Iowa Public Television

Past Episodes

• Tony Wagner: “The Global Achievement Gap” (#172)

  In September 2009, Dr. Wagner addressed Iowa educators at the "Leading, Learning and Teaching in the 21st Century" conference in Des Moines.

• PepsiCo Chief at the 2009 World Food Prize (#175)

  In October 2009, Indra Nooyi, chariman and CEO of PepsiCo, spoke at the 2009 World Food Prize Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa.

• Jeffrey Sachs at the 2009 World Food Prize (#174)

  For more than 20 years, Dr. Jeffrey Sachs has promoted policies to help all parts of the world benefit from expanding economic opportunities and well-being. In October 2009 he spoke at the 2009 World Food Prize Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa.

• The Ioway Nation in the New Millennium (#131)

  Lance Foster, a member of the Ioway Nation, discusses the history and culture of the Ioway Indians--the first tribe that inhabited the state of Iowa and parts of surrounding states.

• "Three Cups of Tea" Author Gregory Mortenson (#133)

  Gregory Mortenson recounts his lifelong dedication to promote education and literacy, especially for girls, in remote, volatile regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

• Producer Dayton Duncan Previews "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" (#165)

  In May 2009, award-winning writer and documentary filmmaker Dayton Duncan addressed a capacity crowd at Lekberg Hall on the campus of Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.

• Thomas Friedman: Grinnell College Commencement Address (#164)

  In May 2009, three-time Pulitzer Prize winning author Thomas Friedman challenged Grinnell College graduates to embrace their liberal arts education to "rejuvenate, renew, and refresh America."

• Bill Gates at the 2009 World Food Prize (#173)

  In October 2009, Bill Gates, Microsoft founder and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, spoke at the World Food Prize Symposium in Des Moines to encourage sustainability and productivity in the fight against hunger in impoverished nations.

• Khrushchev Biographer William Taubman (#170)

  On August 27, 2009, Harvard and Columbia educated scholar and author William Taubman gave a presentation in Des Moines as part of the Des Moines Public Library's AVID (Authors Visiting in Des Moines) series. Mr. Taubman has spent much of his career researching, analyzing, and writing about the Soviet Union, and has become the official biographer of Nikita Khrushchev. His biography, "Khrushchev: The Man and His Era," has won several literary awards including the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for biography.

• The Adversity Paradox: Achieving Uncommon Success in Business (#162)

  Des Moines business executives J. Barry Griswell and Bob Jennings discuss their new book The Adversity Paradox, a guide for achieving personal and business success.

• James Van Allen: The First Eight Billion Miles (#128)

  A new biography of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa native James Van Allen by Northwestern University Professor Abigail Foerstner is the subject of this special edition of Live From Prairie Lights. Recognized as Iowa's greatest scientist, Van Allen was among the principle scientific investigators for 24 space missions and has been called the father of space science.

• Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (#149)

  Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts Jr. delivered the 11th Opperman Lecture in Constitutional Law at Drake University on October 2, 2008. President George W. Bush appointed Roberts to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2003. He was nominated as Chief Justice of the United States by President Bush two years later and, after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Roberts took his seat on the Supreme Court on Sept. 29, 2005.

• American Gothic: A Life of America's Most Famous Painting (#160)

  Author Steven Biel and Filmmaker Sasha Waters Freyer team up to present a fascinating glimpse at Grant Wood's most famous work -- American Gothic.

• Investigative Journalist Jane Mayer: “The Dark Side” (#171)

  In September 2009, investigative journalist Jane Mayer visited the Grinnell College campus to mark the beginning of a human rights symposium.

• The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming (#139)

  An environmental conservative, Bjorn Lomborg, author of The Skeptical Environmentalist and Cool It, has questioned the priority given to solving global climate change.

• The Future of Pakistan (#147)

  Mr. Khalid Hasan, former press secretary for President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and currently a senior journalist for a Lahore-based newspaper, discusses the present state of affairs in Pakistan and what the future holds for Pakistan.

• Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln (#159)

  In February 2009, Iowa native Dr. John Stauffer of Harvard University, discusseed his most recent bookabout Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln at the Des Moines Public Library.

