Ten faculty members will each have six minutes and 40 seconds to explain their unique research ranging from Nationwide commercials to neurological disorders at Mic/Nite on Wednesday, March 13, at the Relix Variety Theatre, 1208 North Central Avenue.
The social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. with free pizza and a cash bar. Presentations begin at 6:30 p.m.
The event is free and open to faculty and staff. Those attending are encouraged to RSVP through the Mic/Nite website so appropriate preparations can be made.
The “Pecha-Kucha powered” social gathering, held once a semester, showcases the many facets of academic inquiry, scholarship, and creative activity in a large comprehensive research university.
Pecha-Kucha is a fast-paced lecture format that originated in Tokyo. Since 2003, it has spread to more than 400 cities around the world.
This spring’s lineup:
“Interior Topographies: Towards a New Typology of Spatial Occupancy.” Rana Abudayyeh, assistant professor in the School of Interior Architecture, will explain interior topographies—a design framework that links interior and exterior environments while encouraging a unique ability to connect human occupancy, needs, and habits.
“Neurological Disorders and Brain Plasticity.” Keerthi Krishnan, assistant professor of biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, will talk about the connections between neurological disorders and DNA, specifically her work focusing on Rett Syndrome—a neurological disorder caused by mutations in a gene called MECP2.
“You Know Those Nationwide Commercials with the People Singing Real Sincerely About Insurance? Why Are They So Heartbreaking? . . . and Other Ruminations About Art, Life and Listening.” Joshua Bienko, associate professor of drawing and extended media in the School of Art, will highlight and analyze emotional responses to a Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company commercial.
“The Dark Side of Competition.” Scott M. Gilpatric, associate professor in the Department of Economics, will explain how understanding what drives cheating and other competitive tactics during contests can lead to more effective deterrence of these unwanted behaviors.
“Spending, Spinning, and Being Social: New Rules for the Persuasion Game.” Sally J. McMillan, professor in the School of Advertising and Public Relations, will review how the US election of 2016 may represent a tipping point between old mass-media campaigning tactics and new approaches to winning elections and selling products and services.
“Place-Based Art Education: Saving the World One Non-Place at a Time.” Joy Bertling, assistant professor in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, will present the benefits of place-based art education as a pedagogical counterpoint to a world in which the traditional notion of place has become increasingly ephemeral or nonexistent.
“Nuclear Power for the 21st Century: Not Your Grandparent’s Reactor.” Jamie Coble, Southern Company Faculty Fellow and assistant professor in the Tickle College of Engineering, will outline how innovative nuclear reactor designs that provide clean, safe, reliable electricity also offer opportunities to operate, manage, and maintain our reactors in fundamentally different ways.
“Low Cost Carbon Fiber and Polymer Reinforced Composites: Is This the Game Changer?” Dayakar Penumadu, JIAM Chair of Excellence and Fred N. Peebles Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will introduce cost-effective fiber reinforced polymer composites, especially carbon fiber reinforced materials, which are expected to be game changers when used in lightweight engineering applications—including bicycles.
“Virginia P. Moore: Tennessee’s First Home Demonstration Agent.” Laura Romans, manuscripts archivist and assistant professor for UT Libraries, will show how the state’s first home demonstration agent not only educated and empowered many young women but also influenced the educational and agricultural landscape of Tennessee in the early 20th century.
“The Immune Paradox of Pregnancy: What Can We Learn from Sheep?” Andrea Lear, assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, will discuss how sheep can answer fundamental questions about fetal-maternal interaction during pregnancy, including exploration of important human diseases.