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How'd You Think of That? with Temple Grandin

Education Podcasts

How do the unique ways that every person thinks affect the work they do - especially in STEM fields? How do we create an education and early career system that recognizes and takes advantage of every individual’s skill set, experiences, and perspective? In a new podasct series "How’d You Think Of That? with Temple Grandin", we delve into these questions with STEM professionals and learn about their important work and the benefit of a multifaceted approach to STEM education. This podcast is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1745674.

Location:

United States

Description:

How do the unique ways that every person thinks affect the work they do - especially in STEM fields? How do we create an education and early career system that recognizes and takes advantage of every individual’s skill set, experiences, and perspective? In a new podasct series "How’d You Think Of That? with Temple Grandin", we delve into these questions with STEM professionals and learn about their important work and the benefit of a multifaceted approach to STEM education. This podcast is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1745674.

Language:

English


Episodes
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Electric Air: Emma Davis & Chris Wilson

4/18/2025
Utah is entering a new era of battery powered air travel with electric air taxis expected to take to the skies in the next few years. In this episode, we join the launch of Project Alta, known as Air Logistics Transportation Alliance, a partnership between Utah aerospace industry organization 47G and aircraft manufacturer Beta Technologies. Guests Emma Davis, a flight test engineer with Beta Technologies and Utah Senator Chris Wilson discuss the new aircraft and the future of electric aviation in Utah. Emma Davis is a flight test engineer at Beta Technologies based in Burlington, Vermont. She is a Utah State University graduate in mechanical engineering and for fun she flies helicopters. Davis has loved planes since she was a child and says the coolest thing about flying in the new electric aircraft, Alia, is the view. Chris Wilson (Republican Party) is a member of the Utah State Senate representing District 2 since 2023. Sen. Wilson grew up in Logan and worked at his family car dealership, Wilson Motors, and purchased the dealership in 2009

Duration:00:10:59

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Clean Energy on Earth and in Space: Joseph Hartvigsen

2/28/2025
Hydrogen energy systems can provide clean, efficient and reliable power with the potential to reshape the U.S. power generation structure. On this episode, guest Joseph Hartvigsen, founder of OxEon Energy, tells his story of how he got his start from driving a tractor on his family’s farm and flying a crop plane to becoming a leader in the hydrogen energy industry while also contributing to outer space missions. He has produced hundreds of micro-hydro and small-hydro turbines which are currently generating megawatts of clean power for customers around the world.

Duration:00:24:00

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STEM Rising Stars: Sophia Yuxin Zhang & Dalia Habib

2/7/2025
Sophia Zhang and Dalia Habib want to make the world a better place and they are already being recognized for their work. On this episode they discuss their Thermo Fisher JIC, a program of Society for Science, projects that tackle water conservation and biofuels. Sophia Yuxin Zhang is a competitive chess player and has been listed in the top 100 Women and Girls Player lists by the US Chess Federation. She’s also a competitive swimmer. “I love the feeling of challenging myself by pursuing my best time and the sense of belonging when competing for my team and cheering for or being cheered for by my teammates,” she says. She was selected as a Kid Reporter for Time for Kids in 2023 and wants to be an aeronautical engineer. Dalia Habib loves to dance, especially hip hop and jazz. “I find delight in learning numerous choreographies and practicing them in my room, often dedicating hours to practice dance,” she says. Dalia also loves languages and is trying to become fluent in both Arabic and Japanese. She recently took up pottery and finds it both relaxing and challenging. Dalia would like to become an environmental engineer. “I aspire to… enhanc[e] human well-being on a global scale,” she says.

Duration:00:22:34

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The Back Doors that Lead to Big Success: Natasha Kulviwat, Saathvik Kannan, and Temple Grandin

9/29/2023
In this special episode of How'd You Think of That, Temple Grandin talks with two winners of the 2023 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair - Natasha Kulviwat (Jericho High School, NY) and Saathvik Kannan (Hickman High School, MO) about their projects and the experience that lead them to STEM. Natasha and Saathvik both took unconventional paths that ultimately led them to their dream research projects. In this episode they share their novel approaches towards a career in STEM.

