Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/live-from-watt-hall-with-milan-mike Milan Markovic and Mike Boylan-Kolchin are two former college roommates who somehow ended up as professors in Texas. Tune in for incisive takes on higher education and academic life. © 2026 Milan Markovic 55440b2c-bd7e-5e41-b9a4-ddd2833553c7 yes en Tue, 19 May 2026 11:11:29 -0500 Tue, 19 May 2026 11:12:31 -0500 https://img.transistorcdn.com/xfXfEmTYS4QyjI24FhJOyi8YzXn0xWz3rVlBBAkqpZI/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zNmM0/OWEyYTExMjlmYTBk/ODBhM2YwYTk5OTAz/YmQwYS5wbmc.jpg episodic Milan Markovic Milan Markovic and Mike Boylan-Kolchin are two former college roommates who somehow ended up as professors in Texas. Tune in for incisive takes on higher education and academic life. Milan Markovic and Mike Boylan-Kolchin are two former college roommates who somehow ended up as professors in Texas. Milan Markovic No No 20 20 Mediocre Men full 291dca4e-f666-45f1-998a-d1404207e9eb https://share.transistor.fm/s/d2acf364 Milan and Mike connect the Trump administration's inquiry into the Yale School of Medicine to its promotion of mediocre men. 

]]> Milan and Mike connect the Trump administration's inquiry into the Yale School of Medicine to its promotion of mediocre men. 

]]> Tue, 19 May 2026 11:09:01 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1506 Milan and Mike connect the Trump administration's inquiry into the Yale School of Medicine to its promotion of mediocre men. 

]]> Yale, UCLA, Dillon, Trump, Medical School, MCAT, Affirmative Action, Jeremy Peters No 19 19 Administrators Gone Wild full 83960536-cdc6-45a4-b902-c2e243d57f6f https://share.transistor.fm/s/fa1d5f04 Bizarre events at Cornell, Columbia, and Michigan cause Milan and Mike to wonder about the cloistered worlds of university presidents. 

]]> Bizarre events at Cornell, Columbia, and Michigan cause Milan and Mike to wonder about the cloistered worlds of university presidents. 

]]> Wed, 06 May 2026 11:06:08 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1993 Bizarre events at Cornell, Columbia, and Michigan cause Milan and Mike to wonder about the cloistered worlds of university presidents. 

]]> Cornell, Columbia, Michigan, Academic Freedom, Professors, College No 18 18 Flight of the Academics full fdc11f42-9bbe-416a-aee8-48d47bc6dcbb https://share.transistor.fm/s/7d45cbb7 Milan and Mike ponder whether recent academic departures are a harbinger for red states. 

]]> Milan and Mike ponder whether recent academic departures are a harbinger for red states. 

]]> Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:21:44 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1659 Milan and Mike ponder whether recent academic departures are a harbinger for red states. 

]]> Texas Tech, Texas, Texas A&M, Academic Freedom, Tenure, Students No 17 17 Revoking Tenure full ef3f91ce-dbd4-46d6-85a6-5f5493cefddf https://share.transistor.fm/s/6c0079fe Milan and Mike discuss recent dismissals of tenured faculty for political speech and differentiate shoddy scholarship from research misconduct. 

]]> Milan and Mike discuss recent dismissals of tenured faculty for political speech and differentiate shoddy scholarship from research misconduct. 

]]> Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:00:00 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1735 Milan and Mike discuss recent dismissals of tenured faculty for political speech and differentiate shoddy scholarship from research misconduct. 

]]> Tenure, Universities, Professors, Students, Arkansas, Fraud No 16 16 AI for Scholarship? full e6639516-8f3b-40a6-9126-47ffb1b9a09e https://share.transistor.fm/s/8bf6ea66 Milan and Mike take a hard line against AI-assisted scholarship while recognizing its growing impact on publishing and the academic enterprise. 

]]> Milan and Mike take a hard line against AI-assisted scholarship while recognizing its growing impact on publishing and the academic enterprise. 

]]> Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:30:00 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1942 Milan and Mike take a hard line against AI-assisted scholarship while recognizing its growing impact on publishing and the academic enterprise. 

]]> AI, higher education, universities, professors, publishing No 15 15 Surveilling the Classroom full 0a44432f-ac06-486f-b452-7137ea7c1195 https://share.transistor.fm/s/43b33446 Milan and Mike confront the implications of classroom surveillance in North Carolina and Texas. 

