Shows / Access Utah
Access Utah
Access Utah is UPR's original program focusing on the things that matter to Utah. The hour-long show airs live Monday-Thursday at 9:00 a.m. Access Utah covers everything from pets to politics in a range of formats from in-depth interviews to call-in shows. Email us at upraccess@gmail.com or call at 1-800-826-1495. Join the discussion!
Episodes
- Access Utah
'The Plunge' with Chris Ballard on Access Utah
Chris Ballard, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated for two decades, is the award-winning author of four books. Today he joined us to talk about his new book…
- Access Utah
'Water in the Desert: A Pilgrimage' with Gary Paul Nabhan on Access Utah
Our guest is Gary Paul Nabhan, celebrated ethnobotanist and biocultural conservationist. In his new book "Water in the Desert," he traces the fascinating story…
Access UtahHow to improve your brain health on Access Utah
Ahead of USU's Brain Health Fair, we learn how to combat cognitive decline, reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, promote healthy aging and improve your…
- Access Utah
'The Once and Future Lake' with Michael McLane on Access Utah
"The Once and Future Lake" brings together nature writers, scientists, and storytellers to reveal the beauty of Great Salt Lake and a hopeful future for it.
- Access Utah
Breakthroughs in CRISPR technology on Access Utah
Our guests today are Ryan Jackson and Ned Weinshenker. We discuss a new CRISPR system that can be used to selectively kill cells, and some recent breakthroughs…
Access UtahWhat actually works to improve public safety on Access Utah
We talk with award-winning journalist and podcast host Cristina Quinn about her new podcast "Fighting Crime."
- Access Utah
Cache Valley authors on Access Utah
Following an author spotlight by the Logan Library, Tom Williams talked with four Cache Valley authors about their various published books and what's in the…
Access UtahPoet and writer Kimberly Blaeser on Access Utah
Kimberly Blaeser is an Anishinaabe activist and environmentalist. She is founding director of Indigenous Nations Poets and past Wisconsin Poet Laureate.
- Access Utah
Nuclear power, microplastics, data centers, and more on Access Utah
Today we talk with Dr. Brian Moench, president of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment about data centers, air pollution, nuclear power, Great Salt Lake…
Access UtahBuilding genocide-resistant societies on Access Utah
Today we talk with Rachel Miner, founder of Bellwether International, and Jennie Lloyd, Board Chair of Utah Global Diplomacy, about how to promote peace in our…
- Access Utah
A field guide to the practice of paying attention on Access Utah
Thomas Lowe Fleischner invites us to see clearly and feel deeply the living world around us, while recognizing the vital link between our well-being and the…
Access UtahLive broadcast from Springdale with Corey Flintoff on Access Utah
Live from Zion Canyon Mesa in Springdale, Corey Flintoff joins us to discuss coverage of the war in Iran, international reporting, and the effects of the war…
- Access Utah
'The Arches Reader' on Access Utah
Geology is the star attraction in many national parks, but Arches National Park reveals erosional wonders like no other place on Earth.
Access UtahThe cause for caution about data centers on Access Utah
A hyperscale data center in Box Elder County is making headlines, but there are 48 data centers in operation in Utah, with seven under construction and more…
- Access Utah
'American Archaeology' with R.E. Burrillo on Access Utah
Archaeology has long captivated the American public, but pop mythology often obscures the harsh realities, thrilling discoveries, and complex moral decisions…
- Access Utah
What we ask Google and what it says about humankind on Access Utah
Google Data Editor Simon Rogers joins us to discuss spikes in Google searches and what they suggest about humankind.
- Access Utah
'How to Watch Soccer Like a Genius' on Access Utah
In his new book, Nick Greene calls on a turf manager, an expert on color theory, a landscape historian, a paleoanthropologist, and an Anglican priest to…
- Access Utah
Mormon identity in the digital age on Access Utah
Mitt Romney’s presidential run, the hit Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon," and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “I’m a Mormon” media…
Access UtahThe grim history of Disney's fairy tales on Access Utah
For most Americans, fairy tales feel like Disney inventions. But the "original" stories were filled with sharp moral lessons, psychological terror, and bizarre…
Access UtahHousing and healthcare on Access Utah
On today's episode, we talk with Shawn Teigen, president of the Utah Foundation, about Utahns' concerns about healthcare costs and the housing market.
