The Academic Minute

Text-to-video AI is here, but it’s far from perfect. Jiebo Luo, Albert Arendt Hopeman professor of Engineering and professor of computer science at the University of Rochester, identifies a solution to one challenge. Jiebo Luo is the Albert Arendt Hopeman Professor of Engineering and Professor of Computer Science at the University of Rochester. He is a Fellow of […] This is a public episode....

Understanding how your body senses muscle movement is essential for balance. Katherine Wilkinson, professor of biology at San Jose State University, examines how it works. Katherine Wilkinson is a Professor of biology at San José State University in San Jose, California. Wilkinson’s specialty is studying and understanding proprioception–how our brains understand our physical presence in [&#8...

What factors lead someone to believe a conspiracy theory over the official account of events? Ryan Ceresola, associate professor of sociology and chair of the department of sociology, criminology and human services at Hartwick College, takes a look at this phenomenon. Ryan Ceresola is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Department of […] This is a public episode. If you woul...

Pests are evolving to become resistant to genetically engineered crops. Bruce E. Tabashnik, regent’s professor and head of the department of entomology at the University of Arizona, looks to stay one step ahead. My research team studies the evolution and management of insect resistance to crops genetically engineered for pest control. Current work focuses on […] This is a public episode. If...

Mindfulness may help to lower anxiety for some, but not all.  How do we know who is who? Resh Gupta, postdoctoral research associate at Washington University in St. Louis, looks into the research. Resh Gupta is a postdoctoral research associate with the Mindfulness Science & Practice Cluster and the Cognitive Control & Psychopathology Laboratory at […] This is a public episode. If yo...

On Pomona College Week: Did you binge-watch last weekend? Ryan Engley, assistant professor of media studies, examines why we stay up to keep watching. Ryan Engley researches the intersection of psychoanalytic theory and media studies. His current book manuscript, Seriality: Media and the Psychic Form of Everyday Life, casts the notion of seriality as a […] This is a public episode. If you wo...

On Pomona College Week: Natural climate solutions have a role to play in fighting climate change. Charlotte Chang, assistant professor of biology and environmental analysis, explores how. Charlotte Chang is a computational sustainability scientist whose work focuses on finding solutions for nature and people to thrive together. Chang is the inaugural One Conservancy Visiting Science […] This...

On Pomona College Week: Wildfires in California have a long history. Char Miller, W. M. Keck professor of environmental analysis and history, examines this. Char Miller is the W. M. Keck Professor of Environmental Analysis and History at Pomona College, where he teaches classes on public lands, water, fire, urbanization. Why is California on Fire? […] This is a public episode. If you would l...

On Pomona College Week: What is the Random Forest prediction model? Jo Hardin, professor of math and statistics and Hardison Chair of analytical thinking, explores how it works. Jo Hardin is Professor of Mathematics & Statistics and Hardison Chair of Analytical Thinking at Pomona College. Her research areas include machine learning, methods development for biological […] This is a public...

On Pomona College Week: Unclaimed deaths are on the rise. Pamela Prickett, associate professor of sociology, examines how some have come together to honor them. Pamela Prickett is an associate professor of sociology at Pomona College and former journalist. She is the author of two books about Los Angeles, including The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the […] This is a public episode. If y...

On Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business Week: E-commerce is a big deal in China. Lizhu Liu, associate professor, discusses why. Lizhi Liu is an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and the author of the award-winning book From Click to Boom: The Political Economy of E-commerce in China (Princeton University Press, […] This is a public ep...

On Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business Week: Can algorithms be used to eliminate implicit biases in financial decisions? Francesco D’Acunto, Clark Chair in Global Real Estate and Provost Distinguished professor of finance, determines the possibilities. Francesco D’Acunto is the A. James Clark Chair in Global Real Estate and Provost Distinguished Associate Professor of Finance [&#8...

On Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business Week: Creators want to get paid for their work, but should they also release content for free as well? Ziwei Cong, assistant professor of marketing, says yes. Ziwei Cong is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University. Her research employs econometrics and machine […] This is a public episod...

On Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business Week: A lot of our clothes we buy end up in landfills. Vishal Agrawal, Professor and Henry J. Blommer Family Endowed Chair in sustainable business, looks to reduce this. Vishal Agrawal is Henry J. Blommer Family Endowed Chair in Sustainable Business, Professor of Operations and Information Management, and […] This is a public episode. I...

On Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business Week: Cutting costs has benefits, but also hidden costs. Yunan Ji, assistant professor of strategy at the McDonough School of Business, discusses this as it relates to health care. Yunan Ji is an Assistant Professor of Strategy at the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. Her research focuses on […] This is a public episod...

Angry birds aren’t just a videogame; they have a biological reason to be angry in real life too. Sara Lipshutz, assistant professor of biology at Duke University, explores why. Sara Lipshutz is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Duke University. Her lab’s research focuses on the evolution of behavior across weird and wonderfully […] This is a public episode. If you wou...

We’re still making new discoveries about pregnancy. Donghai Liang, associate professor of environmental health at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, examines how exposure to certain chemicals may affect mothers and babies. As an exposure scientist and molecular epidemiologist, Dr. Donghai Liang is particularly interested in characterizing the human exposome and elucidating the mol...

Mosquitos and ticks are parts of the summer, so how do we best avoid them? Lee Haines, associate research professor in Medical Entomology at the University of Notre Dame, discusses. Lee Haines is a researcher with a PhD in Tropical Medicine and an MSc in Parasite Biochemistry and Microbiology, who specializes in diseases transmitted by […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discu...

Collaboration can happen anywhere these days and bring lots of benefits. Andrew Osborne, faculty lecturer at Douglas College, explores collaboration in an academic framework. Andrew Osborne is a faculty lecturer in intercultural communication at Douglas College in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. In his intercultural communication teaching practice, Andrew has developed and led six Colla...

On this Student Spotlight: Teens aren’t the only ones who should be studied when it comes to social media use. Alison Tuck, Ph. D candidate in clinical psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, researches adult use as well. Alison Tuck is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. Her […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss t...

Drones can help us with wildfire detection and suppression. Matthew Spencer, associate professor of engineering at Harvey Mudd College, takes a bird’s eye view. Matthew Spencer (Member, IEEE) received B.S. and M.Eng. degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2007 and 2008, respectively, and a Ph. D. degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in […] This is a public e...

We think we know what causes mutations in dogs at Chornobyl, right? Megan Dillon, PhD graduate from the Genetics program at North Carolina State University, says that might not be the case. Megan is a recent PhD graduate from the Genetics program at North Carolina State University. Her dissertation work focused on the free-breeding dogs […] This is a public episode. If you would like to disc...

We’re still learning about how to best serve those with autism. Catherine Talbot, assistant professor in the school of psychology at the Florida Institute of Technology, discusses how a hormone for social behavior could help. Catherine F. Talbot is an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at Florida Tech. After receiving her B.S. in […] This is a public episode. If you would like t...

Could the moon of another planet be a source for life as we know it? Antonin Affholder, post-doctoral researcher at the University of Arizona, discusses. Antonin Affholder obtained his PhD from the École Normale Supérieure, in Paris, France, working on developing models of ecosystems on other worlds to assess their habitability and to research biosignatures. […] This is a public episode. If...

Why do meteorites that land on Earth not match their asteroid brethren in space? Patrick Shober, postdoctoral fellow at the Paris Observatory and NASA’s Johnson Space Center, watches the skies for answers. Patrick Shober is a planetary scientist who investigates small solar-system bodies—from asteroids and comets to the spectacular fireballs their debris creates in Earth’s […] This is a publ...