University of the Air

By Wisconsin Public Radio

What's University of the Air about?

Hosts Norman Gilliland and Emily Auerbach invite distinguished faculty guests from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to discuss topics in music, art, writing, theater, science, education, and history.

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University of the Air episodes:

04.19.2024
The Presidential Nomination Process
The process for nominating US presidential candidates has changed over the years—often in ways that are complicated, confusing, and not necessarily democratic. Nominations have become a shifting landscape of delegates, superdelegates, back-room party bosses, and late-night compromises that try to...
04.12.2024
Why Do Birds Flock, Sing, and Play
Computers are dangerous enough for individuals. When nations are involved, the stakes are even bigger.
04.07.2024
Evangelicals in American Politics
Ever since the days of Puritan New England, American governments have struggled to define the relationship between religion and a secular nation. In recent years, that struggle has become increasingly strident with the rise of the Christina Right. What is...
03.26.2024
The Vulnerability of Public Education
Explore the increasing battles over academic freedom, tenure, and faculty governance at public universities today.
03.17.2024
James Joyce
We delve into our archives for a conversation about one of Ireland’s celebrated writer James Joyce. We decode some of the more obscure meanings behind Joyce’s often ambiguous prose and wry humor, and explore what made Joyce so innovative and...
03.10.2024
A History of U.S.-Israel Relations
Since the founding of the state of Israel in 1948, U.S. presidents have tried a variety of approaches to maintain balanced relations with Israel and the surrounding Arab states. In the years leading up to the Israeli-Hamas war, a series...
03.03.2024
Citizens of a Stolen Land: A Ho-Chunk History of the 19th-Century U.S
Explore how Wisconsin's Ho-Chunk people fought back against devastating attacks on their land and culture
02.25.2024
The Devil’s Element
We can't exist without phosphorus. Until recently, there was a steady supply because it moved through a cycle, but now that cycle has been broken and what was life-sustaining is becoming scarce and dangerous.
02.18.2024
The Legendary Paul Robeson
Explore why acclaimed African American singer, actor, and activist Paul Robeson became embroiled in controversy and denied a passport.
02.11.2024
A History of the 20th Century Catholic Church
In the years following World War I, the Catholic Church was intent upon regaining lost ground and entered into a variety of political alliances to do so--some of them with unexpected outcomes.
01.30.2024
The Joy of Dictionaries
Who decides which words make it into dictionaries and how to define them in non-biased ways? Professor Emeritus Marshall Cook looks behind the scenes at lexicographers such as Kory Stamper (author of Word by Word), and Derrick Allen (graduate of...
01.21.2024
The Mental Health Crisis and the Problem of Misdiagnosis
Psychiatrists and insurance companies use the 300+ mental health disorders listed in the DSM to diagnose patients, but what if many of those labels are harmful and misleading? Psychiatrists and insurance companies use the 300+ mental health disorders listed in...
01.21.2024
The Mental Health Crisis and the Problem of Misdiagnosis
Psychiatrists and insurance companies use the 300+ mental health disorders listed in the DSM to diagnose patients, but what if many of those labels are harmful and misleading? Psychiatrists and insurance companies use the 300+ mental health disorders listed in...
01.14.2024
The Latest From Venus
Veiled in clouds, Venus is one of earth’s most mysterious neighbors, and yet those studying the planet continue to make discoveries about it. Is life possible on Venus? If not, was it ever possible? And what does it tell us...
01.07.2024
Racist Love: Objectifying Asian Americans
Explore how Asian Americans evoke a strange mixture of anxiety and desire, manifested in objects such as cartoons, home decor, and AI robots.
12.24.2023
Knowledge Turned Upside Down
How might we redefine what counts as knowledge, whether in a science classroom, an educational TV program, or a prison?
12.17.2023
Counterfeiting
Counterfeiting has been used as a weapon of war, and it’s still very much with us in America today. But how practical is it to apprehend and who’s doing the counterfeiting? And how can game theory be used to track...
12.10.2023
“Kick Out the Jams”: Dave Marsh, the Sixties, and the Sound of Freedom
Exploring Dave Marsh’s Kick Out the Jams provides an exciting window into 20th century music and political activism.
12.10.2023
"Kick Out the Jams": Dave Marsh, the Sixties, and the Sound of Freedom
Exploring Dave Marsh’s Kick Out the Jams provides an exciting window into 20 th century music and political activism.
12.03.2023
Restorative Justice
At first, it may seem doomed to failure, but bringing together those most affected by a criminal act—the offender and the survivor–in a non-adversarial process has done much to repair the damage caused by the crime. The process is called...
11.26.2023
Traumatized Children and Emotionally Responsive Teaching
How can teachers, counselors, and parents work together to help traumatized children succeed?
11.12.2023
The Fabulous Lady Gregory and the Irish Revival
Author, theater manager, and proto-feminist, the colorful Lady Gregory played a key role in Irish history.
11.05.2023
The Life and Music of Al Jarreau
From his earliest days singing in the 1940s to the end of his career 60 years later, Wisconsin native Al Jarreau defied categorization, breaking music industry stenotypes on his way to winning Grammy Awards in three different categories-jazz, pop, and...
11.05.2023
The Life and Music of Al Jarreau
