The WPI Podcast has earned top honors in higher education podcasting, with its episode "Rest Matters" winning Episode of the Year in the inaugural HigherEd PodCon Awards. Selected from more than 100 entries submitted by colleges and universities across the country, the episode was recognized as the year's outstanding achievement in higher education podcasting. The award was announced on July 17 during HigherEd PodCon, a conference dedicated to podcasting in higher education, held at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio.
Hosted by Colleen Wamback, WPI's director of public relations, the award-winning episode features Stacy Shaw, assistant professor in the Department of Social Science and Policy Studies. Their conversation explores how rest fuels learning, creativity, focus, and long-term well-being while offering practical, research-backed strategies listeners can apply in their own lives.
The episode was produced in the spring and summer of 2025 by Steven Foskett, former public relations manager, and Wamback, with audio engineering support from Varun Bhat, a PhD candidate in community climate adaptation, and recorded in WPI's Global Lab. The WPI Podcast’s executive producer and senior public relations manager, Jon Cain, accepted the award. Cain also presented a session at the conference “Crafting a Podcast Episode: Breaking Down the Steps.”
Produced by WPI's Division of Marketing Communications, The WPI Podcast explores emerging technologies, groundbreaking STEM research, and the people driving innovation. Through conversations with faculty, students, staff, and industry leaders, the podcast makes complex ideas accessible while showcasing WPI's distinctive project-based approach to education and research.
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