Other countries are transitioning to electric vehicles faster than the United States.

Gregory Keoleian, professor of sustainable systems at the University of Michigan, details some reasons to make the switch.

Faculty Bio:

Dr. Greg Keoleian is the Peter M. Wege Professor of Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan and serves as co-Director of the Center for Sustainable Systems, which he cofounded in 1991. His research focuses on systems analysis including life cycle assessment, life cycle costing, and optimization to accelerate climate and sustainability solutions across energy, mobility, buildings, infrastructure, water and wastewater, IT, food systems, and consumer products. He combines systems analysis, sustainability science, and stakeholder engagement to solve critical sustainability challenges and advances solutions by aligning technology, markets, policy, and behavior drivers. He has collaborated with business and industry, national labs, government agencies, and NGOs on hundreds of applied research projects and publications.

Dr. Keoleian has appointments as Professor in the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and as Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. In 2022, he recently was appointed to co-direct MI Hydrogen at UM, a cross campus enterprise to create hydrogen solutions that accelerate clean energy transitions. He earned his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1987.

In 2007, he launched and leads the Engineering Sustainable Systems dual degree program to train a new breed of engineers in sustainable systems. Dr. Keoleian was named to the Reuters Hot List of the world’s top climate scientists in 2021 and was awarded the Society Prize by the International Society for Industrial Ecology in 2025.

Transcript:

Transportation is the second highest household expenditure and automobiles account for 1/6th of total U.S. carbon pollution. So, vehicle choice has a big impact on your budget and the environment.

Total cost of ownership includes vehicle purchase and financing, fuel costs, maintenance and repair, insurance, and taxes. Although upfront costs are higher for electric vehicles, operation and maintenance costs are much lower than gasoline counterparts. Electric sedans and small SUVs have the lowest total ownership costs in most US cities. Battery costs, which account for about 30 percent of total vehicle costs, are decreasing so larger SUVs and pickup trucks will soon reach cost parity particularly given high gasoline prices. 70% of vehicle purchases are used vehicles and used EVs have the least ownership costs so this is an excellent time to buy one.

Let’s shift gears and talk about climate pollution. Many have experienced the smoke from wildfires this summer driven by drier and hotter conditions in the Canadian boreal forests. Costs from weather and climate disasters including droughts, wildfires, flooding and health effects are increasing in the US; they reached $183 billion in 2024. EVs are a key solution. More vehicle electrification, moving from hybrids to plug-in hybrids to all battery electric vehicles means greater benefits. On average, battery electric vehicles have 70% lower lifetime greenhouse gas emissions compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. New England states, due to their cleaner grids, have even lower lifetime emissions.

In China, over 60% of vehicle sales are electric and Norway is above 90% compared to 7% now in the US. EVs are the future, they are quieter, cleaner, and drive better. It’s time for the US to break away from a fossil fuel-based economy and not only strengthen our economic competitiveness but care for the planet and our grandchildren’s future.

Read More:

[Michigan] - Vehicle Lifecycle Emissions Calculator

[Michigan News] - EVs reduce climate pollution, but by how much? New U-M research has the answer

[Michigan News] - Electric vs. gasoline vehicles: Is EV ownership competitive in your area?

[Michigan News] - Used EVs currently offer car buyers lowest lifetime cost of ownership

Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems - Electric Vehicles Factsheet

Vehicle emissions calculator

· Vehicle choice and emissions reduction study

· Total cost of ownership study – new vehicles

· Total cost of ownership study – used vehicles

· Sustainability Factsheets

· Electric vehicles factsheet

Relationships between humans and AI chatbots are a fascinating area of study.

Jaime Banks, professor at the school of information studies at Syracuse University, delves into these relationships to see what we can learn.

Faculty Bio:

Jaime Banks is Professor at the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University. After earning a Ph.D. in Public Communication and Technology from Colorado State University, she has been previously faculty in Ontario, West Virginia, and Texas. Her work is animated by questions about the relationships between humans and social technologies (mostly social AI, social robots, and videogame characters), examined through mixed methodologies. She serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Human-Machine Communication, Journal of Media Psychology, Communication Research Reports, and Technology, Mind, & Behavior. Her work has been funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Army Research Office, and the National Science Foundation. In any spare time, she is caretaker of three rescue mutts and enjoys open-world videogames (for the Horde!).

Dr. Banks teaches undergraduate courses on research methods and human-centered design approaches. At the graduate level, she teaches a course on theories of human-AI interaction. Students interested in taking independent study credits for research experience should reach out via email.

Dr. Banks’ research into human-machine relationships focuses on communicative and cognitive processes as well as the effects of those interactions. In particular, she is interested in how people perceive mind or mental capacities in machines, how people form moral judgments about machine behavior, and how people understand how complex technologies work. Her current work focuses on the dynamics and effects of AI companions, mental shortcuts that might promote fear of or interest in social robots, and how language and media representations shape how people think about these technologies.

Transcript:

Millions of humans are in relationships with AI companions—they chat, argue, and otherwise share mundane and intimate experiences. AI companions have been critiqued because of very unfortunate events, those problems are the exception not the rule. Most people are not delusional—they know their partner is a machine. The relationship is real, but one partner is artificial. And sometimes that artificiality can drive what makes the relationship meaningful: Glitches become personalities and being digital frees the pair from constraints of physical bodies.

I’ve found there are at least two distinct patterns for machine companionship. The first is a connection marked by feelings of genuine care and being understood. The second is a blend of meaningful exchanges and personal growth. In both, people emphasize their feelings are real. This realness becomes even more apparent when we examine how people experience the end of AI relationships. Sometimes apps are shuttered or a model is retired, and there are real impacts on the humans connected to them. For some, it’s merely a deletion of data. For others, there is real loss akin to human death and their grief is real.

We’ve long dismissed these connections as parasocial or unreal because one participant is a machine. But that logic confuses the nature of the partner with the reality of the connection itself. The machine is real. The coordination between human and machine is real. The meaning people make of the relationship is real. It’s only in acknowledging that reality that we can ask important questions—about how these connections operate, how those operations can produce both positive and negative outcomes, and what they might teach us about what it means to be a human.

Immune cells play a key role in regulating eye pressure linked to glaucoma.

Katy Liu, associate professor of ophthalmology at Duke University School of Medicine, explores this connection.

Faculty Bio:

Dr. Katy Liu is an associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Duke University Eye Center. She is a board certified, glaucoma fellowship-trained clinician-scientist with a PhD in Cell & Molecular Physiology, and her primary focus is to make basic science discoveries that can be translated from the bench to glaucoma patients.

