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Naturally Curious
Sunday at 7pm on Radio IQ

Naturally Curious is an up-close conversation with interesting people who have meaningful stories to tell. Host Bruce C. Bryan takes his listeners on a journey that is both personal and universal.  The people he talks with are dynamic, engaged, helpful, and willing to share what they’ve learned and how their lives impact others.  Everyone has a story to tell and when these interesting folks share theirs, listeners immediately feel the impact and are motivated to learn, do, or say more.
 
We talk about their stories, their challenges, how they impact the world around them.  We discuss what inspires them and how their work or their organization inspires or supports change and improvement in the world.  These will be very personal interviews and stories – I’ll dig to ensure that happens each episode.

  • Building Homes and Leaving Legacies: A Conversation with Jim DraderIn the final installment of our three-part series on the New River Valley’s most pressing challenges, we dive into the world of affordable housing. Recorded in late 2025, this episode features Jim Drader, the former Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of the NRV.Jim recently announced he is stepping down after six years of dedicated service to lead Habitat for Humanity in Northeastern Indiana. We discuss his impact on our region, the evolving housing crisis, and what it takes to build a community from the ground up. This concludes our deep dive into the pillars of American stability: workforce development, childcare, and housing.
  • Nearly 30 years ago, Angie Covey started at New River Community College as an adjunct instructor. Today, she oversees more than $25 million in assets as the Executive Director of the NRCC Educational Foundation.Join us on Naturally Curious as Angie discusses her unique path from NRCC graduate to executive leadership. We explore her commitment to providing "access to education for all" and how the Foundation has tripled its impact under her tenure.Learn more about the Foundation: www.nr.edu/foundation/
  • This episode of Naturally Curious features a deep dive into the life and work of Emily Hemphill...a reporter, writer, and future graduate student whose work spans the heart of Virginia. From her reporting at the Daily Progress in Charlottesville to her insightful long-form pieces for Cardinal News, Emily shares what truly drives a reporter to find the heart of a story. The conversation explores the complexities of segregation in Southwest Virginia and offers a preview of her upcoming book on the historic Christiansburg Institute.
  • Naturally Curious: CEO at The Community Foundation of the New River Valley, Dr. Jessica Wirgau