Brianna Larson, assistant professor of theatre and dance, recently presented at the Musical Theatre Educators Alliance Conference.  The alliance held its inaugural Dance Day, during which her topic was "Mama's Stew – Jazz History Solo Routine." This workshop helped bring to light the jazz dance continuum, and shared a piece that has evolved since the jazz age and is part of what some refer to as authentic jazz.

Dr. Lori Neuman-Lee, assistant professor of physiology, was an invited speaker for the Society for Comparative and Integrative Biology Conference. Her talk described an in-depth review she and her student lab employees conducted when their lab and fieldwork was shut down in 2020 due to the pandemic. They found there are huge gaps in the basic knowledge of reptilian immunology, presenting key challenges in their studies of how immune systems work.

A paper co-authored by Dr. Fabricio Medina-Bolivar, professor of plant metabolic engineering, was published in Molecules. The paper describes the antioxidant properties of extracts from peanut hairy roots. Antioxidants are important compounds that may play a role in preventing diseases in humans. The co-authors of this study were Medina-Bolivar’s Ph.D. students in molecular biosciences, Gaurav Gajurel and Rokib Hasan. Their article is online.

An article co-authored by Dr. Joseph Richmond (left), chair, disaster preparedness management, and Dr. Cheryl Knight (right), chair, social work, was published in the international Journal of Global Awareness. Their article, “Partnerships and Collaboration: Working Together to Build and Achieve Disaster Recovery,” emphasized the need for interdisciplinary teams in the recovery process following natural and man-made disasters. The article is available online.

Dr. Amanda Mohler, assistant professor of occupational therapy, made a presentation for the International Lymphedema Framework Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. She identified multiple barriers that individuals with lymphedema often experience, thus inhibiting their occupational involvement and social engagement. Mohler’s presentation also outlined occupational therapy's roles that are effective with addressing these barriers, using an occupational and holistic approach.