”, Chandler created a following that showed him support he had yet to see. In 2023, Chandler continues to sharpen his pen by starting the year off with Stafford Beats-produced “NEW SONG MIX 1 SORRY I DONT KNOW THE NAME”.
For today’s episode, Movies Done Independently, The Gateway is proud to welcome Eric Norcross! Eric is an award-winning filmmaker, published writer, and podcaster. He is an experimentalist that approaches everything as a learning opportunity, and although he works in a variety of mediums, all his work goes into cinema in various forms. In addition to his certifications in Graphic Design, Video Technology, and Film, he earned a BA in Cultural Studies from SUNY Empire State College, and an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. He has won awards for his work in experimental and avant-garde cinema, and in 2012, the Manhattan Film Festival created the New York Spotlight Award for his short film, Caroline of Virginia, which they continue to award annually.
Please follow Eric’s work utilizing the links below
Website: www.EricNorcross.com
YouTube & TikTok: @Eric Norcross
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-norcross/
For today’s episode, Multiplying Moore’s Law, The Gateway is proud to welcome Bilal Chehab. Bilal is a member of the Technology Development group at Intel Corporation, where he has been working since January 2022 on competitive intelligence and advanced technology targeting. Prior to joining Intel, he spent 7 years at IMEC in Belgium as a researcher, where he worked on advanced logic design. He has over 30 publications and 250 citations, as well as 10 patents in the field of advanced semiconductor. Bilal received his Bachelor and Master degrees from the University of Pavia in Italy.
For this episode, Psyching Up Psychology, The Gateway is proud to welcome Emily Towner, a 3rd year PhD Student in Psychology at the University of Cambridge and a Gates-Cambridge Scholar. Emily studies adolescence and the brain — and is interested in learning, mental health, and understanding the impacts of stress and social interactions during development.
She is currently training in the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab led by Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore. Her Ph.D. research focuses on social isolation in adolescents - where she is investigating the effects of isolation and loneliness on fear learning and mental health. Through the use of high-definition magnetic resonance imaging she is also exploring structural associations between the brain and one's response to social isolation. In addition, she hopes to examine whether virtual social interactions (such as the use of smartphones and social media) might mitigate or exacerbate the effects of social isolation.
Please check out all of Emily’s work:
https://www.emilytowner.com/
For this episode, Physical Education In Virtual Reality, The Gateway is proud to welcome Dr. Zachary Wahl-Alexander, Associate Professor of Physical Education Teacher Education at Northern Illinois University. With a Ph.D. in Human Performance from the University of Alabama, Dr. Wahl-Alexander’s research examines which pedagogical changes can inform and impact teaching practices within the context of physical education and physical activity. Dr. Wahl-Alexander also investigates the sport education pedagogical model, negotiated curriculum and building community-based partnerships (i.e., summer camps, juvenile detention centers) focused on providing youth opportunities to be physically active.
Please check out the Project FLEX:
https://sites.google.com/view/project-flex/home?pli=1
https://www.instagram.com/niuprojectflex/
For this episode, a growing business, The Gateway is happy to welcome Zack Goodson, co-owner, and founder of Shwifty Hemp Company. Zack is
a bit of a business anomaly since he doesn’t come from the traditional entrepreneurial cloth. Originally, got his start in Tobacco Harm Reduction efforts via E-Cigarettes, when he became fixated on upstart industries and the cultures they spawn. Through a series of fortuitous events, Zack became involved in both political advocacy as well as public communication via social media garnering a large internet following.
The agency afforded by social media helped spawn his involvement in the founding of Shwifty Hemp Co, an alternative cannabinoids company which caters to the underserved consumers in cannabis-prohibited markets.
For this episode, The Gateway will get to the root of our agricultural infrastructure as a community, country, and world. Access to food covers such a wide spectrum of need—from excessive waste to devastating hunger—sadly, the inequity of our society is best exemplified by access to healthy and consistent food. The ability to provide food for our world will only become more challenging as the climate changes, population grows, and international supply chains are strained. Can new technologies and innovative strategies help scaffold our food production? Or do we need a paradigm shift when thinking about the way, and more importantly, what we eat?