- Access Utah
How animals shape the human mind on Access Utah
In his new book, acclaimed science writer Michael Bond explores how animals have profoundly influenced our minds and cultures.
- Access Utah
'Dickens in Brooklyn: Essays on Family, Writing, & Madness' on Access Utah
We talk with Jay Neugeboren about caring for a brother with mental illness, a posthumous lunch with Oliver Sacks, and a thwarted kiss at a teenage summer camp…
Access UtahUSU Student Short Film Festival on Access Utah
We preview the USU Student Short Film Festival 2026. This film festival invites emerging filmmakers from every discipline to showcase their vision, craft, and…
Access UtahThe dismantling of government science on Access Utah
Every year on or near Earth Day, we check in with writer and photographer Stephen Trimble. Today we talk with Trimble and three scientists.
- Access Utah
The state of Utah women in 2026 on Access Utah
We check in with Susan Madsen, director of the Utah Women &Leadership Project. This conversation comes after the Utah Legislature eliminated the bulk of the…
Access UtahFood safety with Patrick Guzzle on Access Utah
Today we talk with Patrick Guzzle, vice president of food science for the National Restaurant Association. We talk about food safety, standard practices, food…
- Access Utah
'The Moys of Shanghai and New York' on Access Utah
We talk with historian Charlotte Brooks about her new book "The Moys of New York and Shanghai."
Access UtahHow Los Angeles cleaned up its air on Access Utah
Los Angeles and smog have been synonymous for decades. But the last smog alert happened in 2003, and lead has virtually disappeared from the air.
- Access Utah
Where Western myth meets history and more art on Access Utah
We check in with USU’s Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art about their exhibits, including Jim Mangan: The Crick, a meditation on religious succession…
Access UtahAlberto Brizolara on Access Utah
You've probably heard his name associated with regular listener challenges during our fund drives. Now a chance to meet long-time UPR friend Alberto Brizolara…
- Access Utah
Birds and science journalism with former UPR reporters on Access Utah
Today we talk with former UPR student reporters who have gone on to great things. Our guests will include: Aimee Van Tatenhove, and Clarissa Casper.
Access UtahA year in the company of trees with Nalini Nadkarni on Access Utah
National Geographic says that tree canopy ecologist Nalini Nadkarni "has spent four decades dangling among the branches to study how forests inform our daily…
Access UtahEating the Past on Access Utah
We talk with several of the hosts of Eating the Past about a variety of food and history topics, including a food quiz.
- Access Utah
Storytelling as collaborative worldmaking on Access Utah
In the 2026 Fife Honor Lecture at USU, professor Katherine Borland of Ohio State University’s Center for Folklore Studies, focused on miracle narratives. She…
- Access Utah
An oral history of songs in the Intermountain West on Access Utah
Intermountain Song Trails is a new oral history project exploring how songs travel across generations, families, and migration routes, from lullabies to work…
- Access Utah
Your spring gardening questions, answered on Access Utah
Gardening expert and UPR friend Dan Drost joins us. Whether you’ve got a large backyard garden, participate in a community garden, or have a small box near…
Access UtahCache Valley children's book authors on Access Utah
On this episode we talk with Wil Wood, author of “And It Was Beautiful” and Zack Garner and Rachel Quillen Garner, writer and illustrator, respectively, of…
- Access Utah
'Three Revolutions' with Daniel Sperling on Access Utah
In his book Three Revolutions: Steering Automated, Shared, and Electric Vehicles to a Better Future, Dan Sperling says transportation is on the cusp of…
- Access Utah
'Being Elizabethan' with Norm Jones on Access Utah
Beloved USU professor Norm Jones has died. We remember him by revisiting our conversation from May 2019, talking about his book "Being Elizabethan…
- Access Utah
'The Twilight Forest' with Gary Ferguson on Access Utah
We revisit our conversation from October 2025 with Gary Ferguson, talking about his book "The Twilight Forest."
