Author: juliabiller

Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan on Contemporary Family Dynamics

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Dr. Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, Professor of Developmental Psychology, discusses her research on family dynamics, particularly focusing on father-child relationships, co-parenting, and the transition into parenthood. She talks about the New Parents Project, which has followed nearly 200 couples from pregnancy through their child’s early years, examining the impact of factors like maternal gatekeeping and parental leave on father involvement and parenting quality. Dr. Schoppe-Sullivan also touches on her research methods, including the use of video observations and time diaries, and how these methods provide novel insights into family interactions.

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Harvey Miller: Mapping the  Ghost Neighborhoods of Columbus

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Harvey Miller, professor of geography and Director of the Center for Urban and Regional Analysis, discusses his project “Ghost Neighborhoods of Columbus,” which uses AI, machine learning, and GIS to extract data from historic Sanborn fire insurance maps and construct 3D virtual models of neighborhoods that have been altered or destroyed by urban renewal, highway construction, and redlining.

The project is a collaboration with Ohio History Connection and incorporates oral histories, archival photos, and VR experiences to preserve cultural memory.

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Classical Reception: Harriet Fertik on Returning to Antiquity

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Harriet Fertik, Associate Professor in the Department of Classics, discusses her research in classical reception, as well as her focus on literature and political thought in the early Roman empire. She speaks on her most recent project, Traditions Lost and Found: W. E. B. Du Bois, Hannah Arendt, and Classical Antiquity, which explores the intersections of these two thinkers and their uses of classical antiquity in their respective works. Fertik also talks about her involvement with the group Eos, a society dedicated to Africana receptions of ancient Greece and Rome, as well as the Ohio State Humanities Institute working group “Metaphors of Reception, Reception as Metaphor”.

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Sarah Neville: Exploring the Bounds of Book History

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Sarah Neville, Associate Professor of English and Theater, Film, and Media Arts, discusses her role as a book historian, editorial theorist, and creative director of Lord Denney’s Players. Neville emphasizes the importance of the materiality of books, not just as containers for text, but as objects that hold meaning and historical significance. Neville also elaborates on her work with editorial theory, specifically how scholars determine the true text of Shakespearean works given the lack of original manuscripts. She talks about Lord Denney’s Players, an academic theater company at Ohio State, and their unique approach to exploring textual questions in Shakespeare’s plays through performance.

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Yuan-Sen Ting: How AI is Impacting Science Research

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Yuan-Sen Ting, Associate Professor of Astronomy and a member of the Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics, discusses his innovative research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and astronomy. He uses large language models as agents to aid in astronomical research. He explains the concept of agentic research, how AI assists in tasks such as identifying outlier data from telescopic observations, and the potential and limitations of AI in complementing human researchers. Dr. Ting also talks about his background in mathematical physics, his interest in non-intrusive applications of AI, and the future of AI in scientific research. He emphasizes the importance of teaching students to use and critically assess AI outputs in their work.

You may also be interested in Dr. Ting’s Science Sundays discussion

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John Herbert: Not All Science is Going to Take Us to the Moon – And That’s Okay

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John Herbert, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, discusses his work in computational molecular quantum mechanics and quantum chemistry with host David Staley. Herbert describes machine learning, cost-effective training data for AI models and the need for low-cost computational methods, which he calls “computing for the proletariat”. Professor Herbert also shares his insights on the culture of academic science, advocating for a reevaluation of the current “great man approach” towards research and innovation.

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Nyama McCarthy-Brown: Everybody is a Dancer

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Nyama McCarthy-Brown, Associate Professor of Dance Pedagogy through Community Engagement, discusses her work and achievements in dance pedagogy and community engagement. She also talks about the Ohio State Artist Laureate program, and her experience as the inaugural Laureate in 2023. Dr. Brown talks with host David Staley about her book, Skin Colored Pointes, which explores the experiences of women of color in ballet, and how her pedagogical work aims to honor diverse dance histories.

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Bryan Carstens: How AI Can Predict Undescribed Mammals

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Bryan Carstens, Professor of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, discusses his research on phylogeography, molecular ecology, and systematics. Carstens’ lab uses genetic data to understand the evolutionary history of animals. A bat biologist by training, he delves into fieldwork processes, the importance of museum collections, and technological advancements like DNA sequencing and AI in his research. Carstens discusses with host David Staley his notable projects, such as a study predicting undescribed mammals using data science and AI models and ongoing work studying the shapes of bat skulls to understand early stages of species diversification.

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Sultana Nahar: Eye on the Sky

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Sultana Nahar, research professor in the Department of Astronomy and 2025 recipient of the William Fowler Award for Research from the Eastern Great Lakes Section of the American Physical Society, discusses her innovative research in atomic astrophysics, including her notable contributions to the NORAD atomic database and the book Atomic Astrophysics and Spectroscopy. She explores the interdisciplinary bridge between physics and astronomy, explaining how her work helps understand astrophysical plasmas and their applications. Profs Staley and Nahar review her work detecting extraterrestrial life through phosphorus spectroscopy, her unique method of using x-rays in medical applications derived from black hole studies, and the study of the sun’s opacity for better astronomical standards.

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Ashley Hope Pérez: Exploring Uncomfortable Narratives in Literature

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Ashley Hope Pérez, Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Studies, discusses her latest book, Deformative Fictions: Narrative Ethics and Cruelty in Twentieth-Century Latin American Literature. Pérez explores difficult and uncomfortable narratives in literature and explains how these fictions challenge readers and why such narratives are important. She and host David Staley discuss her experience with book banning, particularly her novel Out of Darkness, and explore the impact of book censorship on readers and authors. Additionally, Pérez describes editing the anthology Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers Rights and leading her Unite to Read project.

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