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College Town Talk

College Town Talk is an award-winning podcast from Tennessee Tech University in partnership with the Cookeville-Putnam County Convention & Visitors Bureau available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud and YouTube.
 
Each week, hosts Jonathan Frank and Shan Stout introduce listeners to Tech faculty, staff and students – as well as successful Tech alumni, local business owners and civic leaders – who are making a difference and living "Wings Up" in their community. College Town Talk is a celebration of the people and places that make Cookeville Tennessee’s College Town.
 
Catch up on the latest episodes below and email Tech’s Jonathan Frank at jonathanfrank@tntech.edu with podcast questions, feedback or suggestions.

Stream the Latest Episodes:

 

Episode 91: Dr. Frank Tittle

This week on College Town Talk, guest co-host Susan Luna-Hazlewood returns for a conversation with Dr. Frank Tittle, a two-time Tennessee Tech graduate now serving as executive director of Tennessee Tech GEAR UP - the university's groundbreaking initiative to increase college and career readiness for students from underserved communities across the Upper Cumberland.

Dr. Tittle talks about his decades-long career in education, from teaching middle school chorus to serving as Tech’s director of admissions. He also discusses GEAR UP’s work in our local K-12 schools, including an unforgettable trip to the Super Bowl for one lucky middle school student. Plus, Dr. Tittle shares advice for new college students and weighs in on Cookeville’s live music scene, his favorite place on Tech’s campus and more in our rapid-fire round.

Episode 90: John and Sandy MacDonald

This week on College Town Talk, guest co-host Susan Luna Hazlewood joins us for a conversation with John and Sandy MacDonald, owners of Cookeville’s iconic Ralph’s Donut Shop. The couple shares how they came to own the nearly 65-year-old business, what it’s like working together as spouses, and what it means to preserve Ralph’s legacy as a recently designated National Register of Historic Places site.

John and Sandy also discuss their love for Tennessee Tech and Golden Eagles football, the impact of the 39 Depot Master Plan on Cookeville’s WestSide, and how the Cookeville community kept their small business afloat during the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Episode 89: Dr. Amy Hill

This week on College Town Talk, we sit down with Dr. Amy Hill, lecturer in Tennessee Tech's College of Emerging and Integrative Studies, three-time Tech graduate and a 2022 recipient of the university's Outstanding Professional Award.

Dr. Hill reflects on her more than 25-year journey at Tech, discusses a student service-learning project that transformed a bedroom at the Cookeville Rescue Mission and shares the inspiration behind a local nonprofit she founded to help individuals overcome difficult circumstances.

She also offers her perspective on how AI is changing graphic design and desktop publishing, highlights a recent summer publishing workshop she led for local high school students, and looks back on the experiences that have shaped her career as an educator, artist and mentor.

Episode 88: Matt Swallows

This week on College Town Talk, we catch up with former Cookeville Mayor Matt Swallows, a Tennessee Tech alumnus, former Golden Eagle football player and the president and COO of Swallows Insurance Agency. Matt reflects on his years leading Tennessee's College Town, shares his perspective on local government and discusses the lessons he's learned from a lifetime of serving the Upper Cumberland.

In our interview, Matt also looks back on his days as a Tech football student-athlete, discusses the transformation of Tucker Stadium and shares what it means to carry on his family's 70-year business legacy. Plus, Matt recalls some of his favorite moments as a former local radio host and reveals what Tennessee Tech has meant to him both personally and professionally.

Episode 87: Dr. Thomas Payne

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Dr. Thomas Payne, dean of the Tennessee Tech College of Business. Since becoming dean in 2015, Dr. Payne has helped lead the college to its highest enrollment in a decade, overseen the addition of new, sought-after programs of study and presided over a renewed emphasis on experiential learning — with more than 90% of students in the college participating in résumé-building opportunities before graduation.

In the interview, Dr. Payne discusses preparing students for the rapidly changing world of AI, the massive renovation underway at Johnson Hall and recent transformational gifts helping support student success in the College of Business. Plus, in our rapid-fire round, Dr. Payne shares his favorite Cookeville eateries, the career he might have pursued outside higher education and the Tech colleague most likely to make him laugh in the middle of a faculty meeting.