To help fertilize our thinking, the Gateway is proud to welcome Chef Bryan Flower, Assistant Director of Food Systems Innovation at Northern Illinois University. Born in England & raised in South Africa, Chef Bryan started working in the hospitality industry in the mid-nineties. Over the past 30 years, his talents have taken him from South Africa to Europe, the Middle East, and finally to the United States. Chef Bryan has worked at several renowned resorts, clubs, restaurants and hotels, before moving into education. Chef Bryan loves to share his passion and knowledge of all things pertaining to the food service industry and has taught culinary and hospitality in higher education for over 17 years. Chef Bryan’s desire to work with quality ingredients has led him and his wife to buy the property now called “The Red Home Farm”,
For this episode, Change is Gonna Come, The Gateway is proud to have Ema Roloff! Ema is a widely recognized Digital Transformation and Change Management expert. She helps Insurers move through Core Transformations with the team at EIS and is the host of the YouTube series Leading Change and the Co-Host of the LinkedIn Live series The Third Thursday. Over the last few years, she has conducted over 150 expert interviews in the space of Digital Transformation and Innovation. Ema has been recognized as the AI Journal's Young Tech Leader of the Year, a RISE 35 under 35 Award Winner, and named in Lightico's Insurance Innovators Top 100.
For this episode, Securing Security, The Gateway is happy to have Gregg Yurchak, a long-time member in the world of cybersecurity. Initially involved with security for every flavor of Unix available in the 1990s, he then transitioned to the vendor world and has spent the last few decades in cybersecurity services at Symantec, McAfee, and now BlackBerry. Gregg is an established speaker at technology conferences, and currently manages strategic, product, and managed services at BlackBerry for the Central United States and Latin America. You can follow Gregg’s thoughts on Ransomware 3.0, Identity being the new perimeter, and other current security topics on his TikTok channel – Cybersecurity in 60 Seconds (@cybersecsec) – where his officemate/pet pig also makes an occasional appearance.
For this episode, The Gateway will explore the impact blockchain technology has had on multiple facets of modern life. From tracking seafood freshness to conducting transactions overseeing millions in currency, the blockchain has been proclaimed as an integral element of revolutionary change around our planet. Has the blockchain accomplished these idealized shifts, or has it been integrated into traditional business strategies neutering the utopian outcomes once outlined?
To help examine the past, present, and endlessly evolving future of the Blockchain, the Gateway is proud to welcome Dr. Christoph Mueller-Bloch, an Assistant Professor at ESSECS Business School where his research is primarily concerned with information systems governance and coordination , particularly in the context of blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Dr. Mueller-Bloch’s work has been published in journals such as the Journal of the Association for Information Systems and Communications of the ACM. Dr. Mueller-Bloch holds a Ph.D. from the IT University of Copenhagen.
For this episode, Black Belt Analytics, The Gateway is happy to welcome Will Johnson, a Specialist Director in Microsoft's Cloud Analytics Global Black Belt team. Will helps Microsoft Azure customers build Big Data processing, machine learning, and MLOPs solutions. In addition, he focuses on providing industry thought leadership for Retail CPG customers having worked with some of the largest retailers in the USA. He has a master’s degree in Predictive Analytics from DePaul University, an undergraduate degree in Marketing from Northern Illinois University, and taught Marketing Analytics at NIU. Prior to working at Microsoft, Will was an Analytics Manager leading a team of analysts and data scientists in customer analytics.
For this episode, technology and storytelling, The Gateway is excited to be talking to James Moore, a brilliant individual with decades of technical and analytic experience. With a degree in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University, he built a long-standing career as an industrial engineer and a commissioned US Airforce Officer. While Moore became an expert, he was also able to broaden his horizon and pursue storytelling in 2014. Since then Moore wrote two novellas, two feature-length screenplays, and dozens of short film scripts and short stories. Moore is a perfect mixture of the creative and technological pursuits. Please check out Moore's work here: https://linktr.ee/storyteller6465
For this episode, A Greener Afterlife, The Gateway is excited to be talking with Return Home a green funeral home offering a sustainable and ethical alternative to burial and cremation. Return Home specializes in Terramation (Human Composting) and they currently operate the largest and most transparent facility in the world. They began with the desire to offer a more earth-friendly alternative to traditional death care, and to empower families to make death care decisions that make our world a better place. On their journey so far, they have realized that people resonate with our mission because many of us feel an innate desire to return to the earth when we die.
