1861: The North Central College Podcast

Episode 12: Dr. David Green

Dr. David Green, Paleka-Thomson Dean of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, joins the podcast following a landmark moment for the College: earning AACSB accreditation, widely considered the gold standard in business education.   Green reflects on his journey from rural Kentucky to higher education leadership, his passion for teaching and mentorship, and the evolving intersection of business and technology. He also shares how North Central’s business programs prepare students for success through experiential learning, industry partnerships and a commitment to continuous innovation.  Listen along as Green discusses the significance of AACSB accreditation for current students, alumni and future Cardinals — and why he believes North Central is uniquely positioned to shape the next generation of business leaders.

Episode 11: Dr. Jennifer Smith

Today’s students — and their parents — are increasingly focused on the value of a college degree and how their college experience will provide them with a stable future. In her role as assistant provost for student success and engaged learning, Dr. Jenny Smith understands. After all, she’s a parent, too. In this episode, Dr. Smith addresses those concerns, and a whole lot more, as she talks about the importance of curiosity, high impact teaching practices, and how North Central College prepares students for an unscripted future, and for jobs that might not even exist yet.

Episode 10: Dr. Christina Nordick

North Central’s new Master’s Entry to Nursing Practice (MENP) program will welcome its first cohort of students in fall 2026. The program is designed, in part, as an opportunity for career changers to enter the College’s master’s level nursing program, regardless of their undergraduate major. Our guest, Dr. Christina Nordick, founding director of the MENP program, knows a thing or two about career changes. The first-generation college graduate was a Naval officer before becoming a nurse practitioner, and then a teacher. Nordick reflects on the winding road—which started on a goat farm in Wisconsin—that led to her own nursing career, how she developed her teaching philosophy, and how North Central’s nursing program stands out from the pack through their passion for nursing and integration of lifestyle medicine.

Episode 9: Dr. Karl Kelley

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Dr. Karl Kelley, a longtime North Central faculty member, as he retires from teaching at the College—or as he prefers to say: moving to a new phase. From growing up on a farm in Virginia to being a first-generation college student, a bus driver, a computer scientist, and eventually a beloved psychology professor, Kelley’s journey has been defined by curiosity, storytelling and connection with students and alumni from across 37 years on the North Central campus. Kelley reflects on discovering his passion for teaching undergraduates, or as he calls them: “human becomings.” He shares why psychology is at the core of who we are, how statistics become a tool for better decisions and relationships, and why friendship and fun matter in learning. Tune in for warmth, wisdom and wonderful stories.

Episode 8: Tyler Woodward M’20, Bethany Smeed ’26 & Keeley Mick ’28

This fall, the North Central women’s triathlon team did something that no other Cardinal team had done before: they won a fourth consecutive team national championship. It was their eighth national title in nine seasons. Head Coach Tyler Woodward M’20 joins senior Bethany Smeed ’26 and sophomore Keeley Mick ’28 to share how each of them discovered the sport, why they chose North Central and what it takes to compete at a championship level. They describe the team’s close bond; the confidence and mental strength built through rigorous training and the experience of racing in an emerging NCAA sport. Together, they highlight not only the keys to national success, but also the friendships and personal growth that come from being part of the close-knit North Central triathlon program.