The Academic Minute

How can we reduce traffic jams during the morning commute? Mayank K. Vadaliya, doctoral candidate in information technology at the University of the Cumberlands, explores how prediction models could help.Faculty Bio:Mayank Vadaliya is a doctoral candidate in Information Technology at the University of the Cumberlands, where his research focuses on machine learning applied to transportation systems. He holds a Master’s in Computer Science from Cleveland State University and is a Full Member of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society. His work on reinforcement learning for adaptive traffic signal control in...

Other countries are transitioning to electric vehicles faster than the United States.Gregory Keoleian, professor of sustainable systems at the University of Michigan, details some reasons to make the switch.Faculty Bio:Dr. Greg Keoleian is the Peter M. Wege Professor of Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan and serves as co-Director of the Center for Sustainable Systems, which he cofounded in 1991. His research focuses on systems analysis including life cycle assessment, life cycle costing, and optimization to accelerate climate and sustainability solutions across energy, mobility, buildings, infrastructure, water and wastewater, IT...

Relationships between humans and AI chatbots are a fascinating area of study.Jaime Banks, professor at the school of information studies at Syracuse University, delves into these relationships to see what we can learn.Faculty Bio:Jaime Banks is Professor at the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University. After earning a Ph.D. in Public Communication and Technology from Colorado State University, she has been previously faculty in Ontario, West Virginia, and Texas. Her work is animated by questions about the relationships between humans and social technologies (mostly social AI, social robots...

Immune cells play a key role in regulating eye pressure linked to glaucoma.Katy Liu, associate professor of ophthalmology at Duke University School of Medicine, explores this connection.Faculty Bio:Dr. Katy Liu is an associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Duke University Eye Center. She is a board certified, glaucoma fellowship-trained clinician-scientist with a PhD in Cell & Molecular Physiology, and her primary focus is to make basic science discoveries that can be translated from the bench to glaucoma patients.Transcript:Glaucoma is a disease where...

On University of Miami Week: Water insecurity is already affecting more people than previously thought.Justin Stoler, professor in the Department of Geography and Sustainable Development, explores the quiet water crisis.Faculty Bio:Dr. Justin Stoler’s research explores urban health disparities using social, environmental, and spatial epidemiological methods. He is also affiliated with the Department of Public Health Sciences and the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science & Policy. Dr. Stoler enjoys field work and has worked in several countries—including a decade of experience in Accra, Ghana—exploring links between neighborhood structure, geodemographics, the en...

On University of Miami Week: To maximize the impact of research on youth anxiety, asking the right questions matter.Jill Ehrenreich-May, professor of psychology and pediatrics, dives into this.Faculty Bio:Dr. Jill Ehrenreich-May is a Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami. Dr. Ehrenreich-May’s research is concerned with the development and evaluation of transdiagnostic programs for youth presenting with or at risk for anxiety, depression and related concerns. She directs a community-research clinic at the University of Miami, the Child and Ad...

On University of Miami Week: Can AI bridge the mental health equity gap for Hispanic youth?Willy Prado, distinguished university professor of nursing and health studies, public health sciences, and psychology, explores the possibilities.Faculty Bio:Guillermo (Willy) Prado is professor of Nursing and Health Studies, Public Health Sciences, and Psychology at the University of Miami. He is a pioneer in health disparities and behavioral interventions for the prevention of substance use, sexual risk behaviors, obesity and mental health in Hispanic families.He has received approximately $20 million of continuous NIH and CDC funding...

On University of Miami Week: What is the long-term effect of AI on human behavior? Nina Huang, professor and chair of business technology, discusses how to maximize the benefits and minimize the harms.Faculty Bio:Nina Huang is the Department Chair of Business Technology and Dennis & Smith Family Endowed Chair Professor at the Miami Herbert Business School, University of Miami, Florida. Nina’s expertise centers on understanding how digital technology can enhance user experiences and improve business outcomes. Her research program covers a range of digital contexts, including live streaming, online dating, online le...

On University of Miami Week: Let’s rethink how discovery happens.Alberto Caban-Martinez, Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship, examines how collaboration can help.Faculty Bio:Alberto J. Caban-Martinez is vice provost for research and scholarship at the University of Miami. He is also a tenured professor of public health sciences at the university’s Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. As vice provost, he provides strategic leadership and oversight for the University’s research enterprise, advancing institutional priorities that promote research integrity, innovation, and global impact across its 12 schools and colleges. He direct...

