/akron-roundtable Akron Roundtable inspires and promotes community dialog and networking by presenting speakers who inform and educate listeners on diverse topics of importance to the region, the nation and the world. Media production and distribution of the Signature speaker series is done through a unique collaboration involving 精东影业, PBS Western Reserve and the University of Akron's Media Studies program in partnership with the Akron Roundtable. Each episode of the Akron Roundtable Signature series will air on the first Sunday in the month following the roundtable at 2 PM on WVIZ (WVIZ 25.1) and The Ohio Channel (WVIZ 25.2). 精东影业 will also continue its 8 PM radio broadcast on the first Thursday in the month following the roundtable on WKSU (89.7 FM).Click here to see who鈥檚 coming to Akron Roundtable. en-US Copyright Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:52:49 GMT /2026-04-08/oscar-emmy-and-two-time-tony-award-winning-designer-paul-tazewell-is-a-defining-creative-force-in-theater-film-and-fashion Oscar, Emmy, and two-time Tony Award-winning designer Paul Tazewell is a defining creative force in theater, film, and fashion. Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:52:49 GMT /2026-04-08/oscar-emmy-and-two-time-tony-award-winning-designer-paul-tazewell-is-a-defining-creative-force-in-theater-film-and-fashion /2026-03-25/from-barberton-to-moscow-and-points-beyond-a-local-diplomats-journey Ambassador Tracy (ret.) is a Barberton native whose diplomatic career of more than 30 years with the U.S. State Department took her to some of the world's most difficult and dangerous foreign policy assignments. Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:48:16 GMT /2026-03-25/from-barberton-to-moscow-and-points-beyond-a-local-diplomats-journey /2026-02-20/theres-always-time-lessons-learned-after-two-decades-immersed-in-the-nba Brian Windhorst is in his 16th year covering the National Basketball Association for ESPN. Overall, he has worked on the NBA for 23 years including seven years as a beat reporter on the Cleveland Cavaliers and two years on the Miami Heat. He started working in media at age 16 at the Akron Beacon Journal and worked there for 14 years followed by two years at the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Fri, 20 Feb 2026 15:58:47 GMT /2026-02-20/theres-always-time-lessons-learned-after-two-decades-immersed-in-the-nba /2026-01-30/the-legacy-of-the-ohio-erie-canalway-accessible-equitable-and-welcoming-parks-trails-and-public-spaces Daniel M. Rice is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition (OECC). OECC is the regional non-profit organization working for the conservation, development and interpretation of the natural, historical and recreational resources along the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway from Cleveland to New Philadelphia, Ohio. Fri, 30 Jan 2026 18:09:50 GMT /2026-01-30/the-legacy-of-the-ohio-erie-canalway-accessible-equitable-and-welcoming-parks-trails-and-public-spaces /2025-12-18/gone-for-good-negotiating-the-coming-wave-of-church-property-transition Mark Elsdon lives and works at the intersection of money and meaning as a serial social entrepreneur, strategic executive, and author. He is a national thought leader and speaker on subjects of faith-based impact investing, social enterprise, and property development. Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:31:33 GMT /2025-12-18/gone-for-good-negotiating-the-coming-wave-of-church-property-transition /2025-11-21/reinventing-the-rigid-airship-ltas-pathfinder-1 Akron was once the 鈥淎irship Capital of the World,鈥� home to the legendary USS Akron and Macon naval airships built in the iconic Akron Airdock. Today, that storied heritage is taking flight again as CEO Brett Crozier shares the path to building and flight testing LTA Research鈥檚 proof-of-concept airship Pathfinder 1, the largest flying aircraft in the world. Discover how modern materials, fly-by-wire controls, and advanced monitoring systems are transforming a classic aviation concept into a sustainable approach to transport in the 21st century. Fri, 21 Nov 2025 19:59:42 GMT /2025-11-21/reinventing-the-rigid-airship-ltas-pathfinder-1 /2025-11-18/dr-murthy-and-the-together-project-the-power-of-community-and-connection The Together Project launched in 2025 to catalyze a movement to vitalize community in America. A community where Americans have relationships they can rely on; one where we see the value of service in our lives; and one that offers purpose and meaning to act as a compass in a world that can make us feel unmoored. Ultimately, The Together Project seeks to help Americans make a key choice for their health and fulfillment: to choose community.The Together Project鈥檚 Chair, Dr. Vivek Murthy, focused on these issues throughout his term as 21st U.S. Surgeon General, which culminated with the release of his Parting Prescription for America. The Together Project represents an opportunity to build on that impact and help mobilize a coordinated movement to vitalize community in America.In 2025, Dr. Murthy and The Together Project will embark on a national listening tour and series of community engagements, with the support of the Knight Foundation and working with their community partners. These engagements will aim to lift up solutions that foster connection, reduce isolation and build social cohesion, and spotlight replicable and scalable models that help communities thrive and promote their replication across the country. Wed, 19 Nov 2025 04:32:46 GMT /2025-11-18/dr-murthy-and-the-together-project-the-power-of-community-and-connection /2025-10-27/gambling-is-everyones-problem-now About our Speaker: Alex Shephard is senior editor of The New Republic, where he has covered politics and culture since 2015. His work has also appeared in New York, GQ, The Atlantic, The Nation, and other publications.About the Program: Sports gambling is everywhere. After the Supreme Court struck down a federal law prohibiting it in 2018, states across the country quickly struck down their own bans. Today, 38 states not only allow residents to gamble on sports, they have opened up app-based betting that allows residents to wager on sports from their phones. It is now nearly impossible to watch any sporting event or sports coverage and not be awash with betting advertisements, punditry about odds, and constant nudges that remind viewers that they could be staking money on the outcome鈥攐r something as banal or trivial as whether or not the next pitch is a ball or a strike.For cash-strapped states, sports gambling has been a boon: It has opened up a new source of revenue that doesn鈥檛 involve levies or tax increases. But in less than a decade, there are alarming signs that the rush to legalize sports gambling has already led to steep increases in bankruptcy, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and suicides. But the societal cost of sports gambling goes well beyond the individual and the family: It鈥檚 also straining social resources and fraying community bonds. Mon, 27 Oct 2025 18:30:00 GMT /2025-10-27/gambling-is-everyones-problem-now /2025-09-26/escaping-the-housing-trap Charles Marohn, founder and president of Strong Towns, speaks about housing policy. This presentation offers a serious, yet accessible, history of housing policy in the United States and explains how it led us to this point in time where we face a market that is rigged against people. Only local change, on a neighborhood or city-wide scale, can begin to restore balance to the housing market. Fri, 26 Sep 2025 18:59:31 GMT /2025-09-26/escaping-the-housing-trap /2025-08-21/a-conversation-with-senator-jon-husted Jon Husted began serving Ohioans in the U.S. Senate in January 2025. For more than two decades, the people of Ohio have trusted him to fight for their jobs, values, and families. Thu, 21 Aug 2025 18:43:37 GMT /2025-08-21/a-conversation-with-senator-jon-husted