A Symphony of Growth: The Arts at FGCU with Krzysztof Biernacki

From Hurricane Recovery to AI Innovation with FGCU's Mark Bole

Welcome back to Your University: The FGCU Podcast. In this episode, our host Katie Cribbs talks with Mark Bole, an instructor with the Daveler & Kauanui School of Entrepreneurship at FGCU and a faculty fellow for FGCU's Ain Technology & Design Hub. Katie asks Mark about his past, finding out about his path from multinational corporate roles to the challenges of launching an investment firm in Luxembourg during the 2008 financial crisis. Mark explains his NIL concept (name, image, and likeness) and how he created an NIL class to help FGCU student-athletes build authentic personal brands, including social media sensation Brandon Dwyer.  Mark describes FGCU’s Technology and Design Hub, launched with a $2M donor gift, as a student-run agency delivering websites, digital marketing, and AI integration for local clients. For example, “Sanibel Solutions,” where students built an AI-enabled hurricane recovery dashboard and led island-wide AI workshops to help businesses and nonprofits survive and market their return. Mark outlines plans to expand this work across more of Lee County so that students can become “agents of change” for AI adoption. Your University: The FGCU Podcast is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] Episode Guide: * 01:06 Welcome and Background * 02:45 Launching in Luxembourg * 05:22 From CEO to Teaching * 06:32 NIL and Athlete Branding * 08:38 Brandon Dwyer Success * 11:28 Tech and Design Hub * 13:25 AI Ethics and Business * 15:05 Sanibel Solutions Dashboard * 17:12 Workshops and Expansion * 20:43 Vision for Student Interns * 22:29 Making AI Practical * 24:48 Closing Advice and Involvement Episode Quotes: Going beyond what students get from textbook 18:36: That became a really personal thing for me. It's like we have to help them. Once you start meeting the people and talking to it, and students get to meet them, relationships develop, and you're all on the same mission. And you feel really connected to the island, and that's something that students don't get from a textbook or a classroom. And so, I think everybody wins in this situation. On AI giving more opportunities for human connection 23:29: AI doesn't just take the current tasks that we're working on and make it automated. It gives you more opportunities to do things you never thought of, like build a dashboard for Sanibel recovery. I never would've been able to do that before. So, once you realize that, I think the students are starting to figure out that they can do anything with this, and that's the key. On service learning and community impact 25:50: Our students become part of the solution. And that's what I want Southwest Florida to understand, is that we are not doing this just to do consulting and get some revenue. We're doing this to help Southwest Florida adapt to AI, and our students are going to be the answer. Show Links: * Mark Bole | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbole1/] * Students Harness AI to Help Sanibel Businesses | FGCU360 Article [https://fgcu360.com/2025/12/11/students-harness-ai-to-help-sanibel-businesses-assess-hurricane-recovery/] * Daveler & Kauanui School of Entrepreneurship | FGCU [https://www.fgcu.edu/school-of-entrepreneurship/] * Ain Technology & Design Hub [https://theainhub.com/] * Brandon Dwyer featured on Good Morning America [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2uIlJ6Vquk] * FGCU | Website [https://www.fgcu.edu/] * FGCU | Your University [https://www.fgcu.edu/your-university/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A Symphony of Growth: The Arts at FGCU with Krzysztof Biernacki

