The Academic Minute

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Astronomy to Zoology www.academicminute.org

  1. 2d ago

    Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, University of North Dakota - The New Reality of Retirement

    Knowing when to retire and leave the workforce can be easier said than done. Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, clinical assistant professor at the University of North Dakota, looks into why retirement is changing. Faculty Bio: Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, PhD, CRC, CFLE, HS-BCP, is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Undergraduate Rehabilitation and Human Services Program in the Department of Education, Health and Behavior Studies at the University of North Dakota. Her academic and professional work focuses on rehabilitation, mental health, accessibility, aging, and disaster preparedness within educational, community, and human service systems.Her recent scholarship and professional contributions have expanded nationally and internationally in the areas of disaster preparedness, recovery systems, educator well-being, accessibility, and aging populations. Her work examines the emotional, educational, and systemic impact of disasters on educators, older adults, and individuals with disabilities, with a particular emphasis on inclusive preparedness, continuity of care, mental health integration, and accessible support systems across educational, health, and rehabilitation settings.She has held leadership roles at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels within rehabilitation and human services organizations. She has published in peer-reviewed journals, contributed to interdisciplinary scholarship, and co-authored two books focused on case and caseload management. Her current work also explores later-life counseling, aging and workforce identity, and resilience across changing life transitions.Outside of her professional work, she enjoys traveling, attending sporting events, spending time with family, and making memories with her rescue dog, Foxy Roxy. Transcript: Retirement is often described as a milestone, a moment when a person leaves work and enters a new stage of life. Yet for many older adults today, the question is no longer simply whether to retire, but how to know when the time is right.Workforce participation among adults age 65 and older has increased in recent decades. Longer life expectancy, rising healthcare costs, and concerns about retirement security have changed how many people approach later life. As a result, the once-clear markers of retirement have become less certain for many Americans.But financial considerations tell only part of the story. Work provides more than a paycheck. For many adults, it offers structure, routine, purpose, and identity. In an increasingly disconnected world, work may be one of the few places where people feel socially anchored, connected to others through relationships, shared experiences, and a sense of contribution. For many people, professional roles become closely tied to how they contribute to their families, communities, and society. Deciding when it is time to step away therefore involves emotional and psychological considerations alongside economic ones.Research on retirement transitions suggests that leaving work is rarely a purely financial decision. Retirement may offer greater freedom, flexibility, and opportunities to pursue other interests. At the same time, work often serves as a source of identity, routine, social connection, and purpose. The challenge for many older adults is not simply deciding whether they can afford to retire but determining when stepping away from work feels right.The challenge is that retirement no longer follows a clear script. Older adults are often encouraged to remain active, productive, and engaged while also being expected to recognize when it is time to leave the workforce.Perhaps the most important retirement question today is not whether people should keep working. It is how people determine when the time is right, and what comes next. Read More: [The Conversation] - Older Americans are often compelled to keep working – and then criticized for not stepping aside 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

  2. 3d ago

    Mayank K. Vadaliya, Univeristy of the Cumberlands - Traffic and Prediction Models

    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 investigates how learning agents can reduce delay and emissions across urban intersection networks. Transcript: Every morning, millions of us sit in traffic that seems to appear out of nowhere. One minute the freeway is moving; the next, it’s a parking lot. What if we could see that jam forming before it actually happens? That’s the question behind my research. I build systems that predict traffic congestion in real time — several minutes before it builds — so drivers and traffic operators have time to react. Most prediction tools lean on a single model. Some are good at the patterns that repeat, like the daily rush hour. Others are better at sudden, irregular changes — a crash, or bad weather. But no single method handles both well. My approach combines three kinds of machine learning. First finds patterns across the road network. Second tracks how traffic changes over time. And last improves the final forecast. Together, they cover each other’s blind spots. I tested this on METR-LA, a public dataset from hundreds of real sensors on Los Angeles freeways. Against standalone models, the hybrid system cut prediction error by more than thirty percent. Why does that matter? A forecast that arrives a few minutes earlier gives the system time to act — to reroute drivers, to retime signals, to warn commuters before they hit the bottleneck. Congestion costs American cities tens of billions of dollars a year and adds needless carbon to the air. Better prediction won’t make traffic disappear. But learning to see the jam before it forms is the first real step toward clearing it. 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

