The Academic Minute for 2024.08.05-2024.08.09

The Academic Minute from 8.05 – 8.09

Monday
Rogerio Pinto – University of Michigan
Helping Straight Men Confront Homophobic and Sexist Beliefs
Rogério M. Pinto is a University of Michigan Diversity & Social Transformation Professor, Berit Ingersoll-Dayton Collegiate Professor of Social Work, and Professor of Theater and Drama, School of Music, Theater & Dance. Pinto conducts community-engaged research to investigate best practices for delivering sociomedical services to ethnic, racial, gender, and sexually minoritized groups; and to broadcast the voices of oppressed individuals. His art practices and artistic research include large installations, video and photography, fashion design, and performance. Pinto uses research findings and artwork to evoke community conversations (critical dialogues) designed to improve critical consciousness around sociopolitical issues.

Tuesday
Michael Werner – University of Utah
Dissecting Fact and Fiction in Dune
Michael Werner is an assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah. He uses worms to study developmental biology.

Wednesday
April Smith – University of Auburn
Identifying Dynamic Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation in Service Members
Dr. Smith is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology at Auburn University and the director of the Research on Eating Disorders and Suicidality (REDS) Laboratory. She also co-directs the Auburn Eating Disorders Clinic. Dr. Smith received her Ph.D. from Florida State University’s Clinical Psychology Program in 2012. Dr. Smith was named a 2016 Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science. Dr. Smith has published over 130 peer-reviewed articles and has received over $6 million in funding from NIMH and the Department of Defense to support her work.

Thursday
Dan Trudeau – Macalester College
Building Inclusive City Parks
Dan Trudeau is an urban geographer. He examines the roles of city planning and public policy in shaping urban development. His work explores the interactions between the built environment and social inequality and focuses on efforts to create more just, equitable, and inclusive cities. Dan works and writes in both academic and public-facing venues. He regularly participates in community-engaged research and connects this to courses he teaches at Macalester College.

Friday
Joe Arvai – University of Southern California Dornsife
The Hidden Risk of Letting A.I. Decide
Dr. Joe Árvai is the Dana and David Dornsife Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology, and he is the Director of the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies at the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences at the University of Southern California.

Joe’s research focuses on improving the critical thinking, judgment, and decision-making capabilities of people. His research focuses primarily on contexts where people must make judgments and decisions under conditions of risk and uncertainty, and where they must confront tradeoffs across conflicting social, economic, and environmental objectives. His research also focuses on situations where people’s instinctive approach to judgment and decision-making is biased by unchecked emotions and motivated reasoning.