Bob Kustra
About Bob Kustra
Bob Kustra is the host of Reader's Corner, a weekly radio show that features lively conversations with some of the nation’s leading authors about issues and ideas that matter today.
Dr. Kustra stepped down as president of Boise State University in July 2018 after serving for 15 years at the helm of Boise State, the largest public university in Idaho. During his presidency, he led the university in a time of dynamic growth in student enrollment, graduate college and doctoral programs, new construction, fundraising and research. The creation of the College of Innovation and Design and ranking as a doctoral research university were notable achievements of his presidency.
With a long and distinguished career in public service in Illinois, Bob Kustra served two terms as Illinois lieutenant governor following 10 years in the legislature. He also chaired the Illinois Board of Higher Education, responsible for funding and oversight of the state’s nine public universities. Bob's background in radio includes four years as host of a talk show on WLS-AM in Chicago.
Dr. Kustra holds three degrees in Political Science, including a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, MA from Southern Illinois University and BA from Benedictine College, Atchison, Kansas.
In addition to hosting Readers Corner, Bob also writes a weekly column for the Idaho Statesman and serves on its editorial board.
About Boise State Public Radio
Boise State Public Radio is Idaho’s premiere connection to NPR news programming, classical music, and jazz. The station’s 18 transmitters and translators reach about one million listeners from Boise and Twin Falls to McCall and Sun Valley.
In the Treasure Valley, 91.5 FM is Boise State Public Radio News. Here, you’ll find NPR’s cornerstone programs like Morning Edition and All Things Considered , plus fan favorites like Fresh Air and This American Life. 91.5 FM is also home to local and regionally-produced in-depth news features and interviews.
This radio network has served the community for more than 40 years. With staff headquarters in Boise, the signals can be heard in parts of eastern Oregon, most of southern and central Idaho, and northern Nevada.
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An interview with Matthew Goodman, author of Paris Undercover. The book tells the gripping story of two women in Nazi-occupied Paris who create a daring escape line that rescues dozens of Allied servicemen. -
Note: This is an encore edition of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in January 2023. An interview with Dipo Faloyin, debut author of Africa is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent. In the book, Faloyin explores the youth-led cultural and political movements that are defining and reimagining Africa on their own terms. -
An interview with Sonia Purnell, author of Kingmaker. In the book, Purnell tells the secret history of Winston Churchill’s daughter-in-law, Pamela Churchill Harriman, whose image as a vapid socialite masked her powerful influence on the world stage for five decades. -
An interview with Steve Coll, author of the new book, The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the CIA, and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq.The book offers the definitive story of the decades-long relationship between the United States and Saddam Hussein, and an investigation into one of the costliest geopolitical conflicts of our time. -
Note: This is an encore edition of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in January 2023.An interview with John Pomfret, author of From Warsaw With Love. The book tells the epic story of how Polish intelligence officers forged an alliance with the CIA in the twilight of the Cold War. -
An interview with Mark L. Clifford, author of The Troublemaker. The book is a comprehensive biography of billionaire businessman Jimmy Lai, a leading Hong Kong democracy activist who became China’s most famous political prisoner. -
An interview with Nils Barrett, joining Reader's Corner to talk about his late father’s memoir, Inside the President's Team. The book offers an up-close view of the Ford presidency by one of his closest and most-trusted advisors. -
Bob Kustra interviews Tod Lending, author of the novel, The Umbrella Maker’s Son. The book is a coming-of-age tale following a 17-year-old Polish Jew as he fights for his life and experiences his first love, set during WWII. -
An interview with Craig Foster, author of Amphibious Soul. The book is a lyrical memoir drawing from the author’s decades of daily ocean dives, wisdom from Indigenous teachers, and cutting-edge science. -
An interview with Sandra Matz, author of the new book, Mindmasters. The book is an exploration of how algorithms penetrate and influence the most intimate aspects of our psychology.
