The Academic Minute from 10.14 – 10.18
Monday
Matthew Szydagis – University at Albany
Lithium and Clean Energy
University at Albany Associate Professor of Physics Matthew Szydagis received his B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 2005, 2006, and 2011, respectively, then continued his work in physics as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California Davis (2010-2014).
Since 2014, he has been on faculty at the University at Albany Department of Physics, pursuing experimental nuclear physics and particle astrophysics, in particular the direct laboratory detection of dark matter WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) underground, and general detector development for “rare event” searches. He works on the LZ liquid-xenon-based experiment and is the developer of the NEST (Noble Element Simulation Technique) software as well as the “snowball chamber” supercooled water technology together with his colleague, Associate Professor Cecilia Levy.
Tuesday
Zoe Fowler -University at Albany
The Science of Co-Imagination and Relationships
Zoë Fowler is a cognitive scientist and scholar of imagination. She is a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology at SUNY Albany, researching the intersection of imagination, emotion, morality, and social relationships as part of the Imagination & Cognition Lab. Zoë is also an instructor at Skidmore College, where she teaches courses on imagination as well as clinical psychology. She received her M.A. and B.A. from SUNY Albany. Prior to joining the Imagination & Cognition Lab, Zoë’s research journey began in the Laboratory of Comparative Primate Cognition at Emory National Primate Research Center.
Wednesday
Sarah Domoff – University at Albany
Problematic Media Use and Children
Assistant Professor Sarah Domoff is a leading expert on problematic media use during childhood. Her research and clinical work on the mental health impacts of social media use has led to the identification of evidence-based strategies and interventions to prevent excessive screen time and promote healthy media use among children, adolescents, and families. In addition to her clinical research focus, Domoff also partners with schools to screen for problematic media use and to promote balanced and safe screen time in students.
Thursday
Abdullah Canbaz – University at Albany
A.I. Powered Emergency Response and Recovery
Abdullah Canbaz is an assistant professor in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany. His research explores the intersection of security and privacy in networking, network science, and applied data science. Prior to UAlbany, he taught at the School of Sciences at Indiana University Kokomo. He is the founder of Clever AI Technologies, a LegalTech startup that focuses on engineering human rights practices to tailor and expand tech solutions for human rights practice.
Friday
Ursula Lauper – University at Albany
Rise in Legionnaires’ Disease
Ursula Lauper is Chief of the Water Systems Control and Analysis section within the NYS Department of Health Bureau of Water Supply Protection. In this role, she oversees statewide protections against Legionella and leads a variety of research and programmatic activities on Legionella and private wells. Lauper’s research investigates topics including environmental health, waterborne illness and outbreak investigation, legionella, private wells, climate change and health and the intersection of society, environment and health. Lauper teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at UAlbany’s School of Public Health. She is the 2024 recipient of the American Public Health Association Environment Section’s Distinguished Service Award.
