Neve Kelley
Digital Talk ProducerNeve Kelley is IPR's Digital Talk Producer. She recently graduated from Oberlin College, where she studied English, environmental studies, writing and communication. She is originally from Peoria, Illinois. She uses her passion for community-centered storytelling to showcase the people, culture and arts that shape Iowa. Some of her favorite things to do in Iowa include going to shows at Codfish Hollow and the Englert, visiting different coffee shops and taking yoga classes.
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‘Why We Dance’ takes viewers into the heart of Indigenous communities in Iowa, South Dakota, Hawaii and Mexico. -
On this Horticulture Day episode, we talk with Iowa State University extension horticulture specialist Aaron Steil and professor of horticulture Cindy Haynes. We learn how to grow and care for pumpkins, and what to do with them after Halloween. Then, Aaron and Cindy answer listener questions. -
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On this episode, we learn about some of Iowa's early conservationists — Theodore Parvin, Thomas MacBride, Bohumil Shimek, Louis Pammel and Ada Hayden. We discuss their important contributions with University of Northern Iowa historian Kevin Mason and Mary Skopec, director of Lakeside Laboratory. We also talk with Alexa DiNicola, curator at the Ada Hayden Herbarium.
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Most independent music venues struggle to stay afloat. On this episode, we talk with Tobi Parks, owner of Des Moines music venue xBk. She tells us why so little of live performance royalty money reaches the artists who deserve it, and how she’s working to change that with her newest startup Tour Tech. Also in this episode, this upcoming election is the first that no woman is running for governor or lieutenant governor in Iowa since 1978. We talk with Kelly Winfrey of Iowa State University about the gender politics in those races and others this midterm. -
The drone of cicadas has always been one of the sounds of summer in Iowa. Annual cicada populations are holding their own, but periodical cicadas are in trouble. On this episode, we talk with University of Iowa biologist Andrew Forbes about a study that uses GIS technology to show how habitat loss has impacted cicada populations. We also hear from GIS experts Susan Meerdink and Adam Skibbe and discuss what the future holds for these cicadas.
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On this episode, we listen back to a 2023 conversation with Iowa Playwrights Workshop alum Samuel Hunter about his play-turned-film 'The Whale.' Then a 2025 conversation with Emili Johnson who created a blog and podcast about the Black experience in Iowa. (Portions of this episode were originally produced in Feb. 2023 and Aug. 2025.)
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Thousands of monarch butterflies are finishing their annual migration to Mexico. On this episode, Samantha McIntosh sits in for Charity Nebbe. We talk with Mykayla Hagaman of the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, who gives us an update on Iowa's monarch population. Then, Laura Iles of Iowa State University Integrated Pest Management and Extension Horticulturist Aaron Steil join us to answer your questions.
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Mykayla Hagaman of the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium gives us an update on the annual monarch butterfly migration.
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Violent crime in America has fallen dramatically since the 1990s. On this episode, we find out why. First, we hear from Amber Sheppard, who went from prison to helping others rebuild their lives. Then, we talk with University of Iowa researchers Jason Robey and Mark Berg about theories behind the great crime decline. We also hear from Polk County Sgt. Brittany Worrall about the launch of a new inmate enrichment program that reduced violence among inmates and recidivism in other jails.