Duration:00:42:41

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Principles of Inclusivity: Matthew Wappett and Temple Grandin

8/18/2023
Matthew Wappett is executive director of the Utah State University Institute for Disability, Research, Policy, and Practice. Grandin and Wappett discuss the institute's accomplishments and ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive society and education system.

Duration:00:36:07

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Focus on The Strengths: From the Big Heart of a Veterinarian

7/31/2023
Dr. Tess Guy recently moved from Salt Lake City and is excited to be back near the ocean. She did her undergraduate degree at the University of California, San Diego, and has spent the last 18 years in Utah waiting for a chance to get back to sea level. Tess graduated with her DVM from Washington State University/Utah State University in 2021. This is her second career after spending 10+ years as an environmental research chemist. Her special interests include radiology, sports medicine and orthopedics, preventative medicine, dermatology, behavior issues, and nutrition. Tess enjoys hiking, riding her horse, paddle boarding, painting, and conservation/environmental efforts. With her wife, Angela, she has two Great Danes, Leia and Max, a herd mix breed, named Piper, two Maine Coon mixes, Hurley and Willow, and two horses, Vader and Jen.

Duration:00:31:04

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Failing Forward: Elizabeth Streb & Temple Grandin

7/7/2023
In this episode of How’d You of That, Grandin and Streb illuminate the process of machinery design and how it inspires dreams and brings out skills and innovations. They also share their insights on how to open doors to careers and opportunities. MacArthur “Genius” Award-winner, Elizabeth Streb has dived through glass, allowed a ton of dirt to fall on her head, walked down (the outside of) London’s City Hall, and set herself on fire, among other feats of extreme action. Her popular book, STREB: How to Become an Extreme Action Hero (Feminist Press), was made into a hit documentary, Born to Fly directed by Catherine Gund (Aubin Pictures), which premiered at SXSW and received an extended run at The Film Forum in New York City in 2014. Streb founded the STREB Extreme Action Company in 1979. In 2003, she established SLAM, the STREB Lab for Action Mechanics, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. SLAM’s garage doors are always open: anyone and everyone can come in, watch rehearsals, take classes, and learn to fly.

Duration:00:26:46

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Maker Gurus Part 2: Kathleen White, Mauro Devlin-Clancy, and Temple Grandin

6/16/2023
In this conclusion of Maker space Gurus, Kathleen White and Mauro Devlin-Clancy discuss some of the challenges educators are facing in this new uncharted era of Chat GPT - and why maker spaces should be geared for everyone, from all backgrounds, genders and colors. Maura Devlin-Clancy is Coordinator of MakerSPHERE and Faculty in Computer Networking & Information Technology at City College of San Francisco. Her work focuses on hands-on teaching and learning strategies that support non-traditional students, particularly women and underrepresented students in tech and STEAM. In MakerSPHERE, their network of makerspaces across CCSF, each and every student will find an open door to courses, work-based learning and other opportunities that can lead to high paying jobs and a way to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others. Kathleen White is the Former Chair of Child Development and Family Studies Department, and Teacher Prep Program Coordinator at City College of San Francisco.

Duration:00:16:56

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Maker Gurus: Kathleen White, Maura Devlin-Clancy, and Temple Grandin

6/2/2023
U.S states face a shortage in qualified STEM/CTE instructors to effectively prepare high school and community college students for careers. Long-time educators Maura Devlin-Clancy and Kathleen White have developed Makerspace experiences and new ways of teaching to help recruit and grow a diverse teaching workforce. They join Temple Grandin to discuss their NSF funded project, Growing CTE/STEM Teachers. Maura Devlin-Clancy is Coordinator of MakerSPHERE and Faculty in Computer Networking & Information Technology at City College of San Francisco. Her work focuses on hands-on teaching and learning strategies that support non-traditional students, particularly women and underrepresented students in tech and STEAM. In MakerSPHERE, their network of makerspaces across CCSF, each and every student will find an open door to courses, work-based learning and other opportunities that can lead to high paying jobs and a way to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others. Kathleen White is the Former Chair of Child Development and Family Studies Department, and Teacher Prep Program Coordinator at City College of San Francisco.