For more information check their website out: https://returnhome.com
For this episode, The Philosophy of Physics, The Gateway is excited to speak with Matthew Davies, a PhD student in Cosmology at Queen Mary University of London. While his work focuses on inflationary physics, he has parallel interests in philosophy of physics and religion. Matt can be found on all social media platforms discussing interesting ideas in science philosophy and religion.
Please check out his Tik Tok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@physicallydebunked?isfromwebapp=1&sender_device=pc
For this episode, Being a Musician Today, The Gateway is excited to speak with Sam Varga an electric and kinetic musician. Bring years in performing and song writing in Nashville, Sam has already established himself as an incredible writer and dynamic performer. Bringing a unique mix of punk, blues, emo and country Sam’s sounds in wholly unique. With multiple singles, a debut EP, and a brand-new release called Sugarcoated, Sam is on his way to selling out arena around the globe!
Check Sam's Music here:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/61isyxdjkwhjEJnr13ERtL?si=fu6umDotSiGHr4tCC5h7Ng
For this episode, ESports, the next generation of gaming, The Gateway is happy to have Alexander Kramer, the Marketing and Events Coordinator for Northern Illinois University’s collegiate ESports team. Alex will be able to provide insight on one of the fastest growing cultures in the world—competitive gaming. We will explore what it is like to be on a competitive team, how you get to be on a team, and any misconceptions about competitive gaming!
For more information check out the NIU ESports website:
https://www.niu.edu/esports/index.shtml
For this episode, Technology and who is really hiring us, The Gateway is happy to have Dr. Elizabeth Wilkins. Dr. Wilkins is the Coordinator of Graduate Career and Professional Development for Northern Illinois University. Dr. Wilkins holds a Ph. D. in curriculum and instructions from Southern Illinois University. Dr. Wilkins oversees the professional development curriculum for the entire graduate school population utilizing real time labor market data. Dr. Wilkins has designed, coordinated, and taught classes, workshops, and webinars focusing on career readiness reaching nearly 10,000 participants. In January of 2021, Dr. Wilkins created and began to host the Be Career Ready podcast, an innovative and helpful resource for all listeners!
For this episode, Turmoil in Business, The Gateway is happy to have Christian Borkey, host of her first ever podcast, the Busted Business Bureau, which began in January 2022. Thanks to Christian’s in-depth investigation and enthralling reporting, we have been able to learn about some of the most interesting companies! During it’s meteoric rise in popularity, the Busted Business Bureau has examined a wide span of organizations including eBay, the Salvation Army, Chicago’s own now defunct Improv Olympic, and the organization that has contributed, in my opinion, one of the most spine-wrenching commercial tunes in advertising history, Cars4Kids. Christian is an Ohio transplant in Chicago. She currently is a bartender and trivia host, but has worked as an axe throwing teacher, children’s theater music director, and tour guide of Chicago’s Chinatown. Christian speaks Chinese, is on a doubles tennis league, and has an upcoming dueling pianos comedy show at the Lincoln Lodge Theater with another fella named Christian on June 25th. She has owned a pair of fur-lined green crocs for 6 years. Please check out Christian's podcast, The Busted Business Bureau on all platforms or by visiting https://www.bustedbizbureau.com/
For this episode, A Plethora of Pain, we will explore one of the most important pieces of technology, the human body! As our society is shifting towards more stagnation due to an amassing amount of screen time, we have drifted away from some of the most essential elements of care for our bodies. Sadly, most of us live life in fluctuating levels of pain—we have resigned to this, but is there a better way? How can we adapt to a technologically forward lifestyle while still allowing our body to flourish? Can we prevent pain?
To help examine the pursuit of lessening pain and living an active and flexible life, , the Gateway is proud to welcome Vinny, founder of Pain Academy, an online education platform that helps people live a pain-free lifestyle. A former Division 1 All-American Athlete, Vinny broke his back in his early 20’s and after years of learning how to rehab a life-changing injury, he became a Corrective Exercise Specialist and entrepreneur to help people move and feel better.
