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The Yale Alumni Magazine is owned and operated by Yale Alumni Publications, Inc., a nonprofit corporation independent of Yale University. The content of the magazine and its website is the responsibility of the editors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Yale or its officers.

Experience Yale Again with Free Podcasts
January/February 2007
by Mark Dollhopf '77

Mark Dollhopf '77 is executive director of the Association of Yale Alumni.

Did you miss the chance to hear one of Vincent Scully's legendary art history lectures? Did other activities (or the opportunity to sleep late) keep you from getting to great panel discussions with visiting speakers while you were on campus?

As students at Yale, we couldn't help but miss some of the rich offerings available during our time in the Elm City.

At Rose Alumni House, we are thrilled to announce that the university now offers free podcasts featuring faculty and visitors to Yale. These programs, which have the feel of listening to radio broadcasts, can be downloaded at no charge through iTunes.

In recent years alumni have clamored for the chance to hear lectures and panel discussions by Yale faculty, prominent alumni, and distinguished guests. As President Rick Levin comments, Yalies seek "the endless quest for a better and deeper understanding of nature and culture, the challenge of encountering new ideas and learning."

Some of the most popular offerings by the Association of Yale Alumni include the "Day at Yale" classroom lecture series at Yale reunions, the "Connect with Yale" and "Redpath Seminar" series at Yale clubs, and other educational and travel programs with faculty participation.

Vice President and Secretary Linda Lorimer, the Yale officer responsible for alumni affairs, told an AYA assembly in November 2006 that the publication of the Yale podcast series was in response to this alumni interest in lifelong learning and past assembly requests for education via the Internet.

The Yale podcast series debuted on iTunes with a score of public talks and interviews featuring members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and professors from the schools of architecture, law, medicine, management, and forestry and environmental studies, as well as visiting speakers. Lorimer said Yale would add four new lectures a month and plans to expand its offerings to include recordings of university public worship services and varsity sports events.

Among the first set of podcasts made available at iTunes is a talk by Vincent J. Scully Jr. '40, '49PhD, Sterling Professor Emeritus of the History of Art, entitled "Philip Johnson: Art and Irony." In it, Scully examines the contributions of the critic-turned-architect who taught at the School of Architecture and designed several remarkable structures at Yale.

Other faculty voices in the debut collection include: Ian Shapiro, political scientist; John Lewis Gaddis, historian; David Leffell, skin cancer expert; Michael Donoghue, Peabody Museum director; Tian Xu, geneticist; and Lisa Curran, tropical ecologist and a MacArthur "genius" grant recipient. Alumni can also hear visiting speakers, such as former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright talking about public service in the age of globalization, or journalist Bob Woodward '65 discussing the media's impact on politics.

The podcasts range in length from 10 minutes to 90 minutes and include panel discussions, informal interviews, public lectures, and broadcasts from Yale's Healthline radio program. "There's an amazing variety of topics already available. I had a deja vu feeling that I was back at Yale choosing courses from the Blue Book," said alumna and AYA Board of Governors member M. Tracey Ober '85. "I downloaded the Scully lecture and the talk by Bob Woodward. It was easy and fun and will be a super resource for alumni."

These audio offerings cost nothing for the listener and have been selected to provide the highest educational content that Yale has to offer.

A full listing with complete information on the Yale podcast series along with step-by-step instructions on accessing and subscribing to it can be found at the website of the Yale Office of Public Affairs (www.yale.edu/opa/podcast).

For those familiar with iTunes, simply search the iTunes store for Yale, find the link for the Yale podcast series, and download any and all of the offerings for a chance to revisit the intellectual stimulation of Yale campus days.

Information on the Association of Yale Alumni and its programs is available by calling (203) 432-2586, e-mailing aya@yale.edu, or visiting www.aya.yale.edu.

This article is provided by the Association of Yale Alumni. Although the Yale Alumni Magazine is not part of the AYA, we are pleased to give this page to the AYA every issue as a service to our readers. -- Eds.