Duration:00:31:49

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Messages of the Great Salt Lake: John Luft & Temple Grandin

5/12/2023
John Luft, Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program Manager with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, talks to Temple Grandin about the Division’s longtime monitoring of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and its successes working with the lake’s brine shrimp industry. They also discuss how one individual can set a cascade of positive environmental changes. John Luft, along with avian and aquatic biologists, have developed a partnership with the brine shrimp industry to monitor and manage the commercial fishery on Great Salt Lake through research and conservation. He also supervises a group of wetland managers that oversee Waterfowl Management Areas (WMA’s) encompassing about 100,000 acres along the east shore of Great Salt Lake.

Duration:00:30:47

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The Message of the Great Salt Lake: Dr. Bonnie Baxter, Dr. Jaime Butler, & Temple Grandin

4/28/2023
Scientists Bonnie Baxter, Founder of Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College and Jaime Butler, Great Salt Lake 'Nerd', discuss the bounties and struggles of the Great Salt Lake. Dr. Baxter studies the photobiology of halophiles (salt-tolerant bacteria) and microbial diversity of Great Salt Lake (GSL)with her undergraduate students. She is interested in the astrobiology applications of extremely hypersaline ecosystems, in particular resistance to ultraviolet light and desiccation by halophiles. Recently her students have been engaged in projects involving ancient biomolecules in salt, microbial composition of GSL stromatolites, and lake microbial mercury methylation. Dr. Baxter is also dedicated to integration of research in undergraduate science education and to outreach efforts that inspire learning and stewardship. She is also engaged in efforts to support underrepresented groups in STEM fields. All of these interests merge in her role as Director of Great Salt Lake Institute. Dr. Baxter studies the photobiology of halophiles (salt-tolerant bacteria) and microbial diversity of Great Salt Lake (GSL)with her undergraduate students. She is interested in the astrobiology applications of extremely hypersaline ecosystems, in particular resistance to ultraviolet light and desiccation by halophiles. Recently her students have been engaged in projects involving ancient biomolecules in salt, microbial composition of GSL stromatolites, and lake microbial mercury methylation. Dr. Baxter is also dedicated to integration of research in undergraduate science education and to outreach efforts that inspire learning and stewardship. She is also engaged in efforts to support underrepresented groups in STEM fields. All of these interests merge in her role as Director of Great Salt Lake Institute.

Duration:00:31:19

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Out of the Box: Shellie Banfield, M.Ed. & Temple Grandin

4/10/2023
On this episode, Grandin and Banfield discuss the importance of checking sources and designing scientific experiments that can be replicated. They also discuss the growing influence of AI on education and the increasing value of hands-on learning with projects like GRRATE (Guitars, Robotics, Rocketry Advanced Technical Education). Shellie Banfield is the Director of the Davis and Perry Center, Principal Investigator for GRRATE Grant (Guitars, Robotics, Rocketry Advanced Technical Education National Science Foundation Grant), and Principal Investigator for GRRATE Summer Institutes Grant.

Duration:00:20:00

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From Observation to Exploration: Temple Grandin and Dr. Mark Clampin

3/24/2023
Observation tools like the Hubble and James Webb telescopes have fueled deeper explorations of the universe. In this episode, NASA’s James Webb Telescope discoveries and implications for STEM education and technology. And what comes next, the search for habitable planets. Joining us is Dr. Mark Clampin, astrophysics division director at NASA’s headquarters in Washington DC. Dr. Mark Clampin is the Astrophysics Division Director in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. The goals of the Astrophysics Division are to understand how the universe works, understand how we got here and to address the question, are we alone?

Duration:00:34:01

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Changes in Nature: Temple Grandin and Carel Brest Van Kempen

2/24/2023
Carel Brest Van Kempen is an internationally recognized wildlife artist and has won numerous awards of excellence. He depicts seldom illustrated species in extremely detailed works that tell a story about our natural world. He is also the author and illustrator of Rigor Vitae: Life Unyielding, and illustrator of many other books including Biology of Gila Monsters, and Dinosaurs of Utah. In this episode, Brest Van Kempen and Grandin blend art, science, ecology and education. As a result, they reveal the inner workings of their minds and provide insights to our societal systems in practical ways.

