You Seem Exceptional

Director Michael Pipkorn

WSUM — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:15:38 -0500

Michael Pipkorn is the director and writer of "Fragile," one of two student films to come out of Com Arts 659 this semester. “Fragile” is about two college students who meet and fall in love, start dating, but when the girl dies, the boy begins to spiral, and believes that the girl lives on in her favorite porcelain doll. Join Oliver Gerharz and guest co-host Lydia Picotte for an interview with Pipkorn about the structure of the class that helped hm produce the film, being weary of the soul, striving to be the LeBron of movies, and the insane dream that inspired "Fragile." "Fragile" will be shown on campus on May 2nd at 7:30PM.

Elephant Autopsies with Natalie Tocco

WSUM — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:51:09 -0500

Natalie Tocco is a veterinary pathologist with years of experience in autopsy of wild, pet, and zoo animals. Join host Oliver Gerharz and guest co-host Ian Hoffman in an interview discussing the grief of losing an animal, the mysteries of animal anatomy and evolution, panda diplomacy and two elephant autopsies. Check out or episodes with Dominique Brossard and Caitlin Looby if you'd like to hear more about science communication!

Science Communicator Dominique Brossard

WSUM — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:45:58 -0500

On this week's episode of You Seem Exceptional, Oliver and guest co-host Kayla Dembiec speak with Dominique Brossard, a science communicator at UW-Madison currently working with the Morgridge Research Institute. They discuss her research, time as the department chair of life science communication, bridging the divide, and expertise in the government. For interviews with similar topics, you can check out our conversations with Science Communicator Caitlin Looby and Dean Eric Wilcots (soon to be Interim Chancellor Wilcots).

Steve Goldberg, Irish Person of the Year

WSUM — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:52:17 -0500

Dane County's Shamrock Club named Steve Goldberg the "Irish Person of the Year" in 2026, despite Steve not being Irish by blood. For St. Patrick's Day, Steve joins Oliver and guest co-host Paige-Elizabeth Kearney in an interview focused on what it means to be Irish, what the Dane County Shamrock Club does, Irish books, Irish Film and Steve's work in student mental health.

Former USAID Worker Jean Oliveras

WSUM — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:33:47 -0500

Jean Oliveras worked at USAID for 15 years, but after Trump put a pause on foreign assistance, she got an email from DOGE (The Department of Government Efficiency) asking her to report any office, position, program, contract, or grant with any ties to "DEIA or similar ideologies." Within the year, she and her husband had lost their jobs. Join Jean, Oliver, and guest co-host Ted Hyngstrom in a discussion of soft power and foreign affairs through the lens of defense, diplomacy, and development, how Elon Musk's team shut it all down, and what Jean has done since.

Icefishing on Monona Bay

WSUM — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 17:44:41 -0600

On this episode of You Seem Exceptional, Oliver and guest co-host Allie Hoffert interview three fisherman on the ice of Lake Monona Bay. Tune in to hear about why these men are interested in ice fishing, what equipment helps, and about the time one of them fell in.

Constitutional Law Professor Franciska Coleman on Free Speech

WSUM — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 13:00:00 -0500

On this episode of You Seem Exceptional, Oliver and guest co-host Lydia Picotte interview Franciska Coleman, an Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law at UW-Madison's Law School. They talk about what free speech is, the dialogue around free speech in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, an insightful political-divide crossing conversation Professor Coleman once had with a man who helped her move, UW-Madison's recent "Expressive Activity Policy," and former UW-Lacrosse Chancellor Joe Gow.

Dean Eric Wilcots

WSUM — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 13:00:00 -0500

On this episode of You Seem Exceptional, Oliver and Jeb have a dynamic conversation with Eric Wilcots, the Dean of UW-Madison's College of Letters & Sciences and its 25,000+ students. On one hand, they discuss where Wilcots' interest in astronomy originates, what he misses about teaching, and technical advancements in the field of Astronomy. To the point of discussing being the Dean, they discuss how the University got ahead of itself with enrollment growth, Dean Wilcots' involvement with the construction of Morgridge Hall and Levy Hall, and the ways that the current political moment is placing stress on the College of Letters & Science.

