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.

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!

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.