Hoos in STEM
by STEM Advisor to the Provost at the University of Virginia
Host Ken Ono, STEM Advisor to the Provost, keeps his finger on the pulse of scientific and technological innovation at UVA. Hoos in STEM showcases the marvelous cornucopia of STEM at UVA, from the latest innovations to growth inside and outside the classroom.Our theme music is CPU by Apples in Stereo.
Episodes
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UVA’s Olympic Champions: The Data Behind Olympic Greatness
In this episode of HOOS in STEM, we sit down with UVA’s Olympic gold medalists and world-record-holding swimmers Claire Curzan, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, and their legendary coach Todd DeSorbo. From early morning practices to Olympic podiums, we explore the dedication, science, and data that...
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Kent Yagi and the Ripples of Spacetime
In this episode of HOOS in STEM, we speak with Kent Yagi, UVA Professor of Physics, whose work explores the deepest mysteries of gravity and spacetime. From Einstein’s century-old prediction of gravitational waves to their first detection in 2015, Yagi has been testing general relativity at…
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Anton Korinek and the Economics of Artificial Intelligence
In this episode of HOOS in STEM, we speak with Anton Korinek, UVA Professor of Economics and Public Policy and one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in AI. A decade into exploring AI’s long-term impact, Korinek has been at the forefront of understanding how artificial intelligence...
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Modeling Life Itself: Madhav Marathe and the Science of Biocomplexity
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Madhav Marathe, Distinguished Professor and Executive Director of UVA’s Biocomplexity Institute. Dr. Marathe leads one of UVA’s most interdisciplinary research hubs where mathematicians, epidemiologists, social scientists, and AI systems work together to…
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Jennifer Morse’s Unlikely Path to Combinatorics
In this episode of HOOS in STEM, we spoke with Jennifer Morse, UVA Professor of Mathematics, whose path to combinatorics defied expectations. Raised on a dairy farm in Vermont, Jennifer’s journey took her from liberal arts studies to eventually earning a PhD in mathematics. Now, as one of the...
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Storytelling in STEM: A Bonus from The Story Collider with Scott Acton
In this special bonus episode, we share a live story told by Professor Scott Acton, chair of UVA’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Recorded at Carr’s Hill as part of our ongoing collaboration with The Story Collider, this episode offers a rare glimpse into the personal side of…
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Breaking Down Brain Cancer with Prof. Harald Sontheimer
Dr. Sontheimer is the department chair, professor, mentor, biotechnology founder, and textbook author behind a recent revolution in the emerging field of cancer neuroscience: a series of breakthrough discoveries that have catalyzed the ongoing translation of scientific research to successful...
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Rethinking Learning in an AI Era: UVA’s Digital Education Revolution
Dr. Kemi Jona, UVA’s Vice Provost for Online Education and Digital Innovation, sits down with us to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping education and the workplace. We explore the future of education in a post-AI world, and the steps the university is taking to champion lifelong,...
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Shaping the Future of Medicine: Mark Esser’s Vision for UVA’s Manning Institute
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mark Esser, the inaugural Chief Scientific Officer of UVA’s new Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology. Dr. Esser, a renowned expert in immunology and vaccine development, shares his journey from AstraZeneca to leading this ambitious institute.…
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UVA’s Class of 2025: Great and Good Leaders in Science
To celebrate their graduation from UVA, student producers Katie Nichols and Reeya Verma interviewed four exceptional Hoos in STEM. They welcome astrophysicist, historian, and Rhodes Scholar Sam Crowe; neuroscientist and President of the Raven Society, Campbell Coleman; mathematician and Marshall...
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Spacewalks and Hypotheses- Personal Stories with Story Collider!
This Spring, UVA welcomed the Story Collider team back to Charlottesville for the third year running. During a special recording at Carr's Hill, four UVA STEM leaders told personal stories about their lives, their careers, and how personal stories and scientific inquiry intertwine. We hope you'll...
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The Award Winning Scientists Shaping the Future of Recovery
In this episode, we’re diving into the groundbreaking research of UVA’s 2024 Edlich-Henderson Innovators of the Year: Professors Silvia Blemker and Craig Meyer from the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Their award-winning work is revolutionizing the way we analyze MRI data, creating 3D...