To learn more about how Vinny can help you, go to http://PainAcademy.net and get started with the Pain Assessment Toolkit.
For this episode, Looking into Learning, we will explore how technology is impacting one of the most important elements of society, education. Around the world incredible amounts of resources are spent to improve the education of all people. During the past few years, education has bent and flexed to continue the growth and enlightenment of learners, while navigating a global pandemic. Technology has been at the forefront of these essential shifts.
To help examine the new approaches technology has created for education, the Gateway is proud to welcome Dr. Marlo Barnett! Dr. Barnett is the first Black woman to graduate with a PhD from NIU’s Instructional Technology program. Dr. Barnett has an impeccable background in education, which encompasses over 20 years of experience spanning higher ed and K through 12 education. Dr. Barnett has earned an impressive 5 degrees from both traditional and online settings. Dr. Barnett currently serves as the vice president for Computer Science for Illinois and is NIU’s Board of Director Chair of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Task force. Dr. Barnett has also been the president and vice president for the Computer Science Teachers Association.
Dr. Barnett has assisted with writing the nationwide framework for artificial intelligence k-12. Generally, Dr. Barnett’s work focuses on overcoming systemic barriers with an essential focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Dr. Barnett’s work strives to address policy issues and trends that impact effectiveness. We are excited to have Dr. Barnett!
For this episode, The Gateway will attempt to understand the impact technology is having on civil conflict around the world. News broadcasts are inundated with images of citizens clashing with police, governments authorities, or invading occupants. How are we understanding these tumultuous events? What is the truth? Is there a way to decipher fact from fiction? In a time when unrest is pervasive, under-standing the way we receive these stories is at the forefront of humanity.
To help examine the rapidly evolving, yet essential pursuit of modern journalism, The Gateway is proud to welcome Giancarlo Fiorella. Giancarlo is an investigator and trainer for Latin America at Bellingcat (www.bellingcat.com). He is also a PhD candidate at the Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies at the University of Toronto, where his research focuses on protest policing and civil conflict.
For this episode, The Gateway will dive into the ever-changing world of analytics. During the past decade, the abil-ity to collect, store, analyze, and decipher data has amplified to the extremes of human understanding. This tectonic shift as left the landscape of business universally altered. With these news capabilities, the future presents a plethora of possibilities, however, these novel tools are making new skill-sets essential. The difference between a successful company may come down to knowing what questions to ask and how to interpret the results.
To help examine this brave new world, The Gateway is proud to welcome Keith Toussant Jr. Keith has more than 6 years of data analytics experience with a background in Empirical Economics & Data Analytics. Keith started his career as an Analytics Consultant for Deloitte in 2016 and transitioned to his role as the Director of Analytics for Vinformatix (a data analytics and software development company located in Baton Rouge) in 2020. In his current role Keith provides technical guidance and oversight to a team of Data Scientists, some which are recent graduates of LSU's MSA program.
For this episode, The Gateway will explore the creative and unique industry of craft brewing and distilling. The craft industry has reached an all-time high in both demand and businesses attempting to quench the thirst for unique, flavorful, and high-quality beer and spirits. From the initial ingredients to the fermentation process, all the way through distributing the final product to local pubs and store shelves, there is a universe of logistics to be determined before the it is poured into a glass.
To help examine every facet of running a brewery, The Gateway is proud to welcome Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling. Pollyanna provides its customers with an intimate experience that goes beyond what's in the glass. By sharing their knowledge and advancing the culture of craft beer and craft spirits, the Pollyanna brand focuses on creating a relationship between customers and the brewery, brewer, distiller, and local community. As an integral part of the communities Pollyanna does business in, they strive to work in cooperation with local organizations to benefit the community as a whole. The Gateway is excited to have the Inventors of NIU’s very own beer, Dawgma!
