What's Your Why?

Warren Murphy is an Episcopal priest who has served churches in Dixon, Lander, Fort Washakie, and Cody. He most recently was director of the Wyoming Association of Churches. We had the pleasure of discussing his new book On Sacred Ground , and the experiences he has shared with the history of Wyoming as he has stretched his boundaries and understanding of the culture and spirituality of the land....

Mr. Frankland is a political science instructor in the school of social and behavioral sciences at Casper College, serves as the director of the Casper Committee to Foreign Relations, and the faculty advisor for the Campus Democrats. Erich takes pride in his ability to play devils advocate in his classes and his encouragement to students on finding their voice. We thank him for joining us to discu...

Kevin Olson is the owner and president of Jackson, Wyoming-based Teton Media Works Incorporated (TMW). TMW’s media assets consist of local newspapers, magazines, affiliated websites, a digital creative agency – Orijin and the recently acquired local news stream - Buckrail. Kevin serves as the Publisher of the Jackson Hole News&Guide , Jackson Hole Daily , Jackson Hole magazine, Images West mag...

"Eyes up, roll through," is the mantra of Caryn Flanagan whenever she encounters challenging terrain. She, a member of legendary ski team The Jackson Hole Air Force, founding member of SkiProphet.com and SkiGearTV , certified paddle board instructor, and now author. Twenty years ago, Caryn, and immediate family, experienced tremendous unexpected loss at the hands of a plane crash, when her daughte...

As you drive over the breathtakingly steep Teton Pass into Jackson Hole, Wyoming you will pass what could very well be a hundred year old sign that puts to bed any doubt you may have had. You're on the right road, and the journey is almost over. " Yonder lies Jackson Hole, the last of the old Wes t." Few places have come to symbolize the rapidly-changing American West quite like the valley of Jack...

Psychologically, speaking about our most difficult struggles and periods of life helps us to understand and heal. Until recently when we began serious exponential technological progress as a species, the oral report was the only way to collect, save, and pass on information. It's biological. Now, up until recently we had free reign to gather without repercussion, face-to-face. Because unless you'v...

We had the pleasure of talking to Mark Jenkins about his passion for Wyoming and the humanities! He is a well-known name around Wyoming and the world. He is a critically acclaimed author and internationally recognized journalist. A contributing writer for National Geographic Magazine he is well known for his love for outdoor adventure travel, getting to know people and cultures around the world. ...

Sherry L. Smith is University Distinguished Professor of History (Emerita) at Southern Methodist University. A historian of the American West and Native America, Smith's other books include Hippies, Indians, and the Fight for Red Power and Reimagining Indians: Native Americans through Anglo Eyes, 1880–1940, both published by Oxford University Press. She is a former president of the Western History...

As the state of Wyoming remembers the 150th anniversary of women’s suffrage in Wyoming in 2019 and Jackson Hole celebrates the 100th anniversary of its all-woman town council in 2020, the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum has dedicated a series of exhibits and programs around these defining historical themes. Curated in collaboration with Christy Smirl of Foxtail Books & Library Servi...

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company  will join us in Jackson Hole for a creative and performance residency that looks at social and ethical issues through the lens of dance. Mr. Jones and the company will develop and perform their newest work, "What Problem?", a re-setting of " Deep Blue Sea ", which digs deep into a wide range of topics, including human rights, political science, political history,...

Professor James Arvanitakis is currently on a Fulbright Fellowship as the Milward L. Simpson Visiting Professor – University of Wyoming. A former economist and free market advocate, James changed his position after witnessing child and indentured labour. After 9 years of working in finance, he has since worked with a cross-section of organizations across Australia, Asia, the Pacific and Europe. Th...

This interview with David Rohm discusses their work at Wild Excellence Films .   Wild Excellence Films was awarded a Spark grant for their documentary Golden Eagles: Witnesses to a Changing West, and focused on Native American cultural and spiritual significance and relationship to the golden eagle—that will educate the public about golden eagles and a biologically diverse and threatened region. T...

Dr. Scott Henkel is the director of the Wyoming Institute for Humanities Research, an associate professor in the departments of English and African-American Diaspora Studies at the University of Wyoming. Welcome, Scott!

Justin Farrell is an author, and sociology professor at Yale University. His research blends a mixture of methods, such as ethnographic fieldwork with large-scale computational techniques from network science and machine learning. Two published books are included in his discography related to these questions and subjects, " Billionaire Wilderness, " and, " The Battle For Yellowstone."

Adam James Smith is an award-winning, US-based filmmaker originally from the United Kingdom. Adam holds degrees from Stanford and Cambridge, the latter of which he is currently an Affiliated Filmmaker at the university’s Visual Anthropology Lab. He is also an Assistant Professor of Multimedia at Florida Atlantic University. His films focus on the expression of identity in urban China and include T...

"What was very difficult was that the government never told us where we were going. It was a big secret to all of us inside that train. So, we were in there for three days and nights, not knowing where were we going until we wound up at this place called Heart Mountain, between Cody and Powell, Wyoming."

Beverly joins us to outline her success and challenges as a writer and producer. She managed to overcome heavy obstacles and face her fears to claim awards and recognition, and even snagged an Emmy Award. Family death, rediscovering  God, and coming out of the closet personally, and professionally. Mind you, this was about a millennia before LGBTQ movements began to shake foundations. Please join...

Paige Okamura is a keiki papa of Māeaea, Waialua, Oʻahu. She's fluent in Hawaiian and is currently pursuing her MA in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her expertise in Hawaiian music is based out of her love for her language and her culture.

Milward Simpson joins us to catalogue his musical and theatre career, work with state parks and cultural resources, and being a part of the creative economy called The Vitality Index. Simpson is a fifth generation Wyomingite with a strong political family with close ties to the land. He was the state director of the Nature Conservancy as well as spending 13 years with the Wyoming’s Department of S...

Lt. General Dirk Jameson served in the U.S. Air Force for over three decades before retiring in 1996, and has since held a number of private sector leadership positions. General Jameson is now a senior advisor to the center for climate and security in Washington DC.

"So we started these intervention programs, and eventually we expanded into East Africa, we were in seven countries, reached about 45 million people with permanent sustainable programs to fortify food in parts of the country. Just like we have food fortified here - when you go buy a loaf of bread, it's got iron and so forth in it. We wanted to bring those same opportunities to people in East Afric...

Sherri Goodman is an experienced leader and senior executive, lawyer and director in the fields of national security, energy, science, oceans and environment.  She is co-founder of Red Duke Strategies, a strategic advisory firm, Senior Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center and CNA, and Senior Strategist at the Center for Climate and Security.  Previously, she served as the President an...

Ashleigh S. Chapman, JD dedicated her life to ending exploitation and protecting vulnerable populations as a child, when her family first began caring for children in need.  She has worked solely on these issues for the past 18+ years professionally and travels extensively to strengthen the movement.  Her passion and focus areas are in helping to reform systems of care, strengthening community col...

The Reverend Debra W. Haffner is executive director of the  Religious Institute , a multifaith, nonprofit organization dedicated to sexual health, education and justice. An ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, she is an endorsed community minister with the Unitarian Church in Westport, CT. Rev. Haffner was the chief executive officer of SIECUS, the Sexuality Information and Education Council...

This interview is part of the Global Speaker Series. A podcast partnership between the Wyoming Humanities ( ThinkWY.org ) and the Jackson Hole Center for Global Affairs ( www.jhcga.org ).  With the goal of educating and inspiring listeners, the series interviews global thought leaders on relevant issues impacting Wyoming and the world such as the future of energy, the impacts of climate change, tr...