Sarah Leeson

Associate Producer

Innovation Hub

Sarah Leeson is Associate Producer on Innovation Hub.

Sarah Leeson is the associate producer for Innovation Hub. In a past life, she was a producer at Michigan Radio for their daily news magazine, Stateside. She is a Michigan native and a University of Michigan alum with a degree in communication studies with an emphasis in writing.

Sarah loves to go to plays, read fiction and comics, and find new comedy to enjoy. She's traveled quite a bit and is always planning her next big trip. (Maybe Japan? Malta? The moon? We'll see.) On the weekend, Sarah can be found around Boston eating too much pasta and petting other people's dogs.

Arm holds up an American flag and a pride flag outside the US Supreme Court

How gay marriage won in the US

A quarter-century ago, America was far from married to the idea of same-sex marriage.

How gay marriage won in the US
Fingers on a keyboard

The people powering AI decisions

The people powering AI decisions
NY Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

The complicated history and identity of Latinos in the United States

The complicated history and identity of Latinos in the United States
Side view of a cross section of a human brain in glass

How the West came to dominate our brains

How the West came to dominate our brains
Sections of a table are seen blocked off with tape as assistant professor Jennifer Guerard speaks into laptops while teaching a foundations of chemistry remote class at the US Naval Academy, Aug. 24, 2020, in Annapolis, Md.

Will coronavirus really change college forever?

Will coronavirus really change college forever?
A black and white photograph of a man tilling soil

The makings of modern conservatism in the US

A century ago, the Republican Party supported big business and big government.

The makings of modern conservatism in the US
The Flatiron Building stands next to Madison Square Park as streets remain less busy due to the continuing outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Manhattan borough of New York, May 5, 2020.

The slow burn of a long-term slowdown

We used to be the hare, but now we may be the tortoise.

The slow burn of a long-term slowdown
A "telepresence" robot which provides face-to-face medical consultation is pictured at Changi Exhibition Centre which has been repurposed into a community isolation facility that will house recovering or early COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms.

The economics of a global emergency

In a national recession, who is hit hardest? How will we recover? And how do robots fit into the picture?

The economics of a global emergency
a crowd at a Metallica concert in Denmark.

Can you hear me now?

The world is getting louder and our hearing is paying the price.

Can you hear me now?
A woman uses Wikipedia on a laptop.

How Wikipedia’s volunteer army combats misinformation in the 'post-truth' era

They're unvetted, unpaid and underappreciated. But Wikipedia’s band of volunteers is changing the internet.

How Wikipedia’s volunteer army combats misinformation in the 'post-truth' era
Rush Limbaugh with Donald Trump

The power of conservative talk radio

How conservative radio hosts got politicians to walk their walk and talk their talk.

The power of conservative talk radio
A "For Rent" sign in focus in font of a house.

The real cost of expensive housing

Picking up and moving to new opportunities has always been a part of the American dream. But that narrative has shifted in modern America. As well-paying jobs are increasingly concentrated in cities with high living costs, some Americans find themselves unable to pursue the careers that could most help them and their families.

The real cost of expensive housing
President Franklin Roosevelt poses for a photo with other men behind him in a historical image

Opponents of FDR's New Deal called it a 'disaster'

FDR's New Deal transformed America and is credited with helping the US survive the Great Recession. But his political opponents — including incumbent President Herbert Hoover — called it "a disaster."

Opponents of FDR's New Deal called it a 'disaster'
A group of tourists stands taking selfies outside.

How did tourism become so popular?

Tourism is a multi-trillion dollar industry, but how did it start? A history professor breaks down the origins of modern tourism and explains the impact it has had on our world today — good and bad.

How did tourism become so popular?