From his earliest days singing in the 1940s to the end of his career 60 years later, Wisconsin native Al Jarreau defied categorization, breaking music industry stenotypes on his way to winning Grammy Awards in three different categories-jazz, pop, and...
10.29.2023
Gothic Novels
Haunted houses, dungeons, and demonic villains: why did a craze for gothic novels begin in the late 18th century and persist until the present?
10.22.2023
The State of the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes have suffered from a host of threats. Mercury, microplastics, nano plastics, sea lampreys, Asian carp, zebra mussels, and quagga mussels. How did those contaminants get there, and what are the challenges to getting rid of them? How...
10.15.2023
Families in a Media Age
Preschoolers often miss the lessons we think they learn from watching Clifford, Sesame Street, and other educational programs, while teens may use TV sitcoms to broach difficult topics with their parents. We explore the media's impact on us from childhood...
10.08.2023
The Art of the Novel
New York Times bestselling author Lauren Groff discusses the role of setting in her novels and short stories and explains why she chooses vastly different settings and timeframes for them. She focuses on her 2023 novel The Vaster Wilds and...
10.01.2023
Why Patti Smith Matters
Explore the life and music of singer-songwriter, poet, feminist icon, activist, and revolutionary punk artist Patti Smith.
09.24.2023
The Americas in Italian Literature 1700-1825
How did Europeans, Italians in particular, view the Americas during the colonial years, and how did Italian writers influence Benjamin Franklin and other leaders of the American Revolution? Professor of Italian Literature Stefania Buccini will tell us how Enlightenment ideas...
09.17.2023
John Bascom and the Wisconsin Idea - with J. David Hoeveler
Explore John Bascom, the colorful President of the University of Wisconsin from 1874-1887 who championed women’s rights, worker’s rights, temperance, the pursuit of truth, and a notion that would go on to earn fame as “The Wisconsin Idea.”
09.10.2023
The Elephant in the Room: The Role of Poverty in Child Maltreatment
What role do poverty and economic hardship play in child maltreatment and neglect? And how can child welfare systems prevent them? UW Professor of Social Work Kristen Slack will hare her research into programs designed to prevent child maltreatment. She'll...
09.03.2023
Preventing Alzheimer's Disease
The groundbreaking Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (WRAP) yields new data on this devastating disease, its generational impact, and pathways to treatment.
08.27.2023
Tales from the Dugout
During its long history minor league baseball has produced a lot of bizarre occurrences. Sports announcer Tim Hagerty will share some of them from his vast collection of amazing and amusing happenings culled from newspaper archives and the Baseball Hall...
08.27.2023
Tales from the Dugout
During its long history minor league baseball has produced a lot of bizarre occurrences. Sports announcer Tim Hagerty will share some of them from his vast collection of amazing and amusing happenings culled from newspaper archives and the Baseball Hall...
08.20.2023
"Composering"
08.13.2023
The Art of the Story
What goes into writing a great story? Award-winning author, essayist and critic Lorrie Moore will give us some insights derived from her years of teaching creative writing and experience as a novelist and celebrated short story writer.
08.06.2023
Reducing Bias
Groundbreaking work in UW's Stereotyping and Bias Research Lab has found new, evidence-based ways to reduce bias, create inclusion, and promote equity.
07.30.2023
The Science of Life's Origin
How a living system capable of evolving complexity first emerged on Earth some 4 billion years ago remains one of the biggest unsolved scientific mysteries. Resolving this puzzle would guide the search for life on other worlds and might even...
07.23.2023
Reducing Bias
Groundbreaking work in UW's Stereotyping and Bias Research Lab has found new, evidence-based ways to reduce bias, create inclusion, and promote equity.
07.23.2023
Reducing Bias
Groundbreaking work in UW's Stereotyping and Bias Research Lab has found new, evidence-based ways to reduce bias, create inclusion, and promote equity.
07.23.2023
Reducing Bias
Groundbreaking work in UW's Stereotyping and Bias Research Lab has found new, evidence-based ways to reduce bias, create inclusion, and promote equity.
07.23.2023
Reducing Bias
Groundbreaking work in UW's Stereotyping and Bias Research Lab has found new, evidence-based ways to reduce bias, create inclusion, and promote equity.
07.23.2023
Reducing Bias
Groundbreaking work in UW's Stereotyping and Bias Research Lab has found new, evidence-based ways to reduce bias, create inclusion, and promote equity.
07.23.2023
Reducing Bias
Groundbreaking work in UW's Stereotyping and Bias Research Lab has found new, evidence-based ways to reduce bias, create inclusion, and promote equity.
07.23.2023
Reducing Bias
Groundbreaking work in UW's Stereotyping and Bias Research Lab has found new, evidence-based ways to reduce bias, create inclusion, and promote equity.
07.23.2023
Reducing Bias
Groundbreaking work in UW's Stereotyping and Bias Research Lab has found new, evidence-based ways to reduce bias, create inclusion, and promote equity.
07.09.2023
The Amazing Story of the Beatles' 'Hey Jude'
Through discussion of the book Take a Sad Song: The Emotional Currency of 'Hey Jude,' we discover whole new ways to understand and appreciate an iconic song.
07.02.2023
The Hollywood Blacklist
Before it ran its course, the Hollywood blacklist sucked in some of the most prominent names in show business. Actors, directors, writers and producers were forced to take sides and those attempting to find a middle ground were subject to...
06.25.2023
The Famous Trial of Joan Little
Accused of fatally stabbing her jailer with an ice pick, Joan Little became the first woman acquitted of murder because of her right to self-defense against sexual assault.

