Rob Sivak
Contributing producer, MiddayRob Sivak is a contributing producer for Midday, with host Tom Hall. Recently retired after a seven-year stint as Midday's senior producer, Rob joined WYPR in 2015 as senior producer of Hall's previous show, Maryland Morning (which aired its final broadcast on September 16th, 2016). Before coming to the station, Rob enjoyed a 36-year career at the congressionally funded global broadcaster, Voice of America. At VOA, he honed his skills as a news and feature reporter, producer, editor and program host.
After reporting assignments at VOA's New York City, United Nations and Los Angeles bureaus, Rob spent two decades covering international food, farming and nutrition issues for VOA's 180-million worldwide listeners, and created and hosted several popular VOA science magazines. At Midday, he continued to pursue his passion for radio and his abiding interests in science, health, technology and politics.
Rob grew up as an ex-pat "oil brat" on the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, and studied and traveled widely in the Middle East, Europe and Africa. He attended Hofstra University in New York and Boston University's School of Public Communications. Rob and his wife Caroline Barnes, a writer, live in Silver Spring, Maryland, where they've raised three daughters.
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In her new book of essays, the scholar and analyst explores Blacks' political destinies and their complex ties to the Democratic party. -
The political science professor, pundit and pollster discusses her probing new analysis of Larry Hogan, Maryland's improbably successful, two-term Republican governor, as the 2024 presidential season beckons. -
The bestselling novelist's latest work has been selected by Maryland Humanities as 2022's One Maryland, One Book, and the author joins us to talk about it. -
In her debut novel, the anti-racist activist and University of Maryland social scientist imagines a dystopian future in which the imminent takeover of the US government by white supremacists sparks an armed Black and Brown rebellion. -
Midday's theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck is on the case: award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig's comic romp with the ever-popular detective and Dr. Watson, now on stage at Baltimore's Everyman Theatre. -
The Wall Street Journal's humor and sports columnist joins us to discuss his new collection of essays, and to reflect on other momentous current events. -
The constitutional scholar, former federal prosecutor and visiting law professor at American University weighs in on the findings of the House Committee's 18-month investigation of the January 6 Insurrection, and what lies ahead. -
As he departs to head up New York Public Radio, the president and general manager of WYPR & WTMD reflects on his three years with Your Public Radio, and the road ahead. Plus, Tom salutes some friends who've passed. -
The Biden appointee, a year on the job as the first Black US Attorney for MD, discusses how his background as a state lawmaker and a city, county and federal prosecutor guides his fight against crime in Baltimore and across the state. -
The owner of the Institute for HEALing and the Board VP of the Black Mental Health Alliance joins us to discuss how to cope with seasonal affective disorder, depression and other mental health challenges.
