News
College Town Talk
College Town Talk is a new podcast from Tennessee Tech University in partnership with
the Cookeville-Putnam County Visitors Bureau available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Pandora, 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.
Season one guests on College Town Talk include Cookeville Mayor Laurin Wheaton, Tech
Chief Diversity Officer Robert Owens, Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter, Tech Provost
Lori Mann Bruce, Tech Vice President of Student Affairs Cynthia Polk-Johnson, Tech
alumna and Soul Craft Coffee owner Anna Dunn, Tech Athletic Director Mark Wilson,
State Representative Ryan Williams, Tech Alumna and NPT President and CEO Becky Magura,
Tech Director of Student Engagement and Intercultural Affairs Charria Campbell, Tech
alumna and KSLA news anchor Biskie Duncan, Tech's Director of the Center for Rural
Innovation Michael Aikens, Tech alumnus and Medal of Valor Recipient Sean Ochsenbein
and more!
Email Tech’s Jonathan Frank at jonathanfrank@tntech.edu with podcast questions, feedback or suggestions.
Stream the Latest Episodes:
Episode 6: Mayor Randy Porter and Dr. Cynthia Polk-Johnson
On episode six of College Town Talk, co-hosts Jonathan Frank and Shan Stout are joined
by Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter and Dr. Cynthia Polk-Johnson, Vice President for
Student Affairs at Tennessee Tech.
Episode 5: Provost Lori Mann Bruce and Biskie Duncan
On episode five of College Town Talk, co-hosts Jonathan Frank and Shan Stout are joined
by Dr. Lori Mann Bruce, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Tennessee
Tech, and Biskie Duncan, a Tennessee Tech alumna now serving as morning news anchor
for KSLA News 12 in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Episode 4: Rep. Ryan Williams and Charria Campbell
On episode four of College Town Talk, co-hosts Jonathan Frank and Shan Stout are joined
by State Representative Ryan Williams and Charria Campbell, director of student engagement
and Intercultural Affairs at Tennessee Tech.
Episode 3: Becky Magura and Dr. Michael Aikens
On episode three of College Town Talk, co-hosts Jonathan Frank and Shan Stout are
joined by Becky Magura, a Tennessee Tech alumna and the President and CEO of Nashville
Public Television (NPT), as well as Dr. Michael Aikens, the director of the Center
for Rural Innovation at Tennessee Tech and the administrative chair of the Rural Reimagined
Grand Challenge.
Episode 2: Mark Wilson and Anna Dunn
On episode two of College Town Talk, co-hosts Jonathan Frank and Shan Stout are joined
by Mark Wilson, director of athletics for Tennessee Tech, and Anna Dunn, a Tennessee
Tech alumna and the owner of Soul Craft Coffee.
Episode 1: Mayor Laurin Wheaton and Dr. Robert Owens
On the series premiere of College Town Talk, co-hosts Jonathan Frank and Shan Stout
are joined by Cookeville Mayor Laurin Wheaton and Tennessee Tech Chief Diversity Officer
Dr. Robert Owens.
