Speaking of Simpson

A podcast of the people and events that make Simpson College one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation.

168: Aswati Subramanian on Studying Space Biology 01/12/2025

168: Aswati Subramanian on Studying Space Biology 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. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/34826925

167: Iowa Journalists on the Next 4 Years 12/02/2024

167: Iowa Journalists on the Next 4 Years This week’s episode is a co-production with Iowa Down Ballot, the Substack feed and podcast that brings together some of Iowa’s best political analysts to offer insights and perspectives earned through years of covering and analyzing Iowa politics. Working through Simpson’s Culver Center for Public Policy and its director Seth Andersen, Iowa Down Ballot last week helped put together a panel of some of Iowa’s top political journalists — plus Simpson Political Science Professor Kedron Bardwell — to talk about what the next four years will look like in national and state politics. The panel is moderated by Dave Busiek, now-retired news director at KCCI TV 8 news in Des Moines who now puts out Dave Busiek on Media, also on Substack. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/34239680

166: Marty Bell on the Ascent of Simpson Sports 11/25/2024

166: Marty Bell on the Ascent of Simpson Sports We're transitioning between fall and winter sports seasons at Simpson, so Athletic Director Marty Bell stops by the podcast this week to talk about the progress he's seen across the board during his tenure leading the college's athletic programs. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/34131266

165: Adrienne Gathman & Kedron Bardwell on the 2024 Elections 11/18/2024

165: Adrienne Gathman & Kedron Bardwell on the 2024 Elections The 2024 elections are in the rear-view mirror, and Simpson political scientists Adrienne Gathman and Kedron Bardwell are on the podcast this week to dissect the results. They not only make sense of Donald Trump's return to the presidency, but also the struggles of the Iowa Democratic Party and how Democrats might mount a comeback in the next two years. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/33968337

164: John Cardamone on International Education 11/11/2024

164: John Cardamone on International Education John Cardamone is the director of international education and study abroad at Simpson College, where he's rebuilding Simpson's once-leading international programs back to where they were before COVID-19. On this week's episode, John talks about his background in international education, Simpson's upcoming May Term study-abroad opportunities, and how he's working to expand the destinations and affordability of study abroad for Simpson students. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/33880197

163: Matt Hansen on Building Student Life 11/04/2024

163: Matt Hansen on Building Student Life The new vice president for student development at Simpson College, Matt Hansen, is retaining his existing title as dean of students and is on the front line of helping make a vibrant experience for students outside the classroom. On this episode of the podcast, Matt talks about his career journey to Simpson, his program's recent Iowa Safe Schools Award, and how Simpson is helping its students be engaged in the 2024 elections. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/33768952

162: CoryAnne Harrigan on Becoming Interim Academic Dean 10/28/2024

162: CoryAnne Harrigan on Becoming Interim Academic Dean A funny thing happened to English professor CoryAnne Harrigan on her way to the start of the Fall 2024 term: Just a week before class began, she was asked to take over as academic dean of Simpson College on an interim basis. Two months later, Harrigan says that, while she wasn't looking for the job, she's been learning on the fly and becoming comfortable with leading the academic program. On this episode of Speaking of Simpson, Harrigan talks about her journey to Simspon, the roles she's played on campus, and the wholly unexpected offer to become academic dean. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/33632587

161: The Inauguration of Jay Byers 10/14/2024

161: The Inauguration of Jay Byers Jay Byers is now officially Simpson College's 25th president after his inauguration this past Friday as part of Homecoming weekend. Terry Handley, chairman of the Simpson Board of Trustees, presided at the ceremony, with a wide array of speakers representing Simpson's faculty, students, alumni, the Indianola community, and the broader world of Iowa higher education. Inaugurations are one of the most special events colleges hold, and this week's episode captures the excitement on campus as Byers digs into his presidency. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/33441577

160: Kelsey Bolton on Simpson Graduates' Destinations 04/22/2024

160: Kelsey Bolton on Simpson Graduates' Destinations Commencement is just around the corner at Simpson, unleashing hundreds of new graduates on the world. For this final episode of Season 5 of Speaking of Simpson, Director of Career Services Kelsey Bolton shares where those graduates are likely to turn up in the months ahead. The college's First Destinations Report shows that 94% of Simpson grads either land employment or graduate-school admissions — and an amazing 78% of them will stay in Iowa to help make the Hawkeye State a more educated and professional place to live. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/30933113

159: Marie Stroman on the American Rivers Conference 04/15/2024

159: Marie Stroman on the American Rivers Conference The new commissioner of the , Marie Stroman, is on the podcast this week to talk about the Division III sports league of which Simpson is a member. Known since 1922 as the Iowa Conference, the ARC rebranded in 2018 with the addition of Nebraska Wesleyan as its eighth member institution. Stroman talks this week about her work bringing Simpson together with its conference peers and the challenges in running a Division III league in an age of Division I giantism. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/30836343