Moth GrandSLAM Competitor Alice Pauser Returns

WSUM — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Part of series of brief interviews with competitors in the 2025 Moth GrandSLAM, in this episode Oliver and Jeb talk to Alice Pauser, a prolific storyteller who was once the first guest on the show in early 2024. They discuss Alice's decades as a writer and humorist, her love of storytelling, and what has changed since she was featured on Episode 2 of You Seem Exceptional. The GrandSLAM will be at the Barrymore Theater the night of October 24th.

Moth GrandSLAM Winner Eli Schmidt on Camping

WSUM — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Part of series of brief interviews with competitors in the 2025 Moth GrandSLAM, in this episode Oliver talks to Eli Schmidt, a student who sits next to him in Professor Adam Schrager's Social Impact Storytelling class. Oliver realized that the upcoming GrandSLAM competitor was his classmate just an hour before they recorded this conversation about being young journalism majors. The GrandSLAM will be at the Barrymore Theater the night of October 24th.

Moth GrandSLAM Competitor Danielle Hairston-Green on Family

WSUM — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Part of series of brief interviews with competitors in the 2025 Moth GrandSLAM, in this episode Oliver and Jeb talk to Danielle Hairston-Green, a storyteller and host at the Moth. They discuss how Danielle learned about storytelling from her mother and how she in turn passed that knowledge down to her children and grandchildren, and Danielle shares their stories. The GrandSLAM will be at the Barrymore Theater the night of October 24th.

Olympic Gold Medalist Beau Hoopman

WSUM — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 15:01:57 -0500

On this episode of You Seem Exceptional, Oliver and Jeb talk to Men's Rowing Coach Beau Hoopman, who tells the story of how he walked on to the men's Rowing Team in 1999 having never rowed before, won two Olympic medals over the next decade, and then came back to UW-Madison as an assistant coach before being promoted to Head Coach recently. We talk about the struggles of being an Olympic athlete, how playing golf in high school prepared Beau to row, what it was like to get a "PhD in Rowing" after college, and what it takes to get someone from nothing to something in the sport of rowing.

Ranvir Rajesh Raheja

WSUM — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 14:11:42 -0500

On this episode of You Seem Exceptional, Oliver and Jeb talk to Oliver's Roommate Ranvir. They discuss in-depth where Ranvir is from, going through what it means to say you are from India, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and San Diego. They also talk about immigration, green cards, citizenship and being a Boy Scout in all of those places. Ranvir also ends the episode by telling the listeners to do what they love to do.

UWPD Chief Brent Plisch on Campus Safety

WSUM — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:00:03 -0500

On this episode of You Seem Exceptional, Oliver and Jeb talk to Brent Plisch, the Chief of UW-Madison's Police Department. Chief Plisch talks about UWPD policy on underage drinking and smoking on campus, the change in public perception of his job over 20 years at UWPD and the struggle to connect UWPD to the campus community. However, they also discuss about the path he has taken from a child mauled by a dog being comforted by his local police to a K-9 officer meeting the Dalai Lama to the police chief at the only triply-accredited police department in the state.

Mariel Barnes on the Manosphere

WSUM — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 16:45:20 -0500

This week our guest is Mariel Barnes, an Assistant Professor of Public Affairs at UW-Madison. We dive into her research into the highly online group of hypermasculine sexists called the Manosphere and look at her work in housing policy for victims of domestic abuse.

Shawn Steen 2

WSUM — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 11:52:38 -0500

This week our guest is Shawn Steen, a family friend of Oliver's who has had a long career in the nonprofit sector. We discuss the culture shock of growing up in rural Wisconsin before coming to UW-Madison in the 90s, some stories about Shawn Steen and Matt Gerharz in College, the digital divide Shawn encounters in nonprofit work, and open mic nights.

Pediatrician Dipesh Navsaria

WSUM — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 10:31:17 -0500

In this week's episode Oliver and Jeb talk to Dr. Dipesh Navsaria of the nonprofit organization Reach out and Read about his medical work, the benefits of early childhood literacy, the program he is a part of, his bowties, and flags.

You can listen to the Reach out and Read podcast here: https://reachoutandread.org/podcast/

You can listen to You Seem Exceptional live on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison every Monday at 6PM

The Haunted Horror Friends

WSUM — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 17:35:28 -0500

In this week's episode Oliver spoke to Nick Doermann and Hayden Woodard, the hosts of the Haunted Horror Hour, a horror movie review show at WSUM. We talk about Inside Out 2, other Horror Movies, a character named "jokey" with a magnetic hat who is not a clown, what Hayden is hiding under his tongue, how the Haunted Horror Hour gets its sponsors, the month, the bald story and the Moth story hour. This episode originally aired in December of 2024, but took a while to edit because of an abnormally high amount of antics.

