On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: A mild winter allows for an early prescribed fire. We’ll speak with acclaimed jazz trumpeter and music educator Sean Jones. And a push by public colleges and universities in New York aims to get more students involved in producing local news.

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: Hamilton College has named its next president. We’ll speak with Steven Tepper, who is currently serving as a dean at Arizona State University. And a new summer program aimed at helping middle and high school teachers incorporate lessons on ecology and climate change into their curriculums. 

The theories of 19th Century evolutionists Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer changed how scientists view the world. But one topic that seemed to stump both great thinkers was music. We’ll speak with music theorist and author Miriam Piilonen about her book, which lends a fresh eye to old ideas about music and evolution.

Following the resignation of former president Claudine Gay, Harvard University is at the center of the debate over free speech on college campuses.  On this week's episode of The Best of Our Knowledge, we’ll speak with a member of a faculty organization defending the rights of students to protest violence against Palestinians. And we’ll speak with the supervisor of the Onondaga Nation Farm.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: Universities across New York state studying AI are banding together to unlock the potential of the technology to benefit public good. We’ll speak with a researcher who has been working to develop classroom curricula surrounding the rapidly advancing technology.   And 2023 was the warmest year on record. We’ll learn more from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.   

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: We’ll learn about the world’s most formidable creatures. National Geographic writer Jen Szymanski will speak with our Jody Cowan about her latest book for young readers, “Deadliest Animals on the Planet.”   And we’ll learn about ice yachts – the fastest craft on the planet at the turn of the 20th Century.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: We’ll have a conversation with Dr. Carl Safina, an ecologist and author of Alfie & Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe.  The book tells the story of an orphaned owl who was cared for by Carl and his wife Patricia during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the large impact a little owl had on their lives.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: The Israel-Hamas war has intensified debate over free speech on college campuses.  And we’ll speak with an internationally-known advocate for human rights in the West Bank about how the war has affected learning and the natural environment.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: The Vermont State Colleges system, which is transforming into the Vermont State University, has selected a new chancellor.  We’ll learn about an ancient Iranian tradition celebrated during the winter solstice. And the race is on to establish a national semiconductor technology center.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: Many educators will say teaching can be a thankless job. A new app aims to help the entire school community share praise. We’ll speak with the CEO of company HiLight.  And with the College of Saint Rose set to close in June, a nearby college wants to help students continue their studies.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: The College of Saint Rose, a private liberal arts college in New York, recently announced it would close at the end of the academic year.   Education advocates brace for budget cuts in the nation’s largest public school system.   And varsity hockey players try a new version of their sport.  

On this week's The Best of Our Knowledge: As American students are facing more than $1.7 trillion dollars in student loan debt, some private sector companies are now exploring their own student loan repayment programs.   A LEGO building challenge gets kids to dive into a fun learning experience.   Hearings were held in Vermont to examine changes to how the state’s Agency of Education approves independent schools.  And a new program in one public school system is working to foster a more productive and supportive community. 

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: President Biden in October issued an executive order on artificial intelligence. We’ll unpack the order meant to mitigate the risks of the technology.   A new fellowship aims to bring scientists and researchers into state government.    And an exhibit at Vassar College highlights the personal papers of a renowned 2oth Century poet.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: An invasive insect, the Emerald Ash Borer poses threats to America’s forests. A federally-supported study is using parasitoid wasps to control the arboreal pasts. And we’ll visit an environmental science professor in the field, as students collect trail cameras as part of a national study on mammal populations.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: We’ll join researchers collecting ticks during the fall peak of arachnid activity.  After a smoky summer, wildfire smoke detectors have been installed across New York state.  A championship basketball coach gears up for a fresh challenge.  As more colleges and universities are making courses in STEM a priority, one university is also bolstering its efforts to help students retain their education in complex subjects.  And officials in Burlington, Vermont recently energized a solar facility that will serve as a research and training facility for university students. 

