In this episode, Erin and Toral are joined by Cyrus Hamilton-Ferguson (he/him/his), assistant director of Student Disability Services at Cornell, for a conversation about the increasing intersection of personal and professional lives. Cyrus opens up about his experiences with disability as a professional and a parent, speaks about the importance of honoring mental health, and shares how his sense of belonging is fluid and impacted by the navigation of new identities.

In honor of this year’s Women’s History Month theme, “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,” Erin and Toral invite the editor of the Inclusive Excellence Podcast, Grace DePaull (she/her/hers), to discuss storytelling as a powerful tool to break down boundaries and construct identities. She shares how storytelling has taken her across the country, around the world, and has landed her at Cornell. Tune in to discover how Grace navigated both her identity and travels through writing and how audio editing the podcast allows her to continue to shape the stories we tell.

What began as a vision in 2020 grew into a collection of stories that unravel many of the untold truths of Cornell’s history. On this episode of the podcast, Erin and Toral invite Melina Ivanchikova and Rob Vanderlan from the Center for Teaching Innovation to share their digital exhibition “Any Person, Many Stories—Histories of Exclusion and Inclusion at Cornell.” The pair discuss the impetus for the project and how understanding Cornell’s past can actually help increase a sense of belonging throughout the community today. Visit https://blogs.cornell.edu/manystories/ to read the stories from the collection.

Erin and Toral continue their conversation about employee engagement as they dive deeper into the challenges that new hires face with their guest Cassie Pierre Joseph (she/her/hers), the director for employee engagement at Cornell. Cassie reflects on her journey upon arriving at the university and how her current role serves as a crucial resource for new employees across campus. She offers advice in helping new hires get acclimated to the environment and encourages listeners to seek support in order to maximize their experience at Cornell.

In this episode, Erin and Toral are joined by Maria Wolff (she/her/hers), senior consultant for Talent Retention at Cornell, to unpack recent declines in employee retention at the university and in higher education. After exploring the top reasons why people are leaving Cornell, Maria shares ways to focus on creating and supporting an environment that purposefully and proactively retains its employees. She shares how engaging with the entire “employee experience” contributes to workplace belonging and strives to make Cornell a desirable employer for all.

Radhika Nayak (she/her/hers) began her journey at Cornell by learning to navigate the university and her professional path on her own. In this episode, she joins Erin and Toral in her new role as a career development specialist, serving as a resource to guide staff to fruitful and fulfilling careers. While aiming to increase employee retention and a sense of belonging, Radhika shares the tools needed to supercharge a career at Cornell and stay satisfied with professional life. Visit the “Career Success Center” at https://hr.cornell.edu/professional-development/career-success-center for additional resources.

A reunion of friends opens up a conversation that digs deeper than nostalgia. Longtime Cornell employees, Anu Lyons and Ben Ortiz join Erin and Toral to dive into their shared past, discovering what exactly has contributed to them changing professional roles yet staying with the same employer for so long. From tapping into the local community, receiving support from mentors, and being transparent about work wants, needs, and goals, Anu and Ben reveal some essential keys for unlocking employee investment, inclusion, and belonging.

Erin and Toral wrap up the “CNGs Mini-Series” with a conversation about the complexity of experiences and identities within the CNGs. Steph Cowling-Rich (she/her/hers) of the Women of Color CNG and Debra Howell (she/her/hers) of the Veterans CNG speak of the intricate and unique challenges that members of their CNGs face and how these groups help to find and foster throughlines that employees can use to connect across Cornell. Steph and Debra discuss how listeners can help cultivate a sense of belonging in both their personal and professional lives. For more information on Colleague Network Groups at Cornell, please visit: https://hr.cornell.edu/colleague-network-groups

In part two of the “CNGs Mini-Series,” Erin and Toral speak with Ashlee Cherry (she/her/hers) of the Disability CNG and Ten Van Winkle (she/they) of the Young Professionals CNG. Ashlee and Ten invite listeners to honor and acknowledge the unique experiences and identities that exist within the CNGs while leaving behind all assumptions. Their conversation ponders the ever-evolving world of work and the importance of fixing the fallacies of the workplace machine rather than focusing on changing its individual gears. For more information on Colleague Network Groups at Cornell, please visit: https://hr.cornell.edu/colleague-network-groups

Tune into part one of the three-part mini-series that will feature members of Cornell’s six Colleague Network Groups (CNGs). In this first episode, Erin and Toral talk with Crissi Dalfonzo (she/her/hers) and Victor Younger (he/him/his) about their experiences working at Cornell and participating in the LGBTQ+ Colleague Network Group and Men of Color Colleague Network Group. Crissi and Victor share their thoughts around workplace belonging and how CNGs help staff and faculty find community through creating a culture where employees can comfortably bring their whole selves to the workplace. For more information on Colleague Network Groups at Cornell, please visit: https://hr.cornell.edu/colleague-network-groups