You can listen to You Seem Exceptional live on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison every Monday at 6PM

Storyteller and Educator Noelle Mariano

WSUM — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:32:42 -0500

In this week's episode we spoke to Noelle Mariano, the assistant producer at the Moth StorySLAM, a monthly storytelling event at the High Noon Saloon in Madison. We discuss how Oliver was once a student in Noelle's class, the tricks that Noelle uses when telling stories at the High Noon, some of the stories that Noelle has told and Noelle's ideas about teaching.

You can listen to You Seem Exceptional live on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison every Monday at 6PM

Professor Jacob Thebault-Spieker on Information Gaps

WSUM — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 15:58:29 -0600

In this week's episode we spoke to Jacob Thebault-Spieker, a professor in UW-Madison's Information School. We discuss fountain pens, Wikipedia, the village of Black Earth in Wisconsin, the rural/urban divide, Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, and all the other exceptional work that Jacob is doing.

You can learn about the microscopic bees in your computer here: https://www.hivesystems.com/blog/this-major-vulnerability-could-fill-your-computer-with-bees

You can listen to You Seem Exceptional live on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison every Monday at 6PM

Emeritus Professor Tom Eggert

WSUM — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 19:11:03 -0600

In this week's episode we spoke to Emeritus Professor Tom Eggert about the intersection between business and finance. We discussed his teaching the University's first sustainability class, what sustainable businesses look like, and Wisconsin Microfinance's role in Haiti.

You can learn more about Wisconsin Microfinance here: https://wisconsinmicrofinance.com/

You can listen to You Seem Exceptional live on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison every Monday at 6PM.

Jeanne Gomoll on Feminism and Science Fiction

WSUM — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 19:07:03 -0600

In this week's episode we spoke to Jeanne Gomoll, the winner of February's Moth StorySLAM and a significant figure in the feminist science fiction fandom. We discussed her story for the theme of "Love Hurts," her work on the fanzine Janus when she was a student at UW-Madison, and the fascinating intersection between feminism and science fiction.

You can listen to You Seem Exceptional live on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison every Monday at 6PM

EMMIE Editor-in-Chief Easton Parks

WSUM — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 16:46:13 -0600

In this episode of You Seem Exceptional, EMMIE Magazine's Fun Director Oliver Gerharz and non-member Jeb Blossom talk to Editor-in-Chief Easton Parks about EMMIE Magazine. They discuss UW-Madison's Supply Chain Management Major, Easton's Passion for Music, Kenosha, Easton's year at UW-Parkside, and EMMIE Magazine's history. Access the EMMIE Podcast at https://feeds.transistor.fm/emmie-podcast.

Gun Culture with Professor Nick Buttrick

WSUM — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 16:20:47 -0600

In this episode of You Seem Exceptional, hosts Oliver Gerharz and Jeb Blossom talk to Professor Nick Buttrick, a Professor in UW-Madison's Department of Psychology. They extensively discuss the research that Professor Buttrick has been doing into the culture surrounding gun ownership in America, including safety, politics and responsibility.

Jackson Antonow and the "Enemy in Your Pocket"

WSUM — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 13:28:16 -0600

In this episode of You Seem Exceptional, hosts Oliver Gerharz and Jeb Blossom talk to Jackson Antonow, a Junior at UW-Madison who recently wrote a book about phone addiction called "Enemy in Your Pocket." We talk to Jackson about the negative effects of heavy phone use, the benefits of having more time off of your phone, social media culture and his personal journey with both phone addiction and writing a book about breaking those same habits.
You can listen to You Seem Exceptional live on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison every Tuesday at 4 PM.

Cornell Professor Neil Lewis Jr. on Higher Education

WSUM — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 13:19:07 -0600

In this episode of You Seem Exceptional, hosts Oliver Gerharz and Jeb Blossom talk to Neil Lewis Jr., a behavioral scientist working in the department of communications at Cornell University.

Eagle Scout Kenny MacAskill

WSUM — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:04:27 -0600

This week, Oliver's friend Kenny was in town, so we had a discussion of some of the pressing issues over at Marquette University, UW-Madison's campus rumors and our ancestry. We talk about RFK Jr. a lot more than usual in this one because Kenny is a Political Science Major.

