The Academic Minute
Jill Ehrenreich-May, University of Miami - To Maximize Impact of Research on Anxiety Treatment, the Right Questions Matter
On University of Miami Week: To maximize the impact of research on youth anxiety, asking the right questions matter.
Jill Ehrenreich-May, professor of psychology and pediatrics, dives into this.
Faculty Bio:
Dr. Jill Ehrenreich-May is a Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami. Dr. Ehrenreich-May’s research is concerned with the development and evaluation of transdiagnostic programs for youth presenting with or at risk for anxiety, depression and related concerns. She directs a community-research clinic at the University of Miami, the Child and Ad...
Willy Prado, University of Miami - Smart Support Can AI Bridge the Mental Health Equity Gap for Hispanic Youth
On University of Miami Week: Can AI bridge the mental health equity gap for Hispanic youth?
Willy Prado, distinguished university professor of nursing and health studies, public health sciences, and psychology, explores the possibilities.
Faculty Bio:
Guillermo (Willy) Prado is professor of Nursing and Health Studies, Public Health Sciences, and Psychology at the University of Miami. He is a pioneer in health disparities and behavioral interventions for the prevention of substance use, sexual risk behaviors, obesity and mental health in Hispanic families.He has received approximately $20 million of continuous NIH and CDC funding...
Nina Huang, University of Miami - Reshaping Human Behavior with AI
On University of Miami Week: What is the long-term effect of AI on human behavior?
Nina Huang, professor and chair of business technology, discusses how to maximize the benefits and minimize the harms.
Faculty Bio:
Nina Huang is the Department Chair of Business Technology and Dennis & Smith Family Endowed Chair Professor at the Miami Herbert Business School, University of Miami, Florida. Nina’s expertise centers on understanding how digital technology can enhance user experiences and improve business outcomes. Her research program covers a range of digital contexts, including live streaming, online dating, online le...
Alberto Caban-Martinez, University of Miami - Rethinking How Discovery Happens
On University of Miami Week: Let’s rethink how discovery happens.
Alberto Caban-Martinez, Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship, examines how collaboration can help.
Faculty Bio:
Alberto J. Caban-Martinez is vice provost for research and scholarship at the University of Miami. He is also a tenured professor of public health sciences at the university’s Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. As vice provost, he provides strategic leadership and oversight for the University’s research enterprise, advancing institutional priorities that promote research integrity, innovation, and global impact across its 12 schools and colleges. He direct...
Resh Gupta, Washington University in St. Louis – Anxiety, Mindfulness, and Cognitive Control
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 […]
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Katherine Wilkinson, San Jose State University – Proprioception
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 […]
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.academicminute.org
Sonia Villapol, Houston Methodist Research Institute - Trust Your Gut to Heal Your Brain
Can you trust your gut to heal your brain?
Sonia Villapol, associate professor and neuroscientist at the Center for Neuroregeneration and the Department of Neurosurgery at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, delves into the microbiome.
Faculty Bio:
Dr. Sonia Villapol is an Associate Professor and neuroscientist at the Center for Neuroregeneration and the Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute (Houston, TX). She received her B.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Santiago de Compostela (2003) and completed an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Autonomous University...
Angeline S. Lillard, Virginia Tech -Montessori Schools Lead to Better Outcomes at Lower Cost
How do we get better outcomes at lower cost for preschool children?
Angeline S. Lillard, Commonwealth professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, explores one option.
Faculty Bio:
Angeline S. Lillard is the Commonwealth Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia where she directs the Early Development Laboratory and the Montessori Science Program; her research focuses on children’s play and Montessori education. She is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Psychological Association, and the Association for Psychological Science, and Chief Editor of Fr...
Marcos Fernandez-Tous, University of North Dakota - AI is Making Spacecraft Propulsion More Efficient
Can AI make spacecraft propulsion more efficient?
Marcos Fernandez-Tous, associate professor of space propulsion and hypersonic aerodynamics at the University of North Dakota, discusses this topic.
Faculty Bio:
I currently coordinate the Space Studies Propulsion Lab within the Department of Space Sciences and offer courses on space propulsion, air-breathing engines, and hypersonic aerodynamics. My teaching emphasizes project-based learning and follows the Innovation-Based Learning methodology.I hold a Ph.D. in Space Sciences from the University of North Dakota, where my dissertation focused on developing a novel synchronization protocol for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs...
Dana Cusano, Syracuse University - Finding Whales Before It's Too Late
Despite efforts to avoid it, vessel collisions are still hindering conservation efforts for whales.
