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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The esteemed arts innovator and successor to AVAM founder Rebecca Hoffberger shares her hopes and dreams for Baltimore's American Visionary Art Museum. -
The Baltimore City mayor joins Tom Hall for another of our monthly conversations about key issues for the city. -
Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck spotlights the world premiere production of Vietnam-born Tuyết Thị Phạm's cross-cultural drama about race and politics. -
The prominent developmental psychologist discusses her research into the roots of individual and systemic racism and racial discrimination, and their profound repercussions. -
Human sexuality educator Deborah Roffman discusses her new board book about conception, birth and families that's geared to very young kids (and their parents). -
Fewer US high school students, especially Blacks, are opting for a 4-year college run. Two education reporters and two college administrators join us to discuss what's driving the trend, and to assess prospects for American higher education. -
A Black married couple who teach at Hopkins discuss their lawsuit against a company they say under-appraised their Baltimore home because of their race. Plus, we talk with a Brookings scholar about valuing Black lives and property. -
As Britons mourn the loss of their long-lived Queen, we assess her impact on her country and the world. -
We talk with the co-authors of a new report on the true societal costs of Baltimore's vacant housing. Plus, what's up with Adopt-a-Lot? -
The 56 year-old chemist and university professor talks about her new role as UMBC president, and her vision for the university.
