College Town Talk
College Town Talk is a podcast from Tennessee Tech University in partnership with
the Cookeville-Putnam County Convention & Visitors Bureau available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, Soundcloud and YouTube.
Each week, hosts Jonathan Frank and Shan Stout introduce listeners to Tech faculty,
staff and students – as well as successful Tech alumni, local business owners and
civic leaders – who are making a difference and living Wings Up in their community.
College Town Talk is a celebration of the people and places that make Cookeville Tennessee’s
College Town.
Catch up on the latest episodes below and email Tech’s Jonathan Frank at jonathanfrank@tntech.edu with podcast questions, feedback or suggestions.
Stream the Latest Episodes:
Episode 74: Rachel Smalling
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Rachel Smalling, a 2014 Tennessee Tech graduate and classically trained cellist who has gone on to become a successful local entrepreneur. Today, Rachel performs with the Orfeo String Quartet and owns two local hotels and a popular cocktail lounge. She is also helping protect and enhance Cookeville’s vibrant downtown as president of the Cookeville Downtown Development Group.
In the interview, Rachel shares the similarities between being a performing musician and a small business owner, reflects on the “accident” that led to owning two hotels, and pays tribute to the professor she calls “the number one reason I ended up at Tennessee Tech.”
Episode 73: Dr. Colin Hill
This week on College Town Talk, we catch up with Dr. Colin Hill, director of the School of Music at Tennessee Tech. Dr. Hill is a sought-after percussionist who has presented concerts and events throughout the United States, Europe, Africa and Asia. Here in Cookeville, he is also a musician and board member with the Bryan Symphony Orchestra.
In our interview, Dr. Hill tells us about the unique path that led him to Tennessee
Tech—including a period of time when he commuted three and a half hours each way to
campus—and reflects on the School of Music’s rapid growth over the last four years,
including new degree programs in live audio engineering technology and musical theatre.
Dr. Hill also discusses how Cookeville has become a welcoming home for him, his wife
and their two children, saying, “Tech feels like our family.”
Episode 72: Braxton Westbrook
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Braxton Westbrook,
a Tennessee Tech student pursuing a master’s degree in computer science after graduating
magna cum laude in May 2024. Braxton also serves as the student trustee on Tech’s
Board of Trustees, representing nearly 11,000 students on the university’s governing
body.
He shares insights from his experience working alongside fellow trustees — including
retired NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore — discusses his passion for student government
and reflects on the impact of Tech Honors, the university’s honors program, on his
student journey.
Episode 71: Emily Thomas
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan visit with Emily Thomas, a senior
in Tennessee Tech's College of Business, Cookeville native, and third-generation Golden
Eagle. Emily tells us about her busy schedule on and off-campus - including an internship
at the Upper Cumberland Tourism Association and her role on the College of Business
social media team.
Plus, she explains how she is pursuing her master's degree even as she finishes her
undergraduate studies, all thanks to the College of Business's "FastTrack" program.
Later in the interview, Emily also puts her marketing skills to the test with a game
of "Sell It In a Second."
Episode 70: Dr. Susan Miranda
This week on College Town Talk, we’re joined by Dr. Susan Miranda, executive director
of the Bryan Symphony Orchestra - the Upper Cumberland’s professional symphony, which
is celebrating its 62nd season in partnership with the Tennessee Tech School of Music.
Susan shares about her background as a renowned oboist, her recent move to Tennessee
after many years in the Midwest, and her efforts to visit all of our national park
sites across the country. Plus, she tells us about the Bryan Symphony Orchestra's
upcoming concert on Feb. 15 and takes us behind the scenes of her journey to becoming
the organization’s new leader. Learn more about the Bryan Symphony Orchestra and purchase
tickets to upcoming concerts at www.bryansymphony.org. Learn more about Dr. Susan Miranda at www.susanmiranda.com.
Episode 69: Benjamin Higgins
This week on College Town Talk, we’re catching up with Ben Higgins, a two-time Tennessee
Tech graduate who now serves as a licensed professional counselor and mental health
services provider in Tech’s Center for Counseling and Mental Health Wellness. Ben
is also an accomplished musician and local worship leader whose songs can be found
on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and other platforms.
