The Podcast Learning Network is pleased to present a public conversation with professional podcaster and podcast Emily Prokop.

A conversation with podcasting expert Emily Prokop
Thursday, March 21, 2024
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
online (Microsoft Teams)

Emily Prokop is the host and creator of the Webby-Nominated podcast The Story Behind and author of the best-selling book based on it and narrator of the audiobook. Her podcast tells the tales of how everyday items came to life (were invented) in history. As the co-host of Hate to Weight podcast, Emily authentically and vulnerably shared her weight loss experience.

In 2017, Emily became a  Podcast Editor + Podcast Consultant, providing her knowledge, expertise, and podcasting skills to creative clients who are looking to build their brand by telling their story or being seen as an expert in their field utilizing podcasting.

Learn more about Emily and her busy life as a mom on her personal blog,  Emily: Out Loud which will one day be another podcast in her production line!

Please register for this event via Microsoft Teams.

The Podcast Learning Network is open to all members of the Brock community interested in learning more about podcasting. Undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty, and instructors are welcome to join in discussions, share experiences, and learn more about creating and using podcasts. No previous podcast experience is required. Join us throughout the year as you are able.

This workshop is approved for IASC 2P08. Please notify the facilitator if you are attending for credit.

The Podcast Learning Network is funded by the Faculty of Humanities and facilitated by Alison Innes. Sessions are organized in collaboration with the Department of Digital Humanities, Makerspace, and Office of Research Services.

Are you a podcaster? Are you curious about podcasting and audio storytelling? Whether you are just thinking about starting a podcast for your class or research project, or have been podcasting about your hobbies for years, you are invited to join the Podcast Learning Network!

Podcasting at Brock
Friday, Sept. 22
11:00 a.m. to 12 noon
RFP216

Followed by a tour of Brock Makerspace

Our first session of the year will be an opportunity to meet fellow podcasters, share your podcast project, and learn about some of the podcasting supports available to you at Brock, including an introduction to the Makerspace facilities and equipment.

Featured guests include:

• John Heckman, Interdisciplinary PhD student, podcaster and streamer at the Tattooed Historian
• Andrew Camacho, Interactive Arts & Science student
• Jayne Morrish, Knowledge Translation Officer, Office of Research Services
• Zac Mason, Makerspace Technician and Facilitator
• Deborah Cartmer, CFBU (Brock campus radio)

This event is free. Please pre-register on ExperienceBU.

Are you a podcaster? Are you curious about podcasting and audio storytelling? Whether you are just thinking about starting a podcast for your class or research project, or have been podcasting about your hobbies for years, you are invited to join the Podcast Learning Network!

Podcasting at Brock
Friday, Sept. 22
11:00 a.m. to 12 noon
RFP216

Followed by a tour of Brock Makerspace

Our first session of the year will be an opportunity to meet fellow podcasters, share your podcast project, and learn about some of the podcasting supports available to you at Brock, including an introduction to the Makerspace facilities and equipment.

Featured guests include:

• John Heckman, Interdisciplinary PhD student, podcaster and streamer at the Tattooed Historian
• Andrew Camacho, Interactive Arts & Science student
• Jayne Morrish, Knowledge Translation Officer, Office of Research Services
• Zac Mason, Makerspace Technician and Facilitator
• Deborah Cartmer, CFBU (Brock campus radio)

This event is free. Please pre-register on ExperienceBU.

Have you been invited as an interviewee on a podcast? Are you interested in hosting an interview format podcast? Then this is the session for you! We will hear from three experienced guests on how to ask—and answer—questions that spark interesting conversations.

Podcast Learning Network:
Asking & Answering Interesting Questions
Thursday, Oct. 19
12 noon to 1:30 p.m.

Online (Teams): RSVP online via ExperienceBU to receive link

Bring your questions about interviewing and being interviewed for our expert panel:

Cassidy Cash is a historical map illustrator and host of That Shakespeare Life, the #2 Shakespeare history podcast in the world. She is also the creator of Experience Shakespeare, a library of hands-on Shakespeare history activity kits that explore recipes, games, and crafts from Shakespeare’s plays that can be completed at home or in a classroom. Cassidy’s documentary shorts and animated films about Shakespeare’s history have won international film awards for history and animation. Her work has been featured in major publications including History Hit, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Historians Magazine, and History Today. Find out more about Cassidy and explore the life of William Shakespeare at www.cassidycash.com

