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Join us for a discussion about science, discovery and culture. Curious Campus is produced by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, in cooperation with its research partners.
20 Episodes
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You can’t effectively study the Great Lakes by simply looking at them from above the water. All the action lies beneath the surface.Faculty and staff members at UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences sail Lake Michigan aboard a converted vintage Army T-boat when they need to conduct research. On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Max Morgan, captain of the research vessel Neeskay, and Harvey Bootsma, a professor of freshwater sciences.Morgan and Boostma discuss topics including the impact of quagga mussels, the importance of buoys and what it’s like to work on the Neeskay. They also help us take a peek into the future of research on the Great Lakes.
Nanomaterials are miniscule particles made of various chemicals that are incorporated into products like cosmetics, medicine and food. They’re also constantly shed into our environment, including our rivers and lakes. How do these nanomaterials affect organisms that live in Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes ecosystem?It’s one of the many topics under the microscope at UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences, which is the only such school of its kind in the United States. Rebecca Klaper is vice dean and a professor. On this episode of Curious Campus, Klaper discusses her research into nanomaterials and building safer chemicals to help protect plants, fish, algae and other organisms that call the Great Lakes home.
Cost may prevent many people who need a hearing aid from getting one. Those with hearing aids get relief, but it may not be a cure-all. Basic Medicare does not cover the devices, a situation that has caused hearing health-care inequity for lower-income and rural residents. Untreated hearing loss can be serious because it’s associated with dementia, depression, falls and social isolation.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with two experts about novel technologies that can help people hear better. Yi Hu is an associate professor of electrical engineering at UWM. Juliette Sterkens is a retired audiologist and the national advocate of “hearing loops” for the Hearing Loss Association of America.
In the wild, frog romance is a raucous affair. When it’s time to mate, the female eastern gray tree frog makes her way to the pond, when there could be hundreds of potential suitors each calling to her in loud chirps that have different audible characteristics.In this nocturnal chorus, the male aims to charm the female with his particular call. But what makes a call “attractive?” On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with two researchers who specialize in amphibian communication — how frogs message each other and then decide how to respond.Gerlinde Höbel is an associate professor in biological sciences at UW-Milwaukee. Michael Reichert is an assistant professor of integrative biology at Oklahoma State University.
Peter Dunn is one of the country’s preeminent bird researchers. A distinguished professor of biological sciences, Dunn is part of a team that studied the common yellowthroat, which is a type of songbird found throughout much of North America.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Dunn about the research that looked at the courtship preferences of the female common yellowthroat. Hint: It’s not just about the distinctive sounds of the male. For veteran birders, the study might help answer questions about why these songbirds have those distinctive black “masks” around their eyes. For those interested in getting into birding as a hobby, Dunn offers some tips on how to get started, too.
We know that obesity can be harmful to our health, but dieting and exercise for the single goal of weight loss can often be disheartening and may even be harmful. What will it take for the fitness industry — and society — to make fitness more inclusive for both body types and marginalized identities?On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk about research and activism around body image and fitness with Christy Greenleaf, a professor of kinesiology in UWM’s College of Health Sciences, and Chrissy King, a certified personal trainer and creator of the Body Liberation Project. Both are members of the Future of Fitness Advisory Board for SELF magazine.
How many of you have heard of the video game Pong? Released in 1972, Pong looked like a pixelated version of pingpong. It might seem simplistic now, but 50 years ago, Pong was a smash hit.The first home video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey, also was released 50 years ago. On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Michael Newman, a professor of English who also teaches in the Media, Cinema and Digital Studies program in UWM’s College of Letters and Science. Newman is the author of the 2017 book, “Atari Age: The Emergence of Video Games in America,” which covers the arrival of Pong, the early days of video games and the impact of what was then a nascent form of entertainment had on pop culture and discussions around the family dinner table.
How much worse was the mental health of tweens, children between the ages of 10 and 14, during the height of COVID-19, compared to before the pandemic?Using their involvement in the ABCD study, a sweeping nationwide project, UWM researchers took the opportunity to gain insight into this question and others related to the pandemic. The study aims to identify what impact individual life experiences have on developing brains.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Krista Lisdahl, professor of psychology, and Ashley Stinson, a graduate student in psychology in UWM’s College of Letters & Science, about how kids were able to manage — or not manage — additional stress from the pandemic and how it may have changed their brains.
Obesity affects nearly one in five children, with higher rates among communities of color. A review of research on childhood obesity during the pandemic indicates that what was a problem before COVID-19 is even more so after the last two years of altered behaviors.According to one 2021 study, researchers found that young people ages two–19 had a monthly rate of increase in BMI that nearly doubled during COVID when compared with a pre-pandemic period.On this episode of Curious Campus, we chat with two experts in childhood obesity. Julie Snethen is a professor and director of the Ph.D. program at UWM’s College of Nursing. Cindy Greenberg is dean of the College of Health and Human Development at California State University, Fullerton.