- Access Utah
Learning to read on TikTok with Oliver James on Access Utah
As a result of childhood learning disabilities and educational neglect, Oliver James graduated from high school and became one of approximately 45 million…
- Access Utah
The Latter-day Saint historical enterprise on Access Utah
We revisit our conversation with historian Richard E. Turley Jr. about his Leonard J. Arrington Mormon History Lecture, titled "Team History: The Latter-day…
- Access Utah
'The Twilight Forest' with Gary Ferguson on Access Utah
We revisit our conversation from October 2025 with Gary Ferguson, talking about his book "The Twilight Forest."
- Access Utah
How to change minds about politics on Access Utah
We talk with Sarah Stein Lubrano about her book "Don’t Talk About Politics."
Access Utah'The Glorians': Divinity in the ordinary with Terry Tempest Williams on Access Utah
Terry Tempest Williams says the Glorians are not distant deities, but ordinary presences — animal, plant, memory, moment — that reveal our vulnerability and…
Access UtahDoing good in our communities: January 2026 nonprofit spotlight on Access Utah
Today we're doing another nonprofit spotlight. Amy Anderson, regional coordinator for A Bolder Way Forward joins us, and we hear from representatives of other…
Access UtahBreaking a language barrier with Natalia Galicza on Access Utah
We revisit our conversation from October 2025 with Deseret Magazine reporter Natalia Galicza, talking about her essay titled "Breaking a Language Barrier…
Access UtahNick and Melanie Herrmann on Access Utah
We're joined by Nick and Melanie Herrmann. We tell Nick’s story, including living with a brain injury, neuroplasticity, vocational rehabilitation, low level…
- Access Utah
Remembering Winston Groom, author of 'Forrest Gump,' on Access Utah
We remember writer Winston Groom, who died in 2020. We revisit our conversation from November 2015, talking about his most famous book, "Forrest Gump," as well…
Access UtahThe King of Valentine's Day on Access Utah
Lonnie Anderson of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is known as the "King of Valentine's Day." Every year for nearly 30 years, he has staged a grand gesture for his…
Access UtahShakespeare's enduring legacy on Access Utah
William Shakespeare wrote his plays more than 400 years ago. They’re still being performed today, along with adaptations in film and opera and more. On this…
Access Utah2026 Great Salt Lake update with Brian Steed on Access Utah
Our guest is Great Salt Lake Commissioner and Great Salt Lake Strike Team Co-Chair Brian Steed. We talk about the current state of the lake and look at next…
- Access Utah
Utah State and the Utah Legislature with USU President Brad Mortensen on Access Utah
We check in with Utah State University President Brad Mortensen. We get his reaction to the Utah Legislature’s audit of USU, the university's strategic…
- Access Utah
Essayist and poet Molly McCully Brown on Access Utah
We're joined by Molly McCully Brown, author of the essay collection "Places I’ve Taken my Body" and the poetry collection "The Virginia State Colony For…
- Access Utah
Religion, science, and immortality on Access Utah
We talk with Utah State University alum Peter McChesney about his book "Quinto’s Challenge," which poses the question: What if science and religion collided…
Access UtahAccess Utah live at the Utah Legislature
We broadcast live from the State Capitol in Salt Lake City on the opening day of the 2026 session of the Utah Legislature.
- Access Utah
'Crux' with Gabriel Tallent on Access Utah
We talk with Utah author Gabriel Tallent. His new novel is called "Crux." Dan and Tamma are two teenagers in their last year of high school in the southern…
- Access Utah
Poetry in the new year on Access Utah
On this year's poetry roundup, we feature conversation with and poetry from Utah Poet Laureate Lisa Bickmore, along with poets Danielle Dubrasky and Olivia…
- Access Utah
How guns, furs, and gold put four Indigenous tribes at risk on Access Utah
Larry Morris recounts the 19th-century experience of the Arikaras, Crows, Cheyennes, and Arapahos by detailing their interactions with four legendary survivors…
- Access Utah
Failures of practice and research regarding invisible illness on Access Utah
We talk with medical anthropologist Emily Mendenhall about her new book, "Invisible Illness: A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID."