171: Mike Espy & The Revival of the Carver Medal Ceremony
Release Date: 02/03/2025
177: Jack Simons on Screen Time for Undergrads
Speaking of Simpson
Jack Simons is an academic counselor in Simpson's TRIO program, and he's been a leader in the conversations on campus about healthy mobile phone usage by undergraduate students. It's a continuation of his previous work on helping Des Moines high school students find a better balance of using mobile tech in their lives. Jack's on the podcast this week to talk about how he hopes Simpson can help students better manage their screen time.
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176: Emily Burns & Olivia Erickson on Fighting Sexual Assault
Speaking of Simpson
One in four college undergraduate women report being victims of sexual assault during their time in higher education, and most experts believe the numbers of full reports are much lower than what's happening on campus. Emily Burns and Olivia Erickson, two members of Simpson's Sexual Assault Response Advocates (SARA) program, come on the podcast this week to discuss how this student-led program provides help and support for students who've had unwelcome sexual experiences. This episode helps kick off April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month at Simpson and around the nation.
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175: Mark Freyberg on Teaching in a DEI World
Speaking of Simpson
Simpson has long been dedicated to teaching its students the value of a diverse, equitable and inclusive world. Still, that orientation has been attacked both in Washington, D.C. and at the Statehouse in Des Moines. Indeed, Iowa now says it will withhold Iowa Tuition Grant funding from any private college with a DEI office. (Simpson no longer has such an office.) This week on the podcast, Professor Mark Freyberg in sociology and criminal justice talks about why Simpson teaches DEI and why our students will be ill-equipped to work in a diverse world without that education. Please note that this...
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174: Matt Garrett on 'Living in the Middle'
Speaking of Simpson
Simpson faculty member Matt Garrett has a new book out, , about the challenges likely to be faced by students pursuing careers in sport management, marketing and media. Matt stops by the podcast this week to talk about why he wrote the book and the lessons he hopes his students and readers take from it.
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173: Dani Kahut Lynch & Ike Papes on Simpson's New-Look Volleyball Programs
Speaking of Simpson
Volleyball is one of America's fastest-growing sports, and Simpson's taking advantage of that fact in building its long-standing women's program and the new men's program. This week on the podcast, new Volleyball Director Dani Kohut Lynch, who also is head coach of the women, and new men's Coach Ike Papes talk about joining the Storm and looking for ways to help the programs stand out in the American Rivers Conference.
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172: Spencer Waugh on Simpson Online
Speaking of Simpson
Spencer Waugh has led some of Simpson's most high-profile programs, including Speech & Debate and Exploratory Studies. Now he's tasked with taking over Simpson Online, the undergraduate, graduate, and certificate program aimed at non-traditional learners. Spencer stops by the podcast this week to talk about the program and his ideas for growing it in the years to come.
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171: Mike Espy & The Revival of the Carver Medal Ceremony
Speaking of Simpson
Mike Espy, former congressman from Mississippi and secretary of agriculture during the 1990s in the Clinton administration, came to Simpson last week to accept the Carver Medal, named for Simpson College's most famous alumnus. George Washington Carver attended Simpson in 1890 and went on to become one of the world's foremost agricultural scientists. The Carver Medal recognizes a Black American who has made a significant contribution to public service in the United States. Espy is the first Black American to serve as secretary of agriculture.
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170: Jake Brend on Becoming Iowa's Top Sportscaster
Speaking of Simpson
Jake Brend is less than two years away from earning his Simpson College degree, but he's already been named Iowa's Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Jake's on the podcast this week to talk about how he came to love sports communication, and how he took advantage of opportunities on and off campus to make his dreams reality.
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169: Jennifer Chittenden on Workforce Partnerships
Speaking of Simpson
Collaborating with the metro Des Moines buisness community, and Simpson's making its commitment to doing so with its new program in Workforce Partnerships. Director Jennifer Chittenden comes on the podcast this week to talk about how she's working in the metro to help build the Simpson brand and connect its academic programs with the needs of metro businesses, non-profits, and more.
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168: Aswati Subramanian on Studying Space Biology
Speaking of Simpson
As NASA looks to return to the Moon and then go on to Mars, the study of space biology has become an ever-more-important endeavor. Simpson biology professor Aswati Subramanian and her students are playing a role in those studies. Subramanian is on the podcast this week with two of her students, Layna Depping and Sam Derning, to talk about their work, which has won a $30,000 seed grant from NASA. The episode is a co-production with Iowa Public Radio News. Our thanks to Ben Kieffer, host of the IPR News program River to River, and producer Samantha McIntosh for their help.
info_outlineMike Espy, former congressman from Mississippi and secretary of agriculture during the 1990s in the Clinton administration, came to Simpson last week to accept the Carver Medal, named for Simpson College's most famous alumnus. George Washington Carver attended Simpson in 1890 and went on to become one of the world's foremost agricultural scientists. The Carver Medal recognizes a Black American who has made a significant contribution to public service in the United States. Espy is the first Black American to serve as secretary of agriculture.