June 29, 2009     Resilience What is “resilience”? Does it have anything to do with how you were able to get out of bed and get on with your day even on those mornings when you really didn't want to? What about those people who have suffered devastating loss -- yet manage to not only keep going but eventually thrive in life? Researchers Anne Stewart and Lennie Echterling believe resilience, as a factor of human psychology, has received far too little attention.  They are working to change that.  We ask them about those efforts -- and about their theory that better understanding of resilience could benefit all of us.   Listen to the program   Guests: Lennis G. Echterling, Ph.D. - Professor of Psychology and Director of Counseling Psychology at James Madison University.  Co-author of the college textbooks Thriving! A Manual for Students in the Helping Professions and Crisis Intervention:  Promoting Resilience and Resolve in Troubled Times. Anne Stewart, Ph.D. - Professor of Psychology, James Madison University.  President of the Virginia Play Therapy Association.  Co-author of the college textbook Thriving! A Manual for Students in the Helping Professions and Becoming a Community Counselor. June 22, 2009     New Law On the first of July a host of new laws go into effect in Virginia.  Mental health reforms.  Creative ways of protecting the environment.  And plenty of new regulations that you probably haven't heard about. What changes will affect you the most? We speak with two lawmakers who had a say in much of the new legislation -- one Republican, one Democrat.   Listen to the program   Guests: 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. David Toscano Ph.D., J.D. - Democrat representing the 57th House of Delegates District, which includes Charlottesville and portions of Albemarle County. June 15, 2009     Virginia Politics Update The governor's race in Virginia is gaining nationwide attention. Will the Old Dominion deepen its hue toward blue?  Or will Republican predictions of an Obama backlash come true? It might seem early to ask those questions -- but the political ads on TV and the robo-calls on your voice mail are already coming fast and furious. We seek the views of journalists, political scientists, our audience -- and the two major-party candidates for governor -- about the Old Dominion’s changing political landscape.   Listen to the program   Guests: Creigh Deeds - Democratic Party candidate for Governor of Virginia. Bob Gibson - Executive Director of The Thomas C. Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership and former political writer at The Charlottesville Daily Progress. Anita Kumar - Richmond-based political reporter for The Washington Post. Bob McDonnell - Republican Party candidate for Governor of Virginia. Isaac Wood - Political Analyst, The Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. June 8, 2009     Asking for Help in Hard Times Profits are down across America.  But what about those endeavors that never intended to make a profit? On this edition we ask our audience to bring us up to date on how the non-profit groups most important to them are coping with a difficult economy. We also speak to people who are doing some coping of their own, in fields as diverse as poverty, the arts, and higher education.   Listen to the program   Guests: Ralph Alan Cohen - Founding Executive Director of the Staunton, Virginia based American Shakespeare Center and Blackfriars Playhouse. Robert D. Sweeney - Senior Vice President for Development and Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Martin L. White - Chief Operating Officer, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. June 1, 2009     The Chemistry of Cooking Scientist Marcia France knows a lot about chemistry. She also knows a thing or two about cooking. What happens when you combine those fields of endeavor? We get the story behind the perfect poached egg, why onions make you cry, and much more  -- as Washington and Lee professor Marcia France brings her Science of Cooking class to the airwaves.   Listen to the program   Guest: Marcia France, Ph.D. - Professor of Chemistry, Washington and Lee University. May 18, 2009     Allergy Alternatives Coughing, sneezing, rasping, wheezing. Seasonal allergies strike at different times for different people.  If this is your time of year, you are likely not feeling as healthy as you would like. We talk with a panel of experts about a variety of approaches to dealing with allergies.   Listen to the program   Guests: Greg Gelburd, DO - Family Physician, co-founder of the Charlottesville-based Downtown Family Health Center. Kathleen Maier - Herbalist, Director of Sacred Plant Traditions, a Charlottesville-based center for herbal studies. Thomas A.E. Platts-Mills, MD, PhD - Professor of Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology as well as Division Head for the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the University of Virginia. May 11, 2009     Honing Your Job Hunting Skills When is the last time you went looking for a job? Even if the economic downturn has not yet affected your field, you might still worry that at some point, you'll need to look for new employment. On this edition we seek advice from a panel of experts -- and solicit listener input too -- on how best to hone your job hunting skills.   