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This is DN today!

Thanks for these great questions Eric! Question 1: Okay--here's a wish list! Michelle Obama, Anna Deveare Smith, Miranda July, Lena Dunham, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Neil Gaiman, Julie Mehretu, Kara Swisher, Jony Ive, and oh so many more!!!!! Question 2: The most favorite place I've travelled was Easter Island. The Moai are amazing and magical. I went on a National Geographic Expedition early in the year and it was life changing. I am going to Eygpt later this year and can't wait to see the Pyramids. : )

I think it is a gift to be taught how to do things by people that know how to do things and want to help you grow and develop. That type of education can take many forms. Some do well with college or university settings, some do better with online learning, some prefer one-on-one mentorship. My college experience at the State University at Albany ('83) was a defining experience in my life--not because of my design education (I took exactly one class on design), but because of how it helped me grow as a person and my exposure to two remarkable professors (Dr Helen Elam and Dr Deborah Dorfman) who taught me how to think critically, defend my ideas, and most important--gave me the impression that they thought I was smart. That was the first time in my life I felt that was and it was revelatory. That being said, college isn't for everyone and college debt is now soul crushing. Fortunately, I went to a state school that was affordable and worked through school so I didn't have much loan debt when I graduated. SO long story short, I think learning your craft and working to grow is a lifelong pursuit and if you are lucky to be able to be in a position to learn from others, I would jump at the change, at any phase of life or your professional journey.

Thank you so much Debbie! We really appreciate you taking the time. Hope our paths cross again sometime soon!

Matt

I hope so.

Hey Justine-- It's hard and sometimes overwhelming. I often say you don't find time, you make time, and that busy is a decision. We make the time to do the things we want and the things that we believe are important and are priorities. Even still, sometimes I hear myself saying that I haven't gotten to something because I am too busy and it might take a minute or two but a little alarm goes off in my head and I have to reconsider whether it is something I actually want to do. As far as doing things well--I just do my best. Some podcast episodes are definitely better than others! Same goes for all of my other work. One thing to recognize--I am not married and I don't have kids. That means most of my days are really elastic. I absolutely positively do not think I would be able to do as much as I do on a daily basis if I had children.

Hi Matthew! I am most proud of the work I do with Joyful Heart Foundation. We've been working tirelessly on ending the rape-kit backlog in this country. Despite the power of DNA to solve and prevent crimes, hundreds of thousands of rape kits, containing potentially crucial DNA evidence, are languishing untested in police evidence storage rooms and crime labs across the country. Behind each of these kits is a person—a sexual assault survivor—who is still waiting for justice. Currently, only 10 states (Colorado, Georgia, Hawai'i, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas) have passed laws requiring the testing of all kits, both backlogged and newly collected. Most jurisdictions do not track rape kits, most states do not require testing, and very few prohibit the destruction of rape kit evidence. The national backlog of untested rape kits is an unconscionable failure of the criminal justice system to take rape seriously. So doing this work feels like my life's mission!