Monday, September 29, 2008     A Child's-Eye View Talk of economic meltdown. Bitter political debate. War. And, yes, even homework you’d don’t understand. From a child’s point of view, the world today can be a pretty anxiety-producing place. On this edition we talk with a Virginia researcher who has spent the past 15 years attempting to see “worries,” as children see them.   Listen to the program   Guest: Michael Southam-Gerow, Ph.D. - Co-Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Anxiety Clinic,  Associate Professor of Psychology at VCU. Monday, September 22, 2008     The Women Who Call Themselves ‘NeW’ Do the terms “conservative politics” and “women’s rights” go together? “Yes!” is the emphatic answer from a nationwide group of conservative college women. And they see Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as evidence that they are right. On this edition we talk with the Charlottesville-based founder of the group that calls itself the “Network of enlightened Women”  -- or “NeW.”   Listen to the program   Guest: Karin Agness,  founder of the nationwide college women’s organization NeW. Monday, September 15, 2008     National Security -- A Recent History “When our security is threatened,” some say, “we must be willing to give up some liberty.” “Not so,” say others. “Our security is dependent on our liberty.” The argument sounds like the debate raging today over the war on terror.   But actually it stems back to a 14-volume report issued by Congress 33 years ago. On this edition we talk with the Virginia researcher whose new book examines the recent history of the secret world of national security, and with two expert observers of national security in a post-9/11 world.   Listen to the program   Guests: Russell A. Miller, J.D. -  Associate Professor of Law, Washington and Lee University; author of  U.S. National Security, Intelligence and Democracy: From the Church Committee to the War on Terror. Eric Lichtblau, Washington bureau reporter for the New York Times; winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for his stories on secret, NSA wiretapping programs; and author of Bush's Law: The Remaking of American Justice. John B. Noftsinger, Jr., Ed.D. - Vice Provost for Research and Public Service at James Madison University and co-author of  Understanding Homeland Security: Policies, Perspectives, and Paradoxes. Monday, September 8, 2008         Virginia Politics Update What’s the state of politics in your neighborhood? On this edition, we ask professional political analysts -- as well as listeners from across the WMRA region -- to make sense of the huge changes that appear to be taking place in Virginia politics.   Listen to the program   Guests: Chelyen Davis - Richmond-based political reporter for The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Bob Gibson - Executive Director of The Thomas C. Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership and former political writer at The Charlottesville Daily Progress. Bob Roberts, Ph.D. - Professor of Political Science at James Madison University and author of From Watergate to Whitewater: The Public Integrity War. Jen Thompson, J.D. - Director of External Relations and Assistant Professor of Political Science at The Wilder School of Government , Virginia Commonwealth University. Monday, September 1, 2008    Going Broke (originally aired on March 17, 2008) “Where did all that money go?” It’s a question millions of Americans ask themselves whenever they take a moment to think about their own personal finances. On this edition, we talk with a finance specialist and a psychologist about societal changes and technological innovations that may explain why so many people are deeply in debt. Guests: Pamela Peterson Drake, PhD, CFA - The J. Gray Ferguson Professor of Finance and Chair of the Department of Finance and Business Law,  James Madison University. Stuart Vyse, PhD -  Professor of Psychology, Connecticut College.  Author of Going Broke, Why Americans Can’t Hold On to Their Money. Monday, August 25, 2008    Accelerating Science It is called the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). It will accelerate proton beams to near the speed of light. When some of those protons collide, examination of the result could lead to enormously improved scientific understanding. Thanks to 15 years of work by a community of scientists around the world, the LHC is scheduled to go on line in just a few weeks. On this edition, we talk with two of those scientists about their hopes for greater grasp of the nature of reality.   Listen to the program   Guests: Bradley B. Cox, Ph.D. - Professor of Physics at the University of Virginia. Robert J. Hirosky, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Virginia. Monday, August 18, 2008    Aging Brain Power What happens as your brain gets older? A team of Virginia scientists has found that cognitive ability can change markedly in a few short years. And those changes don’t just happen for people in their 70s and 80s.   These scientists have discovered significant differences in “brain power” between 20-year-olds and 30-year-olds. On this edition, we talk with the man behind the Salthouse Cognitive Aging Lab.   