Today, on Your University: The FGCU Podcast, host Katie Cribbs takes an audience with Dr. Krzysztof Biernacki, Director of the Bower School of Music & the Arts at FGCU.  Krzysztof shares his path from childhood singing in Poland to an international opera and recital career, immigration to Canada, university training and teaching, and leadership roles at UNF and FGCU. He describes Bower’s scale and momentum—planning 150–178 annual events across music, art, theater and the Wasmer Art Gallery—alongside strong community support and sold-out performances. Katie asks about the 2026–27 addition of Digital Media Design (about 350–370 students and eight faculty), and Krzysztof highlights some recent student competition successes and details some exciting partnerships including the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation and Opera Naples International Voice Competition hosted partly on campus. He also spotlights outreach favorites like Joyful and Triumphant, the Naples Botanical Garden jazz series Rhythm and Blooms, growth in the accredited music therapy program, summer camps, America 250 programming, and Bower’s upcoming 20th anniversary season with alumni and guest artists. Your University: The FGCU Podcast is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] Episode Guide: * 01:05 Early Singing Roots * 02:21 Poland to Canada Training * 03:07 Performing Career and UNF * 06:16 Bower School Growth * 07:19 Digital Media Design Expansion * 09:53 Pavarotti Competition Partnership * 15:13 Community Concert Series * 18:09 Music Therapy Spotlight * 19:44 Summer Camps and Outreach * 20:32 America 250 Season Planning * 23:06 AI and the Arts Future * 24:35 Final Invitation and Wrap Up Episode Quotes: Southwest Florida is an arts destination 27:20: That's what's so special about Southwest Florida. This is the arts destination. And, you know, when I moved here in 2019, I couldn't believe that we're selling out events. You know, other universities across the nation do not have that problem.  The human touch will always matter 23:47: What we do as artists, as the creative types, will become that much more valuable, right? It will become the human touch. It will be the paint on the brush. It will be the student at the piano. It will be a dance movement. It will be human-generated content as opposed to machine-generated content. Changing lives through the power of the arts 27:20: Attend as many events as you possibly can. There's so much to experience here, so much to learn and grow. We are changing lives through the power of the arts. We truly are. We are still a little bit of a well-kept secret in Southwest Florida.  Show Links: * Krzysztof Biernacki | FGCU Profile [https://www.fgcu.edu/directory/kbiernacki] * Krzysztof Biernacki | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/krzysztof-biernacki-171069165/] * Bower School of Music & the Arts | FGCU [https://www.fgcu.edu/cas/bsma/] * FGCU360: Music Therapy [https://fgcu360.com/2026/03/31/a-decade-later-fgcu-music-therapy-program-strikes-a-major-chord/] * FGCU360 | America 250 [https://fgcu360.com/2025/11/06/theatrelab-presents-four-plays-in-celebration-of-americas-250th-birthday/] * FGCU360| Pianist [https://fgcu360.com/2024/12/19/pianist-from-vietnam-earning-kudos-in-state-international-competitions/] * Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition [https://operanaples.org/international-voice-competition-2026/] * Rhythm & Blooms | Naples Botanical Garden [https://www.naplesgarden.org/events/rhythm-blooms/2026-05-06/] * FGCU | Website [https://www.fgcu.edu/] * FGCU | Your University [https://www.fgcu.edu/your-university/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transforming Healthcare in Southwest Florida with Dean Shawn Felton

Today on Your University: The FGCU Podcast, our host Katie Cribbs talks with Shawn Felton, Dean for the Marieb College of Health and Human Services at Florida Gulf Coast University. They talk about Marieb College’s growth, community impacts, and emerging technology during Shawn’s tenure. Dr. Felton explains how textbook author Dr. Elaine Nicpon Marieb connected with FGCU, gave $5 million for scholarships in 2012 that led to Marieb Hall, and later a $10 million endowment in 2017 that renamed the college. Her legacy is honored annually through Marieb Day, featuring over 130 student pieces of medical illustration art and tied to a new medical illustration minor.  He discusses FGCU’s largest gift, $22 million from the Marieb Foundation, supporting emerging technology and naming the future AB 10 Marieb Hall South which will include a 22,000-square-foot interprofessional simulation center. Shawn also tells Katie about FGCU’s Disaster Day simulation, where they employed ‘moulage,’ and his athletic training and sports science research background. Your University: The FGCU Podcast is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] Episode Guide: * 02:21 How Marieb College Got Its Name * 06:04 Record Gift and AB10 * 08:43 New Building Expansion * 11:01 Community Clinical Partnerships * 14:39 Labs and Simulation Growth * 16:51 Holograms and New Immersive Tech * 18:59 Disaster Day Simulation * 23:09 Shawn’s Background in Sports Science * 24:26 Final Takeaways and Visit Episode Quotes: Training the workforce Southwest Florida needs 12:11: We have built that relationship, but I think we've also listened. If you look at all of our programs that we offer, it is in what is needed in Southwest Florida to fulfill the workforce needs. You know, nursing is an obvious one, but physical therapy, occupational therapy…We have built the programs that is needed by the workforce here. On FGCU’s growing regional and national impact 13:02: As a regional comprehensive institution, we serve our region, our five-county region. We're doing great things here, and now we're becoming more statewide known and nationally known for what we're doing. And, it's just a beautiful opportunity. On growing together with the community 13:18: The relationship that this university has with its local community is one that,  I don't think is paralleled anywhere. And, to your point, individuals knew we needed a higher education institution here, and we've grown together with our community, and it's been exciting to see that connection. Show Links: * Shawn Felton | FGCU Profile [https://www.fgcu.edu/directory/sfelton] * Shawn Felton | LinkedIn Profile [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-felton-58705a34/] * Marieb College of Health & Human Services | FGCU [https://www.fgcu.edu/mariebcollege/] * ‘Road of Excellence’ | FGCU360 Article [https://fgcu360.com/2024/06/20/as-marieb-dean-felton-continues-on-road-of-excellence/] * Marieb Hall South Groundbreaking | FGCU360 Article [https://fgcu360.com/2026/04/16/with-marieb-hall-south-fgcu-breaks-new-ground-in-healthcare-education/] * Disaster Day 2025 | FGCU Event Profile [https://www.fgcu.edu/inside/news/disaster-day-2025-volunteers-needed-1] * FGCU | Website [https://www.fgcu.edu/] * FGCU | Your University [https://www.fgcu.edu/your-university/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