Transcript:

Glaucoma is a disease where the pressure in the eye is too high, and it is a leading cause of permanent vision loss. The issue in glaucoma is that the drain of the eye is dysfunctional and does not drain fluid normally from the eye. This leads to a build-up of pressure in the eye and results in vision loss. Most of our existing treatments for glaucoma do not target the drain of the eye where the issue lies. In our research, we examined at the drain of the eye and found immune cells in these drainage tissues. We found that they play a critical role in maintaining eye pressure.

Previous studies found that macrophages – the clean-up crew of the body – are found in the drainage tissues of the eye. Using modern immunology techniques, we were able to show that a specialized type of macrophage, called resident macrophages, live in the drainage tissues of the eye. These resident macrophages are important in housekeeping tasks in other tissues, so we asked whether they’re important in maintaining the normal drainage of fluid from the eye. We removed resident macrophages from drainage tissues in mice, and we found that this altered normal eye pressure. When we removed resident macrophages, eye pressure went up. Next, we asked how resident macrophages regulate eye pressure. We discovered that when we removed resident macrophages, the was a build-up of extracellular or scaffolding material in the drain of the eye, which increases resistance and pressure within the eye. Our study was the first to show that resident macrophages are important in maintaining normal eye pressure.

Glaucoma is a disease of aging, and there are changes to the immune system that occur with aging as well. Our next steps are to look for resident macrophages in human eyes and to determine how they act in eyes with glaucoma. Our goal in the future is to target these specialized immune cells with drug therapies to lower eye pressure and prevent vision loss in patients with glaucoma.

Read More:

[DukeHealth] - Immune Cells Play Key Role in Regulating Eye Pressure Linked to Glaucoma

[Immunity] - Resident tissue macrophages maintain intraocular pressure homeostasis

Katy Liu, associate professor of ophthalmology at Duke University School of Medicine, explores how cells play a key role in regulating eye pressure linked to glaucoma.

Tuesday

Jaime Banks, professor at the school of information studies at Syracuse University, delves into human and AI chatbot relationships to see what we can learn.

Wednesday

Gregory Keoleian, professor of sustainable systems at the University of Michigan, details some reasons to make the switch to an EV.

Thursday

Mayank K. Vadaliya, doctoral candidate in information technology at the University of the Cumberlands, explores how prediction models could help avoid traffic jams.

Friday

Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, clinical assistant professor at the University of North Dakota, looks into why retirement is changing.

Catch up with The Academic Minute from 8/31 - 9/4

Monday

Albert Caban-Martinez - University of Miami
Rethinking How Discovery Happens

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 directs initiatives that strengthen compliance and research governance, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, and works with faculty, staff, trainees, and leadership to enhance research infrastructure and a culture of scientific excellence.

Tuesday

Nina Huang - University of Miami
Reshaping Human Behavior with AI

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 learning, online healthcare, mobile applications, and digital commerce.

Wednesday

Willy Prado - University of Miami
Smart Support: Can AI Bridge the Mental Health Equity Gap for Hispanic Youth

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 since his doctoral studies (including approx. $1 million dollars/year of active funding) as PI and over $100 million as Co-I, mentor, or collaborator. His research has led to over 190 peer-reviewed articles and chapters. His h-index is 48 and the average number of citations per year in recent years is over 800, speaking to the impact of his work on the field.

Thursday

Jill Ehrenreich-May - University of Miami
To Maximize Impact of Research on Anxiety Treatment, the Right Questions Matter

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 Adolescent Mood and Anxiety Treatment Program, which serves as a hub for training and dissemination of evidence-based practices in youth psychotherapy and allows for the study of mechanisms and outcomes associated with transdiagnostic treatments for youth.

Friday

Justin Stoler - University of Miami
America’s Quiet Water Crisis

Dr. Justin Stoler’s research explores urban health disparities using social, environmental, and spatial epidemiological methods. He is also affiliated with the Department of Public Health Sciences and the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science & Policy. Dr. Stoler enjoys field work and has worked in several countries—including a decade of experience in Accra, Ghana—exploring links between neighborhood structure, geodemographics, the environment, communicable diseases, and water insecurity. Dr. Stoler directs the Social & Health Inequities Research & Education (SHIRE) Lab, which provides research and professional development opportunities to students at all levels. His courses blend geospatial frameworks with contemporary population, environmental, and global health issues.

The Academic Minute airs on the WAMC Northeast Public Radio network at 7:30 a.m. and 3:56 p.m. weekdays.

It is also carried by:

KTCU - Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX, KMPB - Dillon, CO, KUCR - Riverside, CA, KTSW - San Marcos, TX, WNAA - Greensboro, NC, WYPL - Memphis, TN, WERB - Berlin, CT, WITR - Rochester, NY, W257BL - Oneonta, NY, W226AC - Troy, NY, WAMC - Albany, NY, WCAN - Canajoharie, NY, W246BJ - Hudson, NY, WAMQ - Great Barrington, MA, WUSR - Scranton, PA, WSUM - Madison. WI, WLUR - Lexington, VA, RADIO READING SERVICE OF MS - Jackson, MS, W240CR - Peekskill, NY, W225BM - Scotia, NY, W299AG - Newburgh, NY, W280DJ - Beacon, NY, W295AA - Middletown, NY, W243BZ - Ellenville, NY,W296BD - Warwick, NY, WOSR - Middletown, NY, WLNA - Beacon, NY, WBNR - Beacon, NY,WCEL - Plattsburgh, NY, WANC - Ticonderoga, NY, KJZA - Kingman, AZ, KJZA - Kingman, AZ,KJZP - Kingman, AZ, KJZK - Kingman, AZ, WAMK - Kingston, NY, W271BF - Highland, NY, WRUN - Utica, NY, WGHQ - Beacon, NY, KAMU - College Station, TX, KRPS - Pittsburg, KS,WUIS - Springfield, IL, CISE - Wolseley, SK (Canada), KISU - Pocatello, ID, W215BG - Milford, PA, CRIS Radio - Windsor, CT, WUOW - Oneonta, NY, WRFA - Jamestown, NY, KXCV - Maryville, MO, WKCC - Kankakee, IL, WWES - Mt. Kisco, NY, KENW - Portales, NM, CISE - Wolseley, SK (Canada), W248AN - Cooperstown, NY, WRUC - Schenectady, NY, WGSU - Geneseo, NY, WAMK - Dover Plains, NY, Science Zone Radio, WSCL - Salisbury, MD, WSDL - Ocean City, MD, KRNW - Chillicothe, MO, WNUB - Northfield, VT, Armed Forces Radio, KNAU, AZ - Arizona Public Radio, KTWH, Two Harbors, MN, KTNA, Talkeetna, AK, WUFT-FM – Gainesville, FL, WBZC - Pemberton, NJ, KPBM, Poplar Bluff, MO, WLRH - Huntsville, AL, WITC - Cazenovia, NY, KUSU – Logan, UT, WRDL – Ashland, OH, KSLU-FM - Hammond, LA

Funding support comes from the American Association of Colleges and Universities:

On University of Miami Week: Water insecurity is already affecting more people than previously thought.

