Dani Gehr
Talk Show ProducerExpertise: Finding, booking, preparing and connecting guests with listeners on IPR's two talk shows: <i>Talk of Iowa</i> and <i>River to River</i>
Education: Bachelors degree from Iowa State University
Favorite Iowa Destination: Pike's Peak State Park
Experience:
- Audio, talk show production and writing across various topic areas for IPR as a talk show producer
- Has reported and written features on local government in Story County for the Ames Tribune and Des Moines Register
- Is a multi-award-winning producer and reporter, including an Eric Sevareid award for her work on "50 years since Title IX, Iowa women share how the law impacted them" and Iowa Newspaper Association awards for best breaking news story, government reporting, best news story and best news feature story
- Served as a mentor for NPR’s Next Generation Radio in Iowa
My Favorite Stories
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The 108th annual Meskwaki Powwow takes place this weekend. It’s a four-day celebration of Meskwaki culture and tradition where everyone is welcome.
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Some parents struggle to see their children leave the home, while others see it as a new and exciting phase of their life. Empty nesters share their experiences
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In the 1980s, an Iowa City art teacher wrote to Keith Haring not expecting a response. This resulted in a friendship and two visits by Haring to Horn Elementary.
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A now retired school principal, Iowa's own Kittie Weston-Knauer picked up BMX racing at 40, when she was one of two women in the country racing in her age group.
My Latest Stories
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The legacy of former President Herbert Hoover and Lou Henry Hoover is on display at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, open now for the first time since January 2025.
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The films will be screened at Drake University Aug 6-8. The festival ends on Aug. 8 with the Motherland Experience Festival, a day of African arts, culture and community.
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Elizabeth Wehrle, of Montezuma, received a quadruple organ transplant earlier this year with a new liver, kidney and retransplanted lungs. This week, she returns home.
My Latest Podcasts
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The teenage years can be tough for parents and kids and new research from Iowa State University tells us that the consequences of that conflict can linger for decades. On this episode, we learn about Iowa State's Family Transitions Project. It is one of the nation's most extensive longitudinal studies of family life. We talk with Iowa State University professor Tricia Neppl and doctoral student Jannatul Ferdous Zinia about the program and a recent study that came out of the project about tension between parents and their children. Then, 'Talk of Iowa Summer School' continues with middle school art teacher Rachael Ayers-Arnone. Her 'artist autopsy' project gives students a chance to study an artist and practice their style.
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The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch first opened on Aug.10, 1962. It reopened on Aug. 6, 2026, after a $20 million complete renovation. On this episode, we speak with Mundi McCarty, president and CEO of the Hoover Presidential Foundation. She shares the vision for the renovation and the collaborative efforts that made it possible. Then, we tour the museum with Museum and Library Director Thomas Schwartz. He also discusses his role in shaping the museum narrative and his hopes for visitor engagement.
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The 2026 Iowa State Fair is almost here. On this episode, we meet some of the winningest State Fair competitors of all time. Dr. Rod Zeitler is a master canner, Deb Zeitler is a master weaver and Marcia Miller is a master pie maker. Rod and Deb Zeitler's State Fair entries made it to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. And Marcia Miller shares how she turned her State Fair pie domination into a way to raise money for animals. Then, a new documentary tells an untold State Fair story. East side native and filmmaker Shawn Hicks decided to capture those who live around the State Fair grounds and sell parking. There will be screenings of 'Parkers' at the Fleur in Des Moines Aug. 29 and Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.