  3. 4d ago

    Gregory Keoleian, University of Michigan - Step Off the Gas and Charge

    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, food systems, and consumer products. He combines systems analysis, sustainability science, and stakeholder engagement to solve critical sustainability challenges and advances solutions by aligning technology, markets, policy, and behavior drivers. He has collaborated with business and industry, national labs, government agencies, and NGOs on hundreds of applied research projects and publications.Dr. Keoleian has appointments as Professor in the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and as Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. In 2022, he recently was appointed to co-direct MI Hydrogen at UM, a cross campus enterprise to create hydrogen solutions that accelerate clean energy transitions. He earned his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1987. In 2007, he launched and leads the Engineering Sustainable Systems dual degree program to train a new breed of engineers in sustainable systems. Dr. Keoleian was named to the Reuters Hot List of the world’s top climate scientists in 2021 and was awarded the Society Prize by the International Society for Industrial Ecology in 2025. Transcript: Transportation is the second highest household expenditure and automobiles account for 1/6th of total U.S. carbon pollution. So, vehicle choice has a big impact on your budget and the environment. Total cost of ownership includes vehicle purchase and financing, fuel costs, maintenance and repair, insurance, and taxes. Although upfront costs are higher for electric vehicles, operation and maintenance costs are much lower than gasoline counterparts. Electric sedans and small SUVs have the lowest total ownership costs in most US cities. Battery costs, which account for about 30 percent of total vehicle costs, are decreasing so larger SUVs and pickup trucks will soon reach cost parity particularly given high gasoline prices. 70% of vehicle purchases are used vehicles and used EVs have the least ownership costs so this is an excellent time to buy one. Let’s shift gears and talk about climate pollution. Many have experienced the smoke from wildfires this summer driven by drier and hotter conditions in the Canadian boreal forests. Costs from weather and climate disasters including droughts, wildfires, flooding and health effects are increasing in the US; they reached $183 billion in 2024. EVs are a key solution. More vehicle electrification, moving from hybrids to plug-in hybrids to all battery electric vehicles means greater benefits. On average, battery electric vehicles have 70% lower lifetime greenhouse gas emissions compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. New England states, due to their cleaner grids, have even lower lifetime emissions. In China, over 60% of vehicle sales are electric and Norway is above 90% compared to 7% now in the US. EVs are the future, they are quieter, cleaner, and drive better. It’s time for the US to break away from a fossil fuel-based economy and not only strengthen our economic competitiveness but care for the planet and our grandchildren’s future. Read More: [Michigan] - Vehicle Lifecycle Emissions Calculator [Michigan News] - EVs reduce climate pollution, but by how much? New U-M research has the answer [Michigan News] - Electric vs. gasoline vehicles: Is EV ownership competitive in your area? [Michigan News] - Used EVs currently offer car buyers lowest lifetime cost of ownership Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems - Electric Vehicles Factsheet Vehicle emissions calculator · Vehicle choice and emissions reduction study · Total cost of ownership study – new vehicles · Total cost of ownership study – used vehicles · Sustainability Factsheets · Electric vehicles factsheet 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

    Gregory Keoleian, University of Michigan - Step Off the Gas and Charge

  4. 5d ago

    Jaime Banks, Syracuse University - AI Companionship: Real Relationships, Artificial Partners

