Bitter Academia

Latest Episodes:

The Ashes Mar 27, 2023

In the final episode, we learn about the natural disaster that rocked the Bay Area the year following Jane’s death, quieting the rumors in the media once and for all. And we return to a place that was home to one of the happiest times of her life, thoughtfully preserved to the present day.”

Written, reported, and narrated by Natalia Gurevich.

Editing, production, and sound design by Matt Pitman.

Additional editing by Myron Kaplan, Managing Producer - Audacy Original Podcasts.

Family Ties Mar 20, 2023

As Jane's death is covered up by the university, the most likely culprit emerges. But the poisoner's motivations might not be what we think. And as we get closer to Jane's story, we get closer to her living family as well, and what connections they still have with her.

Written, reported, and narrated by Natalia Gurevich.

Editing, production, and sound design by Matt Pitman.

Additional editing by Myron Kaplan, Managing Producer - Audacy Original Podcasts.

A Horrible Death to Die Mar 13, 2023

Even though the doctors present at her death and at her autopsy quickly concluded that she had been poisoned with strychnine, this narrative would soon be changed. Those with the university chose to declare her death natural, out of fear that any other cause -- murder, suicide, would open the school, and her estate, to further scrutiny.

Written, reported, and narrated by Natalia Gurevich.

Editing, production, and sound design by Matt Pitman.

Additional editing by Myron Kaplan, Managing Producer - Audacy Original Podcasts.

Golden Handcuffs Mar 06, 2023

Jane Stanford kept a small, insular circle of people close to her. Several would have the nature of their relationship to her questioned following her suspicious death. One of those was the person closest to Jane.

Written, reported, and narrated by Natalia Gurevich.

Editing, production, and sound design by Matt Pitman.

Additional editing by Myron Kaplan, Managing Producer - Audacy Original Podcasts.

Follow The Money Feb 27, 2023

While Jane didn't start Stanford University by herself, she was left to run the fledgling university on her own. As a result of her husband's death and his poor planning, she was forced to make unpopular decisions.

Written, reported, and narrated by Natalia Gurevich.

Editing, production, and sound design by Matt Pitman.

Additional editing by Myron Kaplan, Managing Producer - Audacy Original Podcasts.

An Interrupted Legacy Feb 20, 2023

In 1905, Jane Stanford, the founder of Stanford University, was mysteriously poisoned while on vacation in Hawaii. The wealthiest woman in the Bay Area, possibly the country at the time, was 76-years-old and had spent the latter part of her life pouring her fortune and her heart into a school that would become one of the most prestigious in the world. But her life, and the school’s origins, were not all that they seemed.

Written, reported, and narrated by Natalia Gurevich.

Editing, production, and sound design by Matt Pitman.

Additional editing by Myron Kaplan, Managing Producer - Audacy Original Podcasts.

Trailer: Bitter Academia Feb 16, 2023

Beginning Monday, February 20th. The story of Jane Stanford, one of the richest women in the country in 1905. But the life of Stanford University’s founder was cut short — poisoned — and it wasn’t the first attempt. In the weeks following her death, her innermost circle would collaborate in a messy coverup, ruling her death as natural.

More than a century later, the university founded by Jane as a tribute to the ghost of her 15-year-old son, still hasn’t acknowledged the darker parts of its past.

What's a castle without a King? Jun 20, 2022

The last episode of The Sausage King grapples with how Stuart Alexander’s crimes affected the city of San Leandro and the government agencies involved decades later. As the story comes to a close, it’s clear—despite his efforts while he was alive, Stuart’s legacy is undeserved, and those most deserving, weren’t acknowledged until their death.