Priyanka Tewari

2 weeks ago | wesa.fm | Priyanka Tewari |Susan Peterson

At a time when higher education institutions in the Pittsburgh region and around the country face uncertainty, Duquesne University president Ken Gormley has announced he will step down from his role in July 2026. 90.5 WESA’s Priyanka Tewari spoke with Gormley about what is ahead for Duquesne, his future role as chancellor of the university and some of the challenges facing higher education. This interview transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

1 month ago | wesa.fm | Priyanka Tewari |Susan Peterson

Sala Udin is a leader who has shaped Pittsburgh life for decades. He served for years on Pittsburgh City Council and sits on the city’s Board of Education. Udin also spent just as much time working outside these institutions as a civil rights activist as within them. After growing up in the Hill District, Udin left Pittsburgh to fight segregation in the Jim Crow South, and received a presidential pardon for a conviction he received while helping African Americans in Mississippi register to vote.

Nov 7, 2024 | wesa.fm | Priyanka Tewari |Susan Peterson

Last week, South Asians and Hindus across Pennsylvania celebrated their first Diwali since Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a law making the festival of lights an official state holiday in Pennsylvania. 90.5 WESA’s Morning Edition host Priyanka Tewari sat down with Rep. Arvind Venkat of Allegheny County’s District 30, who co-sponsored the legislation, to talk about Diwali becoming an official holiday in the state of Pennsylvania.

Nov 1, 2024 | wesa.fm | Priyanka Tewari |Susan Peterson

Donora, Pennsylvania is a small town, about an hour south of Pittsburgh, with a population of 4,500. The steel mill there closed decades ago. There is no bank, no gas station, no grocery store and no McDonald’s. In 2017, journalists and University of Pittsburgh professors Jeanne Marie Laskas and Erin Anderson went to Donora, bought a house and stayed for three years, reporting on life in this one, small town. Cement City is their new 10-part documentary podcast about the people of Donora.

Oct 10, 2024 | wesa.fm | Priyanka Tewari |Susan Peterson

In August, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory calling attention to the high levels of stress and poor mental health of parents in the U.S. The stressors for parents are many, including a lack of affordable child care. WESA’s Priyanka Tewari sat down with Sarah Boden, who covers caregiving and the social safety net for Spotlight PA, to discuss the state of the child care industry in Pennsylvania.