![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2021\/01\/LAX_ShellyLesherPhysicsProfessor.jpg\")
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UW-La Crosse Physics Professor Shelly Lesher<\/a>\u00a0loves to talk about nuclear science. So much, in fact, that her unique approaches were noticed when she was awarded a prestigious Yale Presidential Fellowship at Yale University in 2019-20. Now she\u2019s taking that interest online.<\/p>\n The past five years Lesher has taught a\u00a0\u201cNavigating Global Nuclear Issues\u201d course at UWL\u00a0<\/a>to help students explore how nuclear science has impacted the world \u2014 everything from energy and science to art and culture.<\/p>\n Lesher, named a 2020 American Physical Society Fellow, says there\u2019s a void when it comes to nuclear science in society. Often students ask why they weren\u2019t taught about it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are scientists not taught the history of physics or about ethical scientific decision making?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n Lesher\u2019s colleagues suggested she write a book about the issue.\u00a0But, Lesher is quick to point out that she\u2019s not an expert on everything nuclear.<\/p>\n \u201cA podcast allows me to bring in experts to discuss different topics in the interaction of nuclear science and society,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n Lesher\u2019s new podcast series \u2014 \u201cMy Nuclear Life\u201d \u2014 explores the intersection of nuclear science and society through interviews with historians, policy makers and others. One of her first six episodes includes interviews with Richard Nephew, former principal deputy coordinator for the sanctions policy at the U.S. State Department and lead sanctions expert for the U.S. negotiating team with Iran on the joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. In other episodes, she interviews Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of \u201cThe Making of the Atomic Bomb.\u201d Access the first season of six episodes for free at:\u00a0https:\/\/mynuclearlife.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lesher is excited how the series kicked off in December.<\/p>\n \u201cI was able to interview experts in fields of nuclear sanctions, energy, history, environment, and medicine and ask them questions I have had or that were brought up in conversation,\u201d she says. \u201cIt really is a dream to ask people you admire to come on the show, talk to you about a topic you both love, and then share it with others.\u201d<\/p>\n Lesher says the podcast is geared toward those in the general public who are interested in history, science or learning something new. Topics covered are varied and have the theme of nuclear science in common.<\/p>\n \u201cOne podcasts discusses the start of radium therapy to treat cancer and another the beginning of the environmental movement in the U.S.\u201d she notes. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be a nuclear scientist to understand these episodes.\u201d<\/p>\n The podcasts have received positive reviews, and the initial programs are serving as good bases for potential guests.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I contact new guests they can listen to the show and see what it is all about and decide if they want to take part,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen a prospective guest listens and thinks it\u2019s good, then I know I\u2019ve done something right.\u201d<\/p>\n Lesher says the onset of COVID-19 actually allowed her to kick off the podcast.<\/p>\n \u201dTravel has been restricted and experts, who are usually traveling presenting talks all over the world, are now working from home and are available on Zoom to talk,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd they are happy to do it. It is a great community.\u201d<\/p>\n Lesher is also excited that an undergraduate physics student has been key in producing the series. Lexie Weghorn, who had an interest in physics and society, researches topics and finds guest, and will soon take part in the conversations. Lesher hopes to keep student involvement in the program as part of the podcast in the future.<\/p>\n UW-La Crosse Physics Professor Shelly Lesher\u2019s new podcast series \u2014 \u201cMy Nuclear Life\u201d \u2014 explores the intersection of nuclear science and society through interviews with historians, policy makers and others. Access the first season of six episodes at:\u00a0https:\/\/mynuclearlife.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" UW-La Crosse Physics Professor Shelly Lesher\u00a0loves to talk about nuclear science. So much, in fact, that her unique approaches were noticed when she was awarded a prestigious Yale Presidential Fellowship at Yale University in 2019-20. Now she\u2019s taking that interest online. The past five years Lesher has taught a\u00a0\u201cNavigating Global Nuclear Issues\u201d course at UWL\u00a0to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":5795,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[104],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-5793","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-la-crosse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/5793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5793"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=5793"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=5793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n![\"\"](\"\/contentassets\/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab\/my-nuclear-life.jpg\/Large\")
How to listen in \u2014<\/h4>\n