Faculty member's podcast gives forum to experts, alumni

July 18, 2023 (Volume 46, Number 19)
Article by Brian Vernellis

Salvatore Alaimo in red shirt standing outside building with tree behind him

Salvatore Alaimo, associate professor of nonprofit administration

Photo Credit: Kendra Stanley-Mills

A podcast by a faculty member in the College of Education and Community Innovation is giving Grand Valley alumni a forum to exchange ideas with national and international experts in their fields.

Salvatore Alaimo, associate professor of nonprofit administration, said his podcast, “Tilting the Earth’s Praxis,” interviews experts in the fields of public administration, criminal justice, education, nonprofit management and nursing.

“Each week, the topic is something important that impacts this ideal of civil society,” Alaimo said. “And that is a society in which all the interactions among humans and organizations work towards enabling us to be the best we can be as productive citizens and flourish as human beings.”

Alaimo’s first stint as a podcast producer came following his return to campus in March from his Fulbright obligation in the Czech Republic. With encouragement from CECI Associate Dean Mark Hoffman, and the Digital Studio team supplying the technical skills, Alaimo jumped into the format, purchasing a Yeti microphone and lining up interviews.

Alaimo said he was surprised at the amount of behind-the-scenes work involved in producing a podcast.

“I’m guilty, just like most people are, in thinking that podcasting is simple,” he said. “I have a renewed respect for anyone who does this.”

But what really appealed to Alaimo was inviting GVSU alumni, some of whom were his former students, to join the discussion and contribute to the dialogue.

“I knew we were going to have good engaging conversations between the experts and the Grand Valley alumni,” Alaimo said. “I had no idea that the discussions would be at this high of a level intellectually while being stimulating, engaging and discussing the topic holistically and comprehensively within 40 minutes.”

Alaimo said he wasn’t the only one impressed with the exchanges.

“You can tell these experts are tickled pink with these discussions,” Alaimo said. “They enjoy engaging with our alumni, and I think that’s something that we all can be proud of.”

Alaimo’s podcast is available on Spotify and Soundcloud.