• David Plowden’s "Vanishing Point: Fifty Years of Photography" (#132)

  World-famous photographer David Plowden celebrates his 75th birthday with his new book Vanishing Point which includes his phenomenal black and white photographs of the prairie landscape and quiet Midwestern scenes. Mr. Plowden provided commentary about his art and technique for KSUI’s Know the Score radio program.

• U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (#163)

  In April 2009, newly-appointed US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan addressed a near-capacity crowd at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

• An Evening with Cloris Leachman (#168)

  On May 8, 2009 at the Des Moines Public Library, celebrated actress and Des Moines native Cloris Leachman regaled fans with anecdotes from her illustrious career.

• Peter Carlson, Author of "K Blows Top" (#169)

  In July 2009, the Des Moines Public Library hosted authro Peter Carlson who shared the inside story of Khrushchev's 1959 U.S. visit from his new book.

• Master of Mystery Lawrence Block (#166)

  Lawrence Block, one of the most widely recognized names in mystery, appeared at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines in May 2009 to discuss his latest book, "Step by Step."

• The Global Agricultural Crisis of the 21st Century (#151)

  Agricultural ecologist Sir Gordon Conway delivered the 2008 Norman Borlaug Lecture from Iowa State University.

• Understanding the Economic Meltdown (#158)

  Presentation given in September 2008 by James Bernard, Jr., general manager of MarketWatch.com, part of the Wall Street Journal Digital Network.

• Is Global Warming Affecting Hurricanes? (#140)

  Kerry Emanuel is an MIT professor of atmospheric science specializes in studying atmospheric convection and the mechanisms acting to intensify hurricanes.

• Richard Florida (#117)

  On September 19, 2007, at Iowa State University author Richard Florida discussed his book The Flight of the Creative Class, an examination of the global competition for creative talent.

• The Future of Journalism? (#157)

  On October 29, 2008, Drake University and the National Press Club co-hosted a panel on the future of journalism featuring key industry leaders -- Laura Hollingsworth, Des Moines Register; Steve Buttry, Cedar Rapids Gazette; Michael Gartner, Former President NBC News & Des Moines Register; David Busiek, KCCI, and Gil Klein, National Press Club. The event was part of the NPC's Centennial Forum project, "The First Amendment, Freedom of the Press and the Future of Journalism."

• Baboon Metaphysics: The Evolution of a Social Mind (#145)

  Dr. Robert Seyfarth, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia was a featured speaker at the 2008 Emergence of Mind Symposium sponsored by the Great Ape Trust of Iowa. Dr. Seyfarth began his research with vervet monkeys in Kenya, and since 1992 has been involved in a study of communication, cognition and behavior among baboons in the Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana.

• Governor Robert Ray: Tai Dam Refugee Relocation (#130)

  On February 21st at Simpson College, former Governor Robert D. Ray and former Ambassador Kenneth Quinn, discussed their roles in aiding the relocation of Tai Dam refugees from southeast Asia to Iowa in the 1970s. They also described their efforts to help Southeast Asian refugees through the Iowa SHARES program.

• International Space Station Commander Peggy Whitson (#152)

  In September 2008, NASA astronaut and Iowa native Peggy Whitson addressed a standing-room-only audience at Simpson College in Indianola.

• International Pollination Symposium (#111)

  On June 27, 2007 at the International Pollination Symposium at Iowa State University, Marla Spivak from the University of Minnesota and Jeff Pettis from the USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, spoke about Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder.

• Alternatives to Economic Globalization (#155)

  In October 2008, Iowa State University hosted Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch as part of their Technology, Globalization and Culture series.

• How the Financial Markets Are Driving Globalism (#153)

  In September 2008, Iowa State University presented a lecture by James Bernard, Jr., general manager of MarketWatch.com, who shed light on the financial crisis.

• Statecraft: How to Restore America's Standing in the World (#143)

  Former U.S. Ambassador Dennis Ross has been active in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process for more than 12 years. He gave this lecture at Drake University in April 2008.

• T. Boone Pickens' Energy Plan (#148)

  In August 2008, at a town hall meeting in Le Mars, Iowa, T. Boone Pickens discussed his plan for dealing with America’s energy issues.