Duration:00:20:18

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The Sense of Science: Temple Grandin and Dave Miklos

2/13/2023
Miklos is the Executive Director of the Dolan DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor. He started his career in education by teaching high school teachers to clone genes and started the Learning Center in 1988. His book DNA Science was published in 1990 and he won the Charles A. Dana Award. Now he blends his worlds of biology, journalism, education and the social sciences to design modern DNA experiments for teachers, parents and young people.

Duration:00:22:46

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Growing Food and Futures: Temple Grandin and Nona Yehia

1/27/2023
The story of North America's first vertical hydroponic greenhouse that not only grows vegetables, but people's abilities too. An accomplished architect by training, Nona Yehia pioneered a way to feed an entire community with fresh produce, while also providing employment for people with physical and/or intellectual disabilities. She accomplished this alongside her co-founder Caroline Croft-Estay. Yehia conceived the company based on her experiences growing up with a brother with developmental disabilities, love of fresh and local food, obsession with great design and long-standing community involvement. Her organic connection to all aspects of the enterprise continues to fuel Nona’s insight into the business and her dynamic leadership style has led to her recognition as a CNN Champion of Change and Vertical Harvest’s inclusion on Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas List and as a finalist for their Best Places to Work for Innovators - Diverse Innovators Award.

Duration:00:37:00

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Cybersecurity 360, Everywhere and Everything: Dr. Diego Tibaquirá and Temple Grandin

1/13/2023
Temple Grandin talks to cybersecurity expert Dr. Diego Tibaquirá about the increasing demand to fill cybersecurity jobs and the challenges of balancing cyber security and convenience in a digital world filled with hackers. Dr. Diego Tibaquirá is a professor of computer science with a focus on cybersecurity and cloud computing at Miami Dade College. His experience in the field includes working for the Federal Government in Washington, DC as an Information Security Specialist having a Secret Security Clearance, and PEPSICO as a Data Analyst. He also works with the Honors College, teaches Honors Courses, and is a Lead Faculty for the Honors College and Lead Advisor of the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society at the Padrón Campus. Dr. Tibaquirá was nominated to the 2021 Ethical Hacker Hall of Fame and in 2021, elected to the grade of Senior Member by IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) for recognition of Professional Standing and Significant Performance in the field. He also received the 2021 Academic Instructor Circle of Excellence Award. In 2021, Dr. Tibaquirá was selected as a Fulbright Specialist for a tenure of four years. He served in the United States Marines for 8 years.

Duration:00:37:46

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Building a Brain: Sara Freeman and Temple Grandin

7/22/2022
Sara Freeman, an Assistant Professor Neurobiology, studies the biological underpinnings of social behavior and monogamy. Studying social behavior in a variety of species helps scientists better understand the core of the social brain, and how neurological circuits work for humans. She is currently working on studies to decipher how the hormones of the brain, like oxytocin, may vary in neurodivergent individuals. This episode concludes Series One of How'd You Think of That? with Temple Grandin. You can listen to all past episodes at stem.utah.gov/podcast, or through your favorite podcast streaming service. Join us in fall of 2022 for Series Two.

Duration:00:22:51

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Try, Fail, Succeed: Mimi Lufkin & Temple Grandin

7/8/2022
Mimi Lufkin is an educator and advocate who served as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity for more than twenty years. NAPE is dedicated to increasing student access, educational equity, and workforce diversity. Grandin and Lufkin discuss the many ways to help students build STEM skills and access STEM careers.

Duration:00:22:09

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Seeing Details: Sue Barry & Temple Grandin

6/24/2022
Susan Barry is a Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences and Professor Emeritus of Neuroscience and Behavior at Mount Holyoke College and the author of two books, Fixing My Gaze: A Scientist's Journey into Seeing in Three Dimensions and Coming to Our Senses: A Boy Who Learned to See, A Girl Who Learned to Hear, and How We All Discover the World. Barry was dubbed Stereo Sue by neurologist and author Oliver Sacks in a 2006 New Yorker article.

Duration:00:22:49