Dana Cusano, research assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Syracuse University, explores what changes can occur.
Faculty Bio:
Dana Cusano is a bioacoustician and behavioral ecologist whose research focuses primarily on the acoustic behavior of marine mammals. Her interests include the use of vocal signaling in animals and the link between vocalizations and behavior. Specifically, she is interested in the social interactions between individuals and how arousal may be reflected in acoustic signals. Past research has also...
Ryan Griffiths, Syracuse University - The Case Against Breaking Up America Why Secession Would Make Things Worse, Not Better
Would secession work in America?
Ryan Griffiths, professor in the Department of Political Science at Syracuse University, looks into why or why not.
Faculty Bio:
Ryan Griffiths focuses on the dynamics of secession and the study of sovereignty, state systems, and international order. He teaches a variety of courses in international relations. His two recent books include: (1) The Disunited States: Threats of Secession in Red and Blue America and Why They Won’t Work (Oxford University Press, 2025); and (2) Before Colonization: Non-Western States and Systems in the Nineteenth Century (Columbia University Press, 2025, with Charles Bu...
Lawrence Chua, Syracuse University - Architecture as Chronopolitical Infrastructure
How space are designed can lead to longer wait times for some.
Lawrence Chua, associate professor of Architectural History at Syracuse University, explores why.
Faculty Bio:
Lawrence Chua is a historian of the modern built environment with an emphasis on the trans-regional histories of Asian architecture and urban cultures. He is the author of Bangkok Utopia: Modern Architecture and Buddhist Felicities, published in the University of Hawai’i Press’ Spatial Habitus series in 2021. His current research project, “Untimely Interventions,” investigates the ways modern architecture structured colonial and nationalist perceptions of time and sovereignty in Thail...
Jason Davis, Syracuse University - Does This Person Even Exist?
Are you talking to a real person? How do you know?
Jason Davis, research professor and co-director of the Newhouse Synthetic Media Lab at Syracuse University, examines these questions.
Faculty Bio:
Dr. Jason Davis is a research professor in the office of Research and Creative Activity at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and co-director of both the Newhouse Synthetic Media Lab and the Emerging Insight Lab. At Syracuse University, Dr. Davis research focuses on the development of AI tools for the detection of synthetic media and disinformation well as STEM...
Colleen Heflin, Syracuse University - New SNAP Rules Threaten the Ability of Older Adults to Retire and Live With Dignity
Taxpayers will be footing the bill for reduced SNAP benefits for older adults.
Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs at Syracuse University, explains why.
Faculty Bio:
Colleen Heflin is a professor of public administration and international affairs. She is also a senior research associate in the Center for Policy Research and a research affiliate in the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health. She has served as associate dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and chair of the Public Administration and International Affairs Department...
Nancy Huang, Texas A&M University - Inside the Cell’s Secret Droplets
One aggressive form of cancer can be set off by an accident in our cells. How do we fight this?
Nancy Huang, professor at the Institute of Biosciences and Technology at Texas A&M University, examines.
Faculty Bio:
Yun (Nancy) Huang, PhD, is a professor at Texas A&M University Institute of Biosciences and Technology and Associate Director of the Center for Epigenetic and Disease Prevention (CEDP) in the Department of Translational Medical Sciences at the Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine. A principal investigator on grants from the National Institutes of Health...
Amaryllis Tsiknia, University of Southern California - Novel Markers May Offer Early Clues to Alzheimer’s Risk
We are always looking for new ways to detect Alzheimer’s disease early.
Amaryllis Tsiknia, neuroscience PhD candidate at the University of Southern California, may have found a clue.
Faculty Bio:
Amaryllis is a 4th-year neuroscience PhD candidate at the University of Southern California. She completed her undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley with a degree in Cognitive Science, and then acquired her Master’s degree in Neuroimaging and Informatics. Her current research uses neuroimaging techniques to uncover how metabolic and vascular factors increase our risk for dementia with a special focus on type 2 diab...
Kim Plofker, Union College - International Math in 18th-century India
Collaboration in mathematics has a long history.
Kim Plofker, associate professor of mathematics at Union College, examines this.
Faculty Bio:
Kim Plofker is Associate Professor of Mathematics at Union College in Schenectady, New York. She received her doctorate from the Department of the History of Mathematics at Brown University in 1995. Her research focuses on the history of mathematics and astronomy in India and its connections with Islamic and early modern European science. Kim Plofker’s books include Mathematics in India (Princeton, 2009); (with Anuj Misra and Clemency Montelle) The Sanskrit Astronomical Table Text Brahmatulyasarini (Br...
