The Academic Minute for 2023.06.19-2023.06.23

The Academic Minute from 6.19 – 6.23

Monday
John Cigliano – Cedar Crest College
Microplastics
John A. Cigliano, Ph.D., is a professor of biology and director of environmental conservation at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He also serves as an Earthwatch Institute principal investigator and as adjunct research faculty at the Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park in Maine.

Cigliano, who earned his Ph.D. in Biology from Boston University and his B.S. in Biology and Geology from the University of Rochester, collaborates with citizen scientists in his work studying both the effects of ocean acidification and warming and of microplastics on temperate rocky-intertidal organisms and communities. He is the Past President of the Marine Section, the President of the Participatory and Citizen Science Working Group, both of the Society for Conservation Biology, and a founding member of the Citizen Science Association.

Tuesday
Ryayo Terao – New York City College of Technology
13 Driver’s Licenses
Prof. Ryoya Terao has co-produced and/or directed documentaries focusing on human-interest subjects. For NHK and PBS, stories include Sled-Dog Dreams about a sled-dog team from an animal shelter in Durango, Colorado; Go Achilles! on disabled athletes from around the globe; Gun Runners on gun-violence through the eyes of former gang members in New York; and Klavierhaus on immigrant brothers who import and restore antique pianos. With respect to environmental concerns, he worked on a documentary about asbestos litigations and in the process, discovered a groundbreaking historic document that led to compensations for asbestos-related diseases in Japan. He also directed Bamboo Bicycle, a story on an innovative bike studio in Brooklyn operated by three young men, hand crafting bamboo bikes for eco-friendly New Yorkers and people in the developing world.

Wednesday
PK Toh – University of Texas at Austin
Who Pulls a Company Out of a (Technological) Rut?
PK Toh is an associate professor of management at The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. He studies technology strategy, including value creation and appropriation in platforms and ecosystems; standard setting as a coordination mechanism; firm search for technologies; competition and innovation; and resource allocation.

A senior editor at Organization Science from 2017 to 2022, Toh is currently on the editorial boards of Strategic Management Journal, Strategy Science, and Strategic Organization. His research has been published in leading academic journals and has won several prestigious awards. He has also won multiple Best Reviewer awards and teaching awards.

Thursday
Erica Kosal – North Carolina State University
The Importance of Developing Students Critical Thinking Skills
Erica loves teaching biology and helping students find their niche in college and fit for a major.  As a teaching faculty member at NC State University, Erica’s primary courses are Critical & Creative Thinking in the Life Sciences and Introductory Biology.  She also is the Director of the Life Sciences First Year Program, which welcomes ~650 new students every year.

Friday
TaLisa J. Carter – American University
Future Correctional Practitioners See a Broken System
TaLisa J. Carter, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology at American University, a non-resident fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institute, an Affiliated Scholar at Urban Institute, and an Affiliate with the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence! at George Mason University. Her research examines theoretical explanations of accountability in the criminal justice system, the role of identity in criminal justice professions, and the impact of colorism on criminal justice outcomes. Previously, she worked as a Deputy Corrections Officer in Savannah, GA where she supervised male and female residents with diverse classification statuses. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. Additionally, her work has been published in outlets including Race and Justice, Deviant Behavior, and Sociological Forum. ORCID: 0000-0002-1662-6089.