Speaking of Simpson

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

Brian Steffen


    • May 11, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 36m AVG DURATION
    • 154 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Speaking of Simpson

    178: Remembering Jay Byers

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2025 40:27


    Speaking of Simpson devotes this week's episode to a remembrance of Jay Byers, who died on April 17. Acting President Terry Handley, who helped engineer the hiring of Jay as president just two years ago, and longtime Professor Mark Green share their stories of Jay that date to his days as a student at Simpson in the 1990s. Also, host Brian Steffen wraps up this episode with an important announcement.

    177: Jack Simons on Screen Time for Undergrads

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 51:32


    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.

    176: Emily Burns & Olivia Erickson on Fighting Sexual Assault

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2025 30:48


    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.

    175: Mark Freyberg on Teaching in a DEI World

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2025 38:01


    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 episode expresses the views only of the host and guest, and it does not necessarily reflect that of Simpson College.

    174: Matt Garrett on 'Living in the Middle'

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 30:18


    Simpson faculty member Matt Garrett has a new book out, Living in the Middle: Reflection Thinking in Sport, 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.

    173: Dani Kahut Lynch & Ike Papes on Simpson's New-Look Volleyball Programs

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2025 36:52


    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.

    172: Spencer Waugh on Simpson Online

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 31:35


    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.

    171: Mike Espy & The Revival of the Carver Medal Ceremony

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 39:44


    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.

    170: Jake Brend on Becoming Iowa's Top Sportscaster

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2025 41:34


    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.

    169: Jennifer Chittenden on Workforce Partnerships

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2025 26:14


    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.

    168: Aswati Subramanian on Studying Space Biology

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2025 52:08


    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.

    167: Iowa Journalists on the Next 4 Years

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 59:18


    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.

    166: Marty Bell on the Ascent of Simpson Sports

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 32:22


    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.

    165: Adrienne Gathman & Kedron Bardwell on the 2024 Elections

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 36:06


    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.

    164: John Cardamone on International Education

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 35:10


    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.

    163: Matt Hansen on Building Student Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 37:09


    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.

    162: CoryAnne Harrigan on Becoming Interim Academic Dean

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 39:08


    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.

    161: The Inauguration of Jay Byers

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 85:42


    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.

    160: Kelsey Bolton on Simpson Graduates' Destinations

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2024 31:12


    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.

    159: Marie Stroman on the American Rivers Conference

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2024 44:56


    The new commissioner of the American Rivers Conference, 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.

    158: Ambassador Terry Branstad on U.S.-China Relations

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2024 62:43


    Terry Branstad, 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 John C. Culver Center for Public Policy.

    157: John Della Volpe on the Clout of Gen Z Voters

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2024 39:19


    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 Fight: How Gen Z Is Channeling Their Fear & Passion to Save America.

    156: Elise Boulton on Campus Day 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2024 23:02


    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.

    155: Cal Dobbs on Transgender Acceptance

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2024 31:45


    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.

    154: Indianola Mayor Stephanie Erickson on Simpson's Town & Gown Relationship

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2024 29:20


    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.

    153: Brad Bjorkgren on Coaching After a Stroke

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2024 34:07


    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.

    152: Chad Timm on Iowa's WW II POW Camps

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2024 37:53


    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.

    151: Marty Bell on Simpson's Newest Varsity Sport

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2024 35:37


    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.

    150: Keyah Levy on Black History Month & DEI at Simpson

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2024 39:07


    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

    149: Kate Lerseth on Simpson's Teacher-Ed Digs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2024 37:47


    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.

    148: Cyd Dyer on the New-Look Dunn Library

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2024 26:43


    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.

    147: Teresa Swan Tuite on Helping Students Find the Finish Line

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2024 33:01


    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.

    146: Jeremy Reinert on Simpson Women's Soccer Dream Season

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2023 35:44


    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.

    145: Lisa Carponelli on Heading Back to the Newsroom

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2023 35:34


    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

    144: Spencer Waugh on Exploratory Studies

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2023 25:41


    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 Center for Exploratory Studies 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.

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2023 35:17


    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.

    142: Jason & Tracy Dinesen on Living the Expat Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2023 37:55


    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, As The Dinesens Turn, which you can find on all major podcasting platforms.

    141: Andy English on Homecoming 2023

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2023 24:34


    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.