Listen to the program   Guests: Denise Meadows - Coordinator of Employer Relations and Recruiting Services, Department of Career and Academic Planning, James Madison University. Joyce Robbins - President, Robbins Staffing Solutions. Lee Witherow - President,  Adams and Garth Staffing and Executive Search. May 4, 2009     Schooling Your Brain Curiosity is a fragile thing. That is a key point to understand, says Dan Willingham, if you want to improve your ability to learn. On this edition we talk with this cognitive scientist about how mental processes work, and about why Dr. Willingham claims our brains are not very well designed for thinking.   Listen to the program   Guest: Dr. Daniel T. Willingham - Author of Why Don’t Students Like School: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom; and a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia.  Dr. Willingham is also author of the "Ask The Cognitive Scientist" column at American Educator magazine. April 27, 2009     The New Community Project They say they want to promote justice, end hunger, solve poverty, and save the planet through simple, small actions taken by everyday people. While international in focus, one of their primary U.S. operations is based in the Shenandoah Valley. We talk with Virginia-based members of “The New Community Project.”   Listen to the program   Guest: Tom Benevento - Coordinator of the “Undoing Global Warming/Sustainable Living Homestead Program” at the New Community Project. Adam Campbell - A volunteer at the Shenandoah Valley Region branch of the New Community Project. Beth Schermerhorn - Staff Member, Shenandoah Valley Region branch of the New Community Project. April 20, 2009     Got Dirt? Feel like digging in the dirt? There is good evidence that when times get tough, more of us get gardening. On this edition we seek some expert insight from our perennial gardening adviser Dave O’Neill.   Listen to the program   Guest: Dave O’Neill - Co-owner of Radical Roots Community Farm in Keezletown. April 13, 2009     A Virginia Politics Update Virginia’s Republicans battle over party leadership.   The General Assembly grapples over budget priorities in the midst of an election year.  Virginia Democrats heat up the race to choose their candidate for Governor.   These are just some of the issues ripe for analysis as we seek to make sense of the latest shifts in Virginia’s political landscape.   Listen to the program   Guests: Bob Gibson - Executive Director of The Thomas C. Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership and former political writer at The Charlottesville Daily Progress. Anita Kumar - Richmond-based political reporter for The Washington Post. Bob Roberts, Ph.D. - Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, James Madison University. April 6, 2009     Mine Action Efforts of the Virginia-based Mine Action Information Center are our focus.  We hear about how the Center’s work to mitigate the explosive remnants of war has been winning praise around the world for more than a decade now.  Even though many Virginians have never before heard about those efforts.   Listen to the program   Guests: Dennis Barlow - Director of the Center for  International Stabilization and Recovery at James Madison University and former Director of Humanitarian Policy at the U-S Defense Department. Suzanne Fiederlein, PhD. - Victim Assistance Team Leader and Senior Research Associate with the Mine Action Information Center at James Madison University. Anne Stewart, PhD. - Professor of Psychology and an Education Team Leader with the Mine Action Information Center at James Madison University. March 30, 2009     Getting Excited About Science What does it take to get kids excited about science? We examine that question with the help of several people involved in state wide efforts to improve science education.   Listen to the program   Guests: Linda Cauley - Director of the Shenandoah Valley Governor’s School and an Environmental Science Teacher there. Eric J. Pyle, Ph.D. - President, Virginia Association of Science Teachers.   Associate Professor of Earth Science Education and Co-Director of  the Center for STEM Education and Outreach at James Madison University. Robert Kolvoord, Ph.D. - Professor of Integrated Science and Technology and Co-Director of the Center for STEM Education and Outreach at James Madison University. March 23, 2009     Altruistic Medicine One is based in Rockingham County.  The other in Charlottesville. Both spent many years as family physicians.  Now, one travels several times each year to the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.  The other focuses much of his attention on two impoverished regions in South America. On this edition, we seek their insight into what may be the truest form of altruistic medicine.    Listen to the program   Guests: Gregory Gelburd, D.O. - One of the founders of the Downtown Family Health Care Center in Charlottesville. Dr. Gelburd’s practice combines traditional western medicine with alternative therapies such as homeopathy and energy healing. John Glick, M.D. - Medical Acupuncturist. Family Health Physician. Director of Global Outreach, Gesundheit! Institute. March 9, 2009     A Virginia Politics Update Virginia lawmakers have reached agreement on a revised state budget, coming to terms with an almost $4 billion deficit in the process. So who won, and who lost, in this latest round of budget adjustments? On this edition we examine state budget cuts in detail -- as well as other highlights from the Virginia General Assembly's most recent lawmaking.   