Justin Stoler, professor in the Department of Geography and Sustainable Development, explores the quiet water crisis.

Faculty Bio:

Dr. Justin Stoler’s research explores urban health disparities using social, environmental, and spatial epidemiological methods. He is also affiliated with the Department of Public Health Sciences and the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science & Policy. Dr. Stoler enjoys field work and has worked in several countries—including a decade of experience in Accra, Ghana—exploring links between neighborhood structure, geodemographics, the environment, communicable diseases, and water insecurity. Dr. Stoler directs the Social & Health Inequities Research & Education (SHIRE) Lab, which provides research and professional development opportunities to students at all levels. His courses blend geospatial frameworks with contemporary population, environmental, and global health issues.

Transcript:

When most Americans think of water insecurity, they imagine crises in developing nations and assume that safe tap water is a given in the world’s wealthiest country. Our research tells a different story.

As a global water security researcher, my work focuses on measuring how communities interact with water. Scientists traditionally measured water security by looking at groundwater availability, reservoir levels, or piped water volumes. However, those metrics miss the human experience entirely. Years ago, I was part of a team that created the HWISE scale, a psychometric tool that measures how people experience water insecurity through physical burdens, such as being unable to wash your hands, and psychological distress, such as worrying about not having enough water. The HWISE scale improved our understanding of how water insecurity impacts households globally.

Now, I co-lead a team that created a new scale to measure household water insecurity in the United States. What we’re uncovering is a quiet crisis driven by environmental shocks to water systems, such as floods, fires, and freezes; new contaminants such as PFAS and microplastics; and declining public trust. Our data suggest that roughly one in five US households may experience at least low-level water insecurity.

We need to face several realities. First, national wealth does not guarantee water security; the struggle for water in America is more common than we realize and hurts national productivity. Second, the days of bountiful, cheap, clean water are behind us. But, third and most importantly, we have solutions, such as technology that improves water access and reliability, and payment models that make water more affordable. Our new metrics will help track progress in securing safe water for all Americans.

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 Adolescent Mood and Anxiety Treatment Program, which serves as a hub for training and dissemination of evidence-based practices in youth psychotherapy and allows for the study of mechanisms and outcomes associated with transdiagnostic treatments for youth.

Transcript:

Back-to-school season is stressful. Parents, teachers, and especially students, commonly experience heightened emotions ahead of the new school year. Trained as a clinical psychologist, one of my areas of expertise is youth anxiety and stress. When training future clinical psychologists, I want my students to understand the experience of anxiety and deliver the right tools to cope.

For more than two decades, I have led research on the Unified Protocols for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children and Adolescents, a compelling collection of treatment strategies addressing a range of emotional needs in kids. Put simply, this work aims to frame existing evidence-based treatments typically developed in research settings in a manner that makes them feasible and scalable in any environment. However, much of that work originated in my research clinic. To truly understand how to make youth psychotherapy scalable, you need to move your research outside such a highly controlled setting.

Few evidence-based interventions built for clinical delivery pivot to outside settings, like schools, and even fewer incorporate school community perspectives during adaptation. My latest research attempts to fill these gaps in the literature. I iteratively adapted the Unified Protocol for Adolescents in lower-resource high schools to deliver hands-on, effective cognitive behavioral treatment strategies to students in a natural, familial setting. The resulting program was designed with input from the community, including teachers, students, families, administrators, and more, on how to best adapt the intervention. Results were strong. We found that anxiety-related life interference, irritability and behavioral problems were reduced and students had better classroom behavior.

The program’s success demonstrates that as practitioners and researchers, we need to tailor interventions to best fit the unique needs of youth and the world they live in.

Read More:

[Miami] - College of Arts & Sciences

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 since his doctoral studies (including approx. $1 million dollars/year of active funding) as PI and over $100 million as Co-I, mentor, or collaborator. His research has led to over 190 peer-reviewed articles and chapters. His h-index is 48 and the average number of citations per year in recent years is over 800, speaking to the impact of his work on the field.

Prado’s scholarship on family-based preventive interventions and Hispanic adolescents is internationally recognized. At the time that Prado and his colleagues began developing family-based preventive interventions for Hispanics, there were no such interventions for this population. For significantly advancing knowledge in the behavioral interventions, health disparities, and adolescent health literature, he has received numerous awards and honors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Hispanic Science Network; the Community, Culture, and Prevention Science Award from the Society for Prevention Research; and election to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine. His research has been featured in multiple media outlets including the Miami Herald, NBC, Univision, and CNN en Español. He has also been invited to serve as a witness to the U.S. House Select Committee on Economic Disparities and Fairness in Growth to speak about prevention science and health disparities.

In addition to research and scholarship, Prado has a strong commitment to teaching and mentoring. In addition to his well-funded research program and his administrative responsibilities since arriving at University of Miami in 2007, Prado has taught courses in prevention science, research methods, professional development, and biostatistics. In recognition of his teaching, Prado received the inaugural faculty teaching award in the Department of Public Health Sciences awarded by the Public Health Student Association.

Prado is also dedicated to mentoring and training the next generation of prevention and health disparities scientists, particularly those who identify as underrepresented minorities (URM). In fact, more than 90 percent of his doctoral mentees in the past 10 years have been URMs. All his doctoral mentees have pursued careers in research, academia, and industry. His post-doctoral fellows have all successfully pursued faculty positions upon completion of their post-doctoral training and all his post-doctoral fellows have received NIH K awards and/or R01s within 18 months of completing their fellowship with him. Prado has been the recipient of mentoring awards including the award for mentoring early career preventionists from the Society for Prevention Research and the Presidential Award of the Florida Education Fund for his commitment to training underrepresented minorities.

