MANSFIELD – The Ohio State University at Mansfield will host its “Research Frenzy” on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. at Idea Works.
Free and open to the public, the event will feature experts from a wide range of studies, from psychology to biology, and history to art. Experts will discuss research related to narcissism, epidemics, wetlands and more.
“The Research Frenzy is an event when faculty and students gather to share their latest research,” said Amy Brunell, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychology, and this year’s Frenzy organizer. “Similar to a TED talk, participants highlight their research but only have a few minutes to do so before moving onto the next presenter.”
Research topics:
Figuring Out How Disasters Strike: Modeling Epidemics in American History by Jason Opal, PhD, dean and director of The Ohio State University at Mansfield. “Why did yellow fever kill 10% of all the people living in Philadelphia in 1793? Why did cholera, which was native to the Ganges River, terrify parts of rural Ohio and Indiana in the 1840s? And how did New York City escape a smallpox epidemic in 1947? In my research, I try to answer these questions — and to help prevent future epidemics — by combining traditional historical materials with information from epidemiology, urban planning, and even biology and zoology.”
Functional Magnetic Resonance (fMRI) Imaging of Human Brain Responses Related to Color Appearance by Delwin Lindsey, PhD, professor, Department of Psychology. “fMRI is a technique that allows neuroscientists to observe and measure changes in brain activation as humans perform mental tasks. I will describe an fMRI study of the brain regions involved in human understanding of basic elemental color concepts like redness, greenness, blueness and yellowness. An interesting aspect of our results is that brain regions involved in color appearance signal elemental color concepts only when human subjects are actively judging color appearance and not when passively viewing the same, colored stimuli.”
Sounds Abound! The Impact of Man-Made Noise in Wetland Habitats by Adrienne Hopson, PhD, senior instructor; Department of Biology. “Soundscapes are defined as the composition of natural and man-made sounds in a habitat, and these are an important but poorly studied aspect of most ecosystems. I will be discussing how natural sound is used in a habitat, and how man-made sound can interact with the natural sounds, changing soundscapes and impacting the animals that use them.”
Navigating Narcissistic Relationships in the Workplace: What can Organizations Do? by Amy B. Brunell, PhD, professor, Department of Psychology. “In the workplace, narcissists engage in counterproductive work behaviors, which include behaviors such as workplace incivility, bullying and even white-collar crimes. Work outcomes are especially poor for those with narcissistic bosses, supervisors and mentors. In my talk, I will highlight strategies that may be effective for navigating narcissism in the workplace.”
Communal Narcissism and Social Emotional Skills in College Students by Autumn Meigs, psychology student. “Communal narcissism refers to a form of narcissism that is characterized by a focus on appearing caring, altruistic, and morally superior. Communal narcissists seek validation through their perceived social conscientiousness and moral integrity. This study examines the extent to which communal narcissistic students report social emotional skills (e.g., self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship skills).”
When This You See, Remember Me by Kate Shannon, MFA associate professor, Department of Art. “Through my presentation, I will share my experience curating an exhibition of 19th Century American photographic portraits from the Floyd and Marion Rinhart collection at The Ohio State University’s Rare Books & Manuscripts Library. I will meditate on the enduring emotional and historical significance of these photographs, while examining themes of memory, preservation, and the evolving role of photographs in our lives.”
How Do Animals Organize Their Budget by Agus Muñoz-Garcia, PhD, associate professor, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology. “Have you ever wondered how animals “decide” how to use all the resources they get from the environment? There are some proteins that can “feel” environmental conditions, and control which cells should increase or decrease their activity, and in which organs. As a result, resources will be used for different tasks, such as searching for food and water, or making babies. These patterns of resource allocation in response to the environment determine the options of survival and reproduction of organisms.”
Your Metals or Your Life: Why We Need to Take Metal Mining Seriously by Kent “Kip” Curtis, PhD, associate professor, Department of History. “This survey of nineteenth and twentieth century metal mining and production will argue that raw material abundance has been the central mission of the modern mining industry since the 1890s and a key mission of modern states since World War I. The abundance and relative affordability of iron, copper, zinc and lead (and then dozens of metals and alloys) facilitated the construction of a metal-dependent “technosphere” (the constructed world of human habitation) with a growing appetite for metals, old and new. As we face new mining challenges in the green energy transition, I offer a vision for ‘sustainable’ mining.”
The Moai of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) by Tim M. Berra, PhD, Academy Professor & Professor Emeritus, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology. “This talk explains how and when Polynesia was populated and where Rapa Nui fits into the last human diaspora. The talk will emphasize the moai of Rapa Nui: Why were they built, how big they were, and how they were moved. I will also discuss why the Rapa Nui society collapsed. Was it “ecocide” or “genocide”?”
The “Research Frenzy” is free and open to the public. Idea Works is located at 144 W. 3rd St. Mansfield, Ohio. For more information, contact Amy Brunell at brunell.2@osu.edu or 419-755-4119.
About Ohio State University at Mansfield
The Ohio State University at Mansfield offers the caliber of a Big Ten education with the personal attention of a small campus. With a commitment to academic excellence and community engagement, Ohio State Mansfield provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in their careers and contribute to their communities.