Jonathan Lambert, New York University - Green Clay Tennis Courts Sequester Carbon Dioxide in Plain Sight
What do green clay tennis courts have to do with climate change?
Jonathan Lambert, visiting assistant professor of Interdisciplinary Climate Science at New York University, says it’s more than you might think.
Faculty Bio:
Jonathan Lambert is a geochemist and paleoclimatologist in the interdisciplinary-focused Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU. His research themes are twofold - past climate change and modern climate solutions. In his paleoclimate research, he uses fossil plankton to reconstruct ocean conditions in the Pacific over the past 1.5 Million years. In his climate solutions work, he evaluates carbon di...
Victoria Fields, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - The National Alliance of Black Feminists
Revisiting the history of the National Alliance of Black Feminists provides a new lens through which to view intersectionality.
Victoria Fields, doctoral candidate and instructor of record in Communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, explores this.
Faculty Bio:
Victoria T. Fields is an award-winning educator and scholar. She is currently a doctoral candidate and instructor of record in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Victoria is also a graduate assistant for instructional design at the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, where she crafts...
Nick Solomey, Wichita State University - Helping NASA Study Energy From The Solar Core
On Wichita State University Week: What can we learn about the core of the Sun?
Nick Solomey, professor at the Farimount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, looks for answers.
Faculty Bio:
Nickolas Solomey’s research is in the area of experimental particle and astroparticle physics, in the past he worked extensively on quark flavor physics by rare decays of hadrons, CP violation with Kaons, the study of nuclear states of matter and hadronic interaction physics. He was the co-spokesman of the Fermilab E907 experiment. He is also author of the book The El...
Waruna Seneviratne, Wichita State University - Automated Toolless Manufacturing of Composite Structures in Space
On Wichita State University Week: Reducing lift-off weight can be crucial for spaceflight.
Waruna Seneviratne, director of the Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS) at the National Institute for Aviation Research, explores one way to do so.
Faculty Bio:
Waruna Seneviratne is the Director of the Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS) at the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), Wichita State University. With over 25 years at NIAR, he leads a diverse research portfolio in advanced manufacturing, inspection, durability, damage tolerance, certification, and aging of composite aircraft structures—supported by agencies in...
JaeHwan Byun, Wichita State University - Rethinking Learning with AI
On Wichita State University Week: Should we change the way we think about using generative AI for learning?
JaeHwan Byun, associate professor in the College of Education, explores this question.
Faculty Bio:
Dr. JaeHwan Byun is an Associate Professor in the School of Education, College of Applied Studies at Wichita State University. He joined WSU in 2015 and currently serves as Program Chair for the Master of Education in Learning and Instructional Design and Director of the Applied AI in Education Research Lab. Dr. Byun’s work focuses on how educators and learners can en...
Heidi VanRavenhorst-Bell, Wichita State University - Measuring Performance of the Mighty Human Tongue
On Wichita State University Week: Your tongue matters more than you might think.
Heidi VanRavenhorst-Bell, chair and associate professor in the Department of Human Performance Studies, explores why.
Faculty Bio:
Dr. Heidi VanRavenhorst-Bell has an established interdisciplinary line of research in clinical exercise physiology and orofacial myology. Her work in promoting healthy tongue muscle performance through physical activity has been internationally recognized and showcased on NPR’s Science Friday with Ira Flatow. Her research also includes R&D and product validation in the health & fitness industry. Dr. Bell has developed a systematic network pu...
Nikki Keene Woods, Wichita State University - Why Patient Trust Determines Whether Technology Improves Care During Pregnancy
On Wichita State University Week: Technology can only help if people are willing to use it.
Nikki Keene Woods, professor and chair of Public Health Sciences, reveals why some may not trust devices that could help them.
Faculty Bio:
Dr. Nikki Keene Woods is an applied behavioral scientist and public health professor. She joined WSU in 2012. She has master’s degrees in behavioral science and public health in addition to a PhD in Behavioral Psychology from the University of Kansas. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and th...
Sharaya Jones, George Mason University - Why Choosing Stuff to Share is an Ordeal
Making a decision about an activity for a group of friends can be stressful.
Sharaya Jones, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Costello College of Business at George Mason University, examines why emotions play a huge part in the process.
Faculty Bio:
Sharaya M. Jones is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Costello College of Business. Sharaya received her PhD in Marketing from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, and her bachelor's degree from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses...
