Voices of Excellence

Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, Professor of Developmental Psychology, discusses her research on family dynamics, particularly focusing on father-child relationships, co-parenting, and the transition into parenthood. She talks about the New Parents Project , which has followed nearly 200 couples from pregnancy through their child’s early years, examining the impact of factors like maternal gatekeepi...

Harvey Miller, professor of geography and Director of the Center for Urban and Regional Analysis, discusses his project “ Ghost Neighborhoods of Columbus ,” which uses AI, machine learning, and GIS to extract data from historic Sanborn fire insurance maps and construct 3D virtual models of neighborhoods that have been altered or destroyed by urban renewal, highway construction, and redlining. The...

Harriet Fertik, Associate Professor in the Department of Classics, discusses her research in classical reception, as well as her focus on literature and political thought in the early Roman empire. She speaks on her most recent project, Traditions Lost and Found: W. E. B. Du Bois, Hannah Arendt, and Classical Antiquity , which explores the intersections of these two thinkers and their uses of clas...

 EJ Westlake, Professor and Chair of Theatre, Film and Media Arts, shares insights into her vast and varied work with plays, which includes her experiences directing, writing, and conducting research. She discusses her award-winning play about Amelia Earhart’s life, exploits, and ultimate tragedy. She also speaks on her many research and academic interests, including historical pageants, Nic...

Sarah Neville, Associate Professor of English and Theater, Film, and Media Arts, discusses her role as a book historian, editorial theorist, and creative director of Lord Denney’s Players . Neville emphasizes the importance of the materiality of books, not just as containers for text, but as objects that hold meaning and historical significance. Neville also elaborates on her work with edito...

Kym McDaniel, Assistant Professor of Dance, shares her wide range of experiences with experimental filmmaking, dance, writing, interdisciplinary art, choreography, education, and the world of disability studies. She talks about her body of work, which is often informed by personal and perceived experiences of disability, injury, and trauma, with her recent film Document with No End examining the i...

Yuan-Sen Ting, Associate Professor of Astronomy and a member of the Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics, discusses his innovative research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and astronomy. He uses large language models as agents to aid in astronomical research. He explains the concept of agentic research, how AI assists in tasks such as identifying outlier data from telescop...

John Herbert, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, discusses his work in computational molecular quantum mechanics and quantum chemistry with host David Staley. Herbert describes machine learning, cost-effective training data for AI models and the need for low-cost computational methods, which he calls “computing for the proletariat”. Professor Herbert also shares his insights on t...

Nyama McCarthy-Brown, Associate Professor of Dance Pedagogy through Community Engagement, discusses her work and achievements in dance pedagogy and community engagement. She also talks about the Ohio State Artist Laureate program, and her experience as the inaugural Laureate in 2023. Dr. Brown talks with host David Staley about her book, Skin Colored Pointes , which explores the experiences of wom...

Adam Fromme, Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Department of Design and contributor to the College of Nursing’s Master of Healthcare Innovation Program, discusses his podcast, Thinking Through Design , which explores the process and mindset behind design work. With host David Staley, he discusses the origins and target audience of the podcast, the importance of in-person interviews, and...

Catalina Iannone, Assistant Professor of Spanish & Portuguese, discusses her work in urban and Iberian cultural studies. She explains how cultural studies explores texts produced by societies, including literature, advertisements, and urban spaces themselves. Her research and book Cities Beyond Crisis focus on the evolution of historically marginalized neighborhoods in Madrid and Lisbon, exami...

Bryan Carstens, Professor of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, discusses his research on phylogeography , molecular ecology, and systematics. Carstens’ lab uses genetic data to understand the evolutionary history of animals. A bat biologist by training, he delves into fieldwork processes, the importance of museum collections, and technological advancements like DNA sequencing and A...