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Sally Pusede Brings Satellite Data Down to Earth
We are lucky to be joined by yet another one of UVA’s own 2025 PECASE recipients, Sally Pusede, an Associate Professor in the Dept. of Environmental Sciences. Although she has been officially honored for advancing the analysis of satellite remote sensing data for the resolution of...
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An Engineering Powerhouse: Meet UVA's Newest Presidential Honorees
Three faculty members of the UVA School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, James (Jimmy) Burns, Coleen Carrigan, and Liheng Cai, join the show to discuss their research and the path that led them to become honorees of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. The PECASE...
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The LaCross Institute’s Mission to Advance AI Ethics
How can we ensure that the AI we build is trustworthy? Responsible? An agent of the great and good, even as their rapidly increasing capabilities continue to astonish us? Thanks to the generous support of UVA Darden alum David LaCross, the LaCross Institute for Ethical AI in Business at Darden…
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Cosmic Simulations with Dr. Paul Torrey and his AI Copilot
Scientists have begun to leverage the power of AI to help us better understand the formation and dynamics of the universe. Paul Torrey is a computational astrophysicist with a research focus on the formation and evolution of our cosmos. Torrey’s research group builds, runs, and analyzes…
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Dr. John Lukens' Journey from T Cells to the Brain
Only about a decade ago did scientists discover the immense potential of leveraging the immune system to combat neurodegenerative diseases. Professor of Neuroscience John Lukens played an integral part in that movement, and he continues to push the field forward today as the inaugural director of...
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Inside the UVA Dept. with 10,000 Students: Chemistry, under Dr. Jill Venton
This week, we dive into the heart of UVA’s chemistry department with Jill Venton, its chair and the Thomas Jefferson Professor of Chemistry. She tells us about the fascinating study and synthesis of the molecular building blocks of our universe: from star formation to nanoparticles for clean…
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Trailblazing the Future of National Security and Data Policy with Phil Potter
On this episode, we welcome Phil Potter, a professor of politics and public policy in the Batten School. We discuss the past, present, and future of national security, as well as UVA’s $20 million contract from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to launch a National Security and...
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The Wide World of Electrical and Computer Engineering with Scott Acton
On this episode, we welcome Scott Acton the chair of UVA’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Arriving at UVA in 2000, Scott has worked on countless projects and seen first-hand how the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering has changed over time. We discuss Scott's career…
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Cavalier Autonomous Racing: Record Breaking Victory and Beyond
On this episode, we welcome Madhur Behl and Amar Kulkarni of the Cavalier Autonomous Racing Team. Abbreviated as CAR, the team is a research group at UVA that has been competing in the Indy Autonomous Challenge since 2019. After becoming the first American team to win the Indy Autonomous…
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Futurizing Academia: Four Visionary Leaders Redefine Higher Education
In this panel, four trailblazing academic leaders discuss how their institutions are each boldly taking on the future. UVA President Jim Ryan moderates the conversation with visiting presidents Michael Crow (Arizona State University), Harriet Nembhard (Harvey Mudd College), and Santa Ono...
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VP for Research Lori McMahon is UVA's Chief Dreammaker
On this episode, we welcome Lori McMahon, UVA’s new Vice President for Research. She arrived on Grounds in June, armed with an impressive track record as a neuroscientist, dean, and previous Vice President of Research. We discuss her approach to supporting research at UVA as well as her research…
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What's in a Data Science Degree?
UVA just opened the doors to the nation's first School of Data Science. The new school, funded by an extraordinary $120 million gift from Jaffray and Merrrill Woodriff and the Quantitative Foundation, will offer undergraduate, master's and doctorate degrees. On this episode of Hoos in STEM, Data...
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Vascular Surgery, Astrophysics, and Environmental Science - Personal Stories with Story Collider!
Back in April, UVA was excited to welcome the Story Collider team to Charlottesville for the second year running. During a special recording at Carr's Hill, four UVA STEM leaders told personal stories about their lives, their careers, and how personal stories and scientific inquiry intertwine. We...
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Graduation Celebration with Class of 2024's Vy Le, Grant GianGrassio, Sam Goldberg, and Alex Walsh
Time for HOOS in STEM to celebrate our graduating scientists! In this episode, producers Reeya Verma and Catherine Cossaboom interview fourth-year Hoos Vy Le (a published organic chemist and exemplar of the USOAR program), Grant GianGrassio (a biologist and Rhodes Scholar who founded the Virginia...
