The Academic Minute for 2022.11.14-2022.11.18

The Academic Minute from 11.14 – 11.18

Monday, November 14th
Madalina Vlasceanu – New York University
Bias and A.I.
Madalina Vlasceanu is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at New York University and director of the Collective Cognition Lab. Madalina obtained a PhD in Psychology and Neuroscience from Princeton University in 2021 and a BA in Psychology and Economics from the University of Rochester in 2016. Her research focuses on the cognitive and social processes that shape individuals’ and collectives’ memories, beliefs, and behaviors, with direct applications for policy. Guided by a theoretical framework of investigation and striving to achieve ecological validity, Madalina employs a large array of methods including behavioral laboratory experiments, field studies, randomized controlled trials, international many lab collaborations, agent based modeling, and social network analysis, with the goal of stimulating social change and improving societal welfare. Her research is situated at the intersection of basic and applied science, incorporates an interdisciplinary perspective, and directly informs policy relevant to current societal issues, such as algorithmic inequality or the climate crisis.

Tuesday, November 15th
Cara Giovanetti – New York University
Dark Matter
Cara Giovanetti is a third-year graduate student in the NYU physics department, working towards a Ph.D. after receiving a bachelor’s degree in physics from Princeton University.  Cara is interested in the intersection between particle physics and cosmology, and how we can use cosmology to learn more about dark matter.

In 2022, Dr. Cullick was honored as NKU’s Frank Stinton Milburn Outstanding professor. In 2019, he was named College Teacher of the Year by the Kentucky Council of Teachers.

Wednesday, November 16th
Angela Trude – New York University
A Click Too Far For Healthy Foods
Dr. Angela Trude is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. She received an M.S. in Nutrition Science and Dietetics from the Federal University of São Paulo (Brazil) and a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition, from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research encompasses three main areas: i) community-based interventions in low-resource settings; ii) food policy strategies to ensure equitable access to affordable, nutritious food; and iii) early life modifying factors to maximize physical health and productivity. She is the lead author of research articles published in peer-reviewed journals including Maternal & Child Nutrition, Public Health Nutrition, and The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health that examine modifiable factors for chronic disease prevention (i.e., dietary behaviors, food environment, built environment, physical activity, and sleep), child development, and intervention evaluations.

Thursday, November 17th
Eric S. Jackson – New York University
Stutterers Don’t Stutter During Private Speech
Dr. Eric S. Jackson is a clinician-scientist, Assistant Professor, and director of the stuttering and vvariability (savvy) lab at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. His research focuses on the variability of stuttering—why people stutter on some words in some situations, but not on those same words in other situations. More specifically, Dr. Jackson studies social-cognitive processing including social interaction and perception, and anticipation, as sources of variability, using neural, behavioral, and qualitative methods. His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Jackson is also a practicing speech-language pathologist with more than 15 years of experience and expertise in stuttering intervention. His own experience as a person who stutters informs his research, practice, and teaching.

Friday, November 18th
Jasmine Travers – New York University
Nursing Home Staffing Suffers in Disadvantaged Communities
Jasmine L. Travers, PhD, MHS, AGPCNP-BC, RN, is a researcher and adult-gerontological primary care nurse practitioner dedicated to improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities in vulnerable older adults. Her current work, funded by the National Institute on Aging and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, focuses on mitigating disparities in appropriate access and use of long-term care for older adults in a variety of settings, including the home, community, nursing homes, and assisted living.

Travers has published widely on the topics of aging, long-term care, health disparities and inequities, workforce diversity and workforce issues, vaccinations, and infections. She recently served on the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine Committee on the Quality of Care in Nursing Homes which released a widely anticipated report in April 2022, The National Imperative to Improve Nursing Home Quality