Can you smell the souvlaki? This episode of The OU Bobcast features Christina Xenos, an LA-based chef and co-author of Opa! The Healthy Greek Cookbook. After graduating from Ohio University in 2002, Christina moved out to the West Coast to become a food and lifestyle writer, then went on to culinary school at the New School of Cooking. Today she runs Sweet Greek Personal Chef Services and recently returned from a trip to Sicily, where she was studying Italian agriculture and cuisine right up until the tipping point of the pandemic. Get a taste of her big fat Greek success story! In this episode, you'll learn more about:How Christina's Greek family and upbringing influenced her desire to be a chefHow she tells stories both through her writing and the food she makesHer absolute favorite restaurant in Athens (Ohio, not Greece!)The Athens restaurant dish that inspired her in her own kitchenHow being a Postie defined her time in AthensHer move to the West Coast and how she got her start in journalismHow she's tasted and written her way through LA's top chef communityHow culinary school gave her the confidence to switch career pathsWhat the process of creating a cookbook was likeThat time Justin Hartley from "This is Us" showed up at a pop-up event she was hostingHer experience in Sicily learning about Italian agriculture and cuisineWhy she's taken an interest in wheat cultivation

You know you’ve made it as a Bobcat when you end up on President Nellis’ speed dial, and that’s exactly what happened to OU alum Alex Sheen. In 2019, President Nellis tapped Alex to be the commencement speaker at OU, where Alex had graduated with a business degree in 2007.Alex is the founder of Because I Said I Would, a unique social movement and nonprofit that fathers the betterment of humanity through promises made and kept. To date, the organization has distributed 12.8 million promise cards in 153 countries around the globe, and Alex has done some pretty cool stuff in the name of keeping promises, like walking across the state of Ohio in honor of the three Cleveland women held captive by Ariel Castro, and personally delivering Disneyland tickets to 100 children with cancer. On this episode of The OU Bobcast, you'll hear about:The underwhelming moment Alex first made his way to the bricksHow he displayed an enterprising spirit even at the age of fiveHow writing a eulogy for his father sparked his idea for an international nonprofit and social movementHow his concept of “promise cards” became bigger than he ever dreamedThe epic moments that have made his entrepreneurial journey one-of-a-kindHis quest to sell a $235,000 diamondHis personal challenge to every Bobcat

It’s a brave new world for 1998 OU graduate Maggie Downs, whose first book is being released *today*! Braver Than You Think: Around the World on the Trip of My Mother’s Lifetime relates that tale of Maggie’s yearlong global journey in honor of her mom, who at the time was in the late stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. Not only did she fulfill her mom’s bucket list, but Maggie had plenty of adventures along the way — including hiking the Inca trail, volunteering at a monkey sanctuary in the Bolivian jungle, rafting the Nile, listing temples in Cambodia, and much more. Maggie took the time to speak to The OU Bobcast about her time at Ohio University, where she first honed her writing chops at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, and beyond — having made her way out to Palm Springs where she has forged a unique creative path as a journalist, author, and world traveler. On this episode of The OU Bobcast, you'll learn about:  Which campus building she almost named her son afterThe journalism course that made a lasting impact on her careerThe turning point when she decided to pursue creative nonfictionWhy she decided to honor her mom’s legacy with an around-the-world trip - and why she was willing to leave her new husband and quit her full-time job to do itHow her trip changed shape along the wayThe unconventional way she met her husbandWhy she has taken more than 300 skydive jumps in her lifetime (and her favorite time of day to take the leap)Her path to getting publishedHow the pandemic shifted her book launch plans (but why she still she really, really, really wants a book cake)Buy the book here, and be sure to check out this episode for an inside look at Maggie's process and inspiration for writing it!

An impressive number of OU alumni are paving successful paths in Hollywood, and Abdul Williams is no exception. (He’s even got a Medal of Merit award from Ohio University to prove it!) A Cleveland native, Abdul made his way west after graduating in 1994 and has gone on to pen films such as The Lottery Ticket (starring Ice Cube) and multiple BET mini-series including “The New Edition Story,” “The Bobby Brown Story,” and the upcoming “The Salt-n-Pepa Story.”Check out the first-ever episode of The OU Bobcast and find out:Which school Abdul almost went to (but luckily made the correct decision to attend OU)How his work at ACRN and WOUB helped shape his careerHow his initial job as a script reader acted as his "film school" of sortsThe "a-ha" moment when Abdul knew he could make it in HollywoodHow the writer’s strike almost derailed production of The Lottery TicketAbdul's long and winding road to landing The New Edition StoryThe anecdote he wishes he could have included about Bobby Brown and New Edition...and so much more!

It's OUr Day, and what better way to celebrate than to debut the trailer for The OU Bobcast? Check it out, if only to listen to the super-cool "Such Great Heights"-inspired version of "Stand Up & Cheer" composed by Mike Costantini?The OU Bobcast is the new unofficial Ohio University alumni podcast spotlighting Bobcats making their mark beyond the bricks. Be sure to check out our first episode, launching in late April, and give us a follow right here on Podbean to keep up with upcoming episodes!