Randolph Roth: “When You’re a Historian, You See the Civil War Everywhere”

Randolph Roth, Distinguished Professor of history and sociology at The Ohio State University, discusses the use of quantitative methods in historical research, patterns of adult homicide and child mortality, and the impact of political instability and social hierarchy on violence in America. Roth also talks on the role of women’s empowerment and gender equality in reducing child mortality and highlights the importance of historical insight in addressing current societal challenges.

Professor Shiyu Zhang: “I Love Making New Molecules”

Shiyu Zhang, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, researches sustainability within chemistry, specifically the production of sustainable batteries made from organic material. He talks with host David Staley about his love for making new molecules, the applications of machine learning in his laboratory, and how chemistry is “kind of like cooking”.

OSU Going Overseas: Breyfogle and Elmore Discuss Dubai and COP 28

Nicholas Breyfogle, assistant professor of history and director of the Harvey Goldberg Center for Excellence in Teaching, and Bart Elmore, professor of history, discuss their recent visit to COP 28, which is the name for 2023’s United Nations Climate Change Conference that was held in Dubai. They talk about traveling across the globe with ten Ohio State students and the experience they had listening and talking to global leaders, activists, and scholars at the largest climate conference in the world.

How Does Vladimir Kogan Spend His Free Time? School Board Meetings, Of Course

Vladimir Kogan, professor of political science, researches the activity of school boards across the state and the country to analyze their real impact on students and the communities they preside over. He discusses the misalignment of many school board policies with the needs of students as well as his forthcoming book project with the working title “No Adult Left Behind”.

“A Hip Hop Dissertation is a Community Body of Work:” Dr View Describes His Research

Stevie ‘Dr. View’ Johnson, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Creative Practice in Popular Music at The Ohio State University. He joins Voices of Excellence host Prof. David Staley to discuss the origins and evolution of hip hop, the significance of the 50th anniversary of hip hop, the influence of hip hop in the South, and Dr. View’s work on the Fire in Little Africa project. The interview also delves into Dr. View’s approach to Hip Hop Studies and the unique format of his hip hop dissertation, which won the Bobby Wright Dissertation of the Year Award. Additionally, it covers Dr. View’s Nasir Jones Hip Hop Fellowship at Harvard University, his thoughts on becoming a professor, and his upcoming research projects and album releases.

Bart Elmore: Will Genetically Engineered Food Help Us Feed a Hungry Planet?

Environmental historian Bart Elmore has spent more than a decade studying the history of one of the largest seed sellers in the world: Monsanto. This St. Louis company, which German firm Bayer bought in 2018, launched a genetic engineering revolution in agriculture over 25 years ago, introducing the first Roundup Ready crops in 1996 that could tolerate Monsanto’s signature herbicide Roundup. Listen below to Prof Elmore discuss his findings with host David Staley, and then see Prof Elmore in person at ASC’s Science Sundays on February 18, 2024.

Knoester Discusses Research on Impact of Sports in Daily Life

Chris Knoester, Professor of Sociology and Chair of Research of the Sports and Society Initiative at Ohio State, discusses the emerging field of sports sociology and the ways in which politics, economics, patriotism and other influential forces impact the world of sports and the ways in which people perceive and enjoy them. 

Gleissner Reflects on Emphasis on Literacy in Former Soviet Bloc

Philip Gleissner, Assistant Professor in the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures, specializes in the study of the culture and communication of former socialist Eastern Europe states. Gleissner discusses his latest monograph, “Soviet Circulations: A History of the Socialist Literary Journal,” and the emphasis placed on literacy as a vehicle of social mobility in parts of the former Soviet Bloc.

Start Dancing With Devils, Says Michelle Wibbelsman

Michelle Wibbelsman, Associate Professor of Latin American Indigenous Cultures, ethnographic studies and ethnomusicology in the department of Spanish and Portuguese, studies ritual and politics, aesthetics and power, festival and ritual practices of meaning-making memory in indigenous communities in northern Ecuador. She also discusses the “Dancing with Devils” exhibit now on display in the Barnett Center.