Eye on WNY: Listen and Learn With UB Podcasts

The University at Buffalo is keeping community members in the know. From digital to printed media — and everything in between — UB offers access to cutting-edge news, information, and research. Podcasts continue to gain new listeners across the university’s three campuses, in the broader Western New York area, and beyond.

“Podcasts are a natural fit for an institution like UB, which has so much compelling and meaningful research going on. They’re a great channel for storytelling and can have tremendous reach,” explains Grace A. Lazzara, MA, Director of Marketing, Communications and Outreach in the School of Public Health and Health Professions (SPHHP).

Podcasts are easy to download and can be listened to on-the-go. These digital audio recordings are streamed from different websites and listening platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Soundcloud, and can be accessed on any smart electronic devices. UB boasts over a dozen podcasts, centered on a variety of topics and themes, that are produced by its students and faculty.

“People love podcasts because they get to dive into topics that interest them in a format that’s easy to access and convenient to listen to when they want, and while doing other things,” says Lazzara.

Lazzara, who has experience working on the popular Buffalo HealthCast, adds that podcasts allow UB to share expertise with the WNY community. Buffalo HealthCast, for example, is “inspired by important issues in our [SPHHP] researcher and students’ fields.”

Read on to learn more about some of the different UB podcasts available to the public.

COMMUNITY HEALTH:

Buffalo HealthCast: Interested in learning more about health equity? Buffalo HealthCast examines the relationship between health and social determinants of health. The episodes, which feature experts in the field of public health, cover themes related to health disparities, healthcare access, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), climate health, food insecurities, and nutrition. 

inSocialWork: The official podcast series of UB’s School of Social Work focuses on research and best practices in the field. Episodes include a variety of subjects involving health experiences and outcomes, and the different social work approaches and interventions related to them.

SCIENCE:

Driven to Discover: Recently launched in January 2023, Driven to Discover explores innovation and advancements in science at the University at Buffalo. Its first batch of episodes feature inside looks into space junk, the slow loris, and climate resiliency.

Reclaim the Bench: This podcast created by UB graduate students has concluded but is still accessible for listening. It focused on good, bad, and forgotten discoveries in biomedical science and also highlighted individuals and communities from medically underserved and historically marginalized backgrounds.

ARTS AND CULTURE:

Libraries Out Loud Podcast: If you use UB library services or may want to in the future, this podcast might be for you. It features segments on library science, policies, resources, historical literary collections, and the university’s legacy.

CURRENT EVENTS:

LEAD On! A Leadership Podcast by UB Student Engagement: LEAD On! sits down with individuals from different backgrounds, professions, and walks of life to discover what it takes to be a leader. Described as a “mini masterclass in leadership,” this podcast aims to inform and inspire UB students to be the next generation of innovators, trailblazers, and team builders.

Where Change Begins: Do you have a passion for or interest in sustainability? Join the UB Sustainability Team as it discovers different initiatives to take on environmental problems, address depleting natural resources, and implement green solutions. Topics include sustainability practices on campus and at home, as well as global policies.

AccessiBULL Justice — A Podcast of #UBLawResponds: If you are wondering what it is like to be a student or faculty member at the University at Buffalo’s School of Law, look no further than AccessiBULL Justice. The podcast details law clinics, law internships, and litigation practices.

The Baldy Center Podcast: Another product of UB’s School of Law, the Baldy Center Podcast reports on law-related research and current events. Listen in and learn about the real-life application of the law in cases and public policy.

SPORTS:

UB Bulls Insider: This University at Buffalo Athletics Department podcast is a must for any UB Bulls fan. Tune in for game recaps, one-on-one interviews, and behind the scenes information.

New UB podcasts are added all the time; watch Buffalo Research News for updates.