Prado served as interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, and previously as vice provost for Faculty Affairs and dean of the Graduate School. He previously served as the founding director of the Division of Prevention Science and Community Health, director of the Epidemiology Division, and director of the PhD program in Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the Miller School of Medicine. He is former associate editor of Prevention Science and the immediate past president of the Society for Prevention Research, an organization of more than 800 prevention scientist, practitioners, and policy makers. Currently, he is on the executive committee of the Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine of Florida; and on the board of directors of Research!America, a non-profit medical and health research advocacy alliance, whose board of directors consists of former secretaries of Health and Human Services, former NIH directors, the president of the National Academy of Medicine, the president & Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Colleagues of Nursing, and other health leaders and policy makers.

Transcript:

Hispanic adolescents face significant systemic barriers to mental health care, ranging from limited access to insurance to cultural stigma surrounding treatment. Yet, even as these challenges persist, effective solutions are within reach. When families are equipped with the right tools and support, parents are uniquely equipped to play a powerful role in promoting their adolescent’s mental health and well-being.

For more than two decades, with vital funding, our team developed and rigorously tested Familias Unidas, a culturally grounded, family-based intervention designed to empower parents and strengthen parent-adolescent relationships. By helping families improve communication, build trust, enhance parental involvement, and develop effective monitoring skills, Familias Unidas empowers families to create healthier, more supportive home environments. Through multiple clinical trials, we proved that strengthening family functioning significantly reduces risk behaviors and improves adolescent mental health outcomes.

But research only transforms lives when it reaches the communities who need it most. While we’ve successfully implemented Familias Unidas in communities locally, nationally and internationally, expanding access remains a critical priority. That’s where AI offers an unprecedented opportunity. With ongoing funding and support, we’re pioneering AI-powered digital therapists that can guide family sessions, facilitate more constructive conversations and provide personalized guidance that strengthens family relationships in real time. This work showcases the transformative power of research funding: taking interventions proven through decades of scientific research, combining them with innovative technology, and making evidence-based family mental health support accessible to families wherever they are.

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 learning, online healthcare, mobile applications, and digital commerce.

Transcript:

Artificial intelligence and digital technologies have permeated most aspects of our lives, but what impacts will it have on the human experience long-term?

My research investigates how the cutting-edge technology will influence everything from human decision-making to economic and business outcomes. I seek to uncover the unknown by examining how AI and digital technologies affect the human experience across a variety of contexts, from online shopping and gaming, to software development and business strategy.

With any transformation, there will be positive and negative outcomes. In the case of AI, the consequences can have polarizing effects. On the one hand, AI stands to create tremendous opportunities. For instance, in a recent study I found that incorporating AI streaming assistants into livestream sales improved the online shopper experience. The technology mitigated common tensions in livestream selling, increased sales by 3%, and reduced product return rates by more than 12%.

The technology can spark unintended consequences as well. My research has also investigated the AI investments that businesses make following media exposure of labor issues. In these instances, when businesses invest in AI to address exposed problems, they often automate, rather than augment, human tasks, which puts jobs at risk. The range of effects underscore the importance of developing a comprehensive understanding of AI technology itself and its impact on user experience and business outcomes.

The academic community is uniquely positioned to be a force of good in this AI-led transformation. It is our responsibility to investigate and rigorously vet the evidence that can help users, organizations, and stakeholders understand the opportunities and challenges that accompany advancements. Let’s think about AI not simply as a technological innovation, but as a force that is transforming human behavior and institutions.

Read More:

[News @ the U] - AI assistant for online shopping

[News @ the U] - Labor feeling the squeeze from AI’s advance

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 directs initiatives that strengthen compliance and research governance, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, and works with faculty, staff, trainees, and leadership to enhance research infrastructure and a culture of scientific excellence.

Transcript:

The men and women in the fire service go above and beyond to protect our communities. They give unconditionally in high stress and dangerous environments. Unfortunately, repeated exposure in those environments can increase health risks. For instance, fire investigators, a specialized group who analyze the root-cause of fires, report higher rates of bladder cancer. My research leads a national longitudinal cohort evaluating health outcomes in an effort to inform health and safety best practices for this group.

My team of multidisciplinary experts studies ways to reduce risk for fire service members by investigating evidence-based practices. Our ability to connect experts across disciplines, thoughts, and experiences positions us to solve this challenge.

We see this approach front and center in the University of Miami Laboratory for INtegrative Knowledge. Known as U-LINK, this university initiative fosters collaborative research teams to tackle complex problems. The U-LINK approach catalyzes, nurtures, and develops interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research and science. We’ve seen remarkable success. To date, the program has elevated critical research, such as sustainable coastal protections, improved hurricane cone visualizations, and music therapy initiatives, into federally-funded, world-class efforts with global impacts.

We’re seeing societal issues continue to compound: first responder health and safety, climate change, extreme weather, energy demands, and more. Only when we’re willing to rethink the traditional research framework and not only embrace, but bolster collaboration, will we find solutions to our most vexing issues.

[Miami] - U-LINK

Monday

Alberto Caban-Martinez, Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship, rethinks how discovery happens.

Tuesday

Nina Huang, professor and chair of business technology, discusses how to maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of artificial intelligence on human behavior.

Wednesday

Willy Prado, distinguished university professor of nursing and health studies, public health sciences, and psychology, explores the possibilities of AI helping to bridge the mental health equity gap for Hispanic youth.

Thursday

Jill Ehrenreich-May, professor of psychology and pediatrics, says if we want to maximize the impact of research on youth anxiety, asking the right questions matters.

Friday

Justin Stoler, professor in the Department of Geography and Sustainable Development, explores America’s quiet water crisis.

Catch up with The Academic Minute from 8/24 - 8/28

Monday

Marcos Fernandez-Tous - University of North Dakota
AI is Making Spacecraft Propulsion More Efficient

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.

Tuesday

Angeline S. Lillard - Virginia Tech
Montessori Schools Lead to Better Outcomes at Lower Cost

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 Frontiers in Developmental Psychology. She received her PhD in Psychology from Stanford University in 1991, and the American Psychological Association’s Boyd McCandless Award for her early career contributions to Developmental Science. Her book, Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius (Oxford University Press) received the Cognitive Development Society Book Award, is translated into several languages, and is currently in its 3rd edition.

Wednesday

Sonia Villapol - Houston Methodist Research Institute
Trust Your Gut to Heal Your Brain

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 of Barcelona (2007). She pursued postdoctoral research at the CNRS–Université Pierre et Marie Curie (VI) and INSERM in Paris, and later at the National Institutes of Health/Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine and the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD.