Aven McMaster is the co-host of “The Endless Knot Podcast,” exploring the interconnections of etymology, history, and culture with her cohost, linguist Mark Sundaram. The pair frequently interview authors and academics on various aspects of language and the Roman world. Aven also does production work on the Alliterative YouTube channel. She has a PhD in Classics from the University of Toronto and formerly taught Latin poetry and Roman social history at Thorneloe University at Laurentian. Listen to The Endless Knot at https://www.alliterative.net

Cathy Majtenyi is a writer and journalist as well as a Communications Specialist at Brock University, where she works with Brock researchers to share their stories with the public. Cathy has worked as a freelance journalist for various media outlets, as well as a radio and TV reporter for Voice of America. She has recently published her book African Inspiration: Turning Trial into Triumph, sharing stories she covered in her 12 years of print, radio and television reporting in East Africa.

Please register for this event via ExperienceBU using your Brock email address. A Teams link will be emailed to your Brock email address one hour before the event.

Do you find the idea of recording and editing audio for your podcast slightly intimidating? Are you looking for tips to improve your recording environment or audio editing skills? Are the terms “normalization”, “compression”, and “noise reduction” confusing you? We have experts to help! Join the Podcast Learning Network for a panel discussion on

Recording & Editing Audio
Friday, Nov. 17
10:00 a.m. to 12 noon
RFP 216

Our audio experts Serena Atallah (BA ’20), Mitchell Hingley (BSc ’23), and Andrew Camacho will be sharing their top tips and answering your questions, from recording set up to editing workflow to finished product. Our panel discussion will be followed by audience questions and a tour of Brock Makerspace facilities and resources for those interested.

The Podcast Learning Network is open to all members of the Brock community interested in learning more about podcasting. Undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty, and instructors are welcome to join in discussions, share experiences, and learn more about creating and using podcasts. No previous podcast experience is required. Join us throughout the year as you are able.

This workshop is approved for IASC 2P08. Please notify the facilitator if you are attending for credit.

The Podcast Learning Network is funded by the Faculty of Humanities and facilitated by Alison Innes. Sessions are organized in collaboration with the Department of Digital Humanities, Makerspace, and Office of Research Services.

Recording and releasing your podcast episode is one thing, but how do you get people to listen to it?  Where do you find an audience and how do you build a community around your podcast? Join us for an expert panel discussion on

Building Your Podcast Brand
Friday, Jan. 19
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
online (Microsoft Teams)

Our expert podcasters will share their experiences and offer tips for building an engaged audience and generating some buzz about your podcast! Our panel discussion will be followed by an opportunity for you to ask questions.

Christine Caccipuoti is a historian (MA, Fordham University) who co-hosts and co-produces the podcast Footnoting History. Launched in 2013, Footnoting History features a rotation of historian-hosts who create short episodes covering lesser-known topics in world history for the public. It has been downloaded over 3 million times and consists of more than 280 episodes. In her capacity as a podcasting scholar, Christine co-edited Independent Scholars Meet the World: Expanding Academia beyond the Academy (University Press of Kansas, 2020) and spoken about podcasting at conferences like Intelligent Speech, Sound Education, and the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians. Further, she has explored the history and legacy of Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997” for One-Track Mind: Capitalism, Technology, and the Art of the Pop Song (Routledge, 2022) and contributed to American National Biography. More about Christine can be found at ChristineCaccipuoti.com, while Footnoting History can be found as @footnotinghistory on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Jim Ambuske is a Historian and Senior Producer at R2 Studios, the podcast division of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. At R2 Studios, Ambuske produces, creates, and hosts narrative history podcasts for general audiences. He is the executive producer of The Green Tunnel Podcast, and is the creator, writer, and narrator of Worlds Turned Upside Down, a podcast about the history of the American Revolution.  He is the former producer and host of the podcast, Conversations at the Washington Library, and with Jeanette Patrick, co-created and co-wrote the narrative documentary series, Intertwined: The Enslaved Community at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

John R. Heckman is known to thousands online as The Tattooed Historian. Currently embarking on his inaugural year as a PhD student in Interdisciplinary Humanities here at Brock, John is adapting to his new Canadian lifestyle. Originally from Pennsylvania, USA, he has devoted himself to ensuring the accessibility of history to a wide audience through social media, gaming, live-streamed and in-person events, and his engaging podcast, The Tattooed Historian Show, where he discusses a plethora of historical topics with authors, researchers, and other leaders in their fields. 

Please register for this event on ExperienceBU with your Brock email address. A link will be emailed to you an hour before the event. If you do not have a Brock email address, please email ainnes@brocku.ca to register.