Zihan Chen, Brown University - The Hidden Cost of a 1965 Medicare Rule
An old Medicare rule is keeping older adults in hospitals longer than necessary, so what can be done?
Zoey Chen, PhD candidate in health services research at Brown University, looks into this.
Faculty Bio:
Zihan Chen is a PhD candidate in Health Services Research at Brown University. She studies Medicare policy, with a focus on post-acute and long-term care.
Transcript:
Imagine this: an older adult falls at home and is hospitalized with a hip fracture. After two days, their doctor says they’re medically stable and ready to leave th...
Erin M. Kenney, Hartwick College - Taking a Closer Look at the Impact of Parent-Child Conversations
How do children learn to talk about themselves and other people?
Erin M. Kenney, assistant professor of psychology at Hartwick College, looks into this using preschool-aged children.
Faculty Bio:
Erin M. Kenney is an assistant professor of psychology at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York. Dr. Kenney’s interdisciplinary work includes time as an early childhood teacher, administrator, professor, and researcher. Her areas of expertise include developmental psychology, early childhood education, parent-child conversation.Kenney’s dedication to bridging the gap between developmental science and developmentally appropriate practice includes a commitment to research practices that...
Aron Barbey, University of Notre Dame - Intelligence Emerges When the Whole Brain Works As One
We are redefining our view of human intelligence.
Aron Barbey, the Andrew J. McKenna Family Professor of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame, looks at how our brain organizes information to do so.
Faculty Bio:
Aron Barbey is also the director of the University of Notre Dame Human Neuroimaging Center and the Decision Neuroscience Laboratory.Barbey’s research investigates how intelligence emerges from the network organization and dynamics of the human connectome, applying methods from cognitive neuroscience, experimental psychology and computer science. His work aims to achieve a deeper understanding of the ne...
Esti Blanco-Elorrieta, New York University - Putting a Number on Bilingual Experience
Putting a figure on a person’s bilingual experience can be daunting.
Esti Blanco-Elorrieta, assistant professor of psychology and neural science at New York University, looks into one way to do so.
Faculty Bio:
I am an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University. In my research, I combine insights from monolingual and multilingual individuals, who process language through speech or sign, to inform an inclusive and comprehensive neurobiology of language. My research combines data from neuroimaging, computational and behavioral methods with theoretical insights from linguistics, psychology and neuroscience.I...
Mariah Purol, Union College - What Happens to Our Love Lives When the Rest of Life Gets Messy
On Union College Week: What happens to our love lives when the rest of life gets messy?
Mariah Purol, assistant professor of psychology, examines this.
Faculty Bio:
Mariah received her PhD in Social & Personality Psychology from Michigan State University in 2024. She is currently a faculty member in the Psychology department of Union College. Her work examines how both individuals’ and their partners’ characteristics influence their relationship satisfaction, life satisfaction, and well-being. To that end, she’s interested in how we create happy, satisfying lives as individuals (studying traits like gratitude and optimism), and as rel...
Stephen Schmidt, Union College - Making A [Tax] Effort for Black Students' Education
![Stephen Schmidt, Union College - Making A [Tax] Effort for Black Students' Education episode artwork](https://substackcdn.com/feed/podcast/7972926/post/206455325/76b0759ec78247092955665dd1f136c3.jpg)
On Union College Week: What can we do to improve education for Black students in majority white communities?
Stephen Schmidt, Kenneth B. Sharpe Professor of Economics, examines possible solutions.
Faculty Bio:
Stephen Schmidt has been professor of economics at Union College since 1994, after completing his Ph.D. in economics at Stanford University. He was appointed the Kenneth B. Sharpe Professor of Economics in September 2019. His research interests include the economics of education, especially education finance, and the normative evaluation of economic outcomes and policies. He has published articles in American Economic Review (Papers...
Holli Frey, Union College -Tick, Tick… Boom! Unraveling the Secrets of Caribbean Volcanoes
On Union College Week: How do we unravel the secrets of volcanoes?
Holli Frey, professor of geosciences, examines tiny crystals to gather clues.
Faculty Bio:
Holli Frey is a professor of Geosciences from Union College (NY). She studies volcanoes, trying to understand the plumbing systems beneath them, looking for clues as to how and why they erupt. She is particularly interested in mineral chemistry and chronology and uses a variety of analytical tools to address fundamental questions about magma evolution. She has active field-based projects in the Caribbean (St. Vincent and Dominica) and...
Guillermina Seri, Union College - Democracy, Markets, Rights, and Emergency Rule
On Union College Week: Why are democracies suspending the rights of their people?
