The Academic Minute for 2024.02.19-2024.02.23

The Academic Minute from 2.19 – 2.23

Monday
Ken Jones  – Northern Kentucky University
A Forgotten Voice is Heard
Ken Jones has had original plays and musicals produced throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. His play, DARKSIDE, was chosen as TIME Magazine’s Critic Choice and was also recognized as one of the best plays of the 1980’s.  Other works include A RED EAGLE FALLING, THE MIDDLE OF YESTERDAY, LINCOLN: A PIONEER TALE, BURGERTOWN, the musical, CHURCH GIRLS the musical, VICTIMS OF THE ICE AGE and SLEEPING BEAUTY: RISE AND SHINE.

Ken Jones earned his B.FA. degree in Acting/Directing from the University of Florida, a M.F.A. degree in Playwriting from the University of Virginia and continued to graduate in Playwriting from the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University.

Tuesday
Robert Thorson – University of Connecticut
Stone Wall Science
Robert M. Thorson is Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Connecticut, where he juggles teaching, writing, mentoring, committee work, and community engagement.  He’s a Midwestern native, turned Northwestern geologist, turned Northeastern academic.  His current scholarly interest is the interweave between Anthropocene archaeology, environmental history, and American literature that creates New England’s unique sense of place.  He commutes to work on a woodland trail. He teaches three Earth science courses for UConn’s Honors Core Curriculum and coordinates its Stone Wall Initiative within the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History.

Wednesday
Ilan Kelman – University College London
Preventing Disasters
Ilan Kelman is Professor of Disasters and Health at University College London, England and a Professor II at the University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway. His overall research interest is linking disasters and health, integrating climate change into both.

Thursday
Yingjie Hu – University at Buffalo
Can ChatGPT Help First Responders During Disasters
Yingjie Hu is an associate professor of geography at the University at Buffalo. His research interests include geographic information science and geospatial artificial intelligence. His research on social media’s role in disaster response is supported by the National Science Foundation. Prior to joining the University at Buffalo in 2018, he was an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee. He received his PhD in Geographic Information Science and Cartography from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Friday
Barret Michalec – Arizona State University
The Role of Humility in Health Care
Barret Michalec is the director of the Center for Advancing Interprofessional Practice, Education and Research (CAIPER), and an associate professor in the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation. A sociologist by training, Michalec’s research examines socialization and professionalization processes and mechanisms nested within health professions education and practice – most notably those impacting socio-emotional and team-based skills and attributes. His work also explores disparities in health, healthcare, and within the health professions, with a focus on how structural design of pre-professional pathways may perpetuate the lack of diversity of the healthcare workforce.