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Celebrating Earth Day with Environmental Scientist Dr. Scott Doney
Dr. Scott Doney is a superstar environmental scientist, the Kington Professor in Environmental Change at UVA and Assistant Director of Ocean Climate Science at the White House. In this Earth Day episode, he sits down with host Dr. Ken Ono to discuss the devastating effects of climate change on…
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Dr. George Bloom is Discovering the Cellular Basis of Alzheimer's
Dr. George Bloom is a renowned cell biologist whose longtime focus has been deciphering the cellular processes at the heart of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease, such as the buildup of amyloid-β peptides and tau protein tangles. In this episode, he sits down with host Dr. Ken…
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Dr. Mona Sloane is on the Cutting Edge of AI Ethics
Dr. Mona Sloane is a superstar sociologist studying the intersection of technology and society. She leads the Co-Opting AI series, as well as UVA's Sloane Lab, which studies AI ethics, policy, and transparency. In this episode, she sits down with host Dr. Ken Ono to discuss the ethics of…
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Dr. Karen Kafadar Is Advancing STEM and Society with Statistics
Dr. Karen Kafadar is a renowned statistician who has worked across the country in government, industry, and academics. In this episode, she sits down with host Ken Ono to discuss her long history of statistics: from early mentors to her work in forensic science and her time growing UVA's…
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The Human Computer Project Is Uncovering More "Hidden Figures"...And They Want Help
This week, Professor Mar Hicks of UVA's School of Data Science and Margot Lee Shetterly, author of "Hidden Figures," join host Ken Ono to discuss the remarkable women whose contributions to STEM have been forgotten--from biologists to code-breakers to the "human computers" whose computations…
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Third-Year Sam Crowe is Studying Stars with NASA's Webb Telescope
UVA third-year Astrophysics major Samuel Crowe holds a distinct honor-- he's one of, if not the only undergraduate Principal Investigator with access to NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Last year, his research proposal was accepted as one of just 249 programs selected to make use of the...
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Dean Melina Kibbe is Leading Scientific Breakthroughs at UVA's School of Medicine
Dr. Melina Kibbe is a vascular surgeon, Chief Health Affairs Officer, and the Dean of UVA's School of Medicine. In this episode, she sits down with host Ken Ono to discuss breakthrough technologies coming out of the School of Medicine, including the artificial pancreas and targeted nanofibers…
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UVA's Futures Initiative is Charting the Next Era of Higher Education
How will institutions of higher learning respond to changes in the workforce as a result of AI? What role will universities play in the evolving era of big data and the Internet of Things? How can science and the humanities work together to shape the future, not just react to external challenges?...
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UVA's Physicists Are Studying Black Holes and Unraveling Ancient Paradoxes
What's the nature of matter and energy? What would cold fusion mean for our energy systems? What is quantum physics -- and why was Einstein mistaken about it? These are just a few of the questions being asked by UVA's physicists, whose investigations of the universe collectively span from the...
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UVA's Brain Institute is Fighting Cognitive Decline and Mapping the Brain
How does the brain develop, change, and decline over a lifetime? What can we do to fight conditions like Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy? Dr. Jaideep Kapur and Dr. Sarah Kucenas, Director and Co-Director of UVA's Brain Institute, are committed to answering these questions. They discuss Dr.…
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Swimming with Data - UVA Data Points Podcast
In this episode of UVA's Data Points Podcast, guest host Professor Ken Ono is joined by three UVA swimmers who are pursuing graduate degrees in data science and statistics while also performing as student-athletes: August Lamb, Kate Douglass, and Will Tenpas. They discuss student life, balancing...
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UVA's Link Lab is Building Solutions in Cyber-Physical Systems
How can engineers of vastly different disciplines work together to solve problems in the modern world? By putting them all in one place! This week's guests are Jonathan Goodall and Laura Barnes, the Director and Associate Director of UVA's Link Lab, an interdisciplinary space for faculty,...
