As the holidays approach, the pressure’s on to find perfect gifts for your loved ones. Marketing professor Kim Weaver (Virginia Tech) says if you’re thinking about adding a candy bar in with that fancy cashmere sweater you’re sending Mom—think again. Plus: Sometimes translating difficult scientific research to the public is all about presentation. Jenifer Alonzo (Old Dominion University) teaches special acting classes to help researchers and scientists learn to communicate. And: Management professor Danylle Kunkel (Radford University) says there are business lessons to be learned at the movies. From Pitch Perfect to Ocean’s Eleven, stars can teach us how to manage—and how not to manage—others.

Later in the show: Studies show that women in academia are often relegated to lower-ranked positions while their male counterparts ascend to the top. Khadijah Miller (Norfolk State University) says finding a balance between work and home life can be stressful. So she helped form the Sistah Colleague Circle to give women encouragement, support, and a collaborative work environment. Also featured: Despite her background in psychology, Winx Lawrence (University of Virginia) was shocked at the loss of confidence her daughters experienced when they entered middle school. She co-founded the Young Women’s Leadership Program, where college women pair with middle school girls to help them reach their potential academically, socially and emotionally. The program, now in its 16th year, has emerged as a national model.