    140: Jennifer Miller on Simpson's Reaccreditation Process

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2023 29:47


    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.

    139: Andrea Singsaas on Coaching Leaders

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2023 32:21


    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.

    138: Miguel Schor on Solving Our Constitutional Challenges

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2023 56:56


    The associate director of Drake's Constitutional Law Center, Miguel Schor, is our podcast guest this week. Professor Schor delivered the 2023 Constitution Day lecture at the college, speaking on the many challenges confronting constitutional government in the United States and his proposals for fixing them.

    137: Jay Byers on Telling Simpson's Story

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2023 31:35


    It's hard to miss Jay Byers these days — the new Simpson College president has put an emphasis on telling the college's story — in person, in the media, and on social channels. Byers stops by the podcast this week to tell his story: How he came to Simpson as an undergraduate 35 years ago, his work as an alumnus and board member, and now as president of the college. He also details the new All-In On Iowa financial aid program that will provide full-tuition scholarships for students of families earning less than $100,000 per year and students from each of Iowa's 99 counties.

    136: Adam Brustkern on Embracing Change

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2023 27:23


    The new academic year is in full swing at Simpson College, and chemistry professor Adam Brustkern welcomed more than 380 new students at the college with his All-College Convocation talk on Aug. 30. Brustkern's message to the students: Embrace change, and let Simpson's faculty serve as the catalyst to that change. Brustkern gave the talk by virtue of winning the 2023 Distinguished Teaching Award at last spring's commencement.

    135: Marty Bell on Building Athletics at Simpson

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2023 28:21


    Football and fall sports are in the air as a new year launches at Simpson, and Athletic Director Marty Bell stops by the first episode of Speaking of Simpson's new season to talk new momentum across the board. There's a new football staff on board, multiple new assistant coaches in many sports, and plans ahead for new programs and facilities. 

    134: Cassidy Daub & Kenneth Norris on Transgender Life at Simpson

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2023 38:41


    With the state legislature passing a raft of laws to discriminate against transgender Iowans, Simpson students Cassidy Daub and Kenneth Norris come on the final podcast of the 2022-23 academic year to talk about their experiences in their hometowns, their families, on the Simpson campus and beyond. 

    133: Seth Andersen on Simpson's Latest Voter-Turnout Honors

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2023 32:15


    With up to 75% voting turnout among Simpson students, the college has been named one of America's Voter-Friendly Campuses by the Fair Elections Project and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Seth Andersen, director of the John C. Culver Public Policy Center at Simpson, is our guest this week to talk about the college's non-partisan efforts to turn out student voters regardless of party affiliation or ideology.

    132: Spencer Waugh on Winning (Yet Another) Debate National Championship

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2023 24:00


    131: Nora J.S. Reichardt on Coming Out as Transgender on Local TV News

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2023 57:02


    With transgender rights front and center in Iowa political debates, We Are Iowa local journalist Nora J.S. Reichardt grabbed national headlines when she recently came out as transgender on the air. Nora visited with Multimedia Journalism and Foundations students about her transition and how Iowans have responded.

    130: Lexi Johnston on Bringing a Death Row Survivor to Simpson

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2023 23:41


    Death row survivor Anthony Ray Hinton, author of The Sun Does Shine, will speak at Simpson on Tuesday, March 29. That's because student Lexi Johnson took the lead in booking him after she read his book. Johnston joins the podcast this week to talk about how Hinton's story inspired her as a criminal justice major, and why she went to work bringing him to speak at the college.

    129: Rebecca Livingstone on Debating the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2023 38:39


    Simpson's history faculty don't simply lecture about history — they help students live it through the innovative Reacting to the Past method of teaching. Simpson history professor Rebecca Livingstone is out with a new co-authored book on learning history through role-playing, Monuments and Memory-Making: The Debate over the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 1981-1982. She stops by the podcast this week to talk about the RTTP method of teaching and how she is using it in classwork at Simpson.

    128: Colin Payne & Emily Barrett Payne on Building Gymnastics at Simpson

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2023 30:54


    Simpson College started its men's and women's gymnastics programs this year — the first Iowa small college to do so. Men's coach Colin Payne and women's coach Emily Barrett Payne are on the podcast this week to talk about how they've begun the gymnastics tradition at Simpson and how they're already posting successes in NCAA competitions.

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