Guillermina Seri, professor of political science, explores this.
Faculty Bio:
Guillermina Seri is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Union College, NY, where she teaches courses in political theory and Latin American Politics. Seri is the author of the books Seguridad: Crime, Police Power, and Democracy in Argentina (Continuum, 2012) and Neoliberalism and Unlawful Governance. The Crisis of Democratic Rights (University of Michigan Press, 2026), and co-editor of the volume Police Abuse in Contemporary Democracies (Palgrave, 2018).
Transcript:<...
Kristin Bidoshi, Union College - What Does it Mean to Teach Language During War?
On Union College Week: Learning goes on, even during war.
Kristin Bidoshi, professor of Russian in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, discusses this through language teaching in Ukraine.
Faculty Bio:
Kristin Bidoshi is a professor of Russian in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and the director of Russian and East European Studies program at Union College, a small liberal arts college in Schenectady, NY. She conducts fieldwork in Eastern Europe and publishes on topics including the use of oral tradition in the works of Anton Chekov, Nikolai Gogol and...
Carrie Cutler, Washington State University - From Future Tasks to Past Events Cannabis Intoxication Disrupts Memory in Many Ways
Cannabis may affect your memory after use, but to what extent?
Carrie Cuttler, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Co-Director of the Cannabis Research Center at Washington State University, investigates this.
Faculty Bio:
Dr. Carrie Cuttler is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Co-Director of the Cannabis Research Center at Washington State University. She directs the Health and Cognition (THC) Lab, where her research examines both the beneficial and detrimental effects of cannabis and cannabinoids. Her recent work focuses on the therapeutic potential of cannabigerol (CBG) and the...
Jonas Mureika, Loyola Marymount University - Can You Paint Like Jackson Pollock? Physics has the Answer
Anyone can make a Jackson Pollock painting, right?
Jonas Mureika, chair and professor of physics at Loyola Marymount University, examines what physics has to say on the matter.
Faculty Bio:
Jonas Mureika serves as chair and professor of physics at Loyola Marymount University. Mureika spent much of his academic training at the University of Toronto, where he earned his B.S. in astronomy and physics and Ph.D. specializing in theoretical cosmology. He also holds an M.S. from the University of Waterloo where he studied particle physics.His research is focused on...
Kim Miller, Wheaton College - African Women's Friendships as Hidden Histories
What role does friendship play in political and resistance movements?
Kim Miller, professor of art history, and coordinator of the Peace and Social Justice Studies Program at Wheaton College, examines this.
Faculty Bio:
Kim Miller is Professor of Art History, and Coordinator of the Peace and Social Justice Studies Program at Wheaton College. Formerly, she directed Wheaton’s Women’s and Gender Studies Program (2006 – 2020), served as co-director of the Institute for the Interdisciplinary Humanities, and held the Jane Oxford Keiter Endowed Chair in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Kim is also a research associ...
Jean Wactawski-Wende, University at Buffalo - A Women's Health Study for the Ages
Healthy aging is critical for the present and the future.
Jean Wactawski-Wende, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the University at Buffalo, discovers more.
Faculty Bio:
Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD, is a SUNY Distinguished Professor and dean of the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions. She is an epidemiologist who focuses her research on understanding factors that influence women’s health.
With more than 25 years of research experience, she is the principal investigator of UB’s Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Center and al...
Jean-Baptiste Ruffio, Unviersity of California, San Diego - How Big Can a Planet Be?
Is there a size limit on planets?
Jean-Baptiste Ruffio, research scientist in astronomy at the University of California, San Diego, checks in to find out.
Faculty Bio:
Jean-Baptiste Ruffio is a research scientist studying extra-solar planets in the Astronomy & Astrophysics department at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He has been developing statistical and instrumentation techniques to push the frontiers of planet detection and characterization with the largest telescopes in the world, both on the ground and in space.
Transcript:
How big can a planet be before it’s...
Samantha Dodson, University of Calgary - She Sees the Trees, He Sees the Forest: Gender Stereotypes of Concreteness and Abstractness
Why do implicit biases still exist in hiring decisions?
Samantha Dodson, assistant professor of organizational behavior and human resources at the University of Calgary, answers this.
Faculty Bio:
Samantha Dodson’s research program focuses on when and why women experiencing roadblocks and adversity are evaluated as deserving of opportunities and support at work.
Transcript:
Since women began joining the modern workforce after World War II, support professions such as secretaries and paralegals have been predominantly occupied by women. The more powerful professions they support, such as executives and lawyers, ar...