In our interview, Ben shares how he tends to his own mental health through music,
bicycling and time in nature. He also reflects on the beginnings of his musical journey,
which took shape during open mic nights at the Backdoor Playhouse while he was a Tech
student. Ben offers helpful advice on navigating social media while protecting mental
health, and in our rapid-fire round, he tells us about his dream duet partner (hint:
she has an amusement park in Tennessee) and his favorite spot in Cookeville.
Episode 68: Bella Rigsby
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Bella Rigsby, a Tennessee
Tech junior and elementary education major who serves as a Student Orientation Assistant
(SOA) and as Panhellenic president - meaning that she helps oversee all of Tennessee
Tech’s sororities across campus.
Bella tells us about the value of Greek life to her student experience, her advice
to prospective students and what most excites her about becoming a teacher. Plus,
in our rapid-fire round, she names her favorite hangout spot on Tech's campus, the
best part about life in Cookeville, and her favorite professor.
Episode 67: Tyler Asher
This week on College Town Talk, we’re joined by Tyler Asher, a 2014 Tennessee Tech
graduate now serving as assistant commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Labor
& Workforce Development. Tyler tells us about his passion for supporting Tennessee's
job seekers and small businesses and shares about his experiences serving his alma
mater on the Tennessee Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Plus, Tyler discusses his involvement with CityScape, the local nonprofit organization
dedicated to preserving and enhancing Cookeville’s historic downtown and explains
how he turned a passion for woodworking into a successful side hustle.
Episode 66: Dr. Chelsea Dowell
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan are joined by Dr. Chelsea Dowell,
lecturer of economics in Tennessee Tech’s College of Business. Dr. Dowell discusses
her commitment to experiential learning - including hands-on projects with her students
for Tech Athletics and the Center for Rural Innovation - and her work designing a
free financial literacy course for members of the community.
Plus, Dr. Dowell plays a game of rapid-fire questions and tells us her favorite off-campus
hangout spot in Cookeville, what she’d be doing for a career if she weren’t an economist,
and name-drops the colleague most likely to make her laugh during the middle of a
faculty meeting.
Episode 65: Jennifer Winningham
College Town Talk kicks off 2026 with Jennifer Winningham, Tennessee Tech's director
of sports medicine and head athletic trainer. Jennifer tells us about the significance
of returning to work at Tech after graduating from the university more than 20 years
ago and shares a deeply moving story about her decision to be a kidney donor for a
longtime friend.
Plus, she discusses the enduring legacy of her late father, former State Representative
Les Winningham, and how his passion for public education inspired her family's decision
to endow a scholarship at Tech in his memory. She also shares about Tech Athletics'
historic season and what she's most looking forward to in 2026 with the teams' impending
move to the Southern Conference.
Episode 64: President Emeritus Bob Bell
This week on a special episode of College Town Talk, we’re joined by Tennessee Tech
President Emeritus Bob Bell. In this wide-ranging conversation, President Emeritus
Bell reflects on the decision to first join Tech as a faculty member in the College
of Business nearly 50 years ago, offers little-known details of former First Lady
Gloria Bell’s “super-secret” project devising the Tech flag that is still in use today,
and recounts personal memories from the dedication of Robert and Gloria Bell Hall,
home to Tech’s Whitson-Hester School of Nursing.
Plus, he takes us behind the scenes of a historic day in 2012 when the Cookeville-Putnam
County Chamber of Commerce brought him and former Tech presidents Volpe, Prescott
and Roaden together on the same stage.
Episode 63: Ferran Kefauver
This week on College Town Talk, we’re joined by Ferran Kefauver, executive director
of Cityscape, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing
Cookeville’s historic downtown. Ferran tells us about the ways CityScape works with
business owners, the City of Cookeville, and partners like Tennessee Tech to keep
our community a vibrant and beautiful place to visit, live, and explore.
Plus, she gives us the details on this year’s CityScape award winners, newly obtained
grants that will bring further improvements to our downtown, and her takeaways from
a recent visit to Tech’s metalcasting foundry.
Episode 62: Dr. Barbara Reynolds
This week on College Town Talk, we’re joined by Dr. Barbara Reynolds, the former dean
of the Whitson-Hester School of Nursing at Tennessee Tech.