You can listen to You Seem Exceptional live on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison every Tuesday at 4PM.

Election Day Special with Professor Howard Schweber

WSUM — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0600

The two most significant things that regularly happen on Tuesdays are Election Day and new interviews on You Seem Exceptional. To commemorate a very special overlap, we spoke to retired UW-Madison Political Theory Professor Howard Schweber.

We discussed some of the possibilities of both a Trump and Harris presidency in 2025, how Trump is more comparable to the crooked criminal Nixon than he is to the fascist dictator Mussolini, the value of youth turnout, comparisons between politics here in Wisconsin and politics in California (where Professor Schweber has lived since retirement) and the current political power balance between the left and the right.

You can listen to You Seem Exceptional live on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison every Tuesday at 4 PM.

Moth GrandSLAM Winner Cheri Miller

WSUM — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 10:37:18 -0600

On October 26th, the Moth Madison held the yearly GrandSLAM event, where the best storytellers in city get together to tell stories. Cheri Miller was the winner among winners that night, so we invited her on the show. We discussed her schooling, her teaching, her work in the toilet seat factory and the joy of storytelling.

You can listen to You Seem Exceptional live on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison every Tuesday at 4 PM.

Professor Cody Wenthur

WSUM — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 13:20:41 -0500

In this week's episode, we spoke to Professor Cody Wenthur, an Associate Professor of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin0Madison who heads the University's Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation programs. We discuss how addiction works at the general and the chemical level, what a hypothetical addiction vaccine might look like, psychedelics and how Cody became interested in this line of work.

You can listen to You Seem Exceptional live on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison every Tuesday at 4PM.

You can find out more about the research happening at the Wenthur lab here: https://pharmacy.wisc.edu/faculty/wenthur-lab/

"Sitting Pretty" with Go Big Read Author Rebekah Taussig

WSUM — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 11:25:24 -0500

Every year, UW-Madison distributes a book to thousands of students as a part of the Go Big Read. This year, the university handed out copies of Rebekah Taussig's "Sitting Pretty: The View from my Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body". We got the chance to sit down with her this week to discuss the book, our takeaways from reading it, the Go Big Read and her experiences as a disabled woman, mother, teacher, and author.

You can listen to You Seem Exceptional live on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison every Tuesday at 4PM.

You can learn more about Dr. Taussig and her work here: https://www.rebekahtaussig.com/

You can learn more about the Go Big Read here: https://gobigread.wisc.edu/

Professor Ramzi Fawaz and the Transformative Power of the Humanities

WSUM — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 18:23:39 -0500

This week, we talk to English Professor Ramzi Fawaz. We discuss his research into the transformative powers of a psychedelic humanities education, the relationship between American popular culture (superheroes) and social justice movements and the career in education that led to and has followed his PhD in American Studies.

Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

Archivist Mary Huelsbeck

WSUM — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 10:26:07 -0500

This week, Oliver talks to Mary Huelsbeck, the Assistant Director at the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research. We talk about the collections at the center, how Mary got interested in the field and how who uses the center.

If you want to use the center's services or add your own collection to theirs, you can learn more here: https://wcftr.commarts.wisc.edu/

Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

WSUM Sports Director Vince Hesprich

WSUM — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 15:40:40 -0500

This week, we had the privilege of talking to Vince Hesprich, the Sports Director at WSUM. Our topics of discussion vary more wildly than usual this episode as we discuss driving, broadcasting Badger sports events, being a chess prodigy, the sports club at WSUM, childhood video games, our lowest points and failing our AP Physics exams. Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

All Hail Chairman Neil Crowson

WSUM — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 17:39:47 -0500

We have returned from the summer. Our first guest of the semester is Neil Crowson, a student in an Occupational Therapy Doctorate program here at UW-Madison. We discuss Neil's life in Madison, growing up in Salt Lake City and an experimental high school class, and we also go fairly in-depth on rock climbing. Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

Flipping the Script (Jeb Interviews Oliver)

WSUM — Thu, 09 May 2024 15:01:00 -0500

For the last You Seem Exceptional of the semester, we decided to switch things around and have our host Jeb interview fellow host Oliver. We discuss Chicago and deep dish pizza, Scouts and camping, storytelling and college journalism and Oliver's dog Wilbur.

