Kris Piepenburg arrived at Harper College in 1979 without a clear plan for his future.
More than four decades later, he is retiring as one of the college’s longest-serving
faculty members. On the Harper Talks podcast – in which Harper College alumni share
their education, career and life journeys – Piepenburg reflects on his journey from
Harper student to English professor, sharing stories about campus life, student radio,
memorable mentors and the experiences that shaped his career.
“The classroom is definitely something I will miss,” Piepenburg said. “The classroom is a place where something new can happen any minute. And that’s one of the things I’ve enjoyed about teaching is that possibility for things to be unique and different every class session … the students make it different every time.”
Listen to the full episode of Harper Talks and hear Piepenburg discuss working as a WHCM radio DJ, helping bring artists such as Survivor and Pat Metheny to campus as a student, pursuing a career in publishing and ultimately returning to Harper as a faculty member who would spend more than 30 years helping students find their voices through writing and literature.
Speaking of retirement, Associate Professor of Mass Communication Brian Shelton is stepping away from hosting Harper Talks after helming the show for more than 50 episodes. The podcast, a co-production between Harper College Radio and Harper Alumni Relations, will continue in the fall with new hosts in conversation with Harper alumni about the role that Harper played in their lives. You can listen to past episodes of Harper Talks on Harper’s website, WHCM, and on all podcast streaming services, including Spotify and Apple.