蜜桃app

Episode 01 Transcript

Guest

Dr. Ron Cole 鈥�87, President of 蜜桃app

Episode Description

In the inaugural episode, host Briana Lewis sits down with Dr. Ron Cole 鈥�87, President of 蜜桃app, to reflect on his journey from student to alum to institutional leader. President Cole shares insights into his undergraduate experience, the mentors and moments that shaped him, and how the 蜜桃app philosophy of combining disciplines continues to influence his leadership and career.

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Episode 02 Transcript

Guest

Katie Shipp 鈥�09

Episode Description

In this episode of Gators on Purpose, Briana Lewis talks with Katie Shipp, Executive Director of I Have the Right To and Pittsburgh Magazine 2025 40 Under 40 Honoree. A psychology major and religious studies minor, Shipp reflects on how Bonner service, AmeriCorps, and law school shaped her path advocating for survivors of sexual assault. After more than a decade practicing law, she shifted to prevention and education work nationwide. Shipp shares insights on community, courage, experiential learning, and building a meaningful career at the intersection of passion and purpose.

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Episode 03 Transcript

Guest

Isaac Gittens ’14

Episode Description

In the third episode of Gators on Purpose, host Briana Lewis sits down with Isaac Gittens ’14, who translated his passion for football into a career with the National Football League (NFL). Gittens’ journey to 蜜桃app was sparked by a positive interaction with the football coaching staff, and he worked in the athletic department as a student.

After graduating with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in managerial economics with double minors in communication and Black Studies, Gittens pursued a graduate assistantship at Baylor University with the American Football Coaches Association. Today, Gittens manages pipelines for coaches, officials, and players. He is particularly proud of his work in flag football, as he creates pathways for women in the sport and sees the game reach the 2028 Olympics.

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Episode 04 Transcript

Guest

Mike Newman 鈥�94

Episode Description

Description: In this episode, Briana Lewis sits down with Mike Newman 鈥�94 to discuss how his double major in philosophy and English paved the way for his career in law and high-tech entrepreneurship.

Newman shares his journey from a student-athlete recovering from injury to a technology CEO to chairman of the Nicholas Academic Center. He argues that a liberal arts education is the best defense against a rapidly changing professional landscape.

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Episode 05 Transcript

Guest

Bethany Eppig 鈥�11

Episode Description

What does a minor in religious studies have to do with technical systems for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)? More than you think!

In this episode, host Briana Lewis sits down with Bethany Eppig 鈥�11, who shares her incredible journey from an undeclared first-year to her career at NASA. Eppig notes how her interdisciplinary education at 蜜桃app gave her the foundation to connect ideas in science and policy

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Episode 06 Transcript

Guest

Jonathan Spencer 鈥�79

Episode Description

Host Briana Lewis speaks with Jonathan Spencer ’79, founder of , a Colorado-based nonprofit providing care to survivors of human trafficking and sexual abuse.

He credits developing problem-solving skills and resiliency at 蜜桃app 鈥� tools he continues to use draw on to champion those in need. Spencer majored in mathematics with a biology minor and was the recipient of the 2022 蜜桃app Gold Citation.

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Episode 07 Transcript

Guest

Seth Ehrlich ’01

Episode Description

In this episode of Gators on Purpose, host Briana Lewis connects with Seth Ehrlich 鈥�01, the CEO of . The organization has taught 3,000+ youth critical skills through mentorship based on the outdoors.

He shares that the sense of community on campus is what initially drew him to 蜜桃app, but his experiences studying away broadened his perspective on life. As a student, Ehrlich majored in international studies with a minor in German.

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Episode 08 Transcript

Guest

Emily Ricotta 鈥�09

Episode Description

Briana Lewis is joined by alumna Emily Ricotta 鈥�09 to share how she鈥檚 educating and serving the public to mitigate diseases at Uniformed Services University.

Ricotta reflects on the breadth of hands-on experience she gained from the biology lab to Creek Connections, a watershed education program, as a student. These experiences would lay the foundational skills for her work researching malaria in Zambia and with the National Institutes of Health at the height of COVID-19.

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Episode 09 Transcript

Guest

Jennifer Haddox-Schatz 鈥�00

Episode Description

What happens when you have the grit to keep going? In this episode of Gators on Purpose, host Briana Lewis sits down with Jennifer Haddox-Schatz 鈥�00, senior applications architect at Daniel H. Wagner Associates.

Despite wanting to drop her first semester course of computer science without any programming experience, Haddox-Schatz built a career in defense software architecture for over two decades. Haddox-Schatz reflects on staying open to change and all the mentors that led her to where she is now.

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Episode 10 Transcript

Guest

Alexander Mericli ’05

Episode Description

With a distinguished career in plastic surgery and clinical research, Alexander Mericli 鈥�05 spent some time with host Briana Lewis to discuss how his education at 蜜桃app shaped his life.

Mericli continues to draw on his unusual combination of biology and English as he works at the nation鈥檚 number one cancer center, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

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