]]> Milan and Mike confront the implications of classroom surveillance in North Carolina and Texas. 

]]> Mon, 16 Feb 2026 10:00:00 -0600 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1618 Milan and Mike confront the implications of classroom surveillance in North Carolina and Texas. 

]]> UNC, University of Texas, Texas A&M, Panopticon, Ring, Students, Gender Studies No 14 14 Against Collegiality? full 770d2cfe-08b3-448d-b4d2-ad38ff2a3756 https://share.transistor.fm/s/c0144e74 Milan and Mike debate collegiality and its limits in the current moment. 

]]> Milan and Mike debate collegiality and its limits in the current moment. 

]]> Thu, 29 Jan 2026 10:45:22 -0600 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1564 Milan and Mike debate collegiality and its limits in the current moment. 

]]> Academic freedom, birthright citizenship, faculty, Minnesota, No 13 13 Administrative Absurdity full c487e9e7-04c4-4e0e-9547-8bfdef8b3d11 https://share.transistor.fm/s/67937bde Milan and Mike assess the shambolic UVA presidential search and Plato's standing in Aggieland. 

]]> Milan and Mike assess the shambolic UVA presidential search and Plato's standing in Aggieland. 

]]> Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:00:00 -0600 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1553 Milan and Mike assess the shambolic UVA presidential search and Plato's standing in Aggieland. 

]]> UVA, Texas A&M, Censorship, Plato, Universities, Higher Education No 12 12 Hope for Higher Ed full ebb8001b-5690-4cef-a89c-f00a099885a6 https://share.transistor.fm/s/cdfe0f31 In a dark year for higher education, Milan and Mike end on an optimistic note by drawing on students' idealism and faculty solidarity. 

]]> In a dark year for higher education, Milan and Mike end on an optimistic note by drawing on students' idealism and faculty solidarity. 

]]> Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:31:36 -0600 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1894 In a dark year for higher education, Milan and Mike end on an optimistic note by drawing on students' idealism and faculty solidarity. 

]]> No 11 11 Who Wants to Be a University President? full 62c42e2f-57c0-4242-9bc3-83926b798332 https://share.transistor.fm/s/35351c87 Milan and Mike analyze the changing role of university presidents and events at Northwestern and Texas Tech.  

]]> Milan and Mike analyze the changing role of university presidents and events at Northwestern and Texas Tech.  

]]> Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:25:04 -0600 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1771 Milan and Mike analyze the changing role of university presidents and events at Northwestern and Texas Tech.  

]]> Harvard, Northwestern, Texas Tech, Columbia, University Presidents, Board of Trustees, Academic Freedom, Professors No 10 10 The NY Times Versus Higher Ed full a1e810cf-84df-4250-b40b-45c081adf14b https://share.transistor.fm/s/d4b66995 Milan and Mike take on the NY Times' slanted and increasingly anti-intellectual coverage of higher education, with a particular focus on David Brooks and Jeremy W. Peters.

]]> Milan and Mike take on the NY Times' slanted and increasingly anti-intellectual coverage of higher education, with a particular focus on David Brooks and Jeremy W. Peters.

]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2025 09:58:30 -0600 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1901 Milan and Mike take on the NY Times' slanted and increasingly anti-intellectual coverage of higher education, with a particular focus on David Brooks and Jeremy W. Peters.

]]> College, Ivy League, Higher Education, NY Times, Mamdani, David Brooks No 9 9 Higher Ed Fights Back full 786362fa-aeb0-40f7-9604-78fa0370ea13 https://share.transistor.fm/s/dc51135a Milan and Mike cheer universities' rejections of the higher education compact and compare UVA's settlement to Columbia's. 

]]> Milan and Mike cheer universities' rejections of the higher education compact and compare UVA's settlement to Columbia's. 

]]> Mon, 27 Oct 2025 10:30:00 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1549 Milan and Mike cheer universities' rejections of the higher education compact and compare UVA's settlement to Columbia's. 

]]> Higher Ed, Compact, UVA, Ivy League, Trump, Columbia, Rowan No 8 8 Soul for Sale? full 0ddc7eb9-4be6-4775-8163-f4d9afa0a46c https://share.transistor.fm/s/f7514fbe Milan and Mike analyze the Trump administration's proposed compact with nine universities and the influence of private equity moguls. 

]]> Milan and Mike analyze the Trump administration's proposed compact with nine universities and the influence of private equity moguls. 

