Simplified

Lacey Alexander
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"Simplified" is an interview-style show where Morning Edition host Lacey Alexander takes complex topics and breaks them down so that everyone can better understand them. She enlists a new academic in the state of Alabama every week to simplify a big idea-- whether it's science, economics, media or anything in between. Contact the show at simplified@apr.org!Local support for Simplified is provided by The University of Alabama Online.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    Mental Health with Dr. Abby Horton

    May is mental health awareness month, and organizations across the United States use this time to educate Americans on how to both understand mental health issues and offer support to people who are struggling. We're joining those voices with our last Simplified episode of the month: an informative chat with Dr. Abby Horton, an Assistant Professor at The University of Alabama’s Capstone College of Nursing. Dr. Horton has over a decade of researching wellness and mental health on her resume, making her the perfect guest to answer questions from Lacey (and the listening audience!) about what goes on in our heads and how to best take care of them.

    29 min

  2. May 20

    Hurricanes with Dr. Jason Senkbeil

    Hurricane season has technically already started on Pacific Ocean side of the country, but the Atlantic side (that's our side btw) will be heating up very soon. Scientists say 97% percent of hurricanes occur from June to November, as Alabamians and their southeastern neighbors know all too well. Our guest today has been interviewed by national news entities on this topic, and if he's good enough for NPR, he's certainly good enough for us- Dr. Jason Senkbeil is a professor in the department of geography at The University of Alabama. His research has focused on atmospheric hazards and applied climatology with weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes and climate change trends. He joins Lacey to break down the how, when, and where of every step of these dangerous storms.

    29 min

  3. May 13

    Environmental Law with William Andreen

    Some of the biggest changes we've seen the current administration make is on legislation and regulations regarding environmental issues. A lot of protections have changed or gone away completely, and projects that could negatively impact the earth are getting approved easier. Alabama is no exception- the state legislature just this year passed a bill that says the state cannot impose stricter environmental regulations than the feds. But what is environmental law? Why does it matter? Why do so many people care, why should I care? William Andreen has answers to all of that and more. The Professor Emeritus of Law at Alabama, Professor Andreen has been studying environmental law for decades. He's here to help us better understand what these laws are, and what we stand to lose if we get rid of them.

    29 min

  4. Apr 29

    Local Politics with Dr. Regina Wagner

    Primary elections for multiple state offices are less than three weeks away. Local elections such as these don't see the turnout that presidential elections do in our state, and that needs to change, because Dr. Regina Wagner says so! She's a political science professor at the University of Alabama and gave us tons of information on the processes and importance of state-level elections. Whether you're a republican, democrat, or somewhere in-between, your voice matters and needs to be counted.

    29 min

  5. Apr 22

    Simplified with Dr. Adam Knowlden, Part 2

    Part two of our conversation with sleep expert Dr. Adam Knowlden is here! Do you know anyone that says "yeah, I actually get perfect sleep every single night"? Me neither. That's why it felt appropriate to interview today's guest, Dr, Adam Knowlden, who has been studying sleep habits and sleep hygiene for years. He is an associate professor of health science and director of the SLUMBRx Lab at the University of Alabama, and is a certified award-winning sleep-knower. There was so much good information in our discussion that we'll be turning our interview with him into two parts!

    29 min

  6. Apr 15

    Sleep with Dr. Adam Knowlden, Part 1

    Do you know anyone that says "yeah, I actually get perfect sleep every single night"? Me neither. That's why it felt appropriate to interview today's guest, Dr, Adam Knowlden, who has been studying sleep habits and sleep hygiene for years. He is an associate professor of health science and director of the SLUMBRx Lab at the University of Alabama, and is a certified award-winning sleep-knower. There was so much good information in our discussion that we'll be turning our interview with him into two parts! Tune in next week for part two.

    29 min

  7. Mar 19

    Social Media with Dr. Jessica Maddox

    Today Lacey sits down with a pro on social media culture, influence and history. Dr. Jessica Maddox is an Associate Professor of Entertainment and Media Studies at the University of Georgia, but spent 7 years of her academic career at the University of Alabama. In this episode, she chats with Lacey about how people can get dependent on social media, how these websites design themselves to make them as "scrollable" as possible, and how humans have craved connections (like the ones social media seems to provide) for centuries.

    29 min

  8. Mar 11

    Real Estate with Grayson Glaze

    In today's episode of Simplified, Lacey has a great time chatting with Grayson Glaze, a professor of real estate at the University of South Alabama. He also serves as the program director for the real estate degree program at USA. Grayson answers questions about real estate law, the buying/selling process, and everything in between.

    29 min

  9. Feb 26

    Insurance with Dr. Thomas Weida

    In today's episode, Lacey sits down with Dr. Thomas Weida, associate dean for clinical affairs for the College of Community Health Sciences at Alabama, and chief medical officer for the University Medical Center. Dr. Weida gives listeners a 101-class on Insurance; how it works, why it can get complicated, and what patients can do when they need a little help.

    29 min

  10. Feb 18

    Microplastics with Dr. Jason Bara

    Episode 3 of Simplified is all about microplastics! Host Lacey Alexander is joined by Dr. Jason Bara, a professor at Alabama and the co-director of the Polymers and Soft Materials Research Center. Dr. Bara’s research group is focused on development of advanced polymer materials, processes for clean energy production, and more.

    29 min

  11. Feb 11

    Puerto Rico with Dr. Michael Innis-Jiménez

    In our second episode, Lacey sits down with Dr. Michael Innis-Jiménez, an American Studies professor at The University of Alabama. His research is predominantly on how Latino communities function within the United States, making him the perfect guest to discuss the island of Puerto Rico and it's (legal and emotional) relationship to the US!

    29 min

  12. Jan 28

    Taxes with Dr. Dena Mitchell

    Simplified 's first guest will be Dr. Dena Mitchell, CPA from Troy University. She and Lacey talk all about income taxes-- the long forms, the IRS, the credits, and more. Listeners can email simplified@apr.org if they have a topic or question they'd like to submit for a future episode!

    29 min
  • 12 Episodes

About

"Simplified" is an interview-style show where Morning Edition host Lacey Alexander takes complex topics and breaks them down so that everyone can better understand them. She enlists a new academic in the state of Alabama every week to simplify a big idea-- whether it's science, economics, media or anything in between. Contact the show at simplified@apr.org!Local support for Simplified is provided by The University of Alabama Online.

Information

  • Creator
    Lacey Alexander
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    Simplified