'Duets' Podcast Brings Research Stories to Life at Bryan Center Studios

Producing a professional-quality podcast can be a costly and confusing endeavor, but for Duke faculty and students who head to Bryan Center Studios, it’s available with professional support and equipment.

The studio's accessibility was a green light for Cara August, a senior public relations specialist at Duke, who chose the studios, located on the lower level of the Bryan Center, to produce her first-ever podcast.

The podcast, Duets, explores the impactful relationships formed between students and faculty behind the scenes of undergraduate research at Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. The concept was loosely based on StoryCorps, according to August. Each episode invites guests to answer the show's signature question: "Is there a time when research has ever made you hopeful?"

The podcast was recorded over a few months, beginning in December 2023, with the final episodes recorded in April. The pilot episode, “Keep Hope Alive,” aired on Aug. 6, 2024.

“Most folks, with the exception of maybe one, had never been on a podcast before. This is the first podcast I’ve ever produced, so there was this collaborative feeling,” August said. “It was really a fun experience, and I got less and less nervous each time.”

August recalls the first day of recording with a chuckle, describing the energy in the podcast studio as “eek.” The first episode they recorded, This Thing We Call Democracy, with history professor Gunther Peck and Trinity student Hannah McKnight, aired as episode two of the show.

“They were super excited,” August said about Peck and McKnight. “Mostly, I was looking at the red record button every 30 seconds to make sure it was still recording,” she added, noting that neither of the guests had been to the studios before.

For someone who had never recorded a podcast, August said that the studio setup was very user-friendly.

“If people want, we’ll do a training and consultation with them, but after that point they’re off on their own, which I kind of think of as a success in that they don’t need a producer or technical person on board,” said Duke OIT’s Academic Media Production Manager, Mich Donovan. “They don’t need to be an expert or have somebody on hand that is managing the mixer—it’s totally DIY.”

August said that she had never been to the studios before starting this project.

“I went in the summer and had a really great intro session. It could not be easier for people to use, and I think OIT has done a really good job of making it accessible to people in terms of booking the space,” August said about her first time in the studios.

Reserving a spot in the studios is simple: Log in to Outlook, invite the studio room to a meeting during the date and time you want, and wait for the automatic confirmation that the space is available. The studio is open for use 24/7.

“There’s always someone there, if you’re working during office hours, to help you if there are hiccups,” August said. “I’m not a gearhead person, and I was like, ‘Oh, there are four mics, they all have numbers that are color-coded, and then the panel has numbers and is color-coded.’ I love a good system, and they’ve just made it so accessible.”

The studios can get pretty busy during the semester, so Donovan suggests reserving your time in advance if you know your project will take a while.

“Last April, I was looking at our reservations, and there were at least five or six each day,” Donovan said. “I don’t think we realized how big of a need there was for this kind of space until we really put it there and saw just how many people were coming in. We’re glad to be able to offer this resource to folks.”

The premier season of Duets is available now on streaming services. Learn more about Bryan Center Studios at oit.duke.edu/service/bryan-center-studios.