Dr. John McAllister: How do we get more diversity among tenured professors on a college campus?

Dr. John W. McAllister is a productive and recognized higher education scholar with professional experience in Graduate education, Blindness and visual impairments, Graduate Education Program Coordination, student affairs, academic program administration, and disability services management. Dr. McAllister maintains an active research agenda that examines race, gender, and disabilities in American higher education, diversity issues in colleges access and achievement; the effects of education policies and campus environments on racial/ethnic minority student outcomes; and access to programs and accommodations for students with disabilities. He also participates in multiple higher education and Blind and visually impaired professional associations via committees and certification and continuing education programs.

In episode 426 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out how moving to the white neighborhood of Ferguson, Missouri impacted Dr. McAllister as a child, why working with students who have disabilities is a lifelong passion, what his definition of student success is and how fraternities and sororities help student success, why he decided on Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. as a student organization, how do we change the narrative of Fraternities and Sororities to be more in line with our values, how we can make our student organizations more accessible to students with disabilities, what are his responsibilities at University of Arkansas at Little Rock as program coordinator for Rehab of the Blind, and how do we get more diversity among tenured professors on college campuses. Enjoy!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9QAd4Al06c

 
Fraternity/Sorority

Elizabeth Pizzarello: How do you build confidence after losing your vision?

Elizabeth Pizzarello was born a sighted child in the Bronx, New York. Her unexpected journey started two weeks before her college graduation when doctors told her that she was to be blind by age 40. It happened earlier; Elizabeth was blind by 38. Elizabeth wants share with our audience that even throughout one’s academic journey, dreams can be altered by unexpected circumstances. Bad things happen to good people. When doctors told her she was losing her vision and would go blind, it rocked her world. The good news is that the talents and skills one acquires can be used to overcome obstacles. They are never lost. You can change the outcome of your story. One just has to learn to pivot!

In episode 393 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out what it was like for Elizabeth to grow up in the Bronx, why she chose Cedar Crest College, what was Elizabeth’s reaction when she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa and she knew should would lose her vision, what her reaction was 10 years later after a lens implant procedure to restore some of her vision, how she made the shift from blindness to a a high tech implant, how you can build confidence after catastrophic loss, what are the misconceptions about blindness, how she cooks and serves meals today, and more about her book called “Eclipsed”. Enjoy!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X0Bz8KbRDw

 
Fraternity/Sorority

Joe Rinaldi: How are you grateful that you’re going blind?

Our next guest is Joe Rinaldi. He grew up in Westfield, NJ but now lives in Philadelphia, PA with his wife Michaela. They’re both Doctors of Physical Therapy, but that title doesn’t and won’t define who he is. He is Joe Rinaldi the human being and child of God. He is here to serve, love, encourage, inspire and leave the world a better place than he found it in everything that he does. Joe has a desire to make a true and positive impact on the people around him and that’s the contagious attitude that he wants to spread. To put things in perspective and give more context, I need to tell you one more thing. He is grateful to be going blind. What he has lost in sight, he has gained in vision.

We find out from Joe what is Best Disease and how he’s grateful to be going blind, why Bucknell was the right choice for his undergraduate experience, what was special about the brothers of Chi Phi, why he transferred to Rutgers – New Brunswick to complete his Exercise Science degree, his observations after being a physical therapist for 2.5 years, what is Project Endure and how he is going to help others, how Joe prepares for each week, how to build consistency with fitness, how important Michaela is to Joe’s story, and his favorite restaurants in Philadelphia. Enjoy!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3SS-oBzGAk

Fraternity/Sorority