Episode 86: Jimmy Guadalupe

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan welcome Jimmy Guadalupe, Tennessee Tech’s newly appointed student trustee and a rising senior majoring in business management and business information and technology.

Jimmy reflects on being unanimously confirmed by the university’s Board of Trustees, discusses why supporting student mental health will be a priority during his one-year term and shares his experience navigating higher education as a first-generation college student.

He also offers a behind-the-scenes look at his role as a Tech Trailblazer, which involves giving personalized campus tours to prospective students and their families, and shares a family memory that inspired his hopes to one day work for Coca-Cola.

Episode 85: Dr. Lauren Harding

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Dr. Lauren Harding, associate professor of political science at Tennessee Tech. As our country celebrates its 250th anniversary, Dr. Harding shares insights from her research on trust in government and discusses how she and her family are experiencing the best of America through their mission to visit every U.S. National Park Site.

Plus, Dr. Harding tells us about paid internship opportunities for students at the Tennessee General Assembly and recounts a recent study abroad trip she co-led to Spain and Portugal.

Episode 84: Margo Dirkson

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Margo Dirkson, department coordinator in Tennessee Tech’s Office of Access, Belonging and Community Outreach and a doctoral student in Tech’s new Ph.D. in higher education program.

Margo shares why she chose to pursue a doctorate while balancing a full-time career and extensive volunteer service, what it means to help students find a sense of belonging on campus and how she intentionally built community after moving to Cookeville a decade ago. We also discuss her volunteerism with local organizations close to her heart, such as the Bryan Symphony Orchestra and Game On Accessible Tennis. Plus, in our rapid-fire round, Margo dishes on her favorite campus spots and the best part about living in the Upper Cumberland.

Episode 83: Dr. Erin Hoover

This week on College Town Talk, we sit down with Dr. Erin Hoover, associate professor of English at Tennessee Tech and the first-ever poet laureate for the City of Cookeville.

In this episode, Dr. Hoover discusses how Tech’s English Department is thoughtfully incorporating AI into the classroom while helping students strengthen their writing skills, think critically and develop their own creative voices.

She also shares her work mentoring students through The Iris Review, the university’s award-winning student-edited literary magazine, and reflects on the deeply personal experiences that inspired her 2023 poetry collection, No Spare People. Plus, she offers a preview of her next book, scheduled for publication in 2027.

Episode 82: Dr. Joshua Martin

This week on College Town Talk, guest co-host Jamie Fancher returns for a conversation with Dr. Joshua Martin, a Tennessee Tech alumnus who now serves as assistant professor of Spanish.

Dr. Martin is also the recipient of Tech’s 2024-25 Scholastic Research Award and author of the new book, Masculinity, Coloniality, and the US-Mexico Border in Literature and Political Culture.

In our interview, Dr. Martin reflects on what it means to serve his alma mater as a faculty member, discusses the lengthy process of writing and publishing a book and shares insights from a recent student and faculty trip he co-led to Los Angeles. Later, during our rapid-fire round, he reveals which colleague is most likely to make him laugh in the middle of a faculty meeting and the surprising career path he might have pursued if not for higher education.


Episode 81: Dr. Julie Baker

This week on College Town Talk, guest co-host Jamie Fancher joins us for a conversation with Dr. Julie Baker, a three-time Tennessee Tech graduate who now serves as dean of the College of Graduate Studies and associate provost at Tech.

As she approaches her 20th anniversary at Tech, Dr. Baker reflects on her early years as a high school teacher, shares favorite campus memories and gives us a glimpse into what it’s really like working alongside her brother. She also discusses how her rural East Tennessee roots shaped her belief in the transformative power of education — and how that conviction helped inspire a historic multi-year GEAR UP grant that will expand college readiness opportunities across the Upper Cumberland.

Later, in our rapid-fire round, Dr. Baker reveals the career she might have pursued outside education and names the Tech colleague she’d call as her lifeline in a game of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”

Episode 80: Adam Poe

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan catch up with Adam Poe, a 2011 Tennessee Tech graduate who now serves as vice president of the Highlands Economic Partnership.

In our interview, Adam discusses Tech’s role in driving economic development across the region and reflects on the lasting impact of his involvement as a Tech student with Kappa Sigma fraternity—an experience that ultimately led him to serve as the organization’s global president.

