Community & Social Impact Episodes

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we take a deep dive into UTSA Honors College—one of the most unique and rapidly evolving honors programs in Texas. Unlike traditional programs, UTSA Honors College is built around real-world experience, preparing...

This week’s episode of bigcitysmalltown takes a deep dive into the state of local journalism and its future in San Antonio. As traditional news models struggle nationwide, nonprofit newsrooms like San Antonio Report are working to reshape how...

This week’s Last Word is a special one: bigcitysmalltown has hit 100 episodes. Host Bob Rivard reflects on this milestone, the journey so far, and what’s ahead for the podcast that tells the stories of the people shaping San Antonio’s future....

This week’s episode of bigcitysmalltown explores how UTSA is rapidly evolving into a top public research university—and what this means for San Antonio’s future. With its confirmed merger with UT Health San Antonio now in progress, UTSA is...

This week’s Last Word commentary examines the growing demand for mental health services in Bexar County—and whether the state will provide the funding needed to meet it. Bob Rivard unpacks the county’s plan to expand in-patient mental...

This week’s Last Word commentary examines the San Antonio City Council’s failed vote on funding abortion travel, a decision that reflects both the city’s political divide and the larger struggle between state and local governance in Texas. Bob...

This week’s episode of bigcitysmalltown dives into one of the most pressing issues facing San Antonio: the future of immigration policy and how it will impact our community.  We’re joined by Claudia Hernandez, an immigration attorney at...

This week’s Last Word commentary reflects on the enduring connections between Texas and Mexico through the Gulf of Mexico—a shared space of culture, trade, and history. As the relationship between these neighbors faces new challenges in the next...

This week’s episode of bigcitysmalltown spotlights something new in San Antonio’s arts community: a residency program tailored to support artists who are also caregivers. We’re joined by Liz Stehl Kleberg & Meaghan Mitts, the founders...

This week’s guest is Jeff Arndt, who has served for 13 years as president and CEO of VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio and Bexar County’s public bus system. Listen as Arndt discusses his career at VIA ahead of his retirement, the challenges...

This week’s guest is Jessica Conrad, a San Antonio realtor, Air Force veteran, and now, the emcee of the semi-annual PechaKucha creative presentations, the latest edition of which was recently staged at the Carver Cultural Center. Listen as Jessica...

This week’s guest is Humberto G. Garcia, a San Antonio attorney, avid golfer, and author of "Mustang Miracle," a book chronicling the inspiring small-town Texas story of five Mexican-American caddies in segregated Del Rio who overcame seemingly...