DelVal Instructor of Media and Communication Discusses Gen Z on KYW Podcast

Instructor of Media and Communication at Delaware Valley University (DelVal), Katie Carnevale, appeared as a guest on KYW Newsradio Podcast “In Depth,” to discuss Gen Z with podcast host, Matt Leone.

Carnevale has done extensive research on Gen Z, a historically diverse generation shaped by some of the most turbulent times. Leone asks Carnevale, to discuss her research, focusing on what sets Gen-Z apart from other generations, and what they think about things like money, education, entitlement, and the Boomers.

Carnevale first defines Gen Z, going by the PEW Research Institute’s distinction as anyone born between 1997 and 2012, and shares how her interest in Gen Z began. “I started two milestones on the same day in 2019. I began my full-time faculty position at DelVal, and started my first day as a doctoral student in the Higher Education program at Immaculata University,” she says. As Carnevale began her employment with DelVal, educating students who were of the Gen Z cohort, she noticed some clear distinctions between this group of students and the students she was used to teaching previously.

“I had been in higher education for 12 years prior to DelVal, but most of the students I taught were adults who were beyond the age range of 18 to 22, people who already had careers and families, and people who I had a lot in common with,” she explains. “When I got to DelVal and was in front of all these young folks, I felt I needed to learn who these students are and how best to support them and educate them.” Upon this realization, Carnevale also decided to choose Gen Z as the topic for her doctoral dissertation.

Since her first day at DelVal in 2019, Carnevale has conducted extensive research on this unique generation. On the KYW podcast, she answers Leone’s questions including what Gen Z wants from higher education, the qualities that make this generation unique from others, the impact of technology on this cohort, and many more.

To listen to the podcast episode on KYW Newsradio click here.