The Academic Minute

On University of St. Thomas Week: Sleep can have a big impact on college students. Roxanne Prichard, professor of psychology, explores why. Roxanne Prichard received her BA in biopsychology and women’s studies from Transylvania University and her PhD in neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on sleep as a modifiable protective factor […] This is a public...

On University of St. Thomas Week: What is a microgrid? Mahmoud Kabalan, assistant professor of electrical engineering, has more. Dr. Mahmoud Kabalan is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Center for Microgrid Research (CMR) at the University of St. Thomas (UST) in St. Paul, MN. He received the National Science Foundation CAREER award […] This is a public episode. If you would like...

On University of St. Thomas Week: Who you are influences how you teach. Chelda Smith Kondo, assistant professor of education, explores the effects. Chelda Smith Kondo, Ph. D., (she/her/hers) identifies as a cisgender, able-bodied, Americanized Haitian woman. Chelda is an Associate Professor of Education specializing in Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy at the University of St. Thomas (UST). […]...

On University of St. Thomas Week: Healing racial trauma can make a big impact. Bryana French, associate professor of psychology, determines the framework to do so. Bryana H. French, PhD, LP, is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of St. Thomas. Her research, teaching, and clinical practice focuses […] This is a public episode. If you wou...

On University of Maryland Baltimore County Week:  Financial fraud may be in the news, but it’s also old news. Today on The Academic Minute: Amy Froide, professor of history and chair of the department of history, examines past wrongdoings. Professor Amy Froide is Chair of the History Department at UMBC where she teaches courses in […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss th...

On University of Maryland Baltimore County Week:  Dissertations can be tough to finish. Ramon Goings, associate professor in the language, literacy, and culture doctoral program, outlines the process to getting students across the finish line. Dr. Goings’ research interests are centered on exploring the academic and social experiences of gifted/high-achieving Black males PK-PhD, diversifying the [...

On University of Maryland Baltimore County Week:  Digital tools can help preserve languages that may otherwise become extinct. Renée Lambert-Brétière, associate professor of linguistics, looks into democratizing the process of documentation. Renée Lambert-Brétière is a linguist in the department of Modern Languages, Linguistics and Intercultural Communication at UMBC. She specializes in the docume...

On University of Maryland Baltimore County Week: Revolutions carry many inherent risks. Michael Nance, associate professor of philosophy, takes a philosophical approach to these conflicts. Michael Nance is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He has also been an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow at the Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt. With James [&#...

On University of Maryland Baltimore County Week: A healthy work-life balance can be difficult no matter where you apply your trade. Today on The Academic Minute: Elizabeth Patton, associate professor of media and communication studies, examines how we portray work/life balance at home. Elizabeth Patton is media historian interested in discourses of gender, race and […] This is a public episo...

Iceland and NATO have a frosty relationship. Jodie Childers, visiting assistant professor in the department of English at Tulane University, examines the history. Jodie Childers is a Visiting Assistant Professor of English at Tulane University. Her research examines twentieth-century transnational Icelandic/American literary and political encounters.  She has published her work in Comparative Amer...

There’s a lot of hubbub around the First Amendment in the news. Mark Satta, assistant professor of philosophy at Wayne State University, examines this in the context of anti-drag laws. Mark Satta is assistant professor of Philosophy at Wayne State University. He received his PhD in Philosophy from Purdue University and his JD from Harvard […] This is a public episode. If you would like to di...

Words matter, especially in the political sphere. Stephen Collins, professor of government and international affairs at Kennesaw State University, examines this through the lens of social media. Dr. Stephen D. Collins is Professor of Government and International Affairs at Kennesaw State University (Ph. D., Political Science, Johns Hopkins University, 2004). His past publications have examined dip...

There is still a lot to study from COVID-19 lockdowns. Judith DeSena, professor of sociology at St. John’s University, discusses the response of two neighborhoods in Brooklyn to the crisis. Judith N. DeSena, Ph. D., is a Professor of Sociology at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. and a resident of Brooklyn, NY. Her work focuses […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss th...