On this week's episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: We’ll attend a demonstration of an experimental instrument – one that when installed can take up an entire concert stage.   A new music school gives more than just guitar and piano lessons.   And we’ll visit a new community college lab that is training students for high-tech jobs.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: The home of Gilded Age writer Edith Wharton celebrates the supernatural. The largest donation ever made to one public university will support its efforts to improve literacy. And we’ll learn more about the New York Air National Guard’s mission to support research in Antarctica.  

National Geographic scientist-photographer Anand Varma captures images of beautiful secrets hiding in plain sight. We’ll speak with Varma about his book “Invisible Wonders: Photographs of the Hidden World.”   And we’ll learn about a federally funded initiative that is researching urban forests.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge, college campuses are reimagining student housing. Researchers at teaming up with astronauts aboard the International Space Station to find ways to cool electronic equipment more efficiently. And a university hosts a banned book read-out.  

With a massive, multi-year expansion project finally completed, staff and educators at the Strong Museum of Play are eager to welcome new and returning crowds. After two college-in-prison programs in New York hosted by private universities collapsed earlier this year, Bard College will pick up the slack. 

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: A novelty high school steel drum band formed in the 1970s brought students around the world. Lawmakers in New York are celebrating record levels of state education funding. And with a chill in the air, we’ll explore the science as to why leaves change colors in the autumn.  

A new poll shows that while Americans mostly see the value in a college degree, many don’t think colleges are doing a great job in educating students. We’ll speak with the professor behind a new academic program focused on accessible instruction. A high school is giving more students individualized learning programs. And new technology could aid school personnel and responders in an emergency.  

Students are back on campus, and for first-year students, one of the most daunting tasks of settling into college life is moving everything into the dorm. A partnership between a public community college and a private four-year institution aims to assist refugees. And we’ll monitor milkweed for monarch butterflies.  

It’s back to school season! On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge, we’ll explore how educators prepare for the return of students to the classroom.  A time capsule at West Point turns out to be a bit of a letdown. A Florida high school social studies teacher tours sites of the Holocaust in Europe.  And the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is offering free community college to adults over age 25.   

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: Scientists have used artificial intelligence to decode brainwave patterns and reconstruct music – and rock band Pink Floyd is playing a part.  In an age of increasing political polarization, a new initiative at Bard College aims to develop critical reading and writing skills through its new Center for Ethics and Writing.  Massachusetts lawmakers want to prevent book bans at public libraries.  And a museum and science center in New York is repatriating Indigenous remains that had been part of its collection.  

The conservative takeover of a small liberal arts college in Florida has drawn eyes from across the country, as the state’s Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis, runs for president.   A program in New York aims to get more school staffers connected with local farms.   And a U.S. Senator is pushing for student loan forgiveness for teachers.  

The harvest season is here. We’ll learn about homesteading from planning to canning. New research suggests an old cancer treatment is effective in fighting tick-borne illness. And education officials in New York announce funding for mental health.  

NPR’s Student Podcast Challenge drew more than 3,000 submissions this year, but only about two dozen were selected as finalists. We’ll speak with two of the students recognized in the competition for their piece. And a new report examines gaps in teacher retention.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: A new museum explores the comedic history of the Borscht Belt in New York’s Catskill Mountains. A 101-year-old toy inventor will share stories about his ideas over a long career. And a recently-closed liberal arts college will welcome a new kind of class this fall.  

On this week's The Best of Our Knowledge: The James Webb Space Telescope has been sending detailed glimpses of the universe to Earth for a year now. A bill in New York State government would require political campaigns disclose when they use artificial intelligence. A library in Springfield, Massachusetts has digitally archived school yearbooks. The Vermont State University system is now in operation.

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge, we’ll set sail! A Vermont science teacher is embarking on a mission to study the effects of climate change on New York’s Adirondack Park by sailing as many lakes as he can this summer. And a new smartphone app is informing property owners on Lake George on what they can do to protect water quality. 

The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued decisions affecting student borrowers and admissions policies at colleges and universities. On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge, we’ll discuss with experts the decisions that struck down President Biden’s student debt cancellation program and made it unlawful for colleges and universities to consider race as a factor in admissions.

