In this week's podcast, I had the unique pleasure of sitting down with SIUC Chancellor Dr. Austin Lane. I was very impressed with Dr. Lane. He showed incredible insight into understanding the culture and economics of the Southern Illinois community. Furthermore, he emphasized the self-awareness and patience to take a step back and LISTEN to the people here and not assume he knows best. We speak in depth on his strategy moving forward, why he got into higher education, and what service to others means. Please sit back and enjoy listening to Dr. Lane as much as I enjoyed speaking with him.

" If you keep shooting your shot, one will go in..." This episode of the Saluki Innovation Podcast is with Jeremy Packer and Matthew Jackson. Jeremy is the CTO of Lineup Media Group and CEO of Packer labs, and Matthew is the CEO of the Ultimate Gaming Championship. I had a lot of fun speaking with these two remarkable entrepreneurs. They are both a wealth of all things related to business and are dedicated GRINDERS! I could've spoken to them for hours, but we get into various topics during the podcast, such as how they both got started, favorite books, how they set goals, how they deal with rejection, and much more.

To start the new semester, we are going to be doing something a little different. We are starting a new podcast/video interview called Saluki Innovation. This platform aims to interview and discuss new innovative ideas and works across all disciplines at SIU, and the Southern Illinois community. I hope that members of this community will be engaged and open to new ideas and problems that faculty, students, and alumni are tackling. Our first guest's name is Raymund Narag. Raymund has a remarkable story and is just a truly remarkable individual. I feel honored to learn from him. Raymund Spent seven years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. All the while, never losing his faith, he continued to be proactive about his situation. He started to teach fellow prisons who couldn't read and even developed a records system using Exel while still being an inmate in the middle of his trial. He continues his work to this day, helping the prison system in the Philippines. He also is an associate professor here at SIU in the Criminology and Justice Department. Has was a real pleasure to sit down and talk with him. This interview is going to be a difficult one to top. Please sit back and enjoy this incredible story of resilience, perseverance, and faith.