Summer is over, the students are back on campus, and President Marsha Kelliher is here to talk about the new academic year at Simpson College. The campus is seeing new construction, new athletic programs and initiatives, and a new optimism that Simpson will thrive now that the worst of the pandemic has passed.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is of special importance to Vasiliy Safin, a visiting professor of psychology at Simpson College and a citizen of Ukraine. Safin guests on this week's podcast episode to talk about the impact of the war on his family and himself and on the international order.

John Nichols, author of The Fight For The Soul of The Democratic Party, will deliver the annual Culver Lecture at Simpson College on Thursday, April 14. Nichols' book is a political biography of Henry A. Wallace, the namesake of Simpson College's Wallace Hall who was a progressive vice president of the United States from 1941 to 1945. He joins the podcast this week to discuss his book and to preview his upcoming talk at Simpson.

Retired education professor Alan Magruder guests this week as part of the 'Legends of Simpson' series. He talks about his post-Simpson years, the joys of living they've brought about, and offers advice on when you know it's time to retire.

Emeritus sociology professor Ev Laning revisits one of the legacies of Simpson in the 1960s and 1970s — its willingness to admit students of color during a time when many were denied admission at other colleges due to systemic racism. Laning spoke recently as part of Simpson's recent Legends of Simpson lecture series.

Three seasons ago, Dylan Peters took over a Simpson men's wrestling program that had won only one dual meet in the previous season and had no juniors or seniors on the team. This season, Peters got the team back to 7-7 in dual meets with three wrestlers earning place finishes in the NCAA Midwest Regional meet in Division III. Simpson's wrestling coach guests on the podcast to talk about his leadership of the wrestling turnaround at Simpson.

'I really look forward to talking about the future of science,' says Ron Warnet, professor emeritus of chemistry, on the 100th episode of Speaking of Simpson, 'because I sort of know about its past.' Warnet is the latest speaker in the 'Legends of Simpson' lecture series, this week talking about the role of science in technology, medicine and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the 1980s, Simpson students have had charge of the Eberhart Student Aid Fund, putting real money into real equity markets and learning the ropes of investing. Todd Kielkopf, who teaches the students who invest the money, and student Brooke Tucker are guests on the podcasts to talk about their experiences with the fund, which recent crept above $1 million in market value for the first time.