Key Conversations with Phi Beta Kappa

How do frogs communicate in a world full of hungry predators and noisy cities? In this episode, Professor Ximena Bernal joins us to discuss the sensory pollutants of urban life, the impact of the environment on...

Geography is often thought of as the study of physical entities, but for Dr. Mark Palmer, it is defined by relationships. A member of the Kiowa Tribe and a professor at the University of Missouri, Dr. Palmer joins Key...

In this episode, Fred Lawrence sits down with Professor Margo Schlanger, a leading civil rights expert and the founder of the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. Schlanger reflects on her journey from a "generalist"...

How much control do we truly have over our brain health? In this episode, Professor Kelly Lambert, a pioneer in the field of behaviorceuticals, discusses how environmental enrichment and positive anticipation physically...

The Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards are presented annually to three outstanding scholarly books published in the United States. The 2025 winners are Charles King for his book Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled...

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Geraldo Cadava, Professor of History at Northwestern University and author of The Hispanic Republican . Cadava takes us from the childhood experiences that shaped his interest...

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Ingrid Daubechies, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor Emerita of Mathematics at Duke University and a National Medal of Science recipient. Daubechies takes us from her...

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Professor Daniel Hungerman, a professor of economics at the University of Notre Dame. Hungerman discusses his unique academic journey, which led him to specialize in the...

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Tammy L. Kernodle, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Music at Miami University, whose work explores African American music, gender, and race in American...

In this episode, evolutionary biologist Douglas Emlen joins Fred Lawrence in a conversation about his research on extreme animal weapons— from the horns of a rhinoceros beetle to elk antlers. He discusses his family's...

For a lot of Americans, geography is just a middle school subject or a trivia night category at their neighborhood bar. But for Professor Kendra McSweeney, the “invisible field” of geography is a way to understand the...

With an international background and love of languages, Professor Shawkat M. Toorawa decided to study intensive Arabic with the encouragement of a highly influential advisor at the University of Pennsylvania, which set...

In this episode, Fred Lawrence speaks with Professor Martin Kern, a leading scholar in Chinese antiquity and a professor at Princeton University. Kern shares his unique academic journey, from growing up in post-war...

This special episode of Key Conversations is joined by Kate Manne, associate professor of philosophy at Cornell University, and David Livingstone Smith, Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England. Each...

In this episode, evolutionary biologist Douglas Emlen joins Fred Lawrence in a conversation about his research on extreme animal weapons— from the horns of a rhinoceros beetle to elk antlers. He discusses his family's...