News

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Sarah Freakins of the University of Southern California explores the role environmental factors played in the origin of bipedalism. 

Dr. Feakins is an assistant professor of Earth sciences at the University of Southern California’s Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Her research uses biogeochemical analytical approaches to answer questions about climatic and ecological change. Her current projects include compound-specific carbon isotopic reconstruction of paleovegetation. She holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University.

If someone is going to make a joke about a college major, Art History is usually the first target.  But art history can be an important look at the social and political history of an era...and that was never more evident than the Renaissance.  Today on The Best Of Our Knowledge, we’ll take a look at the history of that historically creative time through the lens of two of its giants: Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo.

And we’ll spend an academic minute with another cultural giant: Dr. Who.

Vermont is getting $6.3 million in federal Homeland Security grants to help the state develop prevention and preparedness programs to respond to acts of terrorism and other catastrophic events.

Governor Andrew Cuomo and St. Regis Mohawk tribal leaders have signed an agreement to ensure the Mohawks keep their exclusive casino territory in northern New York while paying the state $30 million in gambling proceeds that have been withheld.

The University of Vermont is getting a new provost from New York's Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

New Hampshire U.S. Representative Carol Shea-Porter has introduced an amendment that would protect pipeline activity between Portland, Maine and Montreal, Canada.

All six of the city of Plattsburgh’s common council seats, and the mayor’s position, are open this year. City Democrats have quickly selected a slate of candidates, and this past weekend, they introduced themselves to the voters.

The casino project proposed in Springfield Massachusetts by MGM Resorts International will be put to the city’s voters in mid-July.

The Springfield City Council has voted unanimously to set July 16th as the date for the citywide casino referendum. The council also authorized $95,000 for a voter education campaign.  Springfield Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola said her office will use direct mail, print, television and internet advertising to promote the casino vote.

One day after New York’s powerful Assembly Speaker admitted “glaring failures” in his handling of a sexual abuse case, the Albany establishment seemed to be moving on, with the usual round of press conferences, bill passage, and leaders meetings.