Mindfulness may help to lower anxiety for some, but not all.  How do we know who is who? Resh Gupta, postdoctoral research associate at Washington University in St. Louis, looks into the research. Resh Gupta is a postdoctoral research associate with the Mindfulness Science & Practice Cluster and the Cognitive Control & Psychopathology Laboratory at […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.academicminute.org

Understanding how your body senses muscle movement is essential for balance. Katherine Wilkinson, professor of biology at San Jose State University, examines how it works. Katherine Wilkinson is a Professor of biology at San José State University in San Jose, California. Wilkinson’s specialty is studying and understanding proprioception–how our brains understand our physical presence in […] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.academicminute.org

Can you trust your gut to heal your brain?Sonia Villapol, associate professor and neuroscientist at the Center for Neuroregeneration and the Department of Neurosurgery at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, delves into the microbiome.Faculty Bio:Dr. Sonia Villapol is an Associate Professor and neuroscientist at the Center for Neuroregeneration and the Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute (Houston, TX). She received her B.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Santiago de Compostela (2003) and completed an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Autonomous University...

How do we get better outcomes at lower cost for preschool children?Angeline S. Lillard, Commonwealth professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, explores one option.Faculty Bio:Angeline S. Lillard is the Commonwealth Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia where she directs the Early Development Laboratory and the Montessori Science Program; her research focuses on children’s play and Montessori education. She is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Psychological Association, and the Association for Psychological Science, and Chief Editor of Fr...

Can AI make spacecraft propulsion more efficient?Marcos Fernandez-Tous, associate professor of space propulsion and hypersonic aerodynamics at the University of North Dakota, discusses this topic.Faculty Bio:I currently coordinate the Space Studies Propulsion Lab within the Department of Space Sciences and offer courses on space propulsion, air-breathing engines, and hypersonic aerodynamics. My teaching emphasizes project-based learning and follows the Innovation-Based Learning methodology.I hold a Ph.D. in Space Sciences from the University of North Dakota, where my dissertation focused on developing a novel synchronization protocol for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs...

Despite efforts to avoid it, vessel collisions are still hindering conservation efforts for whales.Dana Cusano, research assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Syracuse University, explores what changes can occur.Faculty Bio:Dana Cusano is a bioacoustician and behavioral ecologist whose research focuses primarily on the acoustic behavior of marine mammals. Her interests include the use of vocal signaling in animals and the link between vocalizations and behavior. Specifically, she is interested in the social interactions between individuals and how arousal may be reflected in acoustic signals. Past research has also...

Would secession work in America?Ryan Griffiths, professor in the Department of Political Science at Syracuse University, looks into why or why not.Faculty Bio:Ryan Griffiths focuses on the dynamics of secession and the study of sovereignty, state systems, and international order. He teaches a variety of courses in international relations. His two recent books include: (1) The Disunited States: Threats of Secession in Red and Blue America and Why They Won’t Work (Oxford University Press, 2025); and (2) Before Colonization: Non-Western States and Systems in the Nineteenth Century (Columbia University Press, 2025, with Charles Bu...

How space are designed can lead to longer wait times for some.Lawrence Chua, associate professor of Architectural History at Syracuse University, explores why.Faculty Bio:Lawrence Chua is a historian of the modern built environment with an emphasis on the trans-regional histories of Asian architecture and urban cultures. He is the author of Bangkok Utopia: Modern Architecture and Buddhist Felicities, published in the University of Hawai’i Press’ Spatial Habitus series in 2021. His current research project, “Untimely Interventions,” investigates the ways modern architecture structured colonial and nationalist perceptions of time and sovereignty in Thail...

Are you talking to a real person? How do you know?Jason Davis, research professor and co-director of the Newhouse Synthetic Media Lab at Syracuse University, examines these questions.Faculty Bio:Dr. Jason Davis is a research professor in the office of Research and Creative Activity at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and co-director of both the Newhouse Synthetic Media Lab and the Emerging Insight Lab. At Syracuse University, Dr. Davis research focuses on the development of AI tools for the detection of synthetic media and disinformation well as STEM...

Taxpayers will be footing the bill for reduced SNAP benefits for older adults.Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs at Syracuse University, explains why.Faculty Bio:Colleen Heflin is a professor of public administration and international affairs. She is also a senior research associate in the Center for Policy Research and a research affiliate in the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health. She has served as associate dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and chair of the Public Administration and International Affairs Department...

One aggressive form of cancer can be set off by an accident in our cells. How do we fight this?Nancy Huang, professor at the Institute of Biosciences and Technology at Texas A&M University, examines.Faculty Bio:Yun (Nancy) Huang, PhD, is a professor at Texas A&M University Institute of Biosciences and Technology and Associate Director of the Center for Epigenetic and Disease Prevention (CEDP) in the Department of Translational Medical Sciences at the Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine. A principal investigator on grants from the National Institutes of Health...