In The Spotlight

About In The Spotlight

This is In The Spotlight where we shine the light on college students, our lived experiences, and the research to help us thrive. This is a podcast made for college students by college students. We’re coming to you from the Clemson University Honors college as a part of CCARE, a special research group in the Creative Inquiry program. Podcast Founders: Terryn Witherspoon, Aaron Woolfolk, Ashley Larkins, Jason Teets. Current members can be found in the episode description.

Publisher

CCARE Special Research Group

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Nov 2021

Latest episode

10 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

20 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Jun 2026

   Environment

   Today we put environment in the spotlight! In this episode, we discuss the various environments you will encounter in college and the impact they have on our lives. Once you're finished listening to this episode, listen to our previous episodes for more engaging conversation on our lived experiences in college! Our podcast hosts in this episode are Kaelyn Gannon, Sarah Pacer, Hasini Marlapudi, and Belle Dunlap. The research articles from this episode are listed below: Brink, H. W., Loomans, M. G. L. C., Mobach, M. P., & Kort, H. S. M. (2021). Classrooms' indoor environmental conditions affecting the academic achievement of students and teachers in higher education: A systematic literature review. Indoor air, 31(2), 405–425. https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12745 (https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12745) Cayubit, R.F.O. (2022). Why learning environment matters? An analysis on how the learning environment influences the academic motivation, learning strategies and engagement of college students. Learning Environments Research, 25, 581–599. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-021-09382-x (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-021-09382-x) Ferrari, J. R., Roster, C. A., Crum, K. P., & Matthew, P. A. (2018). Procrastinators and Clutter: An Ecological View of Living with Excessive “Stuff”. Current Psychology, 37, 441–444. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9682-9 Koning, M., Kim, J., Saeidi-Rizi, F., & Durst, N., J. (2022) The Role of the Campus Outdoor Environment on University Student Mental Health. Journal of People Plants and Environment, 25(3), 263-272. https://doi.org/10.11628/ksppe.2022.25.3.263 (https://doi.org/10.11628/ksppe.2022.25.3.263) Meagher, B. R. & Anderson, B. (2024). There’s no place like dorm: actual-ideal dorm ambiance as a unique predictor of undergraduate mental health. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 37(4), 446-459. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2023.2265307 (https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2023.2265307) Sun, N., Liu, W., & Zheng, Z. (2023). Campus outdoor environment, learning engagement, and the mental health of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: From the perspective of students in different grades. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1143635. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1143635 (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1143635) Youssef, A. M., Shamsaldin, M., Abuzayed, B., Alameeri, S., Al Eid, M. M., Dib, A., Hussein, A., & Khalid, A. (2024). Measuring the Quality of Life and Psychological Distress of Dormitory Students at a University in Sharjah. Cureus, 16(11), e73666. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.73666 (https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.73666)

2. 

   12 Dec 2025

   Nutrition and Staying Healthy

   Today we put nutrition and staying healthy in the spotlight! In this episode, we combined our personal experiences with research on nutrition. We discuss common barriers, resources, and how to build a healthier routine overall. Once you're finished listening to this episode, listen to our previous episodes for more engaging conversations on our lived experiences in college! Our podcast hosts in this episode are Owen Eastman, Kaelyn Gannon, Maddie Kelly, Sarah Pacer, and Morgan Sapp. The research articles from this episode are listed below: Bhurosy, T., DiGiorgio, M., Thiagarajah, K., & Chung, T. (2025). College students’ perspectives on what they need from a nutrition app: Implications for next-generation nutrition apps. . Journal of American College Health, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2025.2522723 McMullen, J., & Ickes, M. (2017, November 27). The influence of a campus-based culinary, Nutrition Education Program, “College chef,” on college students’ self-efficacy with cooking skills and nutrition behaviors. Building Healthy Academic Communities. https://bhacjournal.org/article/id/5008/ Wen, T.-H., Tchong, W.-L., & Ching, G. S. (2015). A study on the relationship between college students’ personality and their eating habits. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 5(2), 146–149. https://doi.org/10.7763/ijiet.2015.v5.492 Werner, E., & Betz, H. H. (2020). Knowledge of physical activity and nutrition recommendations in college students. Journal of American College Health, 70(2), 340–346. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1750412 Winpenny EM;van Sluijs EMF;White M;Klepp KI;Wold B;Lien N; (n.d.). Changes in diet through adolescence and early adulthood: Longitudinal trajectories and association with Key Life Transitions. The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30200990/ Yahia, N., Brown, C. A., Rapley, M., & Chung, M. (2016). Level of nutrition knowledge and its association with fat consumption among college students. BMC Public Health, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3728-z

3. 

   28 Apr 2025

   Connecting with Others

   Today we put fostering and maintaining connections in the spotlight! In this episode we discuss the role social connections for college students. Once you're finished listening to this episode, listen to our previous episodes for more engaging conversations on our lived experiences in college! Our podcast hosts in this episode are Christian Ihekweazu, Owen Eastman, Deena Warid, Mohamed Ismail, and Kaelyn Gannon. The research articles from this episode are listed below: Abdul-Rahaman, N., Terentev, E., & Arkorful, V. E. (2023). The tertiary experience: Of social integration, retention and persistence–a review. Public Organization Review, 23(1), 133-147. Avcı, M. (2023). Belongingness, social connectedness, and life satisfaction in college students after COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Happiness and Health, 3(2), 23–36. https://doi.org/10.47602/johah.v3i2.43 (https://doi.org/10.47602/johah.v3i2.43) Chittum, J. R., Enke, K. A. E., & Finley, A. P. (2022). The effects of community-based and civic engagement in higher education. American Association of Colleges and Universities Credé, M., & Niehorster, S. (2012). Adjustment to college as measured by the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire: A quantitative review of its structure and relationships with correlates and consequences. Educational Psychology Review, 24, 133–165. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-011-9184-5 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-011-9184-5) Farrell, L. C., Jorgenson, D., Fudge, J., & Pritchard, A. (2018). College Connectedness: The Student Perspective. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 18(1), 75–95. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v18i1.22371 (https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v18i1.22371) Foster, G. (2005). Making friends: A nonexperimental analysis of Social Pair Formation. Human Relations, 58(11), 1443–1465. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726705061313 (https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726705061313) Gillen-O’Neel, C. (2021). Sense of belonging and student engagement: A daily study of first-and continuing-generation college students. Research in higher education, 62(1), 45-71. Hall, J. A. (2019). How many hours does it take to make a friend?. Journal of social and personal relationships, 36(4), 1278-1296. Klaiber, P., Whillans, A. V., & Chen, F. S. (2018). Long‐term health implications of students’ friendship formation during the transition to university. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being, 10(2), 290-308. Lee, J. Y. (2016). An exploration of factors influencing college students’ academic and social adjustment. The International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology, 4(4), 13–22. https://doi.org/10.17703/ijact.2016.4.4.13 (https://doi.org/10.17703/ijact.2016.4.4.13) Steers, M. L. N., Neighbors, C., Wickham, R. E., Petit, W. E., Kerr, B., & Moreno, M. A. (2019). My friends, I’m# SOTALLYTOBER: A longitudinal examination of college students’ drinking, friends’ approval of drinking, and Facebook alcohol-related posts. Digital health, 5, 2055207619845449. Wang, H., Chua, V., & Stefanone, M. A. (2015). Social ties, communication channels, and personal well-being. American Behavioral Scientist, 59(9), 1189–1202. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764215580590 (https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764215580590)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 24 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

28

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51