Thursday

Katherine Wilkinson - San Jose State University
Proprioception

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 the world–a complex sensory system related to balance and coordination.

Friday

Resh Gupta - Washington University in St. Louis
Anxiety, Mindfulness, and Cognitive Control

Resh Gupta is a postdoctoral research associate with the Mindfulness Science & Practice Cluster and the Cognitive Control & Psychopathology Laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis. She received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University where she examined the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on event-related potential markers of attentional bias in anxious populations. Her current research utilizes EEG, behavioral, and self-report methods to understand the effects of mindfulness on attentional and cognitive control in anxious populations.

The Academic Minute airs on the WAMC Northeast Public Radio network at 7:30 a.m. and 3:56 p.m. weekdays.

It is also carried by:

KTCU - Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX, KMPB - Dillon, CO, KUCR - Riverside, CA, KTSW - San Marcos, TX, WNAA - Greensboro, NC, WYPL - Memphis, TN, WERB - Berlin, CT, WITR - Rochester, NY, W257BL - Oneonta, NY, W226AC - Troy, NY, WAMC - Albany, NY, WCAN - Canajoharie, NY, W246BJ - Hudson, NY, WAMQ - Great Barrington, MA, WUSR - Scranton, PA, WSUM - Madison. WI, WLUR - Lexington, VA, RADIO READING SERVICE OF MS - Jackson, MS, W240CR - Peekskill, NY, W225BM - Scotia, NY, W299AG - Newburgh, NY, W280DJ - Beacon, NY, W295AA - Middletown, NY, W243BZ - Ellenville, NY,W296BD - Warwick, NY, WOSR - Middletown, NY, WLNA - Beacon, NY, WBNR - Beacon, NY,WCEL - Plattsburgh, NY, WANC - Ticonderoga, NY, KJZA - Kingman, AZ, KJZA - Kingman, AZ,KJZP - Kingman, AZ, KJZK - Kingman, AZ, WAMK - Kingston, NY, W271BF - Highland, NY, WRUN - Utica, NY, WGHQ - Beacon, NY, KAMU - College Station, TX, KRPS - Pittsburg, KS,WUIS - Springfield, IL, CISE - Wolseley, SK (Canada), KISU - Pocatello, ID, W215BG - Milford, PA, CRIS Radio - Windsor, CT, WUOW - Oneonta, NY, WRFA - Jamestown, NY, KXCV - Maryville, MO, WKCC - Kankakee, IL, WWES - Mt. Kisco, NY, KENW - Portales, NM, CISE - Wolseley, SK (Canada), W248AN - Cooperstown, NY, WRUC - Schenectady, NY, WGSU - Geneseo, NY, WAMK - Dover Plains, NY, Science Zone Radio, WSCL - Salisbury, MD, WSDL - Ocean City, MD, KRNW - Chillicothe, MO, WNUB - Northfield, VT, Armed Forces Radio, KNAU, AZ - Arizona Public Radio, KTWH, Two Harbors, MN, KTNA, Talkeetna, AK, WUFT-FM – Gainesville, FL, WBZC - Pemberton, NJ, KPBM, Poplar Bluff, MO, WLRH - Huntsville, AL, WITC - Cazenovia, NY, KUSU – Logan, UT, WRDL – Ashland, OH, KSLU-FM - Hammond, LA

Funding support comes from the American Association of Colleges and Universities:

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.

Faculty Bio:

Resh Gupta is a postdoctoral research associate with the Mindfulness Science & Practice Cluster and the Cognitive Control & Psychopathology Laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis. She received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University where she examined the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on event-related potential markers of attentional bias in anxious populations. Her current research utilizes EEG, behavioral, and self-report methods to understand the effects of mindfulness on attentional and cognitive control in anxious populations.

Transcript:

Anxiety is something we all experience, but it can manifest in many different ways. Research has shown that mindfulness, or paying attention to the present moment without judgment, can reduce anxiety symptoms. However, we still do not fully understand how mindfulness works and which types of mindfulness might be most useful for different types of anxiety.

In recent work, we propose that mindfulness combats anxiety by improving a mental process called cognitive control, the ability to regulate your thoughts and your actions in a way that helps you achieve your goals. Anxiety worsens cognitive control by impairing the brain’s working memory system where your goals are stored. However, mindfulness meditation can effectively modulate activity in brain regions that support cognitive control.

We also propose that different kinds of mindfulness practices might be helpful for different varieties of anxiety. For example, people who spend a lot of time worrying may benefit from focused attention practice. You focus on an anchor, such as your breath or a sound, and every time your mind wanders, you bring your attention back to that anchor. Instead of focusing on the worry, you’re focusing on the present moment experience.

People who are hypervigilant and experiencing symptoms like rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, and tightness in the chest, may do better with open monitoring practice. Instead of focusing on one anchor, you observe all internal and external experiences from moment to moment in a non-reactive, non-judgmental way.

This work should help us move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and better match anxiety sufferers with more precise treatments.

Read More:
[ScienceDirect] – Reconceptualizing the relationship between anxiety, mindfulness, and cognitive control

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.

Faculty Bio:

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 the world–a complex sensory system related to balance and coordination.

Transcript:

In school one of the first things you learn is you have five senses. You have more than that. One is often called the sixth sense—but it’s not what you might think…

This sixth sense is called “proprioception.”

Proprioception is a complex sensory system critical for balance and coordination. One way to understand this is to consider that someone whose proprioception is impaired will have difficulty with simple movements like walking, because they won’t know where their legs are without looking directly at them.

Proprioception relies on our muscles for sensory information, specifically muscle spindles. These are really tiny structures in your muscles that respond to movement. Your brain can take all of these signals from all of your muscles and that gives you a sense of where you are in space.

This muscle information is very important, and if you lose it, you’re in trouble.

What we are interested in in my lab is really understanding how the muscle spindle works. At a basic level the muscle spindle talks in a simple frequency code. But, we want to know how you go from your muscle stretching to an action potential, because there are a lot of different molecular players along the way.

My research is focused on figuring out what all of those are–because if you understand how something works you may be able to help fix it when it stops working.

It’s well known that as people age their proprioception worsens, which can lead to falls and injuries.

I hope that my research can lead to new ways to improve this decline and, therefore, reduce the rates of falling and injuries. Ultimately, this work could also lead to a better understanding of how to improve the proprioception of people facing neuromuscular diseases, aging and obesity.