158: Ambassador Terry Branstad on U.S.-China Relations 04/08/2024

158: Ambassador Terry Branstad on U.S.-China Relations , governor of Iowa during most of the years from 1983 to 2017 and then ambassador to China from 2017 to 2020, visited Simpson on April 2 to take part in a conversation with Simpson President Jay Byers on the future of U.S.-China relations. This week's podcast is a recording of that event, which took place in front of Simpson staff and students in Pote Theatre and was sponsored by the . /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/30716513

157: John Della Volpe on the Clout of Gen Z Voters 04/01/2024

157: John Della Volpe on the Clout of Gen Z Voters John Della Volpe of the Harvard Institute of Politics will deliver the annual Culver Lecture at Simpson College on Thursday, April 4. He joins the podcast this week to talk about the influence of Gen Z voters — today's college students and others born after 2001 — in national politics. Della Volpe is a former adviser to the Biden campaign and administration and the author of . /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/30616398

156: Elise Boulton on Campus Day 2024 03/25/2024

156: Elise Boulton on Campus Day 2024 Campus Day 2024 — Simpson College's oldest tradition, dating to 1889 — is just around the corner. It's a day of (we hope) springtime weather, community service, and campus fun. Elise Boulton, the head of the student planning committee for Campus Day 2024, stops by the podcast this week to talk about the event and its history, and what she and her fellow planners in the students body and on the college staff have up their sleeves for this year's edition. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/30522573

155: Cal Dobbs on Transgender Acceptance 03/18/2024

155: Cal Dobbs on Transgender Acceptance Cal Dobbs isn't only a transgender educator and activist. The Venice, Calif., native also has run across the United States and completed the Triple Crown of Hiking to bring awareness of transgender rights and to fight the onslaught of anti-trans legislation being debated across the nation. Dobbs will be speaking at Simpson College on March 19 in a talk supported by Simpson College Department of Athletics and PRIDE, the college's LBGTQ+ student organization. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/30413903

154: Indianola Mayor Stephanie Erickson on Simpson's Town & Gown Relationship 03/04/2024

154: Indianola Mayor Stephanie Erickson on Simpson's Town & Gown Relationship After several years of a sometimes-strained relationship, Simpson College and the city of Indianola are working together again on a number of fronts to improve the community for all. Indianola Mayor Stephanie Erickson, a Simpson alumna, stops by the podcast this week to talk about the work she and Simpson President Jay Byers are undertaking to build the bond between town and gown. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/30212638

153: Brad Bjorkgren on Coaching After a Stroke 02/26/2024

153: Brad Bjorkgren on Coaching After a Stroke Brad Bjorkgren just completed his ninth season as men's basketball coach at Simpson — but it was first since suffering a stroke in May 2023. Bjorkgren is on the podcast this week to talk about his stroke, the road to recovery, and the joy of being back on the sidelines to coach the men's program. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/30102043

152: Chad Timm on Iowa's WW II POW Camps 02/19/2024

152: Chad Timm on Iowa's WW II POW Camps When World War II saw thousands of Iowans fight in the European and Pacific wars, f40,000 German, Italian and Japanese prisoners of war were brought to the Hawkeye state to help with farm labor. Chad Timm, a professor of education at Simpson and himself a former high school history teacher, has spent decades researching the stories of those POWs in Iowa, the camps they lived in, and the relationships they developed with Iowans of that era. Chad stops by the podcast this week to talk about his research and his broader work helping secondary educators teach history. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/30010818

151: Marty Bell on Simpson's Newest Varsity Sport 02/12/2024

151: Marty Bell on Simpson's Newest Varsity Sport Simpson just announced the addition of acrobatics and tumbling as its newest varsity sports — and its 26th overall. Athletic Director Marty Bell is on the podcast this week to talk about the process of adding a sport that has little footprint in the Midwest and how Simpson will go about building its newest program. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/29900118

150: Keyah Levy on Black History Month & DEI at Simpson 02/05/2024

150: Keyah Levy on Black History Month & DEI at Simpson February is Black History Month at Simpson and throughout the nation. Keyah Levy, the college's vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, stops by the podcast this week to talk about the events on the schedule as well as the broader efforts at making Simpson a more diverse, equitable and inclusive learning community /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/29798168

149: Kate Lerseth on Simpson's Teacher-Ed Digs 01/29/2024

149: Kate Lerseth on Simpson's Teacher-Ed Digs Education students and faculty at Simpson have new classrooms, curriculum labs and technology that put the college at the cutting edge of teacher training in Iowa. Kate Lerseth, the chair of teacher education at Simpson, is on the podcast this week to talk about the new facilities and the challenges facing the future of teacher preparation and public education. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/29685928

