The Academic Minute

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Jason Briner reveals evidence that glaciers respond to temperature changes more rapidly than previously thought.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Rone Shavers of the College of Saint Rose explains the literary movement known as Afro-Futurism.

Rone Shavers is an assistant professor of English at the College of Saint Rose. He is the recipient of numerous fellowships and arts residencies, and has published creative works in such diverse venues as Another Chicago Magazine, www.identitytheory.com, Nth Word, and Pank magazine.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Margaret Groarke of Manhattan College examines the trend of high voter turnout among youthful voters.

Margaret Groarke is an associate professor of government at Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York.  Her research is focused on voter suppression activities, specifically the use of fraud claims and list purging to disenfranchise voters. She holds a Ph.D. from the City University of New York.

About Dr. Groarke

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Daniel Lidar of the University of Southern California explains why diamonds may be the key to quantum computing.

Daniel Lidar is a professor of chemistry and electrical engineering at the University of Southern California. His research is focused on various aspects of quantum information theory, including quantum algorithms, the theory of open quantum systems, quantum phase transitions and entanglement. He holds a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Sora Kim of the University of Wyoming reveals how scientists are using advanced technology to understand the diet of the elusive white shark.

Sora Kim is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wyoming where her research interest include paleoecology, marine ecology, and isotope biogeochemistry. Her current project seeks to better understand the diet and habitat preferences of early whales. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of California Santa Cruz.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Zachary Blount of Michigan State University explains how scientists have observed bacteria evolve new capabilities over thousands of generations.

Zachary Blount is a postdoctoral researcher in the BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action at Michigan State University. Blount is a research associate in the Lenski lab, where evolutionary biologists have observed and recorded changes in E. coli bacteria over more than 50,000 generations.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Michael Sayette of the University of Pittsburgh explains how alcohol influences social interactions between strangers.

Michael Sayette is a professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh where his research interests include the psychological theories of alcohol use and abuse, cigarette smoking, drug craving, and social processes in addiction, alcohol and stress. His findings have been published in a number of peer-reviewed journals and he holds a Ph.D. from Rutgers University.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Thomas Emerson of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign explains a microscopic discovery that reveals big things about culture and ritual at one of North America’s largest pre-Columbian settlements.

In today’s Academic Minute, Walter Piper of Chapman University explains why territorial disputes among loons can become a battle to the death.

Walter Piper is a professor of biology at Chapman University in Orange, California. He has studied the territoriality of Common Loons since 1993 in Oneida County, Wisconsin. His Loon Project seeks to understand how young animals acquire a breeding territory and how older, established breeders hold onto their territories for as long as possible. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Kiisa Nishikawa of Northern Arizona University explains how advanced materials are leading to an increase in the mobility and stability of prosthetic limbs.

Kiisa Nishikawa is a Regents’ Professor of biology at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.  Through her lab, she has overseen projects investigating the elastic properties of muscles and the neuromechanics of how frogs capture prey. Her work has been widely published and she holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.