Mathematics and science are core subjects in school and form the base for many career opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.However, many children may not view themselves as mathematicians or scientists. And students of color especially may not get opportunities in schools that could encourage them to continue pursuing courses in higher-level math or STEM-related fields.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk to two guests who are looking at ways to expand opportunities in math and encourage diversity in STEM fields. DeAnn Huinker is a professor of mathematics education at UWM’s School of Education. Danielle Robinson is a mathematics coach for Milwaukee Public Schools.
Learn more about FlexRide Milwaukee, a pilot transit project that connects workers from the city, including three segregated neighborhoods on Milwaukee’s north and northwest sides, to employers in Butler and Menomonee Falls seeking workers.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with two urban planners leading the project. Lingqian “Ivy” Hu is professor and chair of the urban planning department at UWM’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning, and Kevin Muhs is executive director of the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. FlexRide Milwaukee is funded by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
Two UWM researchers are uncovering the history of covenants language added to deeds stipulating that only white people could own or live on a property. Covenants were commonplace by the turn of the 20th century. Their use declined in the 1950s when they were no longer enforceable, though covenants did help to shape what housing in Milwaukee looks like today.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Anne Bonds, associate professor of geography, and Derek Handley, assistant professor of English, about their project, “Mapping Racism and Resistance in Milwaukee County.” They’re studying the history and impact of covenants, as well as the precedent that protests to covenants set for today’s racial equity movements.
A century ago, a Negro League baseball team called Milwaukee home. With the Major League Baseball lockout leaving the start of spring training this month in doubt, Brewers fans can take this opportunity to look back at the Milwaukee Bears.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Ken Bartelt, a UWM doctoral student in history, about his work looking at the Negro Leagues in Milwaukee. He’s joined by Neal Pease, a retired UWM professor of history who taught a course on baseball and American history. Pease inspired Bartelt to use his interest in baseball to look at how history influences contemporary issues.
Scientists are closing in on identifying the exact genetic components that fish and amphibians use to regenerate their optic nerve after injury. The work may one day provide new treatments for human eye diseases and prevent permanent vision loss.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with two scientists studying regeneration. Ava Udvadia, a UW-Milwaukee associate professor of biological sciences who is researching regeneration in fish; and Fiona Watson, an associate professor of biology at Washington and Lee University who is studying regeneration in frogs.
Has the avalanche of misinformation shared on Twitter harmed people’s health during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States? UWM geographers tested the question by mapping the locations of tweets. Researchers found a direct correlation between locations where Twitter misinformation originated and subsequent spikes in COVID-19 infections and deaths in those areas weeks later.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk about research into misinformation and the pandemic with Rina Ghose, the UW-Milwaukee professor of geography who led the study of social media activity in 2020, and graduate students Amir Forati and Rachel Hansen.
As the holiday song goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Around the world, families and friends are gathering this month, whether virtually or in person, to exchange gifts, share stories or feast on homemade treats. The holidays also give people an opportunity to celebrate their cultural traditions and heritage, sometimes with the help of technology or social media.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk about holiday origins, traditions and customs with Simon Bronner, dean of UW-Milwaukee’s College of General Studies, distinguished professor and internationally known folklore expert; and Meghan Murphy-Lee, a senior lecturer in Russian and expert on Slavic folklore.
The stresses of everyday life build up and can be detrimental to our health and sleep – and not just during the holidays. Two health psychologists say that more easy-access resources are needed to help people cope.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Marcellus Merritt, an associate professor in UW-Milwaukee’s College of Letters and Science, and Matthew Zawadzki, an associate professor at the University of California-Merced. Their research has shown that tapping into leisure activities can be a powerful tool to manage everyday stress. Merritt and Zawadzki are studying why leisure activities can help protect our health.
For many of us, the holiday season is a time to go to the movies. But some people remain wary about returning to the cinema because of the pandemic. How have theaters responded? And what does the future hold for how we take in films?On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk about movie theaters and the movies with Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece, an associate professor and director of the film studies program at UW-Milwaukee; and Andrew Mencher, director of programming and operations at the Avalon Theater in Washington, D.C.Mencher also is owner and operations director of The Cinema Club, a national organization that, in non-COVID times, offers sneak previews to new independent and foreign films. Szczepaniak-Gillece is a co-moderator of the Milwaukee chapter of The Cinema Club.
Meet a water policy expert whose new book lays out a blueprint for creating alternate corporate business models called “cooperatives,” which incorporate green practices, pay living wages and preserve jobs in the community. The best ones have an auditing system in place to show that they’re producing those triple bottom-line returns, says Melissa Scanlan, director of the Center for Water Policy at UW-Milwaukee.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Scanlan about cooperatives and her new book, “Prosperity in the Fossil-Free Economy: Cooperatives and the Design of Sustainable Businesses.”
The season of shopping is upon us, and retailers and marketers are bombarding us with messages about purchasing. The average person is exposed to more than 4,500 commercial messages every day. So what is it about an ad – whether it’s traditional or digital – that stops us in our tracks? And what features of advertising actually lead us to buy? Insights are coming from a tsunami of data provided by buyers themselves, thanks to digital advertising and social media. On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Purush Papatla, a professor of marketing at UWM, about how social and data scientists are mining this sea of information to uncover the secrets of consumer behavior.
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