Adhering to its annual tradition, Callings has concluded its latest season with a highlights episode. To listen to some of the most compelling wisdom and insight from season five, check out Vocational Advice for Undergraduates: Season 5 Highlights. For short descriptions of the most recent episodes, read below. Scroll down for summaries of other recent episodes, and stay tuned for Season 6 this fall!
Reimagining the Good Life | Jennifer Herdt
Released June 16, 2025
Jennifer Herdt, professor of Christian ethics at Yale Divinity School, explores the “call to live well” in her writing, teaching, and research. In our conversation, Jennifer discusses what it means to live a virtuous life and how that grounds our sense of genuine happiness and fulfillment. She challenges us to resist the cultural narrative to “get as much out of life as we can” and to pursue a life that considers our obligation to others and to the world. As we do so, Jennifer suggests we ask this important question “What is worthy of my devotion?”
Philosophy for Life | Kwame Anthony Appiah
Released May 14, 2025
Kwame Anthony Appiah is one of the world’s most influential philosophers and currently serves as president of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Many know his work from the weekly “Ethicist” column in the New York Times Magazine. In this episode, he shares both personal and professional aspects of a vocational journey that has carried him from Ghana to Britain, the United States, and beyond. He reflects on current challenges to liberal education, the value of diversity, the power of symbols and proverbs, and the importance of being alert to life’s surprises and opportunities.
Liberty and Learning | Mustafa Akyol
Released January 30, 2025
Mustafa Akyol is a public intellectual and Muslim reformer who emphasizes the importance of being attentive to others and to the world around us. In this conversation, he shares his vocational journey from Turkey to the United States as a journalist, an academic, and a political commentator. The author of The Islamic Jesus and The Islamic Moses, Mustafa reminds us of the hard work of respectful collaboration and mutual learning. He also reflects on religious liberty, the importance and fragility of democracy, and his hopes for peace in the Middle East.
The NetVUE blog Vocation Matters has been active during the summer months, continuing to drop new posts about once a week. Read below for a sample of the latest NetVUE blog posts from colleagues across the country.
Called to Be Interrupted: Rethinking Vocation through Academic Mentoring | Austin Young Shull
Published July 31, 2025
Using J.R.R. Tolkien’s short story “Leaf by Niggle” as a point of departure, Shull challenges us to rethink our sometimes-frustrated responses to students when they interrupt our research or writing. Rather than see such moments as a distraction from our vocations as professors and members of an academic field, he urges us to see these interruptions as central to our callings.
The Vocational Power of Serendipitous Reading | Paul Burmeister
Published July 29, 2025
Recognizing the value of the canon of vocational literature while also acknowledging how little time we all have for reading, Burmeister’s post provides a gentle reminder of the power of allowing ourselves to wander when making reading selections. Being open to reading books outside of one’s usual choices not only makes us more interesting, but it also gives us new insight on the books we do select with intention. Burmeister provides a thoughtful example of how his own vocation has been shaped by stumbling upon some of the most prized possessions on his shelf.
Breaking Vocational Barriers and Creating Student-Ready Institutions | Billie Streufert
Published July 16, 2025
Streufert’s post provides a wide lens on how higher education institutions can identify barriers to student flourishing on our campuses. Streufert encourages institutions to examine student data, engage faculty members, build on community resources, and think systemically about an institution’s vocation to support students.
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