He also shares a personal story about how a friend’s illness inspired a major career change, and how a creative solution to improve sleep sparked an unexpected passion and talent for painting.

Episode 79: Callie Smith

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan introduce listeners to Callie Smith, a senior at Tennessee Tech and Morgan County native double-majoring in communications and marketing. Callie is also a former Tech Trailblazer — Tech students who provide personalized campus tours for prospective students and their families — and the former sports editor for The Oracle, Tech’s student newspaper.

While still a student, Callie has landed multiple internships with national radio and podcast networks, including K-LOVE Radio, and has a podcast of her own — thanks in part to skills she learned through a podcasting class in Tech’s Department of Communication and Media.

In this interview, Callie shares about being a third generation Golden Eagle, the support she has received from faculty mentors like Dr. Teddy Burch, and recalls how a little determination helped her land a sought-after internship after initially facing multiple rejections.

Episode 78: Dr. Jeannette Luna

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Dr. Jeannette Luna, assistant dean of research and graduate studies in the College of Arts & Sciences at Tennessee Tech.

Dr. Luna was recently selected by NASA as a participating scientist on the first Artemis lunar surface science team — a small, elite group of researchers supporting the agency’s upcoming crewed mission to land astronauts near the moon’s South Pole. In the episode, she shares the unforgettable moment she received the call from NASA inviting her to join the team and reflects on what this milestone means for her, her research and her students.

She also highlights the Department of Earth Sciences’ new planetary geology concentration and looks back on her service as faculty representative on Tech’s Board of Trustees from 2023 to 2025.

Episode 77: Sam Brooks

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and guest co-host Susan Luna-Hazlewood are joined by Sam Brooks, a two-time Tennessee Tech graduate and president of the Tech Football Quarterback Club.

Sam has been an educator in the Upper Cumberland for more than 30 years, ranging from his early days as a biology teacher at Cookeville High School and Upperman High School, to his role today as Upper Cumberland regional director for Volunteer State Community College.

In our interview, Sam discusses his passion for Golden Eagle football and how fans can get involved and show support ahead of the upcoming season. He also shares about the importance of Tech’s strong working relationship with Vol State and recalls his memories in the classroom - including some humorous (and scary) moments teaching driver’s ed.

Plus, Susan Luna-Hazlewood breaks news on the podcast by exclusively sharing the names of the Tennessee Tech Alumni Association’s 2026 Alumni Award winners!

Episode 76: Nancy Hamilton

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and guest co-host Susan Luna-Hazlewood are joined by Dr. Nancy Hamilton, a two-time Tennessee Tech graduate and chair-elect of Tech’s Alumni Association Board of Directors. Dr. Hamilton also serves as a Roane County commissioner and as program director for college success at Roane State Community College.

In the interview, Dr. Hamilton reflects on her path to higher education leadership after first enrolling at Tech as a mechanical engineering major—and the unlikely journey that led her to elected office.

She also shares how a milestone birthday inspired her service on Tech’s Alumni Board and recounts powerful stories of students she has personally supported in persisting toward their degrees—including a single mother of five who is now set to transfer to Tech this fall.

Episode 75: Thomas Lynn

This week on College Town Talk, we’re joined by guest co-host Susan Luna-Hazlewood, executive director of Tennessee Tech’s Crawford Alumni Center, for a special conversation with Thomas Lynn—a two-time Tech graduate, member of Tech’s Board of Trustees and chairman of the board for First National Bank of Tennessee.

Thomas is also a generous philanthropist who helped establish Mustard Seed Ranch, a home for children from difficult backgrounds to heal and grow. In 2004, he organized a concert with country music star Vince Gill to raise funds for the construction of Bell Hall, home of Tech’s Whitson-Hester School of Nursing.

In this interview, Thomas shares how he first learned of his appointment to the Board of Trustees, the “why” behind his latest gift supporting the Professional Readiness and Leadership (PRL) Center in the College of Business, and the inspiration behind founding Mustard Seed Ranch in 2009. Plus, he offers practical advice for current Tech students—including how to plan and save for the future, and what he looks for when hiring new talent.