    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, and videogame characters), examined through mixed methodologies. She serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Human-Machine Communication, Journal of Media Psychology, Communication Research Reports, and Technology, Mind, & Behavior. Her work has been funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Army Research Office, and the National Science Foundation. In any spare time, she is caretaker of three rescue mutts and enjoys open-world videogames (for the Horde!).Dr. Banks teaches undergraduate courses on research methods and human-centered design approaches. At the graduate level, she teaches a course on theories of human-AI interaction. Students interested in taking independent study credits for research experience should reach out via email.Dr. Banks’ research into human-machine relationships focuses on communicative and cognitive processes as well as the effects of those interactions. In particular, she is interested in how people perceive mind or mental capacities in machines, how people form moral judgments about machine behavior, and how people understand how complex technologies work. Her current work focuses on the dynamics and effects of AI companions, mental shortcuts that might promote fear of or interest in social robots, and how language and media representations shape how people think about these technologies. Transcript: Millions of humans are in relationships with AI companions—they chat, argue, and otherwise share mundane and intimate experiences. AI companions have been critiqued because of very unfortunate events, those problems are the exception not the rule. Most people are not delusional—they know their partner is a machine. The relationship is real, but one partner is artificial. And sometimes that artificiality can drive what makes the relationship meaningful: Glitches become personalities and being digital frees the pair from constraints of physical bodies.I’ve found there are at least two distinct patterns for machine companionship. The first is a connection marked by feelings of genuine care and being understood. The second is a blend of meaningful exchanges and personal growth. In both, people emphasize their feelings are real. This realness becomes even more apparent when we examine how people experience the end of AI relationships. Sometimes apps are shuttered or a model is retired, and there are real impacts on the humans connected to them. For some, it’s merely a deletion of data. For others, there is real loss akin to human death and their grief is real.We’ve long dismissed these connections as parasocial or unreal because one participant is a machine. But that logic confuses the nature of the partner with the reality of the connection itself. The machine is real. The coordination between human and machine is real. The meaning people make of the relationship is real. It’s only in acknowledging that reality that we can ask important questions—about how these connections operate, how those operations can produce both positive and negative outcomes, and what they might teach us about what it means to be a human. 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

  5. 6d ago

    Katy Liu, Duke University - Immune Cells Play Key Role in Regulating Eye Pressure Linked to Glaucoma

    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 the pressure in the eye is too high, and it is a leading cause of permanent vision loss. The issue in glaucoma is that the drain of the eye is dysfunctional and does not drain fluid normally from the eye. This leads to a build-up of pressure in the eye and results in vision loss. Most of our existing treatments for glaucoma do not target the drain of the eye where the issue lies. In our research, we examined at the drain of the eye and found immune cells in these drainage tissues. We found that they play a critical role in maintaining eye pressure. Previous studies found that macrophages – the clean-up crew of the body – are found in the drainage tissues of the eye. Using modern immunology techniques, we were able to show that a specialized type of macrophage, called resident macrophages, live in the drainage tissues of the eye. These resident macrophages are important in housekeeping tasks in other tissues, so we asked whether they’re important in maintaining the normal drainage of fluid from the eye. We removed resident macrophages from drainage tissues in mice, and we found that this altered normal eye pressure. When we removed resident macrophages, eye pressure went up. Next, we asked how resident macrophages regulate eye pressure. We discovered that when we removed resident macrophages, the was a build-up of extracellular or scaffolding material in the drain of the eye, which increases resistance and pressure within the eye. Our study was the first to show that resident macrophages are important in maintaining normal eye pressure.Glaucoma is a disease of aging, and there are changes to the immune system that occur with aging as well. Our next steps are to look for resident macrophages in human eyes and to determine how they act in eyes with glaucoma. Our goal in the future is to target these specialized immune cells with drug therapies to lower eye pressure and prevent vision loss in patients with glaucoma. Read More: [DukeHealth] - Immune Cells Play Key Role in Regulating Eye Pressure Linked to Glaucoma [Immunity] - Resident tissue macrophages maintain intraocular pressure homeostasis 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

