Health Snaps: New Podcast Delivers Big Health Insights in Two Minutes
Rokiyah Hobbs in recording studio. Photo by Patty Housman; graphic by Cameron Hickman
American University’s College of Arts and Sciences has launched Health Snaps, a series of mini podcasts created by the Department of Health Studies. Each episode tackles a timely public health topic—such as preventing sexual assault, preparing for extreme climate events, supporting maternal health, and promoting brain-boosting nutrition—distilling complex research into insights that listeners can absorb fast.
The first two episodes launched today, December 8, 2025, on Spotify. After a break over the holidays, two new episodes will launch every other Monday beginning January 5, 2026.
Listen to the first episode here.
Although each episode is just around two minutes long, producing them is the result of ambitious collaborations across the College, bringing together content expertise from Health Studies faculty members, a student host, sound engineering from the Audio Technology Program, original theme music from the Singer Songwriters' Hub, and guidance and strategy from the College Communications and Marketing team. The goal: to bring short, evidence-based health insights to the AU community and beyond—sharp, clear, and easy to follow.
From Idea to Action
Health Snaps emerged as a new way for the Health Studies department to spotlight its innovative research on today’s most urgent public health challenges. Professor Caroline Kuo, Health Studies Chair, along with CAS Assistant Dean of Communications and Outreach Erica Fortwengler, brainstormed on the format, strategy, and execution for making serious health challenges easy to understand while offering listeners simple takeaways.
“A fast, to-the-point podcast in layman's terms fit the bill,” says Fortwengler. “We wanted to produce content that was accessible to everyone, answered meaningful questions about pressing health issues quickly, and showcased the expertise of AU’s Health Studies department.”
A Cross-CAS Creative Team
Once the idea took shape, the project grew into a full partnership across several disciplines. Health Studies faculty members appear in each episode as featured experts. Rokiyah Hobbs, a master’s student in Public Health Innovation and Practice, leads the conversations and helps shape the questions from the perspective of what students most want to understand.
Hobbs says that her experience hosting Health Snaps has been inspiring. “I love interviewing faculty and learning all about the public health work happening across AU. I develop my questions by thinking about what my peers would be curious to know,” she explains. “I’ve learned so much from each conversation and from hearing what sparked each guest’s passion. It’s meaningful to help make the faculty’s work more accessible to students.”
Rokiyah Hobbs and Prof. Caroline Kuo in studio; photo by Patty Housman
Aidan Guiou, a graduate student in Audio Technology, manages the recording process, including engineering, editing, and final sound production. The podcast’s original musical themes were composed by Rhiannon Rueda, an undergraduate double major in Business and Film & Media Arts, working under the guidance of Matthew Brown, Director of AU’s Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and Singer Songwriters' Hub.
Throughout the fall semester, faculty visited AU’s state-of-the-art audio technology studios for recording sessions, often completing several episodes at a time as the production team refined scripts, adjusted sound, and shaped musical cues to create polished, fast-paced episodes.
Covering Big Questions in Small Moments
In the first episode of Health Snaps, Kuo highlights how focusing on strengths empowers communities and informs programs that support resilience and well-being.
The second episode features Professor Gabriella Meltzer, who shares practical advice on keeping your family healthy in our era of extreme climate events.
Future episodes will discuss health workforce readiness, preventing sexual assault, supporting healthy pregnancies, nutrition and brain health, veteran wellness, maternal health teamwork, and community-based food programs.
More topics and faculty contributors will continue to be added throughout the academic year.
Kuo notes that the project reflects something essential about AU’s identity. “What makes us special at AU is that we are a community that doesn't see boundaries,” she says. “We see endless potential for collaboration across disciplines, schools, units, and communities. Together, we are creating a world where being well, being healthy, is accessible to all no matter where they are born, where they work, and where they play.”