Read More:
[SJSU] – SJSU Experts: Katherine Wilkinson

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 of Barcelona (2007). She pursued postdoctoral research at the CNRS–Université Pierre et Marie Curie (VI) and INSERM in Paris, and later at the National Institutes of Health/Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine and the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD. In 2014 she joined Georgetown University as a Research Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, moving to HMRI in 2018.
Dr. Villapol’s work, funded by the NIH, Department of Defense, and private foundations, investigates mechanisms of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration across AD and TBI models, the brain–gut axis, and the development of neurorestorative drug-delivery systems. She has published more than 80 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.

Transcript:

Brain injuries and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease remain some of the greatest challenges in modern medicine. My research is centered on understanding how inflammation, the immune system, and the gut microbiome interact to shape brain health after injury and during disease progression.

When the brain experiences trauma, such as a traumatic brain injury, the damage extends far beyond the initial event. The injury triggers a cascade of biological responses that includes immune activation, metabolic dysfunction, and communication among multiple organs, particularly the brain, liver, and gut. This interconnected network, often described as the gut-brain axis, plays a critical role in regulating inflammation, recovery, and long-term neurological outcomes.

In our laboratory, we investigate how signals derived from the microbiome influence the brain’s immune environment and how these interactions can amplify or prolong neuroinflammation after injury. We are especially interested in understanding how these processes may contribute to neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, where chronic inflammation is believed to accelerate disease progression.

To address these questions, our work combines a wide range of approaches, including animal models, clinical research, microbiome sequencing, integration of personalized data using AI, advanced imaging, and nanomedicine. One major focus is the development of targeted nanomedicine therapies that deliver treatments directly to specific brain cells involved in inflammation and tissue damage. At the same time, we are exploring whether modulating the microbiome through diet, probiotics, or related strategies can help restore balance to the gut-brain axis and promote recovery after injury.

By integrating microbiology, neuroscience, and biomedical engineering, we aim to uncover new mechanisms and identify innovative therapeutic opportunities. Ultimately, our goal is to translate this knowledge into more effective treatments that protect the brain, reduce long-term damage, and improve patient outcomes. The future of brain health may depend not only on treating the brain itself, but on understanding the entire biological system that supports it.

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 Frontiers in Developmental Psychology. She received her PhD in Psychology from Stanford University in 1991, and the American Psychological Association’s Boyd McCandless Award for her early career contributions to Developmental Science. Her book, Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius (Oxford University Press) received the Cognitive Development Society Book Award, is translated into several languages, and is currently in its 3rd edition. She has been keynote speaker at dozens of Psychology and Montessori conferences worldwide. Her research has been funded by the Institutes of Education Sciences, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and many private foundations.

Transcript:

Preschool has been around for over a century, but we can't seem to settle on the best models to use--entirely free play, or dive into academics. New research shows the Montessori method yields better outcomes at lower cost.
The study followed for 3 years 588 children who had entered a random lottery for a seat at one of 24 public Montessori schools across the country. About a third won a spot, and the rest were waitlisted. The children were no different on outcomes at baseline when they started pre-K, nor were they different at the end of PK3 or PK4. But at ages 5-6, several differences emerged, and the effects were large. First, children who attended Montessori were better readers; specifically, a child who would have scored at the 50th percentile in reading at a traditional school would have scored at the 71st percentile had they attended Montessori. Children who got into Montessori also had better executive function, short-term memory and social understanding at the end of kindergarten. And the cost savings were $13,127 per child as compared to traditional PK3 through kindergarten programs--a savings that would really add up across all the 3- to 6-year-olds in a district. This is not the first study to show better outcomes from Montessori--other randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and two meta-analyses done in 2023 all come to the same conclusion.
Why isn't there more of this model? One reason may be that there are many poor exemplars. Real Montessori has 3-year age groupings, and teachers give children structured lessons on how to use hundreds of hands-on materials Dr. Maria Montessori and her collaborators developed to convey learning, and then children freely explore those materials with their peers, without grades, and without teachers dictating their schedules. Bridging play and work, the public Montessori preschool model yields better outcomes, at lower cost.

Read More:

[PNAS] - A national randomized controlled trial of the impact of public Montessori preschool at the end of kindergarten

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). Additionally, I earned an M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering with a specialization in Air Traffic Management from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain, completing a thesis on GPS-based approach procedures for Palma de Mallorca Airport.

My research focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to integrating artificial intelligence technologies to advance space propulsion development. Beyond academia, I actively contribute to the community of Grand Forks, where I have resided since 2018.

Transcript:

Every year, hundreds of rockets are launched into space, with numbers rising as missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond become the new reality. But these ambitions depend on propulsion—the technology that moves spacecraft forward. Breakthroughs in this technology are essential to make interplanetary travel faster and more efficient, and artificial intelligence is emerging as a key enabler for that.
One branch of AI, reinforcement learning, teaches machines through trial and error, improving performance by interpreting outcomes and adjusting strategies. This capability is particularly valuable for complex systems that exceed human intuition, such as propulsion systems design. Reinforcement Learning can optimize flight paths to minimize fuel use and travel time, or it can assist engineers by analyzing countless variables—materials, geometry, and heat transfer—to identify configurations that maximize efficiency.
Nuclear propulsion is among the most promising concepts for deep-space missions. Fission-based systems have been tested before, while fusion remains a frontier. Nuclear thermal propulsion, which transfers heat from atomic reactions to hydrogen propellant, could dramatically reduce travel time compared to conventional propulsion. Reinforcement Learning supports this technology by optimizing reactor designs, such as those explored since NERVA program at NASA in the 60s and 70s.
Beyond design, Reinforcement Learning can manage real-time operations, including fuel consumption for adaptable missions. This flexibility is critical for spacecraft that must respond to changing priorities, such as military or multi-role satellites. The ability of Reinforcement Learning to learn and adapt makes it a powerful tool for addressing uncertainty in mission planning.
As propulsion technologies evolve, AI—and derivative tools such as reinforcement learning—will play a central role in enabling faster, safer, and more sustainable space exploration, opening pathways to destinations across and beyond our solar system.

Read More:

[The Conversation] - AI is making spacecraft propulsion more efficient – and could even lead to nuclear‑powered rockets

Marcos Fernandez-Tous, associate professor of space propulsion and hypersonic aerodynamics at the University of North Dakota, discusses whether AI make spacecraft propulsion more efficient.