]]> Tue, 07 Oct 2025 11:23:59 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1898 Milan and Mike analyze the Trump administration's proposed compact with nine universities and the influence of private equity moguls. 

]]> Higher Education, Research, Trump administration, Grants, Free Speech No 7 7 Free Speech on Campus? full 86843fbf-2444-4102-a975-950adb17e626 https://share.transistor.fm/s/764a49fc Milan and Mike lament recent political attacks on professors' speech and the influence of Twitter / X. 

]]> Milan and Mike lament recent political attacks on professors' speech and the influence of Twitter / X. 

]]> Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1844 Milan and Mike lament recent political attacks on professors' speech and the influence of Twitter / X. 

]]> College, Higher Ed, Academic Freedom, Twitter, Academics, First Amendment No 6 6 Hiring in Higher Ed full 7719572d-35c4-43ab-af6b-cbe423a28ef3 https://share.transistor.fm/s/905ce23b Milan and Mike assess the state of academic hiring and defend it from claims of liberal bias. 

]]> Milan and Mike assess the state of academic hiring and defend it from claims of liberal bias. 

]]> Thu, 14 Aug 2025 12:26:02 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 2244 Milan and Mike assess the state of academic hiring and defend it from claims of liberal bias. 

]]> Universities, law schools, faculty, academics, bias, speech, diversity No 5 5 Columbia Caves: Who's Next? full 83ba69c8-c336-4252-8331-5c568ef3bfa3 https://share.transistor.fm/s/5fad0529 Milan and Mike survey the carnage from Columbia's capitulation and speculate on the next domino to fall. 

]]> Milan and Mike survey the carnage from Columbia's capitulation and speculate on the next domino to fall. 

]]> Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:32:40 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 2003 Milan and Mike survey the carnage from Columbia's capitulation and speculate on the next domino to fall. 

]]> Columbia, Education, Universities, George Mason, Virginia, Harvard No 4 4 Higher Ed and the Big Bad Beautiful Bill full 24ca916b-8244-4b04-898b-aff088de65e6 https://share.transistor.fm/s/ee80a7c0 The new federal budget - dubbed the one big beautiful bill - is now law. Milan and Mike analyze its implications for higher education and scientific research. 

]]> The new federal budget - dubbed the one big beautiful bill - is now law. Milan and Mike analyze its implications for higher education and scientific research. 

]]> Tue, 08 Jul 2025 10:50:50 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1960 The new federal budget - dubbed the one big beautiful bill - is now law. Milan and Mike analyze its implications for higher education and scientific research. 

]]> OBBB, law school, medical school, graduate school, tax, student loans No 3 3 AI Dilemmas in the Classroom full d88d71ce-4399-4801-9b06-8c6afc121b46 https://share.transistor.fm/s/b4323771 Artificial intelligence is seemingly everywhere. What role should it have in the classroom? Milan and Mike assess. 

]]> Artificial intelligence is seemingly everywhere. What role should it have in the classroom? Milan and Mike assess. 

]]> Mon, 30 Jun 2025 09:48:38 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 2154 Artificial intelligence is seemingly everywhere. What role should it have in the classroom? Milan and Mike assess. 

]]> AI, Higher Ed, Law Schools, Texas, Automation, Big Tech, GPT No 2 2 Down in Texas full 3737fa6e-e818-4681-b3d4-e37d005a1ae3 https://share.transistor.fm/s/2e220e69 Curious about academic life in Texas? Milan and Mike break down the pros and cons and debate Austin versus DFW.   

]]> Curious about academic life in Texas? Milan and Mike break down the pros and cons and debate Austin versus DFW.   

]]> Mon, 23 Jun 2025 10:23:15 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1792 Curious about academic life in Texas? Milan and Mike break down the pros and cons and debate Austin versus DFW.   

]]> Texas, Higher Education, Faculty, DFW, Austin, BBQ, Museums No 1 1 Columbia at the Crossroads full 65233568-c174-448f-bf27-e206db327e37 https://share.transistor.fm/s/505e0b00 Milan and Mike introduce the podcast and discuss the troubles of their alma mater, Columbia University. 

]]> Milan and Mike introduce the podcast and discuss the troubles of their alma mater, Columbia University. 

]]> Mon, 16 Jun 2025 10:00:00 -0500 Milan Markovic Milan Markovic 1797 Milan and Mike introduce the podcast and discuss the troubles of their alma mater, Columbia University. 

]]> Higher education, Ivy League, New York City No