  6. Sep 4

    Justin Stoler, University of Miami - America’s Quiet Water Crisis

    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 environment, communicable diseases, and water insecurity. Dr. Stoler directs the Social & Health Inequities Research & Education (SHIRE) Lab, which provides research and professional development opportunities to students at all levels. His courses blend geospatial frameworks with contemporary population, environmental, and global health issues. Transcript: When most Americans think of water insecurity, they imagine crises in developing nations and assume that safe tap water is a given in the world’s wealthiest country. Our research tells a different story. As a global water security researcher, my work focuses on measuring how communities interact with water. Scientists traditionally measured water security by looking at groundwater availability, reservoir levels, or piped water volumes. However, those metrics miss the human experience entirely. Years ago, I was part of a team that created the HWISE scale, a psychometric tool that measures how people experience water insecurity through physical burdens, such as being unable to wash your hands, and psychological distress, such as worrying about not having enough water. The HWISE scale improved our understanding of how water insecurity impacts households globally. Now, I co-lead a team that created a new scale to measure household water insecurity in the United States. What we’re uncovering is a quiet crisis driven by environmental shocks to water systems, such as floods, fires, and freezes; new contaminants such as PFAS and microplastics; and declining public trust. Our data suggest that roughly one in five US households may experience at least low-level water insecurity. We need to face several realities. First, national wealth does not guarantee water security; the struggle for water in America is more common than we realize and hurts national productivity. Second, the days of bountiful, cheap, clean water are behind us. But, third and most importantly, we have solutions, such as technology that improves water access and reliability, and payment models that make water more affordable. Our new metrics will help track progress in securing safe water for all Americans. 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

    Justin Stoler, University of Miami - America’s Quiet Water Crisis

  7. Sep 3

    Jill Ehrenreich-May, University of Miami - To Maximize Impact of Research on Anxiety Treatment, the Right Questions Matter

    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 Adolescent Mood and Anxiety Treatment Program, which serves as a hub for training and dissemination of evidence-based practices in youth psychotherapy and allows for the study of mechanisms and outcomes associated with transdiagnostic treatments for youth. Transcript: Back-to-school season is stressful. Parents, teachers, and especially students, commonly experience heightened emotions ahead of the new school year. Trained as a clinical psychologist, one of my areas of expertise is youth anxiety and stress. When training future clinical psychologists, I want my students to understand the experience of anxiety and deliver the right tools to cope.For more than two decades, I have led research on the Unified Protocols for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children and Adolescents, a compelling collection of treatment strategies addressing a range of emotional needs in kids. Put simply, this work aims to frame existing evidence-based treatments typically developed in research settings in a manner that makes them feasible and scalable in any environment. However, much of that work originated in my research clinic. To truly understand how to make youth psychotherapy scalable, you need to move your research outside such a highly controlled setting.Few evidence-based interventions built for clinical delivery pivot to outside settings, like schools, and even fewer incorporate school community perspectives during adaptation. My latest research attempts to fill these gaps in the literature. I iteratively adapted the Unified Protocol for Adolescents in lower-resource high schools to deliver hands-on, effective cognitive behavioral treatment strategies to students in a natural, familial setting. The resulting program was designed with input from the community, including teachers, students, families, administrators, and more, on how to best adapt the intervention. Results were strong. We found that anxiety-related life interference, irritability and behavioral problems were reduced and students had better classroom behavior. The program’s success demonstrates that as practitioners and researchers, we need to tailor interventions to best fit the unique needs of youth and the world they live in. Read More: [Miami] - College of Arts & Sciences 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

    Jill Ehrenreich-May, University of Miami - To Maximize Impact of Research on Anxiety Treatment, the Right Questions Matter

  8. Sep 2

    Willy Prado, University of Miami - Smart Support: Can AI Bridge the Mental Health Equity Gap for Hispanic Youth

