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Have you ever wondered why you feel sharp and focused at dawn while your partner hits their stride after sunset? Or why your teenager seems to come alive just as you're winding down? These patterns aren’t just quirks—they’re rooted in biology. In this episode of Speaking of … College of Charleston, Psychology professor Cindi May unpacks the science of chronotypes and circadian rhythms, revealing how our internal clocks influence everything from academic performance and medical diagnoses to relationships and daily decision-making. Whether you're a morning lark, a night owl, or somewhere in between, understanding your chronotype could be the key to unlocking your best self.

“Your chronotype is your natural preference for sleep and wake times, and it’s driven by your circadian rhythm,” says May. “These rhythms are powerful internal timekeepers that affect your body temperature, hormone levels and cognitive functioning throughout the day.”

While society isn’t always structured to accommodate individual chronotypes, May believes awareness is key. “Understanding your chronotype isn’t just interesting, it’s empowering. It helps you advocate for yourself, whether you’re scheduling a test, a meeting, or a medical appointment.”

Tune in to learn how understanding your natural rhythm can help you optimize your outcomes and navigate a world often out of sync with your internal clock.

Resources from this episode:

· Take the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire to determine whether you are a morning type (lark), evening type (owl) or neutral.

· Cindi May: https://charleston.edu/psychology/faculty/may-cindi.php

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On this episode of Speaking of … College of Charleston, Mark Del Mastro, Associate Provost for Academic and International Programs, and Chris Korey, Associate Provost for Student Success, talk about launching their new podcast, Faculty Off the Clock. This podcast takes you beyond the classroom to reveal the hidden lives of College of Charleston faculty. From woodworking enthusiasts to barbershop quartet singers, you'll meet professors with fascinating passions and stories that go far beyond academia. Korey and Del Mastro hope these conversations will highlight not only unique interests of the guests but will function as a bridge to connect people on campus with shared interests.

“Both Mark and I were faculty members at one point, and most of your identity on campus is sort of tied up into what your scholarship is and teaching and you very rarely have opportunities to talk about what you do outside of that,” says Korey. “So we wanted to create a venue where people have the opportunity to talk about those things because it doesn’t normally come up in our work environments.”

Humor is a big part of their collaboration and Del Mastro and Korey make a habit of asking their guests a series of lightening round questions on topics from hot dogs vs. hamburgers to celebrity crushes. They also make it a point to ask guests about whether they like popcorn, which is a shared love and an ongoing joke between the hosts, and it gives them an opportunity to share their love of the Whirley Pop stove-pop popper. They end the episode by presenting guests with a customized bobblehead doll. “The whole purpose of the podcast is to show the lighter side of the faculty member and what better characterizes the lighter side of someone than a bobblehead?” says Del Mastro.

Featured on this episode:

Mark Del Mastro

As Associate Provost for Academic and International Programs, Mark P. Del Mastro, Professor of Spanish/Hispanic Studies, provides leadership and support in the area of curriculum development and review and academic policy. He also oversees the Center for International Education, the Office of the Registrar, and the Office for Institutional Effectiveness.

Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky and raised in northern New Jersey, Del Mastro earned his B.A. at Wake Forest University, his M.A. at Middlebury College, and his Ph.D. at the University of Virginia. After defending his doctoral dissertation in August 1992, “Dr. D” relocated to Charleston, South Carolina to begin a career at The Citadel, where for 18 years he taught a variety of courses to include Spanish language and literature, and Hispanic culture and business.

After serving four years as Head of The Citadel’s Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, in July 2010 Del Mastro joined the College of Charleston where he served as Chair of the Department of Hispanic Studies until August 2019 when he transitioned to his current role as Associate Provost for Academic and International Programs in the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs.

Chris Korey

As Associate Provost for Student Success, Christopher Korey, Professor of Biology, leads the Office for the Academic Experience, which provides students with educationally purposeful activities that lead to deep learning, integrated social and intellectual development, and engagement with local and global communities. In this role, Dr. Korey leads eight units and multiple programs, including the Academic Advising and Planning Center, the Center for Academic Performance and Persistance, the Center for Excellence in Peer Education, the Center for Student Learning, First-Year Experience, REACH, Vet

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On this episode of Speaking Of…College of Charleston, we sit down with President Andrew T. Hsu to reflect on highlights of the year. From reaching an all time high of 32,000 applicants to establishing new academic programs like the BA in entrepreneurship, Hsu talks about his drive to keep moving, full speed ahead, to ensure the College’s position as a leader of academic excellence.

Some key achievements in the last year include the reorganization of STEM programs into two schools; the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences and the School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics.

"Splitting stems into these two schools gives our university more precision, more flexibility and certainly more visibility across diverse scientific and technological domains, while still allowing for interdisciplinary collaboration," says Hsu.

President Hsu emphasizes the importance of liberal arts education for developing durable skills in graduates to make them competitive in the work force.

"When I talk with industry leaders, they are looking for graduates, not just with just technical skills, which can be learned on the job, but they want people with durable skills such as communication, creativity, teamwork, problem solving, emotional intelligence and a global mindset. These skills will help our students stay relevant far into the future. And and those are the types of graduates we're producing across disciplines."

He reflects on proud moments from the year, including the college's national visibility and events such as the College of Charleston Orchestra's performance at one of the most prestigious stages in the world — Carnegie Hall.

“Each of these moments showcase how amazing our university is. Truly, extraordinary events happen here at the College of Charleston every single day,” says Hsu.

We are not going to argue.

Resources From This episode:

• College of Charleston Orchestra at Carnegie Hall
• A Year in Review
• President Hsu’s Instagram and X Accounts