Tuesday

Angeline S. Lillard, Commonwealth professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, explores how we get better outcomes at lower cost for preschool children.

Wednesday

Sonia Villapol, associate professor and neuroscientist at the Center for Neuroregeneration and the Department of Neurosurgery at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, determines if you can trust you gut to heal you brain.

Thursday

Katherine Wilkinson, professor of biology at San Jose State University, examines proprioception.

Friday

Resh Gupta, postdoctoral research associate at Washington University in St. Louis, looks into mindfulness may help to lower anxiety for some, but not all.

Catch up with The Academic Minute from 8/17 - 8/21

Monday

Colleen Heflin - Syracuse University
New SNAP Rules Threaten the Ability of Older Adults to Retire and Live With Dignity

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.

Tuesday

Jason Davis - Syracuse University
Does This Person Even Exist?

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 focused communication and professional development.

Wednesday

Lawrence Chua - Syracuse University
Architecture as Chronopolitical Infrastructure

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 Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos from 1893 to 1958. The study frames modern built-forms as “chronopolitical infrastructure”—material sites where the historical consciousness and territorial logic of empire were actively constructed.

Thursday

Ryan Griffiths - Syracuse University
The Case Against Breaking Up America Why Secession Would Make Things Worse, Not Better

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 Butcher). Previously, he taught at both the University of Sydney in Australia and at John Hopkins University. He earned a Ph.D. in international relations and comparative politics at Columbia University in 2010.

Friday

Dana Cusano - Syracuse University
Finding Whales Before It’s Too Late

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 centered on investigating the movement of animals in response to anthropogenic disturbance with the use of animal movement models.

The Academic Minute airs on the WAMC Northeast Public Radio network at 7:30 a.m. and 3:56 p.m. weekdays.

It is also carried by:

KTCU - Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX, KMPB - Dillon, CO, KUCR - Riverside, CA, KTSW - San Marcos, TX, WNAA - Greensboro, NC, WYPL - Memphis, TN, WERB - Berlin, CT, WITR - Rochester, NY, W257BL - Oneonta, NY, W226AC - Troy, NY, WAMC - Albany, NY, WCAN - Canajoharie, NY, W246BJ - Hudson, NY, WAMQ - Great Barrington, MA, WUSR - Scranton, PA, WSUM - Madison. WI, WLUR - Lexington, VA, RADIO READING SERVICE OF MS - Jackson, MS, W240CR - Peekskill, NY, W225BM - Scotia, NY, W299AG - Newburgh, NY, W280DJ - Beacon, NY, W295AA - Middletown, NY, W243BZ - Ellenville, NY,W296BD - Warwick, NY, WOSR - Middletown, NY, WLNA - Beacon, NY, WBNR - Beacon, NY,WCEL - Plattsburgh, NY, WANC - Ticonderoga, NY, KJZA - Kingman, AZ, KJZA - Kingman, AZ,KJZP - Kingman, AZ, KJZK - Kingman, AZ, WAMK - Kingston, NY, W271BF - Highland, NY, WRUN - Utica, NY, WGHQ - Beacon, NY, KAMU - College Station, TX, KRPS - Pittsburg, KS,WUIS - Springfield, IL, CISE - Wolseley, SK (Canada), KISU - Pocatello, ID, W215BG - Milford, PA, CRIS Radio - Windsor, CT, WUOW - Oneonta, NY, WRFA - Jamestown, NY, KXCV - Maryville, MO, WKCC - Kankakee, IL, WWES - Mt. Kisco, NY, KENW - Portales, NM, CISE - Wolseley, SK (Canada), W248AN - Cooperstown, NY, WRUC - Schenectady, NY, WGSU - Geneseo, NY, WAMK - Dover Plains, NY, Science Zone Radio, WSCL - Salisbury, MD, WSDL - Ocean City, MD, KRNW - Chillicothe, MO, WNUB - Northfield, VT, Armed Forces Radio, KNAU, AZ - Arizona Public Radio, KTWH, Two Harbors, MN, KTNA, Talkeetna, AK, WUFT-FM – Gainesville, FL, WBZC - Pemberton, NJ, KPBM, Poplar Bluff, MO, WLRH - Huntsville, AL, WITC - Cazenovia, NY, KUSU – Logan, UT, WRDL – Ashland, OH, KSLU-FM - Hammond, LA

Funding support comes from the American Association of Colleges and Universities:

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 centered on investigating the movement of animals in response to anthropogenic disturbance with the use of animal movement models.

Currently, Dana’s research involves studying the acoustic and movement behavior of sei whales, North Atlantic right whales, and humpback whales with the use of biologging tags.

Transcript:

Many whale species feed in Massachusetts Bay and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, but two face an especially urgent threat: the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, with only about 384 left, and the endangered sei whale, a species we know very little about. Both can be found close to shore and in heavily populated areas. They also often feed on the same prey near the surface where they are difficult to see, putting them at high risk for vessel collisions, or ship strikes, one of the most serious threats large whales face.
Decades of conservation efforts have worked to reduce maximum speeds during specific times of year, and even to shift shipping lanes to avoid critical habitats. Despite this, ship strikes remain one of the leading causes of death and injury to right whales — and the number of sei whales struck in the North Atlantic appears to be increasing and is likely underestimated.
A better understanding of what conditions increase that risk, and how to prevent collisions, is critical. My research uses suction-cup tags attached to whales in Massachusetts Bay and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to understand how they move near the surface and underwater while they feed in this important spring-time foraging habitat. These data are combined with information on prey to build models that can identify and predict foraging hot spots — areas where feeding whales are likely to aggregate.
Using remote-sensing technology, we can identify these hot spots from space even before whales are detected in the area. That information is then pushed as alerts to vessels using the global Automatic Identification System network and to vessel operators in the app WhaleAlert — so mariners can respond before it’s too late.

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 Butcher). Previously, he taught at both the University of Sydney in Australia and at John Hopkins University. He earned a Ph.D. in international relations and comparative politics at Columbia University in 2010.

Transcript:

There is a growing interest in secession between Red and Blue America. A 2023 Axios poll found that 20% of Americans support a national divorce, and a 2025 Times/Siena poll found that 64% of Americans think the country is too politically divided to solve the nation’s problems.

The key factor driving this interest in secession is polarization. Whether it is the Red-State secessionists, the California Independence Party, or the Texas Nationalists, they all point to unstoppable polarization and political dysfunction as the reason secession is necessary.

Secession occurs when part of a sovereign state breaks away to form its own recognized sovereign state.

