Discovering Academia

Today we talk with Vikram Amar, Distinguished Professor of Law at the UC Davis School of Law. His research focuses on constitutional law, federal courts and civil procedure. In this episode we explore the Electoral College, from its historical context to modern challenges and discuss his work on establishing a national popular vote. We then turn to the Supreme Court, where Professor Amar discusses...

Today, we talk with Christopher Hare, Professor of Political Science at UC Davis, whose research uses statistical modeling to understand voting behavior, public opinion, and political campaigns. In this episode, we cover everything from the challenges in political polling to how the decline in diverse social networks is deepening political divides in the U.S. Professor Hare also shares insights on...

Today we talk with Carlton Larson, a Professor of Law at UC Davis. His work focuses on American legal history and constitutional law, with a focus on treason. In this episode we talk about a range of topics in constitutional law, from the state’s role in naming your children to the historical evolution of the Second Amendment. Professor Larson details the strict constitutional definition of treaso...

Today we talk with Jodie Sun, Senior Lecturer in Modern African and Global History at Fudan University and Visiting Scholar at Stanford University’s Center for African Studies. Her research focuses on international relations history between Africa and China, particularly Kenya and Zambia during the Cold-War era. In this episode we discuss the origin of China’s relationship with Africa and how that...

Today we talk with Anita Oberholster, cooperative extension specialist in enology at UC Davis. Her research focuses on viticulture practices, environmental factors, and how the process of wine making impacts wine composition and quality. In this episode, we start off with a brief overview of wine and the industry before diving deeper into how smoke and wildfires impact grapes. We explore all thing...

Today we talk with Professor Su Zhucheng, Director of the Tea Science department at Zhejiang Agriculture & Forest University. His work explores the intersection of tea science and culture, looking into both social and quality outcomes of different tea processing methods in the broader tea industry economy. In this episode, we talk broadly about the importance of tea in China, from its history...

彭骞 (Peng Qian) is a Professor at Guilin University of Tourism and a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), specializing in rural revitalization. He has been instrumental in the re-development of Daoshan Village, a small farming community south of Guilin. His work focuses on integrating ecological sustainability and cultural preservation with economic growth. Peng has helped boost local tou...

Today we talk with Barnabas Seyler, a researcher of public horticulture and ethnobotany in Chengdu, China. His research focuses on the positive effects of urban green spaces on human health as well as identifying and understanding plants through local cultures. In this episode we discuss urban greening and how environmental education improves urban communities’ relationships with nature. Barnabas...

Today we talk with Jesse Gates, Post-Doc at Nankai University studying Linguistics. His work focuses on Trans-Himalayan languages, particularly Horpa languages such as Stau, looking at both static and evolutionary linguistics. In this episode we explore the complexities of linguistics, from phonetics & morphology to anthropological studies of social structures & language use. Jesse Gates u...

Today we talk with Herman Cappelen, Professor and Chair of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong. His research explores a variety of topics centered around conceptual engineering and the interplay of linguistics, philosophy and societal perceptions. In this episode we talk about language, linguistic norms, translation, global language unity and the essence of intention in communication. We als...

Today we talk with Vivian Lou, a Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at The University of Hong Kong, serving as the Director of the Sau Po Centre on Ageing. Her research looks into the social impacts of aging from family caregiving to mental health of caregivers and age targeted crimes. In this episode we talk about the importance of holistic care solutions for the...

Today we talk with Bayden Russell, Associate Director of the Swire Institute of Marine Science and Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on ecosystem restoration and conservation through nature-based solutions. In this episode we talk about Hong Kong’s unique history of oyster reefs and farming and the potential use for oysters and other “filter feeds” in ocean c...

Today we talk with Ashok Venkitaraman, Professor of Medicine at the National University of Singapore School of Medicine as well as Director of the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore and NUS Centre for Cancer Research. His research focuses on two main questions, what makes certain people more susceptible to cancer over others, and how can we delay cancer evolution in different tissues. In this e...

In today's episode, Brent and Keller reflect on the first 50 episodes of Discovering Academia . After podcasting for one year now, they highlight the mission of Discovering Academia, their travel across Europe & Asia during 2023, and what the future holds for the podcast. If you like the work they are doing, please reach out via podcast@discoveringacademia.com with any suggestions, comments, o...

Today we talk with Ben Leong, an Associate Professor of Computing at the National University of Singapore as well as the Director for the Centre for Computing for Social Good and Philanthropy and the AI Centre for Educational Technologies. His research looks into computer communication networks and protocols, which are the foundation for the world wide web. In the episode we discuss the basics of...

Today we talk to Harold Soh, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and  Collaborative Learning and Adaptive Robots (CLeAR) group at the National University of Singapore . His research looks at decision making, human-robot interactions, and trustworthiness in artificial intelligence. In this episode we talk about the current state of robotics, the difficulties of aligning robot capabilities wi...

Today we talk with Rajasekhar Balasubramanian, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the National University of Singapore. His research looks at environmental sustainability, air quality & pollution control, and waste-to-energy conversion methods. In this episode we talk about the often-overlooked impacts of indoor air pollution, the barriers to a green economy, and the potential...

Today we talk with Elaine Ho, Professor in the Department of Geography and Senior Research Fellow for the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore. Her work focuses on the Chinese diaspora in Singapore, transnational migrant identity, and aging in the Asia-Pacific. In this episode we talk about the evolution of Singaporean identity, longevity in aging societies, and the deve...

Today we talk with Andrew Delios, Vice Dean and Professor in the Department of Strategy and Policy at the National University of Singapore Business School. His work focuses on strategies around foreign direct investment and multinational corporations. In this episode we talk about the role of multinational corporations in the economic growth of developing countries, and how firms weigh cultural an...

Today we talk with Andrew Bailey, associate professor of philosophy at Yale college in the National University of Singapore. His work focuses on the intersection of politics, philosophy and economics. In this episode we talk broadly about the nature of money and its role in society before diving deep into bitcoin. We discuss a wide range of topics around bitcoin, from its role in providing stable...

Today we talk with Vladan Babovic, a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the National University of Singapore . His work focuses on hydroinformatics, the development of water management through information technology and tools like AI and machine learning. In this episode we discuss the unique challenges that Singapore faces in regard to water risk and how the sma...

Today, we talk with Danwei Huang, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Science at the National University of Singapore. His work focuses on the ecology, evolution, and conservation of coral reefs, aiming to uncover insights into their overall health. In this episode, we explore the human-induced factors affecting reefs, including coastal urbanization and reclamation projects, and...

Today we talk with David Teh, writer, curator and assistant professor in the English department at the National University of Singapore. His work spans a variety of topics within the art world, from modern and contemporary Asian art, critical art theory and history, to curatorship and exhibitions. In this episode we discuss the balancing act between the art world and academia, the difficulties of...

Today we talk with Henry Yeung, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Geography at the National University of Singapore. His work focuses on global production networks, in which he seeks to understand the relationship and dynamics of goods at various stages of production around the world from raw materials to end product. In this episode we talk in depth about the interconnectedness of vari...

Today we talk with Peter Sahlins, Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at UC Berkeley who now lives in Burgundy, France. His research looks at a variety of topics in European history from social and legal histories of nationality law and citizenship to animal-human relations and ancient paintings. The first part of the episode we talk in depth about his work on boundaries, and national...