Unwinding: a podcast from the University of Kansas

Police reform has been at the forefront of the social justice conversation for much of the last year following the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota and the subsequent protests around the country. For Brandon Davis, assistant professor in the School of Public Affairs & Administration, this topic encompasses more than simply changing the way police are funded. Listen as Professor Davis discusses the idea of police reform, how we can better discuss race and policing in America, and his past as a cook at a James Beard Award-winning restaurant.

In March 2020, America's economy was rocked by the beginning of shutdowns and stay-at-home orders due to the rise of COVID-19 in the country. As a third round of stimulus hits back account this month, much of the country is still working to get back to pre-pandemic economic levels. Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor in the Department of Economics Donna Ginther, who also serves as the Director of the Institute for Policy & Social Research, used her experience as an economic policy researcher to begin providing updates on the economic impacts of COVID. Hear more about her work on COVID economic recovery, how she used her background as an economist to study how mask mandates improved COVID rates, her work as a policy researcher, and more on the latest episode of Unwinding.

Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic in early 2020, testing has been under scrutiny. From a lack of tests to delays in results, there have been signs that these systems need improvement. Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Engineering Steven Soper and his team have been working on a solution to make testing more convenient and more affordable. Listen as Dr. Soper breaks down how his team pivoted from working on cancer and stroke diagnoses to tackling testing for COVID-19.

August 18, 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote. 100 years later, women still lag behind men in holding elected office both nationally and regionally. Institute for Leadership Studies Lecturer/Program Associate and Communication Studies Ph.D. Candidate Emily Vietti is working to close the gaps. Hear about her research on gender gaps in politics, her work with Appointments Project & Ready to Run Kansas Women's Leadership Series, and how she is hoping to inspire more women to run for office on the latest Unwinding.

Ever wonder why the zombies in film and on TV act the way that they do? Associate Professor of French Paul Scott can provide some insight. Working on a new book while on sabbatical in Crete, Professor Scott sat down with us to talk his soon to be completed book on zombies, his time on sabbatical, and much more on the latest episode of Unwinding.

After a career as a debater at KU and now as Co-Director of KU Debate, Brett Bricker knows how to craft an argument. Yet, there is more to success in the world of competitive debate than having your points in order. On the newest Unwinding, Bricker lets us into the world of KU Debate, discusses his time as a member of the KU Debate team, and talks about how that can translate to the political debate stage.

Examining our past can provide clues on how to avoid problems we've already encountered. For Zora Neale Hurston scholar and associate professor of English and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Ayesha Hardison, there are similarities in the themes of Hurston's work and social uprisings happening on American streets in 2020. Learn more about Hardison's work on the latest episode of Unwinding.

Can religious texts be changed by the scribe copying them down? Associate Professor of Religious Studies Molly Zahn's new book Genres of Rewriting in Second Temple Judaism explores the evolution of religious texts in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Listen as she talks about her research, path to KU, how studying religious studies can help students prepare for a future beyond the classroom, and more on our September edition of Unwinding.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. For professor of visual art Yoonmi Nam, her inspiration came from looking at the relationship between items we buy and the containers that house them. Hear Professor Nam discuss her work, finding time to exercise creative muscles, mentoring students remotely, and more on the latest episode of Unwinding.

For associate professor of English, Darren Canady theatre allowed him to find his voice and his path. On the latest episode of Unwinding Professor Canady talks about his work, his path to KU, inspiration, doubt, and what it's like to study creative writing in his classes.

What does it mean to commemorate a moment in time? For Professor of Communication Studies Dave Tell, commemorating the legacy of the murder of Emmett Till has taken him on a journey from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago. As part of the Emmett Till Memory Project, Tell has worked with Till's family to help shepherd his story and to preserve his memory. Hear Tell discuss his latest book Remembering Emmett Till, how he came to be involved with the Emmett Till Memory Project, and his work with memory, race and place on the latest episode of Unwinding.

Associate Dean for Science Research Joy Ward joins us to talk about her research with plants and climate change, how she first became interested in biology, and how important it is to her to mentor students at KU. Music: Lee Rosevere's "Let's Start at the Beginning" and "Max Flashback"

Listen as Associate Teaching Professor Jennifer Delgado from KU's Department of Physics & Astronomy talks about the stretches of the universe, the summer of alien news, and how anyone can contribute to new discoveries at KU. Music: Lee Rosevere's "Let's Start at the Beginning" and "Max Flashback"

Hannah Britton by College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Unwinding with Katie Rhine & Macie Rouse: Community researchers by College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Unwinding with Ward Lyles by College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers -- so many caring people in this world." - Mr Rogers Paul Stock, an environmental sociologist at KU, is a helper. He's driven by that same Mr Rogers optimism as he seeks to understand and consider solutions to some of the great challenges facing the world - inequality, food insecurity and environmental degradation. For Paul, the solutions lie in the creative capacities of us all to rethink how we do things and to make choices that, no matter how small, make the world better. In his research, Paul points to the examples of experimental uses of land for entrepreneurial food growing, like the Common Ground project here in Lawrence, Kansas, and to the potential of small farmers around the world to model new ways of doing things that address global issues. Small-scale projects can have big impacts, especially when they are the result of collaboration between students, community leaders and people across the world. In this episode of Unwinding we sat down with Paul Stock at a Common Ground plot in Lawrence - with the crickets, bees, train horns and all - and discovered why everything you think you know about farmers and farming is wrong. Listen along and then check out the New Farmers project, a collaborative research project between photographer D. Bryon Darby, designer Tim Hossler, and Paul. An observation of today's independent farmer, the project is an ongoing exploration of experiments in contemporary farming. Oh, and this episode also includes a beautiful passage from Phil Holman-Hebert of SweetLove Farm,  and a story of beer, hot-dogs and baseball.

Do aliens exist on Mars? Possibly. But how do humans actually go about answering that question? One option is to examine certain rocks to understand the types of  life-forms, like squishy things, that roamed the earth billions of years ago. That's what Alison Olcott does in her role as associate professor of pealeobiogeochemistry in the Department of Geology at the University of Kansas. And while playing on Google Maps one day, Alison found that those rocks are found not far from KU, in the Gypsum Hills of Kansas. Who knew Kansas and Mars were so similar! In this episode of Unwinding we chat to Alison Olcott about science communication and squishy things, undergraduate research and Jurassic park, barbies and why chemistry is not as hard to understand as you think! Music: Lee Rosevere's "Let's Start at the Beginning" and "Alien's - Deep Dark" by Deep Dark.