In my research, I argue that while polarization is a serious problem in America, secession is not the solution. Roughly half of secessionist movements turn violent, and most of them fail to gain independence. When they do secede peacefully, it is when specific conditions hold: there is a distinct and regionally concentrated nation, with clear internal borders, and a special administrative status that justifies why that nation can secede when others cannot. None of these conditions hold in America.

The attempt to divide America into two or more countries would almost certainly produce great violence. The so-called red and blue populations are intermixed. Trying to unmix that population and would create a cascade of hyper-polarization and ideological conflict.

I argue that rather than turning to secession as a solution to America’s problems, the better choice is to target the roots of polarization and seek common ground.

Read More:

[Oxford University Press] - The Disunited States

[Columbia University Press] - Before Colonization Non-Western States and Systems in the Nineteenth Century

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 Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos from 1893 to 1958. The study frames modern built-forms as “chronopolitical infrastructure”—material sites where the historical consciousness and territorial logic of empire were actively constructed. Through archival and field-based research, it examines temples, museums, monuments, and exposition pavilions as mediated structures through which colonial powers and indigenous regimes shaped national imaginaries. Dr. Chua is also writing a history of “mid-century modern” architecture from the perspective of the 1955 Afro-Asian Conference at Bandung and editing a collection of translations of primary source documents from the early history of the architectural profession across Asia. Dr. Chua’s scholarship has also appeared in the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, October, the Journal of Urban History, Fabrications, the Journal of Architecture, Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, and Southeast of Now. He currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. He is co-editor of the ArchAsia book series for Hong Kong University Press. He also serves as co-chair of the Race and Architectural History Affiliate Group of the Society of Architectural Historians.
Dr. Chua was most recently a scholar in residence at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University. He has been a Marie S. Curie Junior Fellow at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität and a research fellow at the Getty Research Institute, the Center for Khmer Studies, and the International Institute of Asian Studies at Universiteit Leiden. At Syracuse University, he teaches courses in the histories of global modern architecture, Chinese architecture, Buddhist architecture, postcolonial utopias, and monuments, memory, and melancholia. As a Faculty Fellow in the Special Collections Research Center 2024-2025, he developed a course on the spatial histories of LGBTQ+ communities in Syracuse. Dr. Chua has taught courses in the history and theory of architecture and urbanism as well as studio courses at Hamilton College, New York University, and Chulalongkorn University. He received his PhD in the History of Architecture and Urban Development from Cornell University in 2012. In addition to his scholarship and teaching, he is a founding board member with the artists Julie Mehretu and Paul Pfeiffer, of Denniston Hill, a not-for-profit arts center.

Transcript:

What if power isn’t just exercised through space—borders, buildings, highways—but through time itself?
Take an airport terminal. Its long corridors are designed around an ideal walking speed. Security checkpoints create waiting as an architectural condition—ropes, scanners, holding areas. Departure gates synchronize passengers to global time zones, while detention rooms and passport control stretch time into hours or days for others. And from above, the control tower coordinates it all.
This is chronopolitical infrastructure: architecture that organizes who moves quickly, who waits, and whose time is valued. The same building can accelerate executives through priority lanes while slowing migrants, service workers, or asylum seekers through layered delays.
During the twentieth century, architects and planners increasingly designed buildings around political timelines—speed, efficiency, productivity, and development. Those assumptions hardened into concrete, circulation paths, and zoning codes.
Seeing architecture as chronopolitical infrastructure reminds us that time is not abstract, it’s designed. And if time has been designed to serve power, it can also be redesigned to support care, repair, and more just futures.

Read More:

[Taylor & Francis] - Perfecting Siam: Sovereignty, Sacred Space, and Territory at Wat Rachathiwat

[University of California Press] - A Tale of Two Crematoria: Funeral Architecture and the Politics of Representation in Mid-Twentieth-Century Bangkok

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 focused communication and professional development.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Dr. Davis was director of Business Development and Operations at the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he developed research partnerships in the area of upstream and downstream biologics manufacturing and served as Academic co-chair for the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) workforce development committee. Prior to RPI, he served as global training and development leader at General Electric’s Global Research Center, and as a principal scientist leading research efforts in water purification technologies, CO2 capture, nano-particle drug delivery and DNA and RNA stabilization technology. Prior to his role at GE, Davis was a Senior Research Scientist at Curia Global where his research focused on drug discovery in the areas of oncology, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes.
Davis’s current research focuses on the detection of misinformation and disinformation using AI/ML tools and the development of detection systems for synthetic media including text, images, audio and video as well as explainability frameworks for AI and Human-in-the-Loop decision making.
Dr. Davis holds more than 10 patents in the areas of diabetes, water purification technology, anti-fouling coatings, and RNA sample stabilization technology.
Davis earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from McGill University, and a B.Sc. in Biochemistry (with honors) from Laurentian University.

Transcript:

Over the past year my collaborator Dr. Gina Luttrell and I have been asking a deceptively simple question: Can humans still tell if a person even exists?
To answer this question, we first wanted to find out if people could tell when a short profile was written by a machine rather than a human. To find out, we assembled one hundred profiles, half authored by real journalism students and subject matter experts, and half generated by four different large language models. We asked people to read the profiles and label them as “human” or “synthetic.” The result was striking. Participants were correct only 54% of the time, just a shade above the 50% level that equates to random guessing.
At the same time, we built an AI detector trained on a separate set of 3,000 profiles. When we ran that detector over the same hundred profiles, it correctly identified 46 of the 50 synthetic profiles and 42 of the 50 human profiles, for an overall accuracy of 88%.
What do these numbers tell us? First, as large language models become more fluent, human heuristics, or the gut reactions we take for granted, for spotting deception erode quickly. Second, with the arrival of generative AI, the need to determine if something is real or synthetic represents a new layer of complexity for humans to navigate. Our research suggests breaking this task into three distinct components can help:
The first is Detection: Is the content human-generated or synthetic?
Second is Attribution: Is it coming from who it says it’s coming from?
Finally, Characterization: What is the intent? Is it malicious deception, genuine content, or something in between?
By developing robust, trained AI analytics with clear, human readable evidence, we can assist humans with the first two tasks and help preserve digital trust and transparency. This lets us return to the deeply human task of deciding if the content is good or bad and what to do about it.
As AI creates new challenges in digital trust and transparency, it also illuminates a broader reality: that perhaps the safest path forward is collaboration, not competition, between humans and machines.