    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 since his doctoral studies (including approx. $1 million dollars/year of active funding) as PI and over $100 million as Co-I, mentor, or collaborator. His research has led to over 190 peer-reviewed articles and chapters. His h-index is 48 and the average number of citations per year in recent years is over 800, speaking to the impact of his work on the field.Prado’s scholarship on family-based preventive interventions and Hispanic adolescents is internationally recognized. At the time that Prado and his colleagues began developing family-based preventive interventions for Hispanics, there were no such interventions for this population. For significantly advancing knowledge in the behavioral interventions, health disparities, and adolescent health literature, he has received numerous awards and honors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Hispanic Science Network; the Community, Culture, and Prevention Science Award from the Society for Prevention Research; and election to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine. His research has been featured in multiple media outlets including the Miami Herald, NBC, Univision, and CNN en Español. He has also been invited to serve as a witness to the U.S. House Select Committee on Economic Disparities and Fairness in Growth to speak about prevention science and health disparities.In addition to research and scholarship, Prado has a strong commitment to teaching and mentoring. In addition to his well-funded research program and his administrative responsibilities since arriving at University of Miami in 2007, Prado has taught courses in prevention science, research methods, professional development, and biostatistics. In recognition of his teaching, Prado received the inaugural faculty teaching award in the Department of Public Health Sciences awarded by the Public Health Student Association.Prado is also dedicated to mentoring and training the next generation of prevention and health disparities scientists, particularly those who identify as underrepresented minorities (URM). In fact, more than 90 percent of his doctoral mentees in the past 10 years have been URMs. All his doctoral mentees have pursued careers in research, academia, and industry. His post-doctoral fellows have all successfully pursued faculty positions upon completion of their post-doctoral training and all his post-doctoral fellows have received NIH K awards and/or R01s within 18 months of completing their fellowship with him. Prado has been the recipient of mentoring awards including the award for mentoring early career preventionists from the Society for Prevention Research and the Presidential Award of the Florida Education Fund for his commitment to training underrepresented minorities.Prado served as interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, and previously as vice provost for Faculty Affairs and dean of the Graduate School. He previously served as the founding director of the Division of Prevention Science and Community Health, director of the Epidemiology Division, and director of the PhD program in Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the Miller School of Medicine. He is former associate editor of Prevention Science and the immediate past president of the Society for Prevention Research, an organization of more than 800 prevention scientist, practitioners, and policy makers. Currently, he is on the executive committee of the Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine of Florida; and on the board of directors of Research!America, a non-profit medical and health research advocacy alliance, whose board of directors consists of former secretaries of Health and Human Services, former NIH directors, the president of the National Academy of Medicine, the president & Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Colleagues of Nursing, and other health leaders and policy makers. Transcript: Hispanic adolescents face significant systemic barriers to mental health care, ranging from limited access to insurance to cultural stigma surrounding treatment. Yet, even as these challenges persist, effective solutions are within reach. When families are equipped with the right tools and support, parents are uniquely equipped to play a powerful role in promoting their adolescent’s mental health and well-being. For more than two decades, with vital funding, our team developed and rigorously tested Familias Unidas, a culturally grounded, family-based intervention designed to empower parents and strengthen parent-adolescent relationships. By helping families improve communication, build trust, enhance parental involvement, and develop effective monitoring skills, Familias Unidas empowers families to create healthier, more supportive home environments. Through multiple clinical trials, we proved that strengthening family functioning significantly reduces risk behaviors and improves adolescent mental health outcomes. But research only transforms lives when it reaches the communities who need it most. While we’ve successfully implemented Familias Unidas in communities locally, nationally and internationally, expanding access remains a critical priority. That’s where AI offers an unprecedented opportunity. With ongoing funding and support, we’re pioneering AI-powered digital therapists that can guide family sessions, facilitate more constructive conversations and provide personalized guidance that strengthens family relationships in real time. This work showcases the transformative power of research funding: taking interventions proven through decades of scientific research, combining them with innovative technology, and making evidence-based family mental health support accessible to families wherever they are. 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

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