The State of Inquiry (Audio)

America 250 5 of 6: The Revolution on Exhibit

Host Leslie Lenkowsky explores how history moves from archive to exhibit. Joined by Erika Dowell from the Lilly Library, Mindy Besaw from the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, and Heather Calloway from University Collections at Indiana University, the conversation looks at how institutions shape historical narratives through objects, design, and interpretation, and what is gained and lost in the process. The discussion draws on examples like the Lilly Library’s rare Declaration of Independence broadside, one of just 26 known copies and the only one in the Midwest, to show how revolutionary ideas were first shared and how they continue to be interpreted today. Erika Dowell is executive associate director of the Lilly Library at Indiana University Bloomington and curator of modern manuscripts, focusing on connecting people to history through original documents. With Museum Exhibition Specialist Jenny Mack, she recently curated an exhibition on the Declaration of Independence exploring how revolutionary ideas spread through print and manuscript culture. Mindy N. Besaw is the Wilma E. Kelley Director of the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University Bloomington. With more than 20 years of experience, her work focuses on exhibitions that tell broader, more inclusive stories about American history and identity, including major projects at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Dr. Heather K. Calloway is Executive Director of University Collections at Indiana University Bloomington, leading the stewardship and use of IU’s collections for teaching, research, and public engagement. Her work explores how people connect with history through objects and emerging technologies; she founded IU’s Center for Fraternal Collections & Research and previously led museum initiatives in Washington, D.C. Leslie Lenkowsky is professor emeritus of public affairs and philanthropic studies at Indiana University Bloomington and a leading scholar of civil society, philanthropy, and public policy. He previously served as CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, appointed by President George W. Bush, and was a founding board member of the agency under President Bill Clinton. Lenkowsky has held senior roles in government, research, and higher education, and has written widely on civic engagement and the role of nonprofits in American life.

America 250 4 of 6: Espionage

Host Leslie Lenkowsky talks with Gene Coyle, a retired CIA field operations officer and former Indiana University professor, about the role of espionage in both the American Revolution and modern intelligence work. Drawing on his own 30-year career, Coyle explores how figures like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin used intelligence to shift the course of the war, and how those same principles carry through to today’s world of spying. The conversation connects early American history with the realities of modern intelligence—where information, trust, and risk can change everything. Gene Coyle is a retired CIA field operations officer and former professor of practice at Indiana University Bloomington. Over a 30-year career with the Central Intelligence Agency, he served both in the United States and abroad, recruiting foreign sources and conducting intelligence operations during and after the Cold War. He is a recipient of the CIA's Intelligence Medal of Merit for an operation he conducted in Moscow during the era of the Soviet Union. Following his government service, Coyle spent more than a decade teaching courses on espionage and national security at IU. He is also an author of a dozen spy novels inspired by his experiences in the field. Leslie Lenkowsky is professor emeritus of public affairs and philanthropic studies at Indiana University Bloomington and a leading scholar of civil society, philanthropy, and public policy. He previously served as CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, appointed by President George W. Bush, and was a founding board member of the agency under President Bill Clinton. Lenkowsky has held senior roles in government, research, and higher education, and has written widely on civic engagement and the role of nonprofits in American life.

America 250 3 of 6: Indiana’s Patriots

In this episode, host Leslie Lenkowsky is joined by John Summerlot and James Capshew to examine Indiana’s connections to the Revolutionary era. The conversation traces how early American history continues to inform the development of institutions, from military traditions to higher education, and how those legacies remain visible today. John Summerlot is Director of Enterprise Risk & Incident Management at the Indiana University Foundation and a longtime student of IU history and its ties to military service. With more than 20 years in higher education, his work spans emergency management, veteran affairs, and institutional history. A former Marine and Army National Guard member, Summerlot often explores how national events, including the Revolutionary War, connect to Indiana and the university’s past. James H. Capshew is the university historian at Indiana University Bloomington, where he studies the history of science, higher education, and American intellectual life. A longtime scholar of IU’s past, his work explores how universities evolve alongside broader national movements and ideas. He brings a wide-angle view of how early American history, including the Revolutionary era, continues to shape institutions and culture today. Leslie Lenkowsky is professor emeritus of public affairs and philanthropic studies at Indiana University Bloomington and a leading scholar of civil society, philanthropy, and public policy. He previously served as CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, appointed by President George W. Bush, and was a founding board member of the agency under President Bill Clinton. Lenkowsky has held senior roles in government, research, and higher education, and has written widely on civic engagement and the role of nonprofits in American life.

America 250 2 of 6: Liberty Fermented

In this episode, host Leslie Lenkowsky dives into the science of fermentation and the story behind a founding-era-inspired beer. Dr. Matt Bochman explains how yeast research at Indiana University Bloomington connects to real-world brewing, including a project using yeast isolated from a 250-year-old oak tree. Local brewers Clay Seenbergen (Upland), Chris Paumi (The Tap), Kim Collins (Towaki Brewing Company), and Matt Wisley (Bloomington Brewing Company) join the conversation. Dr. Matthew L. Bochman is an associate professor and chair of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at Indiana University Bloomington. His research focuses on genome stability and DNA replication, using yeast as a model system with connections to cancer biology. Alongside his lab work, Bochman is deeply involved in fermentation science and the craft brewing industry, co-founding Wild Pitch Yeast and collaborating with breweries on yeast development and production. His work bridges basic science and real-world application, from studying DNA repair to helping create beers inspired by early American fermentation. Leslie Lenkowsky is professor emeritus of public affairs and philanthropic studies at Indiana University Bloomington and a leading scholar of civil society, philanthropy, and public policy. He previously served as CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, appointed by President George W. Bush, and was a founding board member of the agency under President Bill Clinton. Lenkowsky has held senior roles in government, research, and higher education, and has written widely on civic engagement and the role of nonprofits in American life.

America 250 1 of 6: What They Read

Host Les Lenkowsy is joined by Matt Ely and Dr. Abigail Rawleigh to explore the texts that shaped the revolutionary generation. From Horace to Cicero, the conversation looks at what students in colonial colleges were assigned and how those ideas influenced early American thought. Ely shares how he brings these works into the present through interactive workshops, while Rawleigh adds context from early American literature, religion, and the intellectual traditions that informed the founding era. Matt Ely is a PhD student in Higher Education at Indiana University Bloomington, where he also serves as an adjunct instructor and graduate academic advisor in the Hutton Honors College. Before coming to IU, Ely served as a military officer and later taught high school social studies in Iowa. His work focuses on how education shapes civic understanding, including the historical texts and ideas that influence American institutions. Dr. Abigail Scott Rawleigh is an independent researcher, recently finishing a term as visiting lecturer in the Department of English at Indiana University Bloomington. She earned her PhD in early American literature from University of Notre Dame, where her research focused on the intersection of religion and literature in the early Atlantic world. Her work explores devotional practices, poetry, and intellectual life in the seventeenth century, and her current book project examines themes of domesticity and apocalypse in early American writing. Leslie Lenkowsky is professor emeritus of public affairs and philanthropic studies at Indiana University Bloomington and a leading scholar of civil society, philanthropy, and public policy. He previously served as CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, appointed by President George W. Bush, and was a founding board member of the agency under President Bill Clinton. Lenkowsky has held senior roles in government, research, and higher education, and has written widely on civic engagement and the role of nonprofits in American life.