For this episode, The Gateway will explore how to become part of the video game industry. Reportedly worth nearly 86 billion dollars, video games have become an essential part of our culture. Gone are the days of a pixel bouncing from side to side. Video games are exploring progressive and poignant issues within our society giving space to unique perspectives—while giving the player the opportunity to experience another’s life. While video games continue to pursue innovative ideas, they present their philosophy in beautiful artistic visuals. Video games have captured our imagination for decades and this episode will try to understand the process of taking an idea and turning it into a viable video game.
To help examine all the elements that make a video game good, The Gateway is proud to welcome Xalavier Nelson Jr.. Nelson Jr. is a BAFTA-nominated studio head, narrative director, and writer, with dozens of titles under his belt including Reigns: Be-yond, Hypnospace Outlaw, An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs, Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator, and El Paso, Else-where. He also is making strides in a burgeoning storytelling career outside of games, with releases such as the cult hit comic Sherlock Holmes Hunts the Moth Man.
For this episode, The Gateway will explore one of the most lucrative and impactful areas of technology and business—health and fitness. Each day consumers are inundated with advertisements about applications, gadgets, and programs that praise a revolutionary approach to accomplishing your fitness goals. In many industries, technology has been an essential solution, but has it been within wellness? Does technology help? Or is technology being used to reframe the “fad diet” for a new generation?
To help examine the impact of technology on our health and wellness, The Gateway is proud to welcome Dr. Lynn Herrmann. Dr. Herrmann earned her PhD in community health - health behavior with a kinesiology focus. She also has a MPH with a health promotion concentration.
As an associate professor of public health and health education at Northern Illinois University, her research interests relate to the social aspects of exercise and how to promote exercise utilizing social factors, specifically through the use of social media. Dr. Herrmann teaches health promotion courses at undergraduate and graduate levels. She is an American Council on Exercise certified Group Fitness Instructor, Health Coach, Personal Trainer, and Medical Exercise Specialist, and serves as a Subject Matter Expert for the American Council on Exercise.
For this episode, The Gateway will explore the merging areas of creativity and technology. With ground-breaking advancements, our society is now able to utilize artificial intelligence to complete even more complex roles. Artificial intelligence is finally able to replicate the creative muse that has been sought after by poets and philosophers. What happens to the human condition when art is outsourced to an algorithm? How will this change the perception of beauty?
To help examine the essence of creativity, The Gateway is proud to welcome David Mann, a professional composer and music software developer who has dedicated his life to bridging the gap between art and technology. He received his Bachelor's degree in Music Composition with a minor in Computer Science from UC San Diego in 1997. He later completed the University of Southern California film scoring program in 2001.
As a composer, David has scored 11 feature length films, 37 short films, and his music has been featured on over 155 TV Episodes. Most recently his music was used in the bonus material for the new James Bond film No Time To Die. He has also composed and recorded two albums of modern classical piano music.
As a solo software developer David has released 8 iPhone applications. Most recently he unified his love of composition and music technology by creating an app called Composer Bot which writes music algorithmically. Composer bot has written two orchestral works and many other pieces which have received extensive praise from listeners.
The Gateway looks at Cyber Warfare in the modern era with returning guest Arvin Verma. Arvin brings over a decade of experience in a multitude of cyber facets including information assurance, risk management, and IT innovation. During his vibrant career, Arvin has worked across numerous industries and for several Fortune 500 companies. Currently, Arvin is a Cyber Risk Manager at Abbott while also serving the US Navy Reserves as a direct commission officer as a Cryptologic Warfare officer.
The Gateway will examine the conversations we are having with computers. Within the past decade, people have started to communicate in human-like ways with technology. Siri, Alexa, and chatbots are now part of daily life. This shift from communication as a human activity to one that is increasingly taking place among humans and machines raises questions regarding the implications for individuals, organizations, and society.
In this conversation, Dr. Andrea L. Guzman explains the study of human-machine communication and how it can help us understand our interactions with these devices, develop new technologies, and identify and address emerging social and ethical issues.
