Science Solutions

There’s no question that science and technology fields will play a critical role as we seek to solve the world’s thorniest problems. But we need a much larger and broader pool of scientists and researchers working on tough questions. In the cover story of the most recent issue of the HHMI Bulletin, I shared some of the strategies the organization has used to help build a stronger, more diverse group of scientists.

Read more here.

Bright Ideas

The University of Minnesota’s new “Illumination” campaign was designed to show how the school’s students, faculty, and research are lighting the way for the future, and a recent series of eye-catching commercials is bringing that idea to life. To find out more about how the commercials were created (including some of the low-tech and high-tech special effects), I talked to students and staff in this story for Legacy magazine.

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What It Feels Like…

They may still be in their teens, but many college students have had experiences that some of us can only dream about having. From creating a successful hip-hop album to spending a summer paddling around the Boundary Waters, students at St. Edward’s University agreed to talk about what it’s like to be in a music studio, how it feels to work with AIDS patients in Africa, and surviving in some of the least-inhabited spaces on the planet.

Here’s what they told me.

Teaching Us A Lesson

In politics, teachers have become easy punching bags — they’re paid too much, they do too little, they’re the reason our kids are lagging behind other countries. But if you’ve ever actually spent time with a teacher, you probably know that they deeply care about their students and their work. To find out more about some of the most challenging issues teachers face, I asked five award-winning classroom leaders to share their insights for Saint John’s magazine.

The things they’re thinking about — and they ways they’re trying to reform teaching, one classroom at a time — may surprise you.

Read more here.

Right On, Target

Most people don’t think of big box stores as big on sustainable ideas, but Rich Varda, a University of Wisconsin alum, thinks differently. Thanks to his efforts as a senior vice president of store design for Target, he’s slashed costs and energy use through a series of wise updates, from lighting to refrigeration. Plus, he’s helping nudge other big box retailers to step up and take responsibility for their energy use, too. I wrote about his work in the most recent issue of On Wisconsin.

Read more here.

Big Data’s Got Your Number

Today, some of the most exciting work being done in science isn’t in labs with bubbling chemicals — it’s in front of computers, crunching numbers. Enormous amounts of information, everything from health records to social networking to environmental data, is just waiting to be tracked, measured, and analyzed.

But understanding how to understand and use these numbers is tricky. That’s why Macalester is poised to become one of the first schools of any kind to offer undergraduate classes that will help students tackle big data projects. In this story for Macalester Today, I shared why the school got a $1+ million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to develop these classes, and how the work being done at the school may affect colleges across the nation.

Read more here.

Level the Playing Fields

Last year, Title IX legislation celebrated its 40th anniversary. Best known for its role in giving women’s athletics a huge boost, it continues to resonate today. In this story for the Grinnell magazine, I explored the way that it affected Grinnell athletics when it was implemented, the ways that inequality still exists, and how men are also beginning to benefit from Title IX.

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Choose Your Own Venture

The best entrepreneurs bring both an infectious energy and a dedication to excellence to their craft. These Oles are no exception. The six entrepreneurs I profiled in this cover story for St. Olaf magazine do nothing halfway. Consider the students behind Jonny Pops — as juniors, they crafted a gourmet frozen fruit bar that’s offered in dozens of Twin Cities locations. In its first year, its popularity has skyrocketed, and in some cases, it’s even outselling its multimillion-dollar rival, Edy’s.

There’s also David Rose, whose ventures in technology and “enchanted technology” are helping make everyday objects more useful and even delightful.

From robots to art to restaurants, these Oles are making a real mark on the world.

Read more here.

Positive Politics

Everybody loves to hate politics. If you didn’t tire of politics during the long presidential campaign, you certainly wanted to throttle a politician during the fiscal cliff negotiations.

But it’s not all bad news. For this story for Macalester, I took a look at the reasons that politics might not be as bad as you think — and in some important ways, things are trending in the right direction. Don’t believe me? Just read what the experts have to say.

Read more here.

The Mind of an American Icon

Folk singer Woody Guthrie may be the most famous person ever to have had Huntington’s Disease, a devastating neurological disorder. His lyrical letters to his wife and friends chart the confusing and painful progression of the disease and provide insight in the way that no medical chart ever could.

But 100 years after his birth, there is new hope for those who suffer from the disease. In this issue of St. Edward’s magazine, I explore some of the promising new research being done by the school’s faculty (and others) that may help slow or even stop the progress of Huntington’s.

Read more here.