Running to the Noise, Episode 27

In this special spring episode of Running to the Noise, President Carmen Twillie Ambar reflects on what makes Oberlin College and Conservatory a place where students don’t just imagine change—they step up and make it happen. From student-led initiatives to alumni shaping fields as diverse as the arts, artificial intelligence, public policy, and journalism, this episode brings together stories rooted in the Oberlin experience—time on an extraordinary campus where a top-tier college of arts and sciences and a world-class conservatory are seamlessly intertwined, and where a long tradition of educating leading scholars and musicians continues to evolve.

Through excerpts from conversations with artists and innovators drawn from the past three seasons, we hear how Oberlin shaped their paths—from Broadway stages and opera houses to breakthroughs in machine learning, efforts to address climate and conservation challenges, bestselling novels, and national policy debates. These are not just careers—they are contributions that influence how we understand the world and how we live in it.

At the heart of each story is a shared mindset: a willingness to take risks, embrace complexity, and, as Michelle Obama once said of Oberlin students, “run to the noise.”

Featured Guests 

• LaTanya Hall – Associate Professor of Jazz Voice, Oberlin Conservatory
• Georgia Heers (Class of 2021) – Broadway performer (Good Night, and Good Luck)
• Thomas Dietterich (Class of 1977) – AI pioneer and professor emeritus, Oregon State University
• Rumaan Alam (Class of 1999) – Bestselling author (Leave the World Behind, Entitlement)
• Tamara Jade (Class of 2012) – Singer, actor, and performer (The Voice, HBO, Lincoln Center)
• Benjamin Wittes Part 1; Part 2 (Class of 1991) – Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Editor-in-Chief of Lawfare
• Limmie Pulliam (Class of 1998) – Operatic tenor and Oberlin Conservatory alumnus

Episode Highlights

• Mentorship that transforms lives: LaTanya Hall and Georgia Heers discuss the power of trust, discipline, and artistic growth in the conservatory model.
• AI, ethics, and the liberal arts: Tom Dietterich explains how Oberlin shaped his approach to machine learning and complex global challenges.
• Writing without fear: Rumaan Alam reflects on how Oberlin fostered creative risk-taking and intellectual courage.
• Artistry without limits: Tamara Jade shares how Oberlin empowered her to embrace multiple creative identities—and disrupt expectations.
• Finding your path: Benjamin Wittes on pivoting from fiction to journalism—and why close reading, critical thinking, and civic engagement matter now more than ever.
• Resilience and return: Limmie Pulliam’s journey back to the stage shows why it’s never too late to pursue your dreams.

What You’ll Take Away

• Why Oberlin students “err on the side of doing”
• How mentorship, community, and curiosity shape lifelong success
• The importance of embracing complexity—and rejecting easy answers
• What it really means to “run to the noise” in your own life

Listen now and discover how Oberlin students and alumni are changing the world—for good.