Russia Talk with Professor Yoshiko Herrera

WSUM — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 13:38:34 -0500

This week, our guest is Yoshiko Herrera, our Political Science Professor in our class, Political Science 344: The Russian War On Ukraine: Causes and Consequences. We discuss the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the classes Professor Herrera teaches, Professor Herrera's experiences as an academic in a field suddenly thrust into extreme global relevance, the best ways to keep up with what's happening in Ukraine and a partnership between UW-Madison and a University in Kazakhstan.

Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

Learning to Yodel with Nate Gibson

WSUM — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 17:21:56 -0500

This week, our guest is Nate Gibson, an ethnomusicologist currently working as an archivist and lecturer at UW-Madison. Nate teaches us to yodel, and we discuss the history of yodeling, Nate's experiences meeting legendary yodelers, the three wise kings, Nate's dog Lola, pirate jokes and hodag culture. Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

You can learn more about Nate and his work here: http://www.nathandgibson.com/

Jamie Perez

WSUM — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 13:03:18 -0500

This week, Oliver's guest is Jamie Perez, a local entrepreneur and the owner of Beyond Words Productions. We discuss storytelling, being an entrepreneur, working as a multimedia journalist, the transition between the two and the value of storytelling to the companies that she works with. Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

Science Communicator Caitlin Looby

WSUM — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 12:00:00 -0500

This week, our guest is Science Communicator Caitlin Looby, the Great Lakes reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. We discuss Caitlin's 13 years researching the effects of climate change on soil microbes, her transition from science research to science journalism, her enthusiasm for camping and the outdoors and her canine camping companion Odessa. Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

You can learn more about Caitlin and read her work here: https://caitlinlooby.com/

Master of Fine Arts Candidate Tamara McLean

WSUM — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 18:54:48 -0500

This week, our guest is MFA Candidate Tamara McLean, a graduate student and lecturer at the University of Wisconsin—Madison. We discuss her experiences with making art in augmented reality, her work as an instructor over the last 6 years, her research into the views of female graphic designers and cat naming privileges. Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

Professor Dorothea Salo

WSUM — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 14:47:46 -0500

This week our guest is Professor Dorothea Salo, a professor in the field of Library and Information Science. We discuss data security concerns, the Canvas app that is used by the university, purple squirrels, cycling and Dorothea's field of study. Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

You can learn more about our guest here: https://dsalo.info/

Voice Actor Jason Stephens

WSUM — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 16:14:36 -0600

This week, our guest is Jason Stephens, a voice actor, professional imitator, mimic and father. We discuss Jason's start in voice acting, AI voice acting and the gaming presidents, a bag full of squirrels as a metaphor for ADHD, a clown hat as a metaphor for working on your public image, running a D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) podcast and being the father of a neurodivergent child in public school. Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

Learn more about Jason and his voices here: https://jasonsvoices.com/

News, Talk and Public Affairs Director Chali Pittman

WSUM — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 17:23:00 -0600

This week, we spoke with Chali Pittman, the News, Talk and Public Affairs Director at local community radio station WORT 89.9 FM Madison. We discuss being a college student with a passion for radio, working at WORT, the accountability Ouroboros and other esoteric vocabulary. Catch You Seem Exceptional live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

Alder Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford

WSUM — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 17:25:58 -0600

This week, our guest is Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford, Alder of the 15th District of Madison and the first out trans woman elected in Wisconsin. We discuss her dog, local government, being the first elected trans official and Dina's career as a comedian. Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

Shawn Steen

WSUM — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 12:23:28 -0600

This week, our guest is Shawn Steen, a volunteer coordinator and former book dealer. We discuss Shawn's experiences working at several nonprofits, the Memorial Union pool Hall and being a Book Dealer in Seattle at the time Amazon was crushing the competition. Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

Alice Pauser

WSUM — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:00:52 -0600

This week our guest is Alice Pauser, a writer, author, storyteller and stand-up comedian. We discuss Catholic School, experiences as a young Journalist, Alice's book NUNderwear, Local Standup and Storytelling and the Moth. Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.

Learn more about Alice Pauser here: https://scriptedchaos4u.com/

Jeb Blossom

WSUM — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 17:31:54 -0600

In this episode host Oliver Gerharz interviews fellow host Jeb Blossom. We discuss Boarding School, the Model UN and Jeb's show "Nighttime Jamboree" (Mondays 12AM). Catch You Seem Exceptional Live at 4PM every Tuesday on WSUM 91.7 FM Madison.