Author Archives: Stephen Cummings

Episode 4: Startup Social Work, with Taylor Ford

We’re back! It’s a new fall semester and the Wild Bill’s space is back open. In our fourth episode, Stephen and Jen interview Taylor Ford, an alum of the University of Iowa School of Social Work’s BSW program. Taylor talks about her career path, which took her to Atlanta and back to Iowa. and howContinue reading “Episode 4: Startup Social Work, with Taylor Ford”

Episode 3: Supporting our Students, with Claudia Artola

Our third episode focuses on support for students—specifically Social Work students of color. We are joined for a lively conversation with Claudia Artola, a current senior in our BA in Social Work program who transferred into the program from a nearby community college. In the episode, Claudia talks about what it’s like to be aContinue reading “Episode 3: Supporting our Students, with Claudia Artola”

Episode 2: The Big Pivot, with Dr. Mercedes Bern-Klug

Imagine that in the first episode we were facing one direction—looking toward the past. We are going to start there—and during the course of this episode, we are shifting our view and orientation toward what the future holds for Wild Bill’s. In this episode, we chat with Dr. Mercedes Bern-Klug, the Director of the UniversityContinue reading “Episode 2: The Big Pivot, with Dr. Mercedes Bern-Klug”

Episode 1: The origins of Wild Bill’s Coffee Shop

In the 1970s, the University of Iowa School of Social Work opened a coffee shop on campus, giving students a place to congregate between classes, and meet with the school’s newest employee, Bill Sackter. As we discuss in the episode, Bill’s story is fascinating, leading to two made-for-TV movies, and a documentary. In our first-everContinue reading “Episode 1: The origins of Wild Bill’s Coffee Shop”