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute plans to become the first university in the world to house a new advanced quantum supercomputer; a young woman is named valedictorian of a private high school’s first co-ed graduating class; and newly passed legislation in New York aims to protect student government clubs.   

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge: the pandemic exposed the connectivity gap at a time when more children are learning online. We’ll speak with U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona about a push by the White House expand broadband access; Students in Hudson, New York recently showcased their first forays into stop-motion animation; We'll visit the "Q-Bus," a mobile education station in Queensbury area; and a community college in upstate New York is planning a new workforce training center.  

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge, we’ll speak with John Flansburgh of rock band They Might Be Giants. John and co-founder John Linnell have been making records for more than 40 years, with several albums written to entertain and educate kids.  

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge: There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but researchers are continuing to study drugs that can improve the lives of people suffering from the disease. We’ll speak with neurologist Dr. Richard Holub about his latest research; And the school bus you remember riding to school will soon be no-longer. We’ll take a ride on a zero-emissions electric bus. 

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge: students are participating in an oral history project to preserve the stories of the workers in an area known as Slate Valley; a wildlife rehabilitator in the Adirondacks is writing a series of books to get youth excited about nature and animals; a U.S. military installation in Virginia was renamed in honor of two pioneering Black Army officers; and the New York State Museum is examining American Revolution-era remains discovered in a construction site.  

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge: a New York education policy is requiring school districts to remove Native American names, mascots, and imagery – with an exception for schools that have a standing relationship with a recognized tribe. We’ll speak with the superintendent of one such school district; and most students love a class field trip. How do teachers find new ways to teach outside the classroom? 

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge: the pandemic changed the way students learn, including the widespread adoption of remote learning. But how did the pandemic affect schooling that was already online? And one of the nation’s most powerful teachers’ unions has a new leader. We’ll speak with the new president of New York State United Teachers.  

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge: a new study shows only 51 percent of college students complete their studies; drone soccer, a brand-new competitive sport, is sweeping the country; and a new study by the National Park Service shows forests in the eastern U.S. are at risk.  

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge: a new lab at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute seeks to accommodate students with different styles of learning; an online school based in the Bronx is graduating hip hop lyricists; and the Vermont State University system is reversing a plan to remove books from shelves and create digital libraries.   

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge: Engineering students at the University at Albany show off their award-winning invention that aims to help workers with physical limitations succeed in their careers; and a NASA scientist discusses the agency’s fleet of satellites monitoring a changing Earth.  

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge: PBS and NOVA month have released new films as part of an initiative to more effectively communicate climate change; preparations are underway for the April 2024 solar eclipse at one university that will be in the path of totality; and spring is here, and in colder climates, so are amphibians and reptiles.

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge: First Lady Jill Biden visited BETA Technologies, an emerging aerospace company in South Burlington, Vermont, as part of her Investing in America tour; Joshua Mirsky, manager of the Stage One Dispensary in New York prepares to open shop upstate; and a new study out of UMASS Amherst takes a closer look at Lyme disease.

On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge: students get the chance to meet with former U.S. House representatives as part of a program that brings Congress to campus; graduating high schoolers share their experiences with an early college learning program; and we’ll speak with SUNY New Paltz's Darrell Wheeler, who will be inaugurated this month.  

How does U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack want to improve school meals programs? A national competition is welcoming submissions from student podcasters; and two schools in Albany, New York are adding programs to attract new applicants.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: A new awareness campaign to find missing persons and solve cold cases is coming to a gas station near you; a new study measures the annual economic impact of hate crimes in the U.S.; students come together to hold a prayer service for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria; and a northern New York researcher looks for new ways to utilize beech trees.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: how do artificial intelligence programs like ChatGPT fit into the future of higher education? A Manhattanville College English professor shares his thoughts and a poem; students rallied at the New York State capitol in Albany for free tuition; and an effort to repatriate Native American makes slow progress in Connecticut.  

On this episode of The Best of Our Knowledge: a new book aims to build an understanding of the U.S. immigration system by telling the stories of immigrant children through their creative expression; and we’ll learn what it takes to write and illustrate your own comic book.