The Academic Minute

Our understanding of alcohol addiction may need a re-write. Andrea King , professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Chicago , tells us why. Andrea King is a clinical and research psychologist with expertise in addictive disorders, including alcohol use disorder. There is a long-held belief that many people drink large amounts of alcohol to self-medicate and reduce ne...

Entrepreneurial leaders lead differently, so how can they be their best? Scott N. Taylor , professor of organizational behavior and the Arthur M. Blank Endowed Chair for Values-Based Leadership at The Blank School at Babson College , suggests a strategy. Scott N. Taylor is a professor of organizational behavior and the Arthur M. Blank Endowed Chair for Values-Based Leadership at The Blank School a...

Chaos theory has changed how we think about certain ideas in physics. Erik Van Aken , instructor of philosophy and religious studies at Rocky Mountain College , explains why. Erik Van Aken is Instructor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Rocky Mountain College. His research focuses on the metaphysics of causality, scientific methodology, and debates on objectivity. In one episode of The Simpso...

What roles did volcanoes play on early Mars? Lucia Bellino , PhD candidate at the University of Texas at Austin , takes a look back to find out. Lucia Bellino is a doctoral student and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in her fourth year at the University of Texas at Austin in Austin, TX. Under the guidance of Dr. Chenguang Sun, Lucia’s research centers the cycling of hydrogen,...

Longer range may soon be coming to EVs. Bilal El-Zahab , associate professor of mechanical and materials engineering at Florida International University , explores durable lithium-sulfur batteries. Dr. Bilal El-Zahab is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Florida International University, where he serves as Graduate Program Director and leads the university’s Battery...

AI may be able to speed up patient care. Eyal Klang , chief of generative AI, Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , explores one way to do so. Eyal Klang, MD, is Chief of Generative AI in the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His research focuse...

How products are priced can leave consumers confused while trying to get the best deal. Mathew Isaac , Loyola professor of marketing and chairperson of the Marketing Department at the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University , delves into why. Mathew S. Isaac, Ph. D. is the Seattle University Loyola Professor of Marketing and Chairperson of the Marketing Department at the Albe...

We’re in need of new ways to fight cancer. Jeffrey Ravetch , Theresa and Eugene M. Lang professor of immunology, virology, and microbiology at the Rockefeller University , examines one new path forward. Ravetch is a faculty member in the David Rockefeller Graduate Program , and the Tri-Institutional M.D.-Ph. D. Program While cancer immunotherapy has helped many patients, most do not respond—and th...

Capping out-of-service oil wells can be expensive, but is there a better way to do so? Mark Mba-Wright , professor of mechanical engineering at Iowa State University , looks into biofuels as a solution. Mark Mba-Wright is a professor of mechanical engineering at Iowa State University. His research focus is sustainable energy systems, including techno-economic analysis, lifecycle assessment and pro...

With shifting landscapes, it can be hard to know why certain ancient temples were built where they are. Benjamin Pennington , school of geography and environmental science at the University of Southampton, takes a closer look at the history of one. Dr Benjamin Pennington is a Visiting Fellow in Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Southampton , as well as a secondary school Geo...

On University of Connecticut Sports Science Week: Having an athletic trainer on hand can be lifesaving for athletes. Why are there not more of them? Robert Huggins , Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, examines. Dr. Robert Huggins is currently the President of Occupational Safety and Athlete Performance at the Korey Stringer Institute. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Dep...

On University of Connecticut Sports Science Week: How do we prevent sudden deaths in sports? Rebecca L. Stearns , associate professor-in-residence in the department of kinesiology, details potential strategies. Rebecca Stearns currently works as the Chief Operating Officer of the Korey Stringer Institute within the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut. During her time at Conn...

On University of Connecticut Sports Science Week: How do social rituals bind us together? Dimitris Xygalatas , associate professor of anthropology, looks at sports fans for clues. Dr. Xygalatas is a cognitive anthropologist whose research combines laboratory and field methods to study human interaction in real-life settings. He has conducted several years of fieldwork in Southern Europe and Maurit...

On University of Connecticut Sports Science Week: Nutrition is important for athletics, so why are so many athletes poorly informed? Jennifer B. Fields , Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, investigates this question. Jennifer Fields is an assistant professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences within the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources at the...

On University of Connecticut Sports Science Week: Predicting injuries could be key to team success. Julie P. Burland , director of research at the Institute for Sports Medicine , examines this possibility. Julie Burland’s research background is in the evaluation and recovery of neuromuscular function and psychosocial factors influencing postoperative and return to sport outcomes after ACL reconstr...

On Cornell Engineering Week: Dividing up a bundle of items fairly can be very tricky, especially for families. Paul Gölz , assistant professor of operations research and information engineering, looks to mathematics for help. Paul Gölz is an assistant professor at Cornell University. He studies the algorithms and mathematics of democracy and fairness, and how these fields can inform AI development...

On Cornell Engineering Week: What can the natural world tell us about computers? Hunter Adams , assistant teaching professor of electrical and computer engineering, examines what we can learn from nature. Hunter Adams is an assistant teaching professor at Cornell University’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. As a former Cornell student with degrees in physics and aerospace engineerin...

On Cornell Engineering Week: There are still mysteries to uncover about the bones in our body. Eve Donnelly , associate professor of materials science and engineering, looks into some to find out. Eve Donnelly is an associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Cornell University, where her research focuses on the microscopic structure and composition of connective...

On Cornell Engineering Week: A solution to heating our homes more efficiently may be right under our feet. Chloe Arson , professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, digs down to explore. Chloé Arson is a professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University with expertise is damage and healing rock mechanics, micro-macro modeling of porous media, and computational ge...

On Cornell Engineering Week: We still have much to unravel about menopause. Nozomi Nishimura , associate professor of biomedical engineering, says science can help. Nozomi Nishimura is an associate professor in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University and director of the Menopause Health Engineering initiative , which aims to unravel the science of menopause. Her research...

What does the fairy tale of the princess and the pea have to teach us about our cells? Amit Pathak , professor of mechanical engineer and materials science at Washington University in St. Louis , feels the way through the research. Amit Pathak is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science at Washington University in St. Louis. His research focuses on mechanobiology, exploring how ce...

On this Student Spotlight: How rich and poor navigated Industrial Manchester may be different from what was previously thought. Emily Chung , PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge , looks through records to shed more light on the history. Emily is a PhD Candidate at the University of Cambridge, in the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure. She holds a Bachelor’s...

How can we drive down real estate prices across the country? John Hatfield , Century Club Professor of Finance at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin , looks into one possible avenue. John Hatfield’s work in matching theory has facilitated the design of many real-world mechanisms, including FCC spectrum auctions, kidney paired donation, and the redesign of the U.S....

How can we transform cervical cancer screening for the better? Rebecca Richards-Kortum , Malcolm Gillis university professor, professor of bioengineering and co-director of Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies , says it could only take an hour. Rebecca Richards-Kortum is a biomedical engineer guided by the belief that all people deserve access to lifesaving technologies. She is known f...

Economics is everywhere, including art. Alexandra Nica , director of the undergraduate program and professor of instruction in the department of economics at the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa , takes a closer look. Alexandra Nica is director of the undergraduate program and professor of instruction in the Department of Economics at the University of Iowa Tippie College of Bu...