The Podcast Learning Network is open to all members of the Brock community interested in learning more about podcasting. Undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty, and instructors are welcome to join in discussions, share experiences, and learn more about creating and using podcasts. No previous podcast experience is required. Join us throughout the year as you are able.

This workshop is approved for IASC 2P08. Please notify the facilitator if you are attending for credit.

The Podcast Learning Network is funded by the Faculty of Humanities and facilitated by Alison Innes. Sessions are organized in collaboration with the Department of Digital Humanities, Makerspace, and Office of Research Services.

Podcast Learning Network is collaborating the Black History and African Heritage Month at Brock to bring two live podcast recording events to Brock on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024.

Black History Month/ African Heritage Month at Brock and the Podcast Learning Network are pleased to present a live recording of

Black in Sport Business
Marsha-Gaye Knight
Friday, Feb. 9, 2024
11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
RFP 216, Brock University

Black in Sport Business is a hub to gather and share the incredible stories and experiences of Black professionals thriving in the dynamic world of sport business.

Join us on this exhilarating journey as we bring you the voices that are reshaping the narrative, trailblazing in the industry, and breaking barriers. Whether you’re a seasoned professional, an aspiring enthusiast, or just someone who loves a good story, we’ve got something for you.

Our aim is simple but powerful: to inspire and educate the next generation and current sports business professionals. Let’s not just make a mark in the industry; Let’s redefine it. Together, we’ll continue to pave the way for a sports world that truly reflects the richness of our society.”

Black History Month/ African Heritage Month at Brock and the Podcast Learning Network are pleased to present a live recording of

My Hockey Hero
Dean Barnes and Darren Banks
Friday, Feb. 9, 2024
3 p.m. to 5 p.m
RFP 216, Brock University

Dean will be speaking to Darren about his experiences in hockey going back to minor hockey years, to playing at Brock University, the minor leagues, and then ultimately the NHL. This discussion will also include his experiences as a Black player in a predominantly White sport.

My Hockey Hero has been ranked as high as 11th on the U.S. Apple Hockey Podcasts and 42nd on the Canada Apple Hockey Podcasts rankings. The podcast shares inspirational stories of Black NHL players with the goal of promoting representation and inclusion in the game of hockey.

Darren Banks (born March 18, 1966) is a Canadian former professional hockey player. He played in 20 NHL games with the Boston Bruins between between 1992 and 1994, as well as extensively in the minor leagues and briefly in Europe during a career that lasted from 1989 to 2005. During his career he played predominantly as an enforcer. Darren began his collegiate in 1986 with the Brock Badgers having previously played for the Leamington Flyers junior hockey team.  Banks played for the Badgers for three seasons, with his most productive season coming in his final year, registering 33 points in 26 games, along with 88 penalty minutes.

Dr. Dean Barnes holds a PhD and a BEd from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, and a MEd from Queen’s University. After a successful teaching career, he was appointed Principal of T.A Blakelock High School in the Halton District School Board (HDSB) in 2011. He is currently a Superintendent of Education responsible for the Student Well-Being and Mental Health portfolio and supervises K-12 schools in North Milton.  He is a former University of Waterloo Men’s Hockey player and maintains an active lifestyle by playing hockey and golf in his spare time. He recently initiated an education awareness and inclusion project to highlight Black hockey history in the National Hockey League. In August 2021, he managed to collect the rookie cards of close to 100 Black and biracial players who have appeared in at least one NHL game. The collection includes a rookie card for Willie O’Ree, who became the league’s first Black player on January 18, 1958, and features rookie cards of such Hockey Hall of Fame inductees as goalie Grant Fuhr and forward Jarome Iginla. Dr. Barnes’s work has garnered national media attention across Canada and he has been covered in the Hamilton Spectator, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, Hockey News, NHL Sirius radio, CHCH Morning Show and Global TV Morning show. His hockey card collection travelled across North America as part of the Black Hockey History Mobile Museum in 2022 and the United by Hockey Museum in 2023. He hopes his projects will change the general perception of who plays hockey, and will serve as an inspiration for Black children to see hockey as an option and pursue their dreams of playing in the NHL.

The Podcast Learning Network is open to all members of the Brock community interested in learning more about podcasting. Undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty, and instructors are welcome to join in discussions, share experiences, and learn more about creating and using podcasts. No previous podcast experience is required. Join us throughout the year as you are able.

The Podcast Learning Network is funded by the Faculty of Humanities and facilitated by Alison Innes. Sessions are organized in collaboration with the Department of Digital Humanities, Makerspace, and Office of Research Services.