COVID rates on campuses didn’t always follow the socioeconomic script. Lewis Davis, Thomas Armstrong professor of economics at Union College, explores why. Lewis Davis is the Thomas Armstrong Professor of Economics and Chair of the Economics Department at Union College.  He has over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, with recent work addressing the religious, climatic, and […] This is a publ...

A.I. is not without bias. John MacCormick, professor of computer science at Dickinson College, discovers the thriving research field of fairness in A.I. John MacCormick is the author of three books, including Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future: The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today’s Computers and What Can Be Computed?: A Practical Guide to the […] This is a public episode. If you...

Kurt Vonnegut’s appeal to young people continues. Susan Farrell, professor of English at the College of Charleston, determines why a member of the Greatest Generation still holds sway today. Susan Farrell is a professor of English at the College of Charleston and the 2009 Bill Moore Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Award Recipient. She specializes in contemporary American […] This is a public e...

What is the Swedish theory of love? Lars Tragardh, professor of history at Uppsala University, explains. Ph. D in History from UC Berkeley; professor of history at Uppsala university, Sweden; public commentator on Swedish politics and society. The Swedish Theory of Love Americans are fond of thinking of themselves as rugged individualists. But compared to Swedes […] This is a public episode....

This summer has been a hot one…but was it as unprecedented as it seemed? Darrell Kaufman, Regents’ professor of earth and environmental sciences at Northern Arizona University, determines the answer using history. Dr. Darrell Kaufman is a Professor in the School of Earth and Sustainability at Northern Arizona University. He was a lead author on the […] This is a public episode. If you would...

Your workplace has a large impact on your mental health. Emily Rosado-Solomon, assistant professor of management at Babson College, explores what makes employees feel good or bad. Emily Rosado-Solomon is an Assistant Professor of Management at Babson College. She received her PhD at Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations, and previously served on […] This is a public epi...

On Gettysburg College Week:  How did doctors begin to track infectious diseases? Jim Downs, professor of Civil War era studies and history, delves into the history. Jim Downs is the Gilder Lehrman-National Endowment for the Humanities Professor of Civil War Era Studies and History at Gettysburg College. He is the author of Maladies of Empire: […] This is a public episode. If you would like t...

On Gettysburg College Week:  Streaming can be harmful to the environment. Salma Monani, chair and professor of environmental studies, explores how to start to change this. Salma Monani is an Environmental Humanities scholar and teacher.  She has extensively published on ecocinema studies, explorations of Indigenous ecomedia, film and environmental justice, and is co-editor of four […] This i...

On Gettysburg College Week:  Retracing steps from the past can open up new understandings of today. Christopher Fee, chair and professor of English, heads to the open water. Christopher R. Fee, Ph. D., is Graeff Professor in the English Department at Gettysburg College and teaches numerous courses on various medieval subjects. His courses include popular seminars […] This is a public episode...

On Gettysburg College Week: Animated movies play an important role in the lives of children. Jennifer Bloomquist, professor of linguistics and Africana studies, determines explains why the representation of the characters on the screen matters. Jennifer Bloomquist is Associate Provost for Faculty Development & Dean of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Programs.  Prior to her appointment [&...

On Gettysburg College Week:  How people cook in their homes can have consequences. Megan Benka-Coker, assistant professor of health sciences, examines one method with the potential to help cut down the risks in hard to reach areas. Dr. Benka-Coker is an Assistant Professor in the Health Sciences Department at Gettysburg College. She is an environmental […] This is a public episode. If you wo...

On Cornell University’s Impacts of A.I. Week:  How humans interact with artificial intelligence may take many forms. Jenny Sabin, Arthur L. and Isabel B. Wiesenberger Professor in Architecture & Inaugural Chair of Design Tech, details a piece of architecture that humans and A.I. can help influence. Jenny E. Sabin is an architectural designer whose work […] This is a public episode. If yo...