Listen to the program   Guest: Timothy Salthouse, Ph.D. - The Brown-Forman Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. Director of the Salthouse Cognitive Aging Lab. Monday, August 11, 2008    An Optimistic Vision for a Graying Generation Jeff Goldsmith calls them “The Catastropharians.” It is the term he made up to describe those often-heard-from pundits who say our economy is headed for a meltdown as the baby boom generation reaches retirement age. Jeff Goldsmith also says they are wrong. On this edition, we talk with the Charlottesville-based public policy researcher about his new book, and his suggestions for how to prepare for the economy of the future.   Listen to the program   Guest: Jeff Goldsmith, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia, President of Health Futures, Inc, author of The Long Baby Boom: An Optimistic Vision for a Graying Generation. [2008, John Hopkins University Press]. Monday, August 4, 2008    On Gypsies Why do we hate? Domnica Radulescu has pursued that question for most of her professional life. On this edition we talk with this Washington and Lee University professor about her new book examining the plight of one of the most discriminated-against groups in history.   Listen to the program   Guest: Domnica Radulescu, Ph.D. - Professor of Romance Languages, Washington and Lee University; co-editor of “Gypsies,” in European Literature and Culture, and author of the new novel "Train to Trieste." Monday, July 28, 2008    Two Senators, One Issue Is Virginia’s transportation system truly in desperate financial straits? Many on both sides of the political aisle believe it is.  But there is little agreement on what to do about it. On this edition, we get two influential state Senators -- one Republican, one Democrat -- talking with each other and our audience about solutions.  And we ask what the consequences will be if the political stalemate over transportation funding continues.   Listen to the program   Guests: Senator R. Creigh Deeds - Democrat representing the 25th State Senate District,  which includes Albemarle County (Part); Alleghany County (All); Bath County (All); Buckingham County (Part); Buena Vista City (All); Charlottesville City (All); Covington City (All); Nelson County (All); and Rockbridge County (Part). Senator Emmett Hanger, Jr. - Republican representing the 24th State Senate District, which includes Albemarle County (Part); Augusta County (All); Greene County (All); Highland County (All); Rockbridge County (Part); Rockingham County (Part); and the Cities of Staunton, Waynesboro and Lexington. Monday, July 21, 2008    Books Behind Bars Read any good books lately? That question is getting asked more and more often these days in an unusual place... in prison. Thanks to a Charlottesville based program, thousands of books are now making their way into jails and penitentiaries across the Commonwealth. On this edition we talk with the woman who founded the "Books Behind Bars" program, as well as some of the inmates who say her books changed their lives.   Listen to the program   Guest: Kay Allison - Director, The Quest Institute. Monday, July 14, 2008    The New Head of Sorensen For more than thirty years he was one of Virginia’s most respected political reporters. Now he heads up a UVa linked group whose mission is to promote more respect for -- and citizen involvement in -- politics. On this edition we talk citizenship, personal responsibility, and politics with former Daily Progress columnist, now Sorensen Institute chief, Bob Gibson.     Listen to the program   Guest: Bob Gibson - Executive Director, The Thomas C. Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership. Monday, July 7, 2008    Advocating for Children They’re called “CASA” -- for “Court Appointed Special Advocates."  They are volunteers who help abused children rebuild their lives.  On this edition, we talk with Advocates doing remarkable work in the Valley and the Charlottesville region.   Listen to the program   Guests: Doug Brown - Volunteer Advocate with Charlottesville-based Piedmont CASA. Janet Cleveland - Executive Director, CASA for Children of Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro. Phoebe Frosch - Director of Advancement, Piedmont CASA. Monday June 30, 2008    Virginia Politics Update You may have noticed taxes and transportation are making Virginia headlines again.  But also in current political news -- presidential candidates are making the Old Dominion a battleground, two former governors are trying to become a senator,  and a current senator and a current governor keep getting asked about running mate status. On this edition, we invite listeners to join three journalists and a politics professor in an effort to make sense of the latest in political developments across the Commonwealth.   Listen to the program   Guests: Anita Kumar - Richmond based Political Reporter for The Washington Post Bob Roberts, PhD - Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, James Madison University. Chelyen Davis - Richmond based Political Reporter for The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star Jeff Schapiro - Political Reporter and Columnist, Richmond Times Dispatch