The Gateway travels past the edge of space and comprehension! This episode's guest, Arwen Hubbard, provides a plethora of knowledge about space exploration, Mars colonization, climate change, and the inherent awesomeness of the universe. Arwen is an ecologist and space science educator. Arwen holds undergraduate degrees in Resource Management and Agricultural Ecology, and a Master of Science is Planetary Science—where she focused on bioregenerative life support systems for Martian exploration and colonization! Currently, Arwen lives in the desert southwest on an off-grid homestead helping private landowners restore their ecosystems. Arwen teaches astronomy, astrophysics, and planetary sciences online to all ages! For more information visit Arwen's website: https://www.arwenhubbard.com/
The Gateway enters the adventurous world of User Experience (UX) design to unravel all the ways our individual experiences with technology are impacting seen and unforeseen elements of humanity. For this episode, we will feature the dynamic and creative, Antonio Asevedo, a UX designer for Group O—a single-source solutions provider. Antonio focuses on offering software platforms that allow clients to offer their customers rewards. Antonio now brings nearly two decades of experience designing user interfaces from watches, kiosks, mobile apps, tablet apps and websites.
The Gateway will examine the analytics of pleasure and how technology is allowing hotels and casinos to provide custom experiences for every visitor. In a city built on chance, innovative start-ups like Duetto are ensuring profitability for some of the most recognizable hospitality destinations around the world.
Duetto co-founder, Marco Benvenuti discusses the wins and losses of starting a tech company in one of the most competitive markets. Marco brings an essential perspective since guiding the product and brand vision for Duetto, which launched in 2012. Since then, Marco has shepherded Duetto towards fast growth, boasting over 100 employees and partnerships with approximately 4,000 hotels and casinos in more than 60 countries.
The Gateway will examine social media culture, interconnectedness, and the inherent risks associated with displaying personal information for the world to see. The discussion will analyze the institutionalized dichotomy of content creation: as platforms devour our data in exchange for the slow-drip high of emoji interactions, what are we sacrificing to participate in the creator culture? Have we become indebted to omnipresent applications in exchange our personal audience of followers? Are we aware of the true cost associated with using our own being as currency?
To help examine this potent and timely topic, we will be speaking with Arvin Verma and Dr. Tawfiq Alashoor. Arvin Verma, a NIU graduate, brings over a decade of experience in a multitude of cyber facets including information assurance, risk management, and IT innovation. During his vibrant career, Arvin has worked across numerous industries and for several Fortune 500 companies. Currently, Arvin is a Cyber Risk Manager at Abbott while also serving the US Navy Reserves as a direct commission officer as a Cryptologic Warfare officer.
Dr. Tawfiq Alashoor is an Assistant Professor at Copenhagen Business School, Department of Digitalization. Dr. Alashoor’s research focuses on privacy, decision-making, and cybersecurity. Dr. Alashoor conducts behavioral experiments and uses economics and psychology theories to study human privacy decisions. Specifically, he studies why humans share personal information despite their privacy-preserving preferences. Dr. Alashoor research potential and quality resulted in different awards received by prestigious IS organizations and publications.
Both impressive guests bringing unique perspectives on the vast area of privacy and cyber-security that will provide an excellent context for our conversation.
For this inaugural event, we will be looking at the potential impact of artificial intelligence on our world. Does Artificial intelligence truly have boundless possibilities, or will it be stymied by structural limitations? Are we on the precipice of a technological utopia, or will unforeseen consequences leave the hope for our best future in the rubble of a butterfly’s flapping wings?
To help examine this important topic, we will be speaking with Dr. Dominik Dellermann and Dr. Milad Khaledyan. Dr. Dellermann is the CEO and Founder of Vencortex—a ground-breaking start-up augmenting the entire decision-making process by combining human intuition with artificial intelligence. Dr. Khaledyan has a PhD in mechanical engineering which he utilized to explore robotics, control, and artificial intelligence. Currently, Dr. Khaledyan is a Staff AI/Robotics Engineer at Nikon Research, where he has been charged with exploring vision-based robot manipulations in collaborative environments. Both guests bringing to the discussion unique research-based A.I. expertise that will provide an excellent context for our conversation.
Please join our hosts, Dr. Biagio Palese and Russell Devereaux for this important and interesting discussion
The OM&IS Department at Northern Illinois University is proud to announce our brand-new discussion series—The Gateway: conversation exploring the intersection of technology, business, and research. Please join us for our monthly podcast!