Drake University, in partnership with Iowa Public Radio (IPR), announced today that Kai Ryssdal will be the featured speaker for the 3rd Annual Bucksbaum Lectureship in Business. Ryssdal is the host and senior editor of the nationally syndicated financial news program Marketplace, which can be heard weeknights at 6:30 pm on IPR News or via podcast.
The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 5 at the Knapp Center. In a dynamic moderated discussion, Ryssdal will be interviewed by Ben Kieffer, host of IPR’s acclaimed news program River to River.
“We are thrilled to welcome a journalist of Kai Ryssdal’s caliber to our campus,” said Alanah Mitchell, Dean of the Zimpleman College of Business. “His ability to distill complex economic issues for a broad audience is unparalleled. This conversation offers an incredible opportunity for our students and the Des Moines community to gain insight into the forces shaping our world.”
The event marks a special collaboration between Drake and IPR as they bring Ryssdal and Keiffer, two respected media figures, together on one stage.
Marketplace is the most widely heard program on business and the economy in the country. Ryssdal speaks regularly with Fortune 500 CEOs, entrepreneurs, and everyday participants in the global economy. His work has earned him a 2012 Emmy for investigative journalism, and his reporting has been featured in The New York Times and The Atlantic. Before his career in broadcasting, Ryssdal served in the United States Navy and the U.S. Foreign Service.
Kieffer is a multi-award-winning reporter who has served as the host of River to River since 2007. The program examines stories beyond the headlines, which has led Kieffer to interview many prominent leaders and experts both in Iowa and beyond.
“This partnership with Drake University for the Bucksbaum Lectureship aligns perfectly with our mission to foster informed conversations,” said Myrna Johnson, Executive Director of Iowa Public Radio. “Bringing together Kai Ryssdal, the nation’s leading voice on the economy, and Ben Kieffer, one of Iowa’s most trusted interviewers, promises an evening of substantive and engaging dialogue for the entire community.”
The lecture is free, open to the public, and will be live-streamed at live.drake.edu, as well as broadcast by Iowa Public Radio on River to River the following Monday.
About the Bucksbaum Lectureship in Business
The Bucksbaum Lectureship in Business is a signature event of Drake’s Zimpleman College of Business. The lectureship is made possible by a generous gift from the Bucksbaum family. It brings distinguished leaders in business and economics to Des Moines to engage with students, faculty, and the community. The discussions focus on how business and entrepreneurialism can create both an economic and societal impact.