The Academic Minute

How do eyeless corals see light? Akihisa Terakita , professor in the Graduate School of Science at Osaka Metropolitan University , dives in to find out more. Akihisa Terakita and Mitsumasa Koyanagi are Professors at Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Science with interest in photoreception. Professor Mitsumasa Koyanagi and myself were lead authors for a study of light-sensing prote...

Speech therapy can be crucial for some children, so how do we improve outcomes? Tara McAllister , associate professor of communicative sciences and disorders at New York University , studies this. Tara McAllister is a linguist and speech-language pathologist in NYU’s Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders. Her research aims to understand how speech skills are acquired in both typical a...

Can concrete play a role in affordable housing in the future? Pablo Moyano Fernandez , associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis , examines. Pablo Moyano Fernández is an Associate Professor and founder of the Performative Concrete Hub (PCH). He brings extensive experience in architecture, having worked with international and national firms with a strong focus on construction. His t...

Repairing the brain after an injury can be crucial. So how do we do it? Robert Krencik , associate professor in the department of neurosurgery and center for neuroregeneration at the Houston Methodist Research Institute , thinks small. Faculty Bio: Dr. Krencik received his PhD in neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and conducted research as a postdoctoral fellow at the University o...

Can we detect Alzheimer’s disease decades before symptoms start? Tomas R. Guilarte , Dean of the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work and professor of cognitive neuroscience and imaging at Florida International University , looks into how this might be done. Tomás R. Guilarte, Ph. D., joined FIU in 2016 after serving as the Inaugural Leon Hess Endowed Chair Professor and Chairma...

On Flagler College Week: Do you like to watch others eat? Minji Kim , assistant professor of communication, explores the psychology behind an online trend. MinJi Kim, Ph. D., is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Flagler College, where her teaching in courses such as Media Literacy, Social Media Management, and Health Communication is deeply informed by her research on how media shapes hea...

On Flagler College Week: Educators often have to do more with less, so how can we still make it work? Ashley Ryder , assistant professor of sport management, examines one way. Dr. Ashley Ryder is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Flagler College. Her teaching and research interests focus on sport ethics, sociology, and pedagogy, with a particular emphasis on reflective and experiential...

On Flagler College Week: What if you make a mistake when giving an alibi? Joshua D. Behl , associate professor of criminology, examines this scenario. Dr. Joshua Behl received his Ph. D. from the University of Florida in August of 2016 where he also received his BA and MA. Dr. Behl’s research interests are found at the intersection of psychology and the law. Using criminological, psychological, an...

On Flagler College Week: We’re still learning how climate changes will impact aquatic habitats. Matthew Brown , professor of natural sciences, looks into one such quandary. Preceded by an undergraduate degree in Chemistry (B.Sc.,Old Dominion University), Dr. Matthew Brown completed an M.Sc.(Oceanography) at the University of Hawaii and a Ph. D. (Ocean Sciences–Marine Chemistry) at the University o...

On Flagler College Week: How do we show up for children with histories of trauma and neglect? Justin Forbes , assistant professor of Religion and Director of the Center for Religion and Culture , takes a communal look. After graduating from Flagler College in 2002, Justin spent ten years in youth ministry. During that time, he was responsible for building and leading teams that worked with middle...

How we teach STEM courses could be undergoing a revolution. Rosie Dutt , instructional consultant and former adjunct lecturer at the Engineering Communication Center at the Washington University in St. Louis , gets hands-on with learning. Dr. Rosie Dutt teaches interdisciplinary computational neuroscience and engineering communication courses that integrate data science and design thinking. In thi...

There may be an easy solution to reducing incarceration for missed court dates. Alex Chohlas-Wood , assistant professor of computational social science at New York University , looks to his phone for answers. Faculty Bio: Alex Chohlas-Wood is an Assistant Professor of Computational Social Science. His research investigates how computational approaches can improve public policy. In recent work, he...

Suffering a traumatic brain injury may come with an additional risk besides concussion. Ross Zafonte , Executive Vice Dean of the University of Missouri School of Medicine , explores this. Faculty Bio: The University of Missouri, School of Medicine selected Dr. Ross Zafonte, DO, to serve as the Executive Vice Dean, effective October 1, 2024. In his role, Dr. Zafonte oversees the development and as...

What is a spillover crisis and how can AI contribute to it? Dan Laufer , professor and head of the School of Communication Studies at the Auckland University of Technology , explains. Faculty Bio: Dr Daniel Laufer, PhD, MBA (The University of Texas at Austin, USA), is a Professor and Head of the School of Communication Studies at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in New Zealand. His prim...

Heatwaves are an issue now and moving forward. Yann Quicalle , postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich , looks at the reasons behind them. Faculty Bio: Dr Yann Quilcaille is a climate scientist, who works to bridge the gap between climate and economic modelling. Thanks to a dual background in climate science and economics of sustainable development, he gained a deep knowledge of this interface. Dr Y...

On Binghamton University Week: We all have to have difficult conversations at work. How do we handle them best? Danielle Dunne , associate professor in the School of Management, discusses. Faculty Bio: Danielle Dunne is an Associate Professor in the School of Management at Binghamton University whose research explores leadership emergence, team dynamics, and workplace communication strategies. Tra...

On Binghamton University Week: Stuttering shouldn’t hold someone back, but people who stutter can face biases. Cody Dew , assistant professor in the division of speech and language pathology at the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, fights against the stereotypes. Cody Dew is a licensed speech-language pathologist and assistant professor in the Division of Speech and Language Pathology...

On Binghamton University Week: If you feel like a fraud, it might be the imposter phenomenon. Jiyun Elizabeth Shin , psychology lecturer, explains. Shin’s research and teaching are transactional, mutually informing and inspiring the other. Her research explores the individual and psychosocial factors that contribute to students’ academic engagement (particularly students from underrepresented grou...

On Binghamton University Week: A boost of nutrients could be what grasslands need for the future. Amber Churchill , assistant professor of ecosystem science, looks into why. Amy Churchill is a plant ecologist conducting research on the consequences of global environmental change at the interface of plant communities and ecosystem ecology, with experience in a range of biomes and ecosystem types. H...

On Binghamton University Week: African American households are shouldering a heavier burden of energy costs; why is this? George Homsy , Director of Environmental Studies and Associate Professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy, finds two possible reasons why. George Homsy’s research centers on sustainability and local government policymaking. He explores the drivers of sustai...

Education is important when it comes to your health. Obinna Ekwunife , assistant professor of medicine at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo , discusses this with one affliction in mind. Dr. Obinna Ekwunife is an Implementation Scientist and Health Economist, currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Population Health, Department...

Improving outcomes for those with the deadliest cancers is ongoing. Trudy G. Oliver, professor in the department of pharmacology and cancer biology at the Duke University School of Medicine, examines a possible new step forward. Trudy G. Oliver, PhD, is a Professor of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology at Duke University and a Duke Science & […] This is a public episode. If you would like...

Changing how we think about our bodies could be beneficial to our health. Catherine Walker, associate professor of psychology at Union College, determines how to do so. Catherine Walker is an associate professor of psychology at Union College, a small liberal arts college in Schenectady, NY. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist with a […] This is a public episode. If you would like t...

Strength training may have additional benefits for slowing the aging process. Jason DeFreitas, professor and department chair in exercise science at Syracuse University, explores. Dr. DeFreitas is a professor and department chair in exercise science at Syracuse University. His lab’s research focuses on how the brain controls the body, and how that control system changes […] This is a p...

Are tests a fair way to predict individual performance? Daniel Robinson, professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, delves into this question. Dan Robinson is currently the Interim Chair of the Department of Higher Education, Adult Learning, and Organizational Studies and also the K-16 Mind, Brain and Education Endowed Chair at the University of […] This is a public episode. If you w...