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Polymath Dr. Bill Basener Uses Remote Sensing Data to Solve Large-Scale Problems
What do erosion, urban planning, food insecurity, disaster relief, and the hunt for lost cities have for common? Big data can help identify and solve those problems--that's the domain of our guest this week, UVA Professor Dr. Bill Basener. Dr Basener is a Professor at the School of Data Science…
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Cosmic Time Travel with Dr. Bradley Johnson
Wouldn’t it be magnificent if we could reach back in time to witness the beginning of the universe…back to the Big Bang? What would we see? What would we learn? Well, UVA’s Bradley Johnson, Associate Professor of Astronomy is doing just that! He’s a world expert on Cosmic Microwave Background,...
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True, Personal Stories about Science at UVA - with Story Collider!
Back in April, UVA was excited to welcome the Story Collider team to Charlottesville. During a special recording at Carr's Hill, five UVA STEM leaders told stories about their careers, their research and some pretty wild experiences they've had along the way... We hope you'll head over to Story...
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Dr. Ramasubramanian is the ‘Facilitator in Chief’ of Research at UVA
Dr. “Ram” Ramasubramanian came to UVA to serve as Vice President for Research in 2017. Prior to that he developed new microneedle technology that was inspired by mosquitos. In this episode he discusses how his upbringing in Chennai, India, influenced his approach to engineering research and…
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BIG Data is happening at UVA
Big data is everywhere! This week’s featured guests, Phil Bourne, founding Dean of the UVA School of Data Science, and Cathy O’Neil, world-famous author, mathematician and UVA Visiting Scholar, talk about the opportunities and concerns in our world of big data.
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Graduation Celebration with Class of 2023's Paul Bean, Lexi Cuomo, Louisa Edwards and Zach Boner
It's finals week, and we are celebrating our grads! We'll hear from chemist Paul Bean, chemical engineer and swimmer Lexi Cuomo, and artificial intelligence researchers Louisa Edwards and Zach Boner. Join us as we celebrate their pursuits in and out of the classroom — as shining examples of our...
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Celebrating Earth Day with Environmental Scientist Karen McGlathery
Happy Earth Day! In celebration, we are talking about the environment with today’s guest, Karen McGlathery. McGlathery’s work with the Virginia Coast Reserve restored battered seaside ecosystems to thousands of acres of thriving seagrass, and she tells all: why sea grass is so fundamental to...
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Dr. Francis Collins (Col '70) Led the Human Genome Project
Once in a blue moon, a scientist comes along who revolutionizes the state of our world. Today’s guest, UVA alum Dr. Francis Collins, is one such scientist. After conducting research that isolated the genes that cause disorders like Huntington’s disease and cystic fibrosis, Dr. Collins went on to...
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Engineering Professor Devin Harris Studies What Makes a City Smart
These days, technology has enabled us to constantly interact with our cities. Whether by foot, bike, car or phone, our movements and interactions drive important design decisions, from traffic light patterns, to building layouts. Professor Devin Harris uses sensing techniques and data to ensure...
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Marc Breton and Boris Kovatchev Created an Artificial Pancreas
Dr. Marc Breton and Dr. Boris Kovatchev both knew they wanted to pursue a career in STEM research from an early age. Dr. Kovatchev was inspired to apply his statistical and mathematical prowess to diabetes after his father was diagnosed with the condition. It took over 40 factors but he was able…
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Two Environmental Scientists that Study the Ends of the Earth
Hoos in STEM is thrilled to introduce you to polar opposite environmental science professors, Howie Epstein, an ecologist who researches the Arctic, and Lauren Simkins, a geologist who studies the Antarctic Circle. We talk about what it looks like to be in some of the coldest places on Earth and...
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Dr. Bethany Teachman Harnesses the Power of Technology for Mental Well-being
Hoos in STEM is excited to welcome UVA Professor Bethany Teachman, an award-winning psychologist, to the show! Following the tragic events of November 13th here at UVA, we could not think of a more appropriate guest for the first podcast. This episode features HOOS Making Discoveries, a segment…
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About this show
Host Ken Ono, STEM Advisor to the Provost, keeps his finger on the pulse of scientific and technological innovation at UVA. Hoos in STEM showcases the marvelous cornucopia of STEM at UVA, from the latest innovations to growth inside and outside the classroom.Our theme music is CPU by Apples in Stereo.
Hosted by
STEM Advisor to the Provost at the University of Virginia
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