Dr. Reynolds shares about the journey that first brought her to Tech in 1991, the
decision to stay in Cookeville following her retirement, and why she’s supporting
the next generation of nurses through a generous scholarship endowment and the Barbara
Reynolds Fund for Health Care Policy and Advocacy. Plus, she tells us her secret to
maintaining an active and purposeful life at the age of 95!
Episode 61: Chad McDonald
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan catch up with Chad McDonald, director
of leisure services for the City of Cookeville. Chad reminisces about his more than
30 years of service to our community and tells us about the latest enhancements to
Cookeville’s vibrant recreational scene - including new pickleball courts and the
forthcoming expansion of Cane Creek Park.
He also reflects on the more than 150 plays and musicals he oversaw during his years
working at the Cookeville Performing Arts Center and recalls how his early years attending
Tennessee Tech expanded his horizons and gave him a passion for Cookeville that continues
today.
Episode 60: Jennifer Williams
This week on College Town Talk, we’re joined by Jennifer Williams — proud two-time
Tennessee Tech graduate, local actress and director, former educator of 31 years,
and owner of Father Tom’s Pub, a staple of Cookeville’s WestSide dining scene. Jennifer
shares some of her favorite memories from her years as a high school science teacher,
the behind-the-scenes work that went into opening her restaurant, and her perspective
on the evolution of Cookeville’s WestSide.
She also highlights a few of the local theatre productions she has acted in, produced,
and directed. Plus, she offers a touching reflection on her late husband, Professor
Emeritus Tom Furtsch, who served in Tech’s Department of Chemistry for 40 years.
Episode 59: Kelly McCallister
This week on College Town Talk, we're joined by Kelly McCallister, dean of the Volpe
Library at Tennessee Tech University. Dean McCallister tells us about making the transition
to Tennessee last year from her previous home in North Carolina, her passion for animal
rescue, her recent meeting with former Tech First Lady Jennette Volpe, and the quirky
Tech history behind a famous cockroach that inspired a new campus event.
Plus, she wades into the hotly debated question: does listening to an audiobook count
as reading?
Episode 58: Whitney Robinson
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Whitney Robinson,
a junior at Tennessee Tech pursuing a degree in special education and one of the newest
appointees to the Tennessee Tech Foundation Board of Directors.
Whitney shares about the inspiration that first drew her to Tech's campus, the fulfillment
she finds from serving as a Student Orientation Assistant (SOA) and participating
in the student-led United Voices of Praise choir, and discusses the importance of
her involvement with the local NAACP.
Episode 57: Joy McCaleb Poteet
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan catch up with Joy McCaleb Poteet,
a Tennessee Tech alumna, graduate student and adjunct instructor who is also a talented
local actress and the former longtime theatre teacher at Upperman High School.
Joy tells us about her best memories from her years in the classroom, her special
friendship with the late Dr. Angelo Volpe and his wife, Jennette, the importance of
Cookeville's vibrant performing arts scene, and her decision to pursue a fourth degree
from Tennessee Tech at this stage in life.
Episode 56: Dr. Mark Cramer
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan are joined by Dr. Mark Cramer, associate
professor of clarinet in the Tennessee Tech School of Music and principal clarinetist
in the Bryan Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Cramer shares how his music has appeared in unexpected
places - such as television commercials, theme park attractions and video games -
and discusses his involvement with music therapy, including performing free concerts
and outreach events for hospital patients.
Plus, Dr. Cramer explains the Bryan Symphony Orchestra's role in providing one-of-a-kind
performance opportunities for select students, and highlights the School of Music's
rapid enrollment growth.
Episode 55: Dr. Brenda Wilson 
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan catch up with Dr. Brenda Wilson,
professor of journalism at Tennessee Tech. Dr. Wilson shares stories from her nearly
30 years as a Tech faculty member and her memories as a Tech student. She also discusses
last year's centennial anniversary of Tech's student newspaper, The Oracle, and next year's centennial anniversary of Tech's yearbook, The Eagle.
Plus, Dr. Wilson discusses how Tech's Department of Communication & Media stays on
top of changes in the media landscape to keep courses relevant and pays tribute to
Dr. Graham Kash, a beloved professor who served at Tech for more than 60 years and
passed away earlier this year.