What's University of the Air about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

University of the Air episodes:

The Presidential Nomination Process

Why Do Birds Flock, Sing, and Play

Evangelicals in American Politics

The Vulnerability of Public Education

James Joyce

A History of U.S.-Israel Relations

Citizens of a Stolen Land: A Ho-Chunk History of the 19th-Century U.S

The Devil’s Element

The Legendary Paul Robeson

A History of the 20th Century Catholic Church

The Joy of Dictionaries

The Mental Health Crisis and the Problem of Misdiagnosis

The Mental Health Crisis and the Problem of Misdiagnosis

The Latest From Venus

Racist Love: Objectifying Asian Americans

Knowledge Turned Upside Down

Counterfeiting

“Kick Out the Jams”: Dave Marsh, the Sixties, and the Sound of Freedom

"Kick Out the Jams": Dave Marsh, the Sixties, and the Sound of Freedom

Restorative Justice

Traumatized Children and Emotionally Responsive Teaching

The Fabulous Lady Gregory and the Irish Revival

The Life and Music of Al Jarreau

The Life and Music of Al Jarreau

Gothic Novels

The State of the Great Lakes

Families in a Media Age

The Art of the Novel

Why Patti Smith Matters

The Americas in Italian Literature 1700-1825

John Bascom and the Wisconsin Idea - with J. David Hoeveler

The Elephant in the Room: The Role of Poverty in Child Maltreatment

Preventing Alzheimer's Disease

Tales from the Dugout

Tales from the Dugout

"Composering"

The Art of the Story

Reducing Bias

The Science of Life's Origin

Reducing Bias

Reducing Bias

Reducing Bias

Reducing Bias

Reducing Bias

Reducing Bias

Reducing Bias

Reducing Bias

The Amazing Story of the Beatles' 'Hey Jude'

The Hollywood Blacklist

The Famous Trial of Joan Little