CLA Featured in "University of Minnesota Moments"
"University of Minnesota Moment" is a weekly 90-second radio vignette featuring University of Minnesota expert commentary on rural, local and world issues, groundbreaking research and what the U of M is doing everyday to improve the global quality of life. Listed below are some recent vignettes featuring CLA faculty, staff, students, and alumni, who routinely share their expertise on a wide range of topics through the U of M moment. For more information and to access these and other features, visit the U of M moment section of the University Relations website.
March 17, 2008: Learning a Second Language: More Important than Ever
It used to be that learning a second language was only something done as an academic requirement. But University of Minnesota professor Elaine Tarone, director of the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, has found that, in today's global economy, the advantages are increasing.
January 17, 2008: Reality TV 101
From Donald Trump's board room to Survivor's tribal council, reality TV has become a cornerstone of entertainment. And now, with the ongoing writers' strike, networks are flooding the airwaves with more of the inexpensive, unscripted programming. At the University of Minnesota, communication studies professor Laurie Ouellette has recently released a book arguing that reality TV is a powerful new form of self-education.
January 3, 2008: When are Celebrity Campaign Endorsements Effective?
Chuck Norris, Barbara Streisand and Jerry Springer -- sometimes we hear celebrity names more than the candidates they are endorsing. So, on voting day, do celebrities really help the politicians they support? Using the case study of talk show icon Oprah's endorsement of Barack Obama, University of Minnesota Communication Studies researcher Rebecca Kuehl has determined that it takes just the right kind of fame to help a campaign.
October 22, 2007: University of Minnesota Economics Professor Wins Nobel Prize
University of Minnesota economics professor Leonid Hurwicz joined a select few last week when he was one of three Americans awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics. Hurwicz spent his career at the U of M creating theories that helped set rules for transactions ranging from auctions to elections, elevating the economics department to the national stage. At age 90, the oldest recipient of a Nobel Prize, Hurwicz had a hard time at first believing he had won.
October 1, 2007: A Bleak Discovery about the U.S. High School Dropout Rate
The most widely used education data has been telling us that the national high school dropout rate is around 10 percent. But University of Minnesota sociology professor John Robert Warren has found that a competing, more accurate study reveals a much starker result: twenty-five percent of high school students aren't graduating.
April 16 , 2007: Still Present Pasts
Minnesota ranks the highest in the U.S. for number of children adopted from Korea as a direct result of the Korean war. An art exhibit presented by the U called “Still Present Pasts” shows what the war meant to the millions of Koreans who were separated from their families and friends, the U.S. and Korean soldiers who fought in it, and the 150,000 Korean children who have been adopted worldwide, about 15,000 of them in Minnesota alone. Richard Lee, psychology professor at the U tells us about the exhibit.
March 20, 2007: Earth Surface Transformation
News reports abound that the world’s climate is changing and that forests and many animal species are disappearing at an alarming rate. Steven Manson, a U of M professor of geography, is taking a closer look at the phenomenon. Data he is gathering not only document but also suggest reasons for the transformation of our environment.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
March 14, 2007: Standardized Tests Dead On
Standardized test scores for graduate and professional schools are more accurate than prior academic experience in predicting student success, according to researchers at the U of M. Nathan Kuncel, University of Minnesota psychology professor, explains.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
January 30, 2007: American Idol Mania
Reality TV's marquee show, “American Idol,” began its sixth season this month. Laurie Ouellette, a U of M communication studies professor, says the show speaks to a number of cultural issues
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
January 15, 2007: Music for Martin
This coming Sunday, the U's Office for Equity and Diversity and the School of Music will present “Music for Martin,” the 26th annual concert celebrating the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the Ted Mann Concert Hall in Minneapolis. Grammy Award-winning group Sounds of Blackness headlines the concert with local a cappella group 4given as the opening act. Sue Hancock with the Office of Equity and Diversity says the concert is about more than the music.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
December 15, 2006: Holiday Blues
For most people the holiday season is an exciting time filled with parties, celebration and social gatherings. But for many people, it’s a time of sadness, self-reflection, loneliness and anxiety. Bruce Cuthbert, a U of M psychology professor, says there are several causes for holiday blues..
