Voices of Excellence

Morton O’Kelly, Professor of Geography and Divisional Dean for the Social and Behavioral Sciences at The Ohio State University College of the Arts and Sciences, is fascinated by how things and people get from one place to another. He discusses whether Columbus is a more efficient city than San Diego or Las Vegas and if airlines that use point-to-point versus hub-and-spoke networks save or co...

Paul Beck, Professor Emeritus of Political Science in the College of the Arts and Sciences, co-coordinates the Comparative National Election Project, which surveys voters in dozens of countries to compare their views. He talks with David Staley about what the project reveals about democracies, including the United States, on this week’s Voices of Excellence. United-States-Nearly-as-Political...

Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy John Beacom describes neutrinos, the fun part of science–learning something new–and the importance of science outreach for introducing young people to the field. To this end, Beacom leads the college’s Science Sundays events, whose season begins this Sunday at 3 PM at the Ohio Union U.S. Bank Conference Theater.  Prof. John Be...

Professor of Comparative Studies David Horn describes the history of spiritism, automatic writing, and other human sciences of the 19th century on Voices of Excellence. Professor David Horn on Cultural and Historical Studies of Science_otter_ai Download

Director of the School of Communications and distinguished professor Michael Slater has researched media influence on youth behavior, as well as the impact of social media on its users. Why Are We Fascinated by Horrifying or Sad Stories? Michael Slater Has Some Thoughts_otter_ai Download

Janet Box-Steffensmeier stepped down as the Interim Executive Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at The Ohio State University in July to return to being the Vernal Riffe Professor of Political Science. She joins David Staley to discuss the extension of the university’s land grant mission and her return to studying coalition behavior in politics. The Foundation of All Universities Is in...

Simone Drake, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of African American and African Studies, discusses her latest book, When We Imagine Grace: Black Men and Subject Making . Diaspora, Beyoncé, and Law School_ Prof. Simone Drake’s Academic Journeys_otter_ai Download

“It encompasses practically everything I do in some capacity or another,” Jim Fowler tells David Staley on the Voices of Excellence podcast. Fowler, an Assistant Professor of mathematics at The Ohio State University College of the Arts and Sciences, researches geometry and topology and uses computational techniques to attack problems in pure mathematics.  Jim Fowler Sees Math Ever...

An Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics, Chris Orban specializes in computational physics and uses video games like Asteroids and Angry Birds to demonstrate coding and physics to his freshman classes at the Marion campus. Asteroids Isn’t Just Fun to Play; It Has Great Physics, Says Professor Chris Orban_otter_ai Download

When Americans think of France, they often think of Paris. But many other locations and cultures thrive in France, such as the Toulousain rock band Zebda, whose activities French & Italian Professor Danielle Marx-Scouras chronicles in her book La France de Zebda . She discusses French culture and politics with David Staley on the Voices of Excellence podcast. What’s French? Prof. Daniell...

Associate Professor Karen Hutzel is Chair of the Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy and interim Chair of the Department of Art. She recently discussed cultural policy and collaborative art making with David Staley on the Voices of Excellence podcast. Karen Hutzel Describes the Making of Art and Cultural Policy_otter_ai Download

Gail Whitelaw, Clinical Associate Professor of Audiology in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science, joins David Staley on Voices of Excellence to discuss audiology, the importance of early hearing loss detection, and the impact of hearing loss on learning to read.  Hearing Loss Can Slow Learning to Read, Says Prof. Gail Whitelaw_otter_ai Download

As the Vice Provost for Global Strategies and International Affairs, Professor of Geography Gil Latz leads development of Ohio State’s global engagement strategy: international research partnerships, recruitment of international students, and study abroad. With regional offices in Shanghai, China; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Mumbai, India, and areas in between, Ohio State’s global presence must b...

In addition to his many publications and academic achievements, Professor and Chair of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science Robert Fox consults about forensic phonetics, including a 2003 murder trial that was resolved with his expertise and audiology technology. The Case of the Murderer Caught by Speech Scientist Robert Fox_otter_ai Download

Films and TV productions about human trafficking made by Eastern and Western European companies don’t differ in outlook as much as one might expect. Yana Hashamova’s latest book, Screening Trafficking , looks at this topic through a cultural lens. Screening Trafficking_ Yana Hashamova Describes Media Depictions of Human Trafficking_otter_ai Download

A sympathetic treatment of people who do horrible things seems hard to justify. So why are such depictions so common with mafia movies and tv, especially in Italy? Professor Dana Renga’s new book Watching Sympathetic Perpetrators on Italian Television: Gomorrah and Beyond offers the first comprehensive study of recent, popular Italian television. Why Do Viewers Find TV Mobsters So Attractive...

We tend to think of a Supreme Court in which Justices divide along party lines as the way it’s always been. But that’s not the case, according to legal scholar Lawrence Baum, whose research points to these party-line divisions as being a relatively recent phenomenon. How Did U.S. Supreme Court Justices Divide Along Party Lines? Lawrence Baum Knows_otter_ai Download

Humans have at least as many microbial as human cells on and in their bodies. These microbes can be beneficial or destructive, and Professor Michael Ibba describes what happens when these microbes get out of control through antibiotic resistance and how Ohio State is working for better health outcomes. Controlling Your Microbes_ Michael Ibba_otter_ai Download

Professor Shank’s latest book explores the power of music to create community, and he discusses this along with a history of Comparative Studies and how greeting cards maintain social connections. Professor Barry Shank Says Musical Beauty Builds Community_otter_ai Download

Citing the song from Hamilton, Provost Bruce A. McPheron says Ohio State should be “in the room where it happens” for higher education topics, ranging from the student experience to teaching and learning. Provost_ Ohio State Should Be in ‘the Room Where It Happens’_otter_ai Download

When researchers studying the teeth of a medieval woman excavated in a dig near Dalheim, Germany found something strange, they knew the right person to call: Professor Alison Beach. Her expertise in twelfth-century female scribes helped to document that women were heavily involved in the creation of illuminated manuscripts. How Did Precious Lapis Lazuli End Up on the Teeth of a Medieval Nun? Aliso...

News images of racial conflict are contradicted by the fact that society is becoming increasingly progressive and accepting of diversity. One key indicator of progress may be increasing instances of mediated interracial interaction, facilitated though a process of cultural voyeurism. Join Professor and Associate Director of the Ohio State University School of Communications Osei Appiah in a conver...

As humans transitioned from hunter-gatherers to farmers, their diet influenced their health greatly. Distinguished Professor of Anthropology Clark Larson’s research shows that “in much of North America, wherever corn agriculture happens relatively late in pre-history, health begins to decline.” Cultivation of Corn Caused Problems for Early Humans, Says Clark Larsen_otter_ai Downl...

Anna Babel, Associate Professor of Hispanic Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, spent 17 years gathering ethnographic data for her 2018 book, Language at the Border of the Andes and the Amazon . She discusses how language use creates similarities and differences among speakers of Spanish and Quechua with host David Staley. She then turns to a topic closer to home, her experien...

Ellen Peters, Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Director of the Decision Sciences Collaborative, joins David Staley to discuss judgment, decision making and choice architecture, as well as Prof. Peters’ forthcoming book, Innumeracy in the Wild: Misunderstanding and Misusing Numbers . Can’t Make Decisions? Prof. Ellen Peters’ Research Can Help You Understand Why_otter_ai D...