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University Of The Air

Hosts Norman Gilliland and Emily Auerbach invite distinguished faculty guests from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to discuss topics in music, art, writing, theater, science, education and history.

On September 28, 2025, we ended 30 years of co-hosting University of the Air by thanking the hundreds of guests and thousands of listeners who joined us for our journey celebrating lifelong learning and the Wisconsin Idea. Although our show has ended, we invite you to discover over 1,000 hours of University of the Air programming still available here through our audio archives. ~Norman and Emily

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Latest Episodes

  • The Future of Higher Education

    American universities are facing new questions about their purpose. How are they adjusting to address those questions and what will tomorrow’s university look like? For this final broadcast of University of the Air, we’ll look into the future with Johannes Britz, Senior Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs of the Universities of Wisconsin.

    The Future of Higher Education
  • UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin

    In her final University of the Air broadcast, Emily Auerbach engages in a lively conversation with UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin about her journey to becoming 30th chancellor, the highs and […]

    UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin
  • The Legendary Nina Simone

    This hour explores the life and legacy of singer, songwriter, pianist, and activist Nina Simone, followed by a look back at other women of the Civil Rights Movement such as Rosa Parks and singer-activist Fannie Lou Hamer. 

    The Legendary Nina Simone
  • Profiles in Cold War Espionage

    During the Cold War, “the man on the spot” could wield great power over US policy in Europe, Korea, Africa, Latin America, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Iran. Raising the question: Did the influence of individual espionage agents lead to costly mistakes?

    Profiles in Cold War Espionage
  • The Repatriation of Mexican Immigrants

    The U.S. expelled nearly one million people of Mexican descent during removals labeled “voluntary repatriation” between the 1920s and 1940s. What was the outcome then and what does it tell us about how we arrived at the current deportations?

    The Repatriation of Mexican Immigrants

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