Listen to the program   Guests: Chelyen Davis - Government and 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. Monday, March 2, 2009     Journalism’s Ethics Checker She’s been a working reporter for most of the past 30 years -- much of that spent reporting on the business of journalism. Then, in October 2007, she accepted a two-year appointment as the independent Ombudsman for National Public Radio. On this edition we meet the woman who describes her current job as “Explaining NPR to the listeners, and the listeners to NPR.”   Listen to the program   Guest: Alicia C. Shepard - NPR Ombudsman and author of  Woodward & Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate (2006, Wiley). Monday, February 23, 2009     The Obesity Epidemic It is called “metabolic syndrome.” It can lead to degenerative disease and early death. It has a lot to do with where you store fat in your body.  But some people seem far more susceptible than others. On this edition we ask two Virginia researchers to explain the latest findings on metabolic syndrome and other critical aspects of the obesity epidemic.   Listen to the program   Guests: George A. Beller, M.D. - Past President of the American College of Cardiology, former Chief of Cardiology at the University of Virginia Medical Center, currently the Ruth C. Heede Professor of Cardiology at UVa. Sharon Strang, RN, MSN, FNP-C - Nurse Practitioner and  Assistant Professor of Nursing at James Madison University. Monday, February 16, 2009     Garson on Health Care On this edition we talk with the medical doctor who’s written numerous books about his profession and the need to change it. This while serving on countless reform commissions, heading up a prestigious medical school, and now serving as chief administrator of a major university.   Listen to the program   Guest: Arthur “Tim” Garson, Jr., M.D., M.P.H. - Pediatric Cardiologist;  former President of the American College of Cardiology;  former Chair of the National Advisory Council on Health Care Research and Quality;  former Dean of the University of Virginia Medical School; current Executive Vice President and Provost of UVa; author of Health Care Half Truths: Too Many Myths, Not Enough Reality. Monday, February 9, 2009     Charities in Recession The troubled economy is hitting many Virginia charities doubly hard. Less money is coming in.  But more people need help. How to cope? We pursue that challenge on this edition.   Listen to the program   Guests: Marsha Deavers - Director, Elkton Area United Services. Elton, Va. Jon Nafziger - Vice President for Community Initiatives, Thomas Jefferson Area United Way, Charlottesville, Va. Joe Shtulman - President, United Way of Northern Shenandoah Valley, Winchester, Va. Mert Tokman, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor of Marketing, James Madison University. Monday, February 2, 2009     The Doctor of Perception Psychiatrist Bruce Greyson has spent more than 30 years studying “NDEs” -- Near Death Experiences. Today he heads up a research center pursuing scientific understanding of the paranormal. On this edition, we ask for his insights on the nature of reality.   Listen to the program   Guest: C. Bruce Greyson, M.D. - Co-author of  The Near-Death Experience: Problems, Prospects, Perspectives;  Editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies; and Director, Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia. Monday, January 26, 2009     Season Got You Down? For some folks, winter weather can cause the blues. For others there is an actual biologic condition where reduced hours of sunlight can provoke clinical depression.  And for lots of us, these days, worries about the state of the world in general could be cause for more than a little anxiety. On this edition we talk with researchers studying the biology and psychology of depression. We also seek out tips on how to keep your spirits up in challenging times.   Listen to the program   Guests: Ignacio Provencio, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Biology, University of Virginia. Lead author of a new study connecting genetic mutations to Seasonal Affective Disorder. Bethany Teachman, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia. Monday, January 19, 2009     Preparing for the Obama Era When Barack Obama becomes president, what things would you like to see change? On this edition we ask our listeners to describe their hopes for the Obama era. And to help keep our expectations realistic, we turn to the Virginia researcher who has spent years studying the history of ethics in American politics.   Listen to the program   Guest: Robert N. Roberts, Ph.D. - Professor of Political Science at James Madison University. Author of Encyclopedia of Presidential Campaigns, Slogans, Issues and Platforms, as well as From Watergate to Whitewater: The Public Integrity War, and Ethics in U.S. Government: An Encyclopedia of Investigations, Scandals, Reforms and Legislation. Monday, January 12, 2009     What Now, Virginia Lawmakers? Most of us rarely give much thought to the work our tax dollars do. Until they are about to stop doing it. The Virginia General Assembly opens its 2009 session January 14. On this edition, we talk with Assembly members and Virginia's governor about proposed cuts in education, mental health, law enforcement and many other tax-funded programs, as lawmakers struggle to deal with a mounting, multi-billion dollar deficit.   Listen to the program   Guests: Timothy M. Kaine - Governor of Virginia. Delegate Chris Saxman - Republican representing the 20th House of Delegates District, which includes Staunton, Highland County and portions of Augusta and Rockingham Counties. Delegate David Toscano Ph.D., J.D. - Democrat representing the 57th House of Delegates District, which includes Charlottesville and portions of Albemarle County.