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
November 1, 2006: Day of the Dead
Today and tomorrow, the Mexican-American community celebrates Day of the Dead. Richard Martinez, assistant professor in the U’s department of Chicano Studies, says the day’s roots go back centuries, before Spaniards arrived in Latin America.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
October 20, 2006: IHRC Web Site Selected as Encyclopedia Britannica iGuide
The Encyclopedia Britannica has selected the Web site of the U's Immigration History Research Center, IHRC in short, as a Britannica iGuide site, and will present the Web site as a recommended resource for its online readers. Donna Gabaccia, the center's director, says the IHRC has one of the largest and most important collections of materials on U.S. immigration and refugee life in the world.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
October 6, 2006: One of Glamour's Top 10 College Women in the Nation
Glamour magazine recently named Rebecca Mitchell, a senior in the U’s College of Liberal Arts, as one of its top 10 college women in the nation for 2006. Mitchell, along with nine other students from across the United States, received the distinction in the magazine’s October issue and is featured in “Brilliant, brave and under 25!” An honors student, she says the award recognizes her academic achievements and volunteer work with orphans in Kenya.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
May 2, 2006: Rebuilding New Orleans
More than seven months after the worst natural disaster in our country’s history, the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina are still visible in the neighborhoods, businesses, and livelihoods of millions of people touched by the storm. Judith Martin, a professor of geography and director of the U’s Urban Studies Program, discussed the rebuilding of New Orleans with Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer, a national expert on creating livable urban communities, at a U of M Great Conversations event.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
April 27, 2006: Volunteering
This week marks National Volunteer Week, which pays special tribute to volunteers across the country who give of themselves to better their communities and the lives of others. U of M Psychology Professor Mark Snyder has extensively studied volunteerism over the last 20 years. He says there are two broad categories that can help explain what motivates people to volunteer.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
April 10, 2006: The Minnesota Cup
This month organizers have launched the second annual Minnesota Cup—a statewide contest designed to discover, support, and promote Minnesota's newest and most innovative business ideas. Scott Litman, a graduate of the U's College of Liberal Arts and successful entrepreneur, serves as co-chair of the Minnesota Cup. Litman says the contest connects winning Minnesota entrepreneurs with the state's leading business executives, investors, and the University of Minnesota.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
March 29, 2006: Neverwinter Nights
Journalism students at the U of M are using a new tool to strengthen their fact-finding skills: the fantasy computer game Neverwinter Nights. According to Nora Paul, director of the university's Institute for New Media Studies, the players tackle sources and gather information, rather than slay monsters and gather treasures.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
March 13, 2006: Earth Land Surface Transformation
News reports abound that the world’s climate is changing and that forests and many animal species are disappearing at an alarming rate. Steven Manson, a U of M professor of geography, is taking a closer look at the phenomenon. Data he is gathering not only document but also suggest reasons for the transformation of our environment.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
March 8, 2006: Meaning in Life
Mike Steger, a psychology professor at the University of Minnesota, is trying to answer a fundamental question of human psychology. What factors foster well-being and reduce psychological distress in people’s lives? Steger says meaning plays an important role in how we feel about our lives.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
February 14, 2006: Black History Month
Every February, Americans celebrate Black History Month, an opportunity to reflect on and learn about black history. Keith Mayes, assistant professor of African American and African Studies, sheds some light on the contributions of African-Americans, in particular soldiers returning home from World War II, who he says were the force that led to the Civil Rrights Movement.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
January 27, 2006: Historical Perspective on Immigration Debate
Some of the issues raised in the current debate over illegal immigration sound surprisingly familiar to the ones voiced when legal immigration was debated in the 19th century, says Donna Gabaccia, director of the U of M’s Immigration History [Research] Center.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
January 16, 2006: Martin Luther King Day
Today Americans honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King’s impact on American society has been significant, says Keith Mayes, an assistant professor of African American and African Studies at the University of Minnesota.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
December 23, 2005: Immigrant Holiday Assimilation
As more immigrants settle in Minnesota, their ethnic foods and customs get blended with and added to existing traditions. Donna Gabaccia, director of the U's Immigration Research History Center, explains that this type of assimilation has been happening for years.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
December 16, 2005: Rhodes Scholar
Diana Fu, an honors student in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, was recently named a 2006 Rhodes Scholar. She explains how she got the news and what it takes to be chosen a Rhodes Scholar. Read the news release to learn more about CLA's newest Rhodes Scholar.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
December 12, 2005: Sleep Disorders
Sleep … Most of us do it 8 hours a day and never give it a second thought. For others though, it's a different story. Matthew Wolf-Meyer, a U of M researcher, talks about the emergence of sleep disorders.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
December 2, 2005: Learning Language
Magnetoencephalography, MEG for short, is the measurement of magnetic fields produced by the electrical activity in the brain. Yang Zhang, a researcher at the U of M, uses MEG to study language development in infants and as a diagnostic tool for kids with language problems.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
November 14, 2005: Compulsive Buying
TV ad blitzes, radio commercials and your daily newspapers stuffed with ads like a Thanksgiving Day turkey. Yup … the official shopping season is within view, and like eating too much at the dinner table, some people just can't help but buy too much. Ron Faber, a professor of mass communication in the University of Minnesota's journalism school, has studied compulsive buying.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
November 9, 2005: North Country
The movie North Country recently opened in movie theatres nationwide. It entails the story of female miners in northern Minnesota who sued their union and mining company in the first large class action sex discrimination suit. The University's Eugene Borgida with the College of Liberal Arts was a social psychologist expert in the real-life case.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
October 24, 2005: Rural Internet Access
U of M professors John Sullivan and Eugene Borgida recently concluded a study of two Minnesota cities that have taken different paths in the way Internet access is offered. In Grand Rapids, local leaders pushed for broad public access to the Net, while another similar size city simply let the marketplace dictate Internet progression. Borgida explains why they conducted the research.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
October 14, 2005: Migrant Workers
It is widely known that migrant workers make up a workforce of somewhere between 2 and 3 million nationwide. In Minnesota, migrant workers make up a workforce of around 50,000 each summer. Lisa Sass Zaragoza, a U of M outreach worker in the department of Chicano Studies, says that Minnesota farmers have had a long relationship with workers.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
October 10, 2005: Veterans Transition Center
This week the student group Comfort for Courage, working with the University, opened a first-of-its kind veterans transition center for Iraq and Afghanistan War vets. Andrew Davis, its director, explains the center.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
September 29, 2005: Global Warming
This past summer Minnesota faced a warmer than usual season, and the powerful hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast have raised questions about Global Warming. Katherine Klink, assistant professor of geography at the university’s College of Liberal Arts, says that Global Warming does appear to be occurring.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
September 22, 2005: Family and Work Life
Pressures of work and family life can take their toll. University assistant professor of sociology Erin Kelly explains what employers can do to help employees.
Listen to the feature | Read transcription
September 12, 2005: "River of Relief"
On Friday the Minnesota Broadcasters Association held the "Storm Aid: River of Relief" radiothon on the University of Minnesota campus to benefit the American Red Cross. Over 25 Twin Cities and 75 greater Minnesota radio stations participated. Jim du Bois, organizer of the event, says why Minnesota radio held the fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Katrina.