How Researchers Changed the World How Researchers Changed the World

Colonel Divakaran Padma Kumar (DPK) Pillay began his career as an Indian Army Officer. In 1994 he was grievously injured during a military incident in Manipur. Following this incident, he shifted his focus to become a researcher, aiming to better understand national security and sustainable development to improve the lives of Indian people just like those he had encountered in combat. Col. DPK Pillay is now a research fellow at the Institute of Defence Studies, a think tank for research in international relations based in New Delhi.

This podcast focuses on Col. DPK Pillay's 2018 research paper: 'Food Security in India: Evolution, Efforts and Problems'. DPK identified a lack of food security, and rising food prices, as a key factor in the unrest and conflict that he found himself in the centre of in 1994. So, in this paper he explores India's history with food security, tracing the problem to its root causes and discussing its impacts on the people of India.

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Ella Kahu is a psychologist, and currently Senior Lecturer at the University of New Zealand. She is primarily interested in social psychology and education, and she's best known for her work on student experience and engagement in higher education settings.

This podcast focuses on Ella Kahu's 2013 research paper: 'Framing student engagement in higher education.' The paper explores existing research on the role of student engagement on achievement in higher education, before proposing a framework which gives a better understanding of this role of student engagement.

Find out more about the How Researchers Changed the World podcast at www.howresearchers.com, and let us know your thoughts on social media @howresearchers using #howresearchers.

Joseph Kahne is an education psychologist, and currently a Professor in the School of Education at the University of California Riverside. His research has focused on political engagement and participation amongst young people, and he’s now particularly interested in how social media is influencing youth political activity.

This podcast focuses on Joseph Kahne's 2018 research paper, written alongside political scientist Benjamin Bowyer: 'The Political Significance of Social Media Activity and Social Networks'. The paper explores the findings from a large survey conducted amongst young people in the United States, looking at their social media use and their political engagement.

Find out more about the How Researchers Changed the World podcast at www.howresearchers.com, and let us know your thoughts on social media @howresearchers using #howresearchers.

Anja Kollmuss is a policy analyst and communications expert on climate mitigation policies, currently working for swisscleantech, a green industry association that lobbies for policies that enable a climate friendly economy. She has coordinated research projects at the intersection of energy, climate change, and sustainable development for over 20 years, and is an associate at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).

This podcast focuses on Anja Kollmuss' 2002 literature review: 'Mind the Gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior?' The paper explores why having awareness and knowledge about climate change is not always enough for people to behave in a pro-environmental way.

Find out more about the How Researchers Changed the World podcast at www.howresearchers.com, and let us know your thoughts on social media @howresearchers using #howresearchers.

"We tend to focus on cycling as being cheap, healthy or easy. While if you talk about … the potential exposure to diversity, you can talk about how cycling can lead to a more egalitarian society."

Marco te Brömmelstroet is Associate Professor in Urban Planning at University of Amsterdam and founding academic director of the Urban Cycling Institute. His research focuses on transportation, urban cycling, and social mobility, with a particular focus on policy change and improving city planning.

This podcast focuses on Marco te Brömmelstroet's 2017 research paper: 'Travelling together alone and alone together: mobility and potential exposure to diversity'. The paper explores how different transportation methods impact our social relationships and feeling of 'connectedness' with our community and the environment. 

"The conscious choice of choosing a partner that’s black, and also marrying, symbolises political commitment to blackness, in black spaces."

Siobhan Brooks is a sociologist and currently Tenure Professor in African American Studies at California State University Fullerton. Her research focuses on the intersection of racial identity, gender, and sexuality, and she is particularly well known for her work on African-American sex workers.
This podcast focuses on Siobhan Brooks’ 2017 research paper: ‘Black on Black Love: Black Lesbian and Bisexual Women, Marriage, and Symbolic Meaning’. The paper explores same-sex relationships among African-Americans, and what access to the social institution of marriage means for black lesbians and bisexual women in particular.