Today I’m joined by Dr. Juan Andrés Gannon, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University, whose research examines the political origins of military power, how states build and use technology, and what that reveals about global security and cooperation. A former fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School and the Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. Gannon shares insights on the evolving nature of warfare, the role of data and AI in studying conflict, and how he brings these complex topics to life in the classroom.

Today I’m joined by Dr. Whitney Frierson, a lecturer in Sociology whose work explores race, gender, education, and mental health. She is published in journals like Sociological Focus and Society and Mental Health, and her research sheds light on how discrimination impacts the well-being of Black students in higher education.