Episode 54: Tanner Cox
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Tanner Cox, a 2020
Tennessee Tech political science graduate now serving as field representative for
U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty. Tanner explains how Tech's expansive alumni and faculty
network helped him land a fulfilling career serving his fellow Tennesseans and offers
his advice to current Tech students eyeing a role in the political arena.
Plus, Tanner shares how he and a friend are using fantasy football to help raise funds
for local nonprofits, and discusses some of his most interesting run-ins as a U.S.
Senate aide.
Episode 53: Melissa Ellis
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan hear from Melissa Ellis, a Tennessee
Tech alumna and professional musician of more than 30 years who serves as marketing
and development director of the Bryan Symphony Orchestra and music director for HIP
Cookeville.
Melissa shares what concertgoers can expect from the Bryan Symphony Orchestra's 62nd
season, how her early years at Tennessee Tech as a music therapy major inform her
work today, and tells us how HIP Cookeville helps foster community and connection
for area locals and college students alike.
Episode 52: Amanda Juetten
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Amanda Juetten, a
recent Tennessee Tech graduate and current master's student who serves as president
of the Upper Cumberland chapter of the National Federation for the Blind. Amanda talks
about pushing through obstacles to graduate from Tech magna cum laude and discusses
the valuable assistance she and other students receive from Tech's Accessible Education
Center.
Plus, she shares about life with her trusted guide dog "Colonel," and recounts what
it was like to be surprised with a special shout-out from President Oldham and her
husband, Dan, at last spring's commencement ceremony.
Episode 51: Sherrie Cannon
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan catch up with Sherrie Cannon, associate
director for professional development and adjunct instructor in Tennessee Tech's College
of Business. Sherrie tells us about her passion for mentoring the next generation
of business professionals, the importance of experiential learning and her heroic
efforts recently saving the life of a colleague who went into cardiac arrest.
Plus, Sherrie gives us the scoop on her award-winning culinary creations that will
be on full display at "Heating Up the Quad," the university's upcoming chili, soup
and dessert cook-off benefiting the Michelle Huddleston Memorial Food Pantry.
Episode 50: Ricky Shelton
This week on College Town Talk, we’re joined by Ricky Shelton, the former mayor of
Cookeville and a proud Tennessee Tech alumnus.
Ricky tells us about helping organize Tech’s recent “College Town Kickoff” block party
and concert, leading Cookeville through the March 2020 tornadoes and the early days
of COVID-19, his years as a Golden Eagle baseball player and all about his latest
venture: owning Trackside Food Truck Park in downtown Cookeville.
Episode 49: Karen Lykins
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan are joined by Karen Lykins, vice
president for enrollment and communication at Tennessee Tech.
Karen shares the latest numbers on Tech's growing student population, looks back on
favorite memories from her more than 25 years at the university and shares a personal
story of why accessibility is important to her. She also helps us get to know her
colleagues on President Oldham's cabinet with a game of "cabinet superlatives."
Episode 48: Cheyenne Bare
This week on College Town Talk, we're joined by Tennessee Tech's 2025-2026 Student
Government Association (SGA) President Cheyenne Bare. Cheyenne tells us about the
moment she learned she was elected class president and recounts the unconventional
path that led her to enroll at Tennessee Tech sight unseen.
She also discusses her passion for serving as a Tech "Trailblazer," her favorite local
businesses in Cookeville and her future career aspirations.
Episode 47: Melinda Mott Leftwich
This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan are catching up with Melinda Mott
Leftwich, a Tennessee Tech alumna with a passion for making sports accessible for
all. Today, Melinda is the founder and executive director of Game On Accessible Tennis,
a nonprofit offering free tennis programming to children and adults of all disabilities
and skill levels.
Melinda shares about discovering tennis for the first time in her forties, the inspiration
behind her organization's mission, and how her early years as a child development
major at Tennessee Tech helped shape her approach to accessible tennis today.
Episode 46: Brad Sells
On the season three premiere of College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan are joined by
Brad Sells, a Tennessee Tech alumnus and award-winning wood sculptor whose handiwork
has been displayed in the Smithsonian and it multiple public art installations around
town, including the beloved "Spokes" bicycle arch in Cookeville's WestSide.
Brad recalls his early years as a student at Tech's Appalachian Center for Craft,
offers words of wisdom for aspiring artists, and shares about the meaning and memories
behind some of his best-loved works.