148: Cyd Dyer on the New-Look Dunn Library 01/22/2024

148: Cyd Dyer on the New-Look Dunn Library Simpson's 60-year-old Dunn Library has just opened after an 18-month remodeling project. College Librarian & Archivist Cyd Dyer is on the podcast this week to talk about Dunn's history and what users will find when they visit the new space in the center of campus. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/29587628

147: Teresa Swan Tuite on Helping Students Find the Finish Line 01/15/2024

147: Teresa Swan Tuite on Helping Students Find the Finish Line The first associate dean for student success at Simpson, Teresa Swan Tuite manages several programs and offices that help students succeed in the classroom and across campus. She comes on the podcast this week to talk about how that effort is key to Simpson's mission, and how it often means concentrating on individual student success. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/29486448

146: Jeremy Reinert on Simpson Women's Soccer Dream Season 11/20/2023

146: Jeremy Reinert on Simpson Women's Soccer Dream Season Coming off a 16-3-2 season, Simpson women's soccer coach Jeremy Reinert visits the podcast to talk about the Storm's run to an NCAA national tournament birth in Division III. Despite a second-round, season-ending loss to Wisconsin-LaCrosse in the tournament, Simpson is well positioned to make another tournament run in 2024. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/28713988

145: Lisa Carponelli on Heading Back to the Newsroom 11/13/2023

145: Lisa Carponelli on Heading Back to the Newsroom For 15 years, Lisa Carponelli has brought her expertise in local television news to Simpson students. Now she's back on the air as a part-time weekend anchor at WHO-TV Channel 13 in Des Moines. Carponelli joins the podcast this week to talk about her work at Simpson, her recent return to the airwaves, and — as if that's not enough to keep her busy — her line of women's cycling clothing Velarosa /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/28608078

144: Spencer Waugh on Exploratory Studies 11/06/2023

144: Spencer Waugh on Exploratory Studies Simpson's longtime director of speech, debate and mock trial, Spencer Waugh, has stepped into a new role at the college this fall, becoming the college's first leader of the and director of academic recruiting. Spencer comes on the podcast this week to talk about his transition and his work helping undecided students find a path to determining what they'll study at Simpson. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/28529798

143: Speech, Debate & Mock Trial Coaches on Keeping Simpson's Winning Tradition Alive 10/30/2023

143: Speech, Debate & Mock Trial Coaches on Keeping Simpson's Winning Tradition Alive Winning national championships isn't news for Simpson's speech, debate, and mock trial program — but having new leadership is. This week's podcast features new SDMT director Tiana Brownen, new assistant Justin Fields, and veteran assistant Marisa Mayo talking about the challenges of taking over the nationally prominent program and their hopes for the season just getting started. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/28460843

142: Jason & Tracy Dinesen on Living the Expat Life 10/16/2023

142: Jason & Tracy Dinesen on Living the Expat Life Tracy and Jason Dinesen are longtime members of the Simpson community — she a faculty member in Spanish and administrator, he a graduate and adjunct accounting professor — who've done something many of us long to do: Sell their possessions and move to another country. In the Dinesens case, they and their two teenaged sons have moved to Portugal, and they tell their story on this week's podcast episode. The Dinesens also are documenting their story on their own podcast, , which you can find on all major podcasting platforms. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/28322981

141: Andy English on Homecoming 2023 10/09/2023

141: Andy English on Homecoming 2023 It's Homecoming 2023 at Simpson College, and Alumni Director Andy English stops by the podcast this week to talk about the traditional and the new events that will welcome alumni and community to campus for Simpson's premier fall celebration. The football team takes on Coe for the biggest event of the week, but Homecoming 2023 offers a full range of events for campus visitors young and old. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/28262234

140: Jennifer Miller on Simpson's Reaccreditation Process 10/02/2023

140: Jennifer Miller on Simpson's Reaccreditation Process Colleges and universities must be accredited by an outside body for their students to qualify for governmental financial aid — and for students and their families to know that schools produce the higher education they need to succeed in life and career. This week, Jennifer Miller, dean of continuing, graduate and online education at Simpson, talks about her leadership of Simpson's reaccreditation process with the Higher Learning Commission. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/28195580

139: Andrea Singsaas on Coaching Leaders 09/25/2023

139: Andrea Singsaas on Coaching Leaders Andrea Singsass '05 is founder and CEO of The Tyne Group, a leadership coaching and development firm based in Cedar Rapids. She's on the podcast this week to talk about how she found her calling, balancing personal and professional life, and her passion for supporting American military spouses around the globe. /episode/index/show/speakingofsimpson/id/28129271

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