FGCU: Inspiring Next-Gen Educators with Diane Kratt

Today on Your University: The FGCU Podcast, our host Katie Cribbs meets with Diane Kratt, Assistant Dean for the College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast University, with a special interest in advancing the expansion of school-based mental health. Diane, a Fort Myers native and first-generation college graduate who worked full-time while earning her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees, reflects on Southwest Florida’s growth from the dirt road days of Daniels Parkway to the rise of FGCU as an environmentally conscious university. Diane shares how supportive teachers and mentors were instrumental in shaping her path from K–12 educator to FGCU’s College of Education, her home for nearly 18 years now, and joined the Ed.D. program once it became feasible as a working mom.  Katie and Diane cover the need for regional access to higher education, and College of Ed initiatives addressing teacher shortages, including paid internships through the STAR Program and the Flyers Program and the School Support Personnel Pathway for school employees completing degrees. Diane also discusses exploring AI while still emphasizing teaching’s human element.  Your University: The FGCU Podcast is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] EPISODE GUIDE: * 02:11 FGCU Arrives in SW Florida * 03:01 Working Through School * 05:51 Why Teaching Chose Diane * 07:09 Mentors Who Changed Everything * 08:51 From K-12 to Higher Ed * 11:46 Community Connections and Environment * 17:14 Teacher Shortage Solutions * 18:13 Paid Internship Options * 21:55 Getting Students Hired Quickly * 22:50 Classroom Tech and AI * 25:04 Traditional Teacher Prep vs Alternative Pathways * 27:22 Why Teachers Matter * 28:03 Support and Get Involved * 29:44 Final Thoughts and Conclusion EPISODE QUOTES: Educators matters 07:49: I've never found anybody who can't name their favorite teacher. It may not be all of them, I wish it were, but everyone has somebody that they really enjoyed being around and felt valued by and cared for by, and it's usually one of their teachers. Connecting everybody together through the university 12:59:  The community is all pieced together, and the university is now going to be something that could possibly be a hub one day. And all of us are connected. There's so many different people that, over this time period, that I have connected with, from the time I was in K-12 myself to the time I taught in K-12 to the time I became an employee here at the university. There's just so many people that all connect together that it's incredible. Effective happy teachers are the backbone of the society 30:29: Effective, happy teachers, I believe, are the backbone of society. Just as in my story, I was shaped by educators, and education has shaped me into being able to be an administrator for the College of Ed and help all these other students.  SHOW LINKS: * Diane Kratt | FGCU Profile [https://www.fgcu.edu/directory/dkratt] * Diane Kratt | Google Scholar Research [https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dyLDCTIAAAAJ&hl=en] * Diane Kratt | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-kratt-57593a39/] * Student Teachers and Mental Health | Qualitative Study [https://scholarscommons.fgcu.edu/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Student-Teachers-and-Mental-Health-A/99383433021106570] * WINK News: Flyers Program [https://www.winknews.com/news/lee/fgcu-program-hopes-to-alleviate-teacher-drought-in-lee-county/article_8b6f4bab-d39b-5105-ac7d-2f23a0e875d4.html] * Gulf Coast News: School Support Personnel Pathway program combats teacher shortages [https://www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com/article/school-support-personnel-pathway-program-teacher-shortages/60753361] * FGCU360: STAR program [https://fgcu360.com/2026/04/30/college-of-educations-star-program-prepares-teachers-to-lead/] * FGCU | Website [https://www.fgcu.edu/] * FGCU | Your University [https://www.fgcu.edu/your-university/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Art of Diving Deep with Super Student Macy Noll

Time for a new episode of Your University: The FGCU Podcast. This time, our host Katie Cribbs talks with Macy Noll, a fifth-year dual degree Art and Biology student at FGCU dedicated to uniting scientific inquiry with artistic expression to advocate for a revitalization of ecological identity. Macy describes how she dove into campus life as a campus naturalist, public artist, research assistant, master diver and dive instructor, and volunteer. She also explains the interesting path that led her from an FGCU ceramics class to a Vester Marine Field Station project creating 62 biomimetic clay sculptures (earthenware and stoneware) to install on Kimberly’s Reef, an artificial reef about eight nautical miles off Bonita Beach, to allow marine biologists to study benthic settlement and encourage reef growth. That experience sparked her path into scientific diving and two years of reef research, including documenting early coral colony growth. Macy discusses how art and science overlap in observing and interpreting nature, using creativity as environmental education, and shares her “Knowledge in Motion” mural in the FGCU library, which was inspired by her fieldwork, and actionable advice to students about seeking opportunities through relationships and campus resources.  Your University: The FGCU Podcast is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/]   EPISODE GUIDE: * 01:42 Campus Roles and Diving Life * 02:37 Vester and Kimberly’s Reef * 04:28 Benthic Art Project Origins * 06:07 Ceramics as Reef Material * 08:08 Installing Sculptures Underwater * 09:14 First Dives and Coral Discovery * 12:10 Art First Then Science * 14:23 Art Class Turning Point * 17:02 Science in Every Piece of Art * 18:26 Library Mural Story * 22:08 Why Choose FGCU * 23:36 Campus Naturalist Life * 25:53 Advice And Community Access * 26:55 Closing Thoughts EPISODE QUOTES: Art isn't based on talent alone 12:41: The reason you draw like a five-year-old, is because you stopped drawing when you were five. Everyone has the ability to develop that skill. I think people sometimes have this idea that art is based on talent alone, and it's just something that you're, kind of, born with. Why diving makes Macy more creative 19:39: You are just completely weightless and suspended in the water column and surrounded. It's a totally immersive experience, literally and figuratively. And you see the most amazing things. And you can have, at least my experience has been a much closer interaction with wildlife than you can on land. The fish will swim all around you, and you can get really close up to the corals and everything. And so, it's such just an up-close and personal experience. But even besides the amazing wildlife, for me, like, as an artist, it's the colors and, like, the light filtering through the water. And it almost feels like to me swimming in a painting, so. Experiencing the natural Florida in FGCU 24:29: You don't have to leave campus to experience natural Florida…[27:23] Even in the middle of Estero, on campus, you can experience beautifully pristine nature and be surrounded by cypress trees. SHOW LINKS: * Macy Noll | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/macy-noll-7a2670251/] * Macy Noll | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ekphrasia_studios/] * Library Mural Project | FGCU 2026 [https://library.fgcu.edu/c.php?g=1493409&p=11265699] * Macy Noll’s Underwater World | FGCU Library Mural [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjT7wT9vdmQ] * The Depths of Creativity |FGCU360 Article [https://fgcu360.com/2023/07/24/the-depths-of-creativity-art-meets-science-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/] * What is a Cypress Dome? | FGCU Video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl5wge5oZdQ] * FGCU | Vester Field Station [https://www.fgcu.edu/thewaterschool/facilities/vester-field-station/] * FGCU | Website [https://www.fgcu.edu/] * FGCU | Your University [https://www.fgcu.edu/your-university/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.