With Good Reason

This is a good time to reflect on the role of poetry in the face of tragedy. A poet laureate shares how poetry can heal in the wake of loss.

And: In college, Laura Bylenok was fascinated with genetic engineering. Now, she manipulates language, not DNA. Her poetry turns familiar forms into poetic laboratory experiments.

Later in the show: To some, poetry and medicine seem like opposites. But pediatrician and poet Irène Mathieu says both science and poetry use language to understand deeper truths about the human condition. Mathieu’s latest collection, Grande Marronage, examines the lives of Creole women of color in New Orleans.

From start to finish, the Appalachian Trail covers a whopping 2,181 miles. Rodney Bragdon dishes on the toughest challenges he experienced while through-hiking the entire trail. And: Camping, hiking, and enjoying the great outdoors are American pastimes. But for African Americans, gathering in public spaces has long been fraught. Erin Devlin discusses the racism that was built into America’s national parks.

Later in the show: From its Native American roots to hiking fashion trends, Mills Kelly traces the often overlooked history of the Appalachian Trail. Also: Jeff Marion studies visitor impact on the Appalachian Trail and worries we might be loving it to death.

Think you don’t get your news from the paper anymore? Think again. Betsy Edwards, Executive Director of the Virginia Press Association, says that just about every big thing that’s ever happened in this country was unearthed by a newspaper reporter.

And: Lewis Raven Wallace was fired from his job as a reporter at American Public Media’s Marketplace. Ever since, he’s been questioning the role of objectivity in journalism.

Plus: With newspapers shuttering, investigative journalism is endangered. Non-profit centