Big Ideas TXST

Texas State University’s Christopher Johnson, a clinical professor in the Department of Sociology, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss understanding Alzheimer’s disease as a type of time travel.   Johnson developed the “Time Travel” model to better explain the variable memory loss of people suffering from Alzheimer’s. Those afflicted by Alzheimer’s experience cognitive, emotional, social, physical and functional regression. The “Time Travel” model uses aspects of Piaget's theory of adult development in reverse, suggesting a non-linear regression but rather connecting loops spiraling downward to depict the fluctuating regression as more recent memories are lost and the individual descends deeper into the past. The insight this model provides will hopefully increase the understanding of gerontologists and caregivers and provide new ways to develop strategies to enhance future caregiving techniques. Johnson served as director of gerontology for the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Louisiana for 27 years. While there, he developed an award-winning master’s in gerontology online course, which earned the distinction of being designated one of the top academic programs in the state. Johnson retired from ULM and traveled to Scotland to teach for a year and a half in the University of Stirling’s dementia studies program before joining TXST to help develop the nation’s first master of science degree program in dementia and aging studies.FURTHER READING:Texas Standard: Why The US, And Texas, Need To Catch Up When It Comes To Dementia CareMemory WhispererAlzheimer's Speaks 

Texas State University’s Richard Robichaux, a professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss his career path, teaching acting for television and movies and his upcoming projects.   A native of East Texas, Robichaux George Pappas on David E. Kelley's “Big Shot” with John Stamos and Yvette Nicole Brown on Disney+. Later this year he will appear in the feature films “The Long Game,” which won the audience award at SXSW, as well as “Hit Man,” a new film with Glen Powell. Other film credits include “Ocean’s 8” with an all-star cast and “Where’d You Go Bernadette?” with Cate Blanchett. Robichaux has worked on five films with award-winning director Richard Linklater, including “Boyhood,” which was nominated for six Academy Awards and won the Golden Globe for Best Picture. His theatre credits include the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C., Yale Repertory Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, and great theatres in New York, California and everywhere in between. Last fall he directed “The Thin Place” at the Zach Theatre in Austin. As a speaker and educator Robichauz is a passionate advocate for arts education. He has been a guest artist and teacher at many of the top programs in the country including Yale University, Juilliard, Pennsylvania State University and the University of California San Diego where he was the Arthur and Molli Wagner Endowed Chair in Acting. During his tenure at UCSD it was ranked the No. 3 program in the world by the Hollywood Reporter. He has delivered keynote addresses and conducted masterclasses for students and teachers at dozens of conferences, festivals and schools. He is also a judge for the College Television Awards presented by the Emmys. He is a member of the Television Academy, SAG-AFTRA, Actors Equity and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. FURTHER READING:Lone Star roots bring Richard Robichaux to Texas State theatre facultyRichardRobichaux.com

Texas State University’s Shelly Wernette, Ph.D., a senior lecturer in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss her discovery of 10 new species of extinct trilobites in Thailand and what those discoveries reveal about ancient world geography. Trilobites are extinct sea creatures that rolled up like some types of armadillos or rolly pollies and breathed through their legs. Fossils of the creatures were trapped in sandstone between layers of petrified ash, created by volcanic eruptions that settled on the sea floor and formed a green layer called a tuff. Unlike some other kinds of rocks or sediment, tuffs contain crystals of zircon — a mineral that formed during eruptions and are, as the name of the rock layer containing them suggests, tough. Zircon is chemically stable as well as heat and weather resistant. It is hard as steel and persists when minerals in other kinds of rocks erode. Inside these resilient zircon crystals, individual atoms of uranium gradually decay and transform into atoms of lead. Radio isotope techniques enable researchers like Wernette to determine when the zircon crystals formed and thus put a date range to the volcanic eruption that laid down the tuff formation.  Wernette studies stratigraphy and invertebrate paleontology with special attention to the lower Paleozoic of Gondwana and trilobites. She is interested in how the physical earth affects biodiversity, relying heavily on paleogeography and geochronology to frame this investigation. She earned her doctorate in geological sciences from the University of California Riverside, and her bachelor’s and master’s, both in geology, from the University of Oklahoma. FURTHER READING:Trilobites of Thailand's Cambrian–Ordovician Tarutao Group and their geological settingTrilobites rise from the ashes to reveal ancient map

Texas State University’s Keisuke Ikehata, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Ingram School of Engineering, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss an innovative pilot program to convert wastewater into purified drinking water.  Texas’ rapid population growth combined with ongoing drought conditions has led to water shortages across the state. In the face of this challenge, Ikehata sees an opportunity for the public to embrace the idea of using treated wastewater for daily needs, a process referred to as potable water reuse. Ikehata and his students have partnered with the San Marcos Wastewater Treatment Plant on an advanced water purification system that turns more than 5 million gallons of wastewater into clean, environmentally safe water on a daily basis. An expert in advanced water and wastewater treatment and sustainable water resources management, including water reuse, desalination and stormwater management, Ikehata earned his doctorate in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. In July 2019, he joined TXST as one of four founding members of the civil engineering program. Prior to joining TXST, Ikehata worked for more than eight years as a technical specialist/R&D manager at a water resources engineering firm in Orange County, Calif. and eight years in academia in California, Alberta and Kansas. FURTHER READING:TXST researchers implement innovative wastewater treatment strategiesUSBR grant funds research into contaminant detection for water reclamation systemsDiatom research could prove an innovative key to improving efficiency of desalination  

Texas State University alumnus Ben Pfeiffer, founder of Firefly Conservation & Research, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the fascinating insects known as fireflies and the threats and pressures that threaten their existence.A recognized firefly researcher and Texas-certified master naturalist, Pfeiffer founded the nonprofit Firefly Conservation & Research in 2009. “It was maybe 2008 when I noticed the fireflies in South Texas were disappearing,” Pfeiffer said. “There weren’t as many as I remembered when I was a kid. And then I heard a report on firefly decline on NPR Radio that confirmed it.”Pfeiffer was uniquely suited to tackle this problem. He is a 6th generation Texan who grew up exploring the hills of the Texas Hill Country and brush country of South Texas where he developed a deep understanding of the state’s unique ecology. Pfeiffer is also a beekeeper and certified-naturalist with Texas Parks & Wildlife. He attended Texas State University in San Marcos where he earned a bachelor of science degree in biology. He combined that with a background in marketing, web development and SEO to build a website and foundation that would help him and others take action. FURTHER READING:Shedding Light on FirefliesNight Sky Tourist  The Flight of the Texas Fireflies

Texas State University’s David Coleman, director of The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the legacy of Edward Curtis and his photography collection, “The North American Indian.”In 1906 Curtis received a grant from financier J.P. Morgan to record, through photography and the written word, all Native American tribes who retained some degree of their “primitive” lifestyle. Native Americans were almost wholly confined to reservations by this time, and they were subjected to federal programs that forced their assimilation to Western ways. Curtis felt passionately that their cultures should be chronicled before they disappeared altogether.The North American Indian is one of the most ambitious photographic projects ever undertaken. Published from 1907 to 1930, it documents more than 100 peoples’ languages, stories and songs, along with extensive illustration by Curtis’ photography. Yet his work has also come under scrutiny, revealing that in some cases he used the same clothing or accessories for multiple tribes and he retouched many of his negatives to remove Western items like suspenders, parasols and more. Curtis is regarded by some as a notorious “faker,” and he is criticized for romanticizing Native Americans at a time when their forced assimilation into Western culture denied their rights and dignity.Coleman came to Texas State in 2011 from the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin, where he served as the chief curator for photography. He earned his doctorate in art history from the University of Texas in 2005 and has worked at the Ransom Center since 1996.FURTHER READING:Edward Curtis: Treasures of The North American IndianEdward Curtis 

Texas State University’s Jake Waddingham, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the McCoy College of Business at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the difficulties faced by entrepreneurs trying to reenter the traditional workforce.  Americans launched new entrepreneurial ventures during the COVID pandemic at accelerated rates and those trends have continued through 2023. If any of these entrepreneurs decide to reenter the traditional workforce in the future, however, they may be in for an unwelcome surprise: a study coauthored by Waddingham showed that former business owners were less likely to get interviews compared with applicants with only traditional experience. This was true regardless of whether they had sold or closed their businesses. And the longer they were out of the traditional workforce, the worse their chances of success were. The surprising results were revealed in a survey of more than 700 hiring professionals as well as seven former entrepreneurs who successfully made the transition back into the workforce. Waddingham received his MBA from Iowa State University and his Ph.D. in management from Auburn University. He has published in top management journals including the Journal of Management, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Small Business Management, and Business Horizons. Prior to joining academia, Waddingham worked as an associate editor of a daily newspaper in Creston, Iowa. He primarily covered breaking news, local politics, agriculture and sports.  FURTHER READING:Entrepreneurs, beware: Owning your own business can make it harder to get hired later  

Texas State University’s David Bailiff, special assistant to new head coach G.J. Kinne, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss his return to San Marcos and Bobcat football.  Bailiff returned to Texas State earlier this year after 18 years as a head coach in college football and nearly 40 years in coaching overall. He has won two conference championships as a Bobcat–one as a player in 1980 and another as a head coach in 2005–and was twice named conference coach of the year during his time as the head coach at Rice University in 2008 and 2013. Bailiff led the Bobcat football team as head coach 2004-2006, guiding the team to a Southland Conference co-championship and appearance in the Division I-AA semifinals in 2005. He was named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 5 Coach of the Year that season and finished third in voting for the Eddie Robinson Award, which is presented annually to the top coach in Division I-AA/FCS. Bailiff is a former student-athlete at Texas State (then-Southwest Texas State), lettering for the Bobcats from 1977 to 1980. He helped the Bobcats have winning records in all four seasons, culminating with the Lone Star Conference championship in his senior season and helping set up the program to win back-to-back Division II national championships in 1981 and 1982 under the late Jim Wacker.Big Ideas TXST is part of the TXST Podcast Network. 

Texas State University’s Elizabeth Buckley, a lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Dance, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the Texas State film program. The Department of Theatre and Dance has long maintained an unofficial film program, with technical courses teaching knowledge and skills applicable to film and television production. That track of study has been elevated following the opening of Live Oak Hall in 2022—which boasts a working sound stage and other state-of-the-art capabilities—and the addition of a BFA Major in Theatre with a Film Production Concentration. The $200 million Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program passed by the Texas Legislature earlier in 2023 is expected to further increase the demand for Texas State program graduates.   A native Texan, Buckley is an Emmy, Peabody and Gracie award-winning producer and writer with more than 25 years of experience in film, television, new media and animation. Her work in scripted broadcast television work has been seen in 32 countries. In 2019, she produced the HBO’s Comedy Special Entre Nos, employing nine paid Texas State film student interns. Independent features include the Netflix feature film, Hoovey, and the indie film Edge of the World as well as the Showtime broadcast Dog Days of the West, a feature film extension of the award-winning series Wishbone Buckley produced for PBS. Buckley has BFA in broadcast-film arts from Southern Methodist University and studied in the dramatic writing graduate program at Texas State. She teaches film producing as well as the business of film, a legacy course created by Tom Copeland, who founded the film concentration program at Texas State. Further reading: Live Oak Hall groundbreaking ushers in new film sound stage, TV studioBachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre, Film Production

Texas State University’s Colleen Myles, an associate professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss her research into the social interplay between craft breweries and the communities they reside in.The contemporary craft brewery boom is having a broader impact on U.S. culture than simply providing an array of beverages to consume. Those small, independent craft breweries are increasingly active participants in their communities’ environmental and social sphere. These breweries often take up and champion local causes, becoming powerful agents of advocacy for sustainability initiatives, wildlife conservation, public spaces, defending the rights of marginalized populations, fighting hunger, homelessness and a host of other causes. Almost half of craft breweries engage in some form of social advocacy, bringing to bear on local issues the innovation and independence for which these businesses are known.  Myles is a rural geographer and political ecologist with specialties in land and environmental management; (ex)urbanization; (rural) sustainability and tourism; wine, beer and cider geographies (aka fermented landscapes); and agriculture, inclusive of urban, peri-urban and “local.” She holds a level 1 certificate in wine from the Wine Spirit Education Trust, a specialist of Texas wines certification from the Texas Wine School and is a certified specialist of wine by the Society for Wine Educators. She completed her Ph.D. in geography and her master’s in community development both at the University of California-Davis. She earned her bachelor’s with a double major of liberal studies and political science at Sonoma State University.  Further reading:Fermented LandscapesCraft breweries are fermenting change, addressing local ills while serving local ales

Texas State University’s Ali Forbes, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss her research into the cultural impact of video games—NBA2K, in particular.   NBA 2K debuted in 1999 and since then has become an enduring franchise. The game simulates professional basketball and attracts millions of players around the globe. Along the way, NBA 2K has developed its own culture—as a multiuser domain game, players can create their own characters and socialize with other players—but has also become part of the larger, real-world culture of the National Basketball League. Forbes is particularly interested in the interactions players of different ethnicities have within the game environment, as well as those of women and girls. Her research is the basis for a book she is currently writing.   Forbes completed her Ph.D. at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She is from Canada, where her family still lives. Forbes’ professional background is in live broadcast production for radio, television and online and she teaches classes in studio production, live sports production, advanced issues and ethics in sports journalism.   Further reading:Playing for a level court in esports Understanding the Culture of NBA2K

Texas State University’s Emma Parsley, sustainability coordinator in the Office of Sustainability at Texas State University, join the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the university’s recent STARS Silver rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements. STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. It is administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Texas State has a longstanding commitment to environmental conservation, exemplified by the university’s stewardship of the headwaters of the San Marcos River, the national award-winning Bobcat Blend composting program, Masters in Sustainability Studies and active co-curricular environmental groups. This commitment was formalized in 2018 with the creation of the Office of Sustainability. Parsley earned her bachelor of science and technology degree in environmental/environmental health engineering and her master’s in sustainability studies, both from Texas State. Further reading: Texas State’s STARS report Sustainability Culture Assessment Texas State earns STARS Silver rating for sustainability achievements

Texas State University’s Alyson Collins, an assistant professor, and Stephen Ciullo, an associate professor, both in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas State University, join the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss their program to improve writing instruction for students with disabilities. A survey of fourth-grade general and special education teachers indicated fewer than 20% of them felt adequately prepared to teach writing to students with and at risk for disabilities. Through that, Collins and Ciullo identified a need to provide special and general educators professional development in writing to help them be more prepared to address the needs of students with disabilities. Their program, “Turning the TIDE: Building Teacher Capacity to Accelerate Text-Based Writing Performance of Students With and At Risk for Disabilities,” will provide the necessary professional development for these teachers to collaboratively deliver intensive intervention in text-based writing to students with and at risk for disabilities. Collins has nine years of teaching experience in Texas public schools and an extensive background in implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS). Her research focuses on effective intervention and assessment for students with learning disabilities, specifically in the areas of reading and writing. Ciullo’s research focuses on two topics. First, he studies the extent to which classroom writing instruction provided to students with disabilities aligns with research evidence, and how observed instruction relates to students’ writing performance. Second, he is interested in interventions that enhance teachers’ effectiveness in the area of writing and content-area knowledge. Further reading: Research To Accelerate Pandemic Recovery in Special Education: Grantee Spotlight Blog Series Featuring Dr. Alyson Collins Turning the TIDE: Building Teacher Capacity to Accelerate Text-Based Writing Performance of Students With and At Risk for Disabilities

Texas State University’s Miranda Wait, deputy director of Spring Lake education for The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss various projects and programs that can be found at Spring Lake. One of the oldest sites in North America continuously inhabited by humans, Spring Lake is an environmentally sensitive natural space. Through much of the 20th century it was the site of Aquarena, one of the most popular theme parks in Texas. Today it is home to The Meadows Center, which inspires research, innovation and leadership that ensures clean, abundant water for the environment and all humanity. One popular legacy of Aquarena are the glass bottom boats, which offer a stunning view of flora and fauna that abound in the crystal-clear depths of Spring Lake. An ongoing program is refurbishing these vintage boats with fiberglass hulls to improve their long-term durability and the recent construction of a floating dock ensures the safety of the boats during flooding events. Other initiatives on tap for the coming year include guided snorkeling and kayak tours. Wait’s educational background is in biology with an emphasis in wildlife ecology. She has a passion for getting kids and adults outdoors and excited about nature. Currently, she is working on bringing a research component to The Meadows Center’s educational programming. Wait recently joined the Texas Informal Science Educators Association for a three-year term. Further reading: The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment Meadows Center constructing new glass-bottom boat dock at Spring Lake Meadows Center and San Marcos Chamber hold ribbon cutting for restored glass-bottom boat #1963 Meadows Center reintroduces snorkel, kayak tours at Spring Lake

Texas State University’s Farzan Irani, professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the stereotypes and myths about stuttering. Of particular interest to Irani is fluency development in bilingual children and the misconception that bilingual children are more likely to stutter than their monolingual counterparts. Irani has also done extensive longitudinal work on stuttering treatment outcomes. Irani oversees the Comprehensive Stuttering Therapy Program, an intensive clinical program designed for adolescents and adults who stutter that is based at Texas State’s Round Rock Campus. The program, established in 2011, is offered by the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic every July. Irani received his bachelor's degree in speech-language pathology and audiology at the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Mumbai India. He received his master's degree and earned his doctorate in communication sciences and disorders at Bowling Green State University, Ohio. He has experience working as a graduate student and clinician at Bowling Green State University's Intensive Clinic for Adolescents and Adults. He also gained experience in delivering therapeutic services to People Who Stutter via telepractice during his doctoral program. His research interests include psychosocial aspects of stuttering, multicultural aspects of stuttering and treatment effectiveness in stuttering. Further reading: Texas State professor sheds light on bilingual stuttering issues Intensive Stuttering Therapy with Telepractice Follow-Up: Longitudinal Outcomes Classifying Disfluencies in Preschool and School-Age Spanish-English Bilinguals Who Do Not Stutter: An Exploratory Study