Ben Kieffer
River to River HostExpertise: Interviewing, news and politics, scientific research, history and literature, all in order to help IPR listeners and readers better understand, appreciate and explore their state
Education: Bachelors degree from the University of Iowa
Favorite Iowa Destination: Anywhere where there's swimming, hiking or biking!
Experience:
- Has served as a talk show and podcast host for IPR and WSUI/KSUI
- Has been the host of River to River since 2007
- Hosted IPR's weekly live music/talk show Java Blend from 2000 to 2017
- Is a multi-award-winning host and reporter
- Has created and hosted many regular segments and series, including "Leaving Afghanistan," a series of interviews with US veterans of the Afghanistan War, "Politics Wednesday," "Big Brain," a talk show that tackled life's little questions, "News Buzz" and "Groove into the Weekend"
- Has interviewed major political candidates and elected leaders, including former US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad, former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Joni Ernst, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Kamala Harris, among others
- Worked in Europe for more than a decade as a journalist, translator and consultant
- Reported firsthand in 1989 on the fall of the Berlin Wall and from Prague on the Velvet Revolution
- Hosted a weekly radio magazine about European politics, science and culture, carried by public radio stations across North America from 1990 - 1993
- Serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Iowa, teaching courses on interviewing techniques, radio journalism, politics and storytelling
- First started in public radio in the mid-1980s as a student announcer on WSUI
Contact Ben at bkieffer@iowapublicradio.org.
My Latest Stories
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Plenty of kids dream of being an astronaut and exploring space. These Iowans landed their far-out jobs working with NASA and being involved with the Orion Artemis II mission. -
The performances, presented by the Iowa Labor History Society, aim to highlight Darrow's fights for workers' rights, classroom freedom and justice — issues that remain at the heart of today's political debates. -
The Meskwaki Annual Powwow is Aug. 7-10 in Tama County. The public is invited to witness traditional dances, listen to live music, taste food from vendors and learn about Indigenous history in Iowa.
My Latest Podcasts
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The Alzheimer's Association has released a new report on brain health and the findings are eye-opening. Nine in 10 Americans said brain health matters deeply to them — but only 9% said they know enough about how to protect their brains. Heather Snyder of the Alzheimer’s Association and dementia care specialist Dr. Yogesh Shah of the Broadlawns Memory Clinic in Des Moines discuss the findings of the report and ways to fill this knowledge gap. -
Two psychologists from Iowa State University join the program. Their whose research seeks to improve accuracy in witness and suspect testimony in the criminal justice system. Professor of psychology Zlatan Krizan discusses how sleep deprivation may influence confessions and witness statements, while associate professor of psychology Andrew Smith explains how video recording of eyewitness suspect lineups could improve confidence in those practices and assist in criminal trials. Later, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine researcher Colin Kenny explains how using zebrafish in research can help to better understand a rare eye cancer and improve treatment.
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As President Donald Trump has promised deregulation, experts share what that means for water quality and where regulations already fall short. Farmer and former Iowa Corn Growers Association President Tim Recker has dramatically changed his farm, going no-till and adding wetlands. Water quality proponent Silvia Secchi who gives a history of The Clean Water Act and argues regulations don't go far enough. Also, Nina Elkadi, an investigative reporter, shares her reporting on water quality issues. Then, Melissa Miller, the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative project director, speaks about the complexities of nutrient application on farms and the work they are doing to make this application more accurate. (This episode was produced in March 2025.)