Roman Suer, Arts Scholars Program Manager and recipient of the 2025 Barbara and Sheldon Pinchuk Arts – Community Outreach Award , discusses his award and the details and objectives of the Arts Scholars Program. Suer received the Pinchuk Arts Community Outreach Award for his work on a high school arts incubator project. The program provides applied learning experiences that connect classroom...

Dehua Pei, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, discusses his groundbreaking research on how biomolecules, particularly large proteins, traverse cell membranes. This fundamental question has significant implications for drug discovery. His team has identified a new mechanism they call vesicle budding and collapse (VBC) and is exploring its potential to deliver therapeutic agents...

Sultana Nahar , research professor in the Department of Astronomy and 2025 recipient of the William Fowler Award for Research from the Eastern Great Lakes Section of the American Physical Society, discusses her innovative research in atomic astrophysics, including her notable contributions to the NORAD atomic database and the book Atomic Astrophysics and Spectroscopy . She explores the interdiscip...

Ashley Hope Pérez, Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Studies, discusses her latest book, Deformative Fictions: Narrative Ethics and Cruelty in Twentieth-Century Latin American Literature . Pérez explores difficult and uncomfortable narratives in literature and explains how these fictions challenge readers and why such narratives are important. She and host David Staley discuss h...

Kate Shannon, Associate Professor of Art and the Ohio State University 2025-26 Artist Laureate , focuses on photography, and digitally manipulating and recontextualizing existing photographs to explore their connection to time, history, and the digital age. Shannon is fascinated with the physical deterioration of photographs and how it contributes to their stories. Host David Staley and Shannon di...

Ken Fujita, Professor of Psychology, researches self-control in the Ohio State University Motivation and Cognitive Science Laboratory . He explores how motivation and cognition intersect to affect decision-making and behavior, such as the influence of thinking patterns on desires, as famously shown by the marshmallow test (can a child resist eating a marshmallow for 15 minutes?). Fujita looks at s...

Christa Teston, the Andrea Lunsford Designated Professor of English, discusses her book Doing Dignity: Ethical Praxis and the Politics of Care . Teston argues that dignity is not an inherent trait but a practice that depends on situations and can be taught. She supports her argument with ethnographic research and interviews with healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as cas...

Dr. Jason Rawls, Assistant Professor of Hip Hop Studies, discusses his approach to education, which uses hip hop culture to connect with students. He talks about how he went from being a business major to an educator by emphasizing the importance of authenticity and building strong connections through hip hop. Rawls describes the elements of hip hop culture, youth culture pedagogy, and his innovat...

Björn Köhnlein, Associate Professor of Linguistics, studies sound systems in languages. He and host David Staley discuss how speech melodies and intonational patterns distinguish between statements and questions and the challenges of historical linguistic studies. Köhnlein shares his journey into linguistics, his fascination with generative grammar, and his current research projects, including the...

Roger Beebe, Professor of Art and Theater, Film and Media Arts at Ohio State University, describes his artistic practice of experimental filmmaking and expanded cinema, including his use of found images and multi-projector performances. Beebe’s work seeks to transform traditional film screenings into live events. Beebe shares his creative process, touching on innovative projects like his &#8...

Amy Brunell, Professor of Social Psychology at The Ohio State University, researches narcissism in social contexts. In this interview, she discusses with host David Staley the clinical definition of narcissism versus its understanding from a social psychology perspective and details the three different types of narcissism. Brunell describes how narcissistic traits manifest in individuals, the impa...

Eric Schoon, Associate Professor of Sociology at The Ohio State University, discusses his research interests, such as how social scientists produce knowledge and what makes something have legitimacy. He touches upon his work on linear regression in the book Regression Inside Out , co-authored with David Melamed and Ronald Breiger, and shares insights from interviewing ethnographers about their fie...

Dominik Stecula, Assistant Professor of Communications, discusses his research on political and science communication, focusing on where the public gets its information and the impact of various media types on public attitudes and behaviors. He studies the evolving landscape of media from traditional news to social media, the influence of podcasts such as “The Joe Rogan Experience,” an...