UNA Talks is a bi-weekly podcast from the University of North Alabama focusing on our outstanding faculty. At UNA Talks, we seek to gain their expert insights on various professional and academic topics while learning what makes their classrooms unique. The University of North Alabama offers a massive array of high value programs on campus and online taught be these and our many other talented professors. To learn more, visit una.edu/online.
What Higher Education Offers Incarcerated Students (featuring Dr. Katie Owens-Murphy)
Today, we take a closer look at one of our most outreach-oriented programs. Dr. Katie Owens-Murphy serves as UNA's "Inside-Out" coordinator, working directly with people in prison to facilitate dialogue and education across profound social differences. Katie discusses the impact of the program and offers her perspective as an English professor on how language and the way we communicate with one another shape the world in which we all live.
27 May 2026
Where the Arts, the Humanities, and the Business World Meet (featuring Dr. Lindsey Sherrill)
Professor, true crime podcast expert, and writer Dr. Lindsey Sherrill discusses the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to business studies. We see how she has applied these principles in her own work, as well as how she equips her students here at UNA to use language, storytelling, and perspective to conduct business that makes an impact in the world.
27 May 2026
When Advocacy in the Community Finds Its Way Into the Classroom (featuring Dr. Andrea Hunt)
Education's role in the success of its community cannot be overstated, and no one knows that better than Dr. Andrea Hunt. Andrea has dedicated her life and career to advocating for students who have inherited any disadvantage to find the education they deserve. She facilitates change and growth in classrooms as well as courtrooms, demonstrating how UNA empowers and facilitates life-changing access to opportunities.
27 May 2026
What You Need to Know to Lead in Any Organization (featuring Dr. Shinika Byrd)
Dr. Shinika Byrd shares her experiences as a professional in higher education, an entrepreneur, and an accomplished professor. Shinika also shares her refreshingly practical perspective on how to develop leaders who can transfer their skills, regardless of where their career takes them.
8 Apr 2026
What Occupational Therapy Is, Isn't, and How It's Evolving Healthcare (featuring Dr. Laura Smith)
Dr. Laura Smith is an experienced occupational therapist who is bringing the field of study to the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions at UNA. Laura is here to teach us about the emerging field of OT, as well as all the ways it enriches patients' experiences in healthcare around the world. We also discuss how she is equipping students to practice safely and practically, while offering them the skills they need to find their place in this growing field.
8 Apr 2026
What We Are Learning About Caffeine and Kinesiology (featuring Dr. Lauren Killen)
Today, we are talking about, of all things, caffeine — its effect on our bodies, brains, and performance. How can we still be learning about something almost all of us consume every day? That's what Dr. Killen will walk us through. We also discuss the field of Kinesiology and what studying it entails at UNA for our students and faculty.
7 Apr 2026
How Work in Health Professions is Evolving (featuring Dr. Ann-Marie Irons)
What skills are hospitals, pharmacies, medicine, and other health practices looking for? More than you might realize. Dr. Ann-Marie Irons discusses how UNA's nursing programs are helping our graduates prepare for the evolving needs in healthcare — what's changing, what's not, and how to find your fit as a healthcare professional.
15 Dec 2025
What Pop Culture Teaches Us About Our History (featuring Dr. Blake Ball)
Today we meet Dr. Blake Ball, historian and author of "Charlie Brown's America: The Popular Politics of Peanuts." We discuss Dr. Ball's use of popular culture to bridge the gap of the collective consciousness of his students and the history of our country. Dr. Ball's approach to of framing history through the lens of what's on our televisions, in our newspapers, and on our phones shows how approachable history can be for anyone, and we are lucky to see into his mind as we discuss the overlap of comic books, television, and film with politics, headlines, and healthy discourse.
15 Dec 2025
What Patients with Special Needs Can Teach Us About Ourselves (featuring Dr. Rachel Winston)
Today, we are getting to know Dr. Rachel Winston, Director of Engagement & Access Initiatives for the Anderson College of Nursing & Health Professions. Rachel is a powerful advocate for the special needs community in the Shoals and a talented instructor. She shares her personal story of how she found her passion for working with people with special needs and how it informs her teaching every day. We also discuss the respite program at UNA, which benefits local families and nursing students alike.
15 Dec 2025
What the Numbers Do and Don't Tell Us in Marketing (featuring Dr. Alisha Horky)
In this episode, we welcome Dr. Alisha Horky, Associate Professor of Marketing at UNA’s Sanders College of Business and Technology. With over 15 years of professional experience spanning corporate retail, research, and higher education, Dr. Horky shares her journey from managing an outdoor retail store to shaping the next generation of marketers in the classroom. We discuss the evolution of marketing from early web development and retail management to advanced digital analytics and data-driven decision-making. Dr. Horky's passion for blending research with real-world application is on full display, and what makes UNA’s community-centered approach to education special.
13 Nov 2025
What Being a Principal While Being a Professor Teaches You (featuring Dr. Eric Kirkman)
We sit down and talk with Dr. Eric Kirkman, principal of Kilby Laboratory School and professor of instructional leadership at UNA. With more than 25 years of experience in education, Dr. Kirkman brings a wealth of insight into teaching, mentorship, and preparing the next generation of educators. Kilby Laboratory School functions as a living classroom for our aspiring teachers, offering ongoing, real-world practice. He also reflects on his full-circle journey from UNA student to campus leader, the unique culture of Kilby, and the life skills that matter just as much as academics when it comes to being an educator.
30 Oct 2025
What We Can Only Learn by Doing (featuring Dr. Will Brewer)
Dr. Will Brewer is a seasoned nurse with nearly every accolade in the profession to his name. As a UNA graduate, Dr. Brewer brings a great perspective in this episode by discussing how students learn best in nursing and the lengths he goes to help them learn. We also discuss UNA's powerful state-of-the-art simulation lab in detail and discuss the future of health care.
17 Oct 2025
What it's Really Like to Work in the Music Industry (featuring John Paul White)
Today, we talk to Grammy-winning songwriter and recording artist, co-owner of Single Lock Records, and (most notably 😉) UNA alumni and professor, John Paul White. John is one of the many crown jewels of the Muscle Shoals music legacy, and we are so lucky to have him teaching at UNA. His wisdom gained from real-world experience is imparted to emerging artists and entertainment majors every day at UNA, so we thought we would get a glimpse of it ourselves and talk about his amazing musical journey—the highs, the lows, and (mostly) the unexpected.
19 Sept 2025
What’s Changing About Online Education (featuring Dr. Natasha Lindsey)
Today, we talk to Dr. Natasha Lindsey, one of UNA's leading experts in the emerging field of instructional design. Dr. Lindsey leads both the Bachelor's and Master's in Instructional Technology and Design program and helps teachers navigate online teaching and the practice of instructional design. We discuss online accessibility, technological barriers, challenges/obstacles in online education, and more!
3 Sept 2025
What AI is Actually Good For (featuring Dr. Justin Carter)
For our inaugural episode, we sat down with Dr. Justin Carter, Associate Professor of Management in our Sanders College of Business and Technology. Dr. Carter is a community leader in discussions surrounding artificial intelligence and its use in modern research as well as its place in academia.
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