Speaking Personally

Fans of classical music in Southern Arizona are no strangers to James Reel's voice, but we get to know him on a deeper level in this episode. From humble beginnings in Yuma, Arizona, Reel has become an important figure in Tucson's artistic community, leading multiple organizations such as Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, Tucson Pops and the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra over years. In conve...

Marc Shaiman is a Grammy, Emmy, Tony and BAFTA-award winning composer and lyricist who has also been nominated for seven Oscars - so far. If you've seen a movie since the late 1980s, there is a good chance you have heard his work. He recently sat down with AZPM's Mark McLemore to discuss his long-serving friendship and career with Bette Midler, the more than 20 projects he worked on with his close...

Leslie Tolbert spent most of her career studying neuroscience and the mysteries of the brain, which makes her frank discussion about a recent Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis all the more interesting. Tolbert received her Ph. D. in Anatomy from Harvard in 1978; in 1987 she arrived at the University of Arizona where she has held several positions including Professor, Acting Director of the Arizona Res...

In April of 2026, Dr. Erika Hamden was named a Guggenheim Fellow, adding to her long list of accomplishments. In conversation with AZPM's Tom McNamara she discusses how public broadcast opened her eyes to the universe, dropping out of MIT, the difficult decision between cooking and astrophysics and how anyone at any age can learn science. Over the past few years, Hamden has exploded as one of the...

Susan Gray started off at Tucson Electric Power as a student and has risen through the ranks, achieving many notable firsts on her way to becoming CEO. In conversation with AZPM's Tom McNamara, she discusses her supportive upbringing, being known on the front lines as "The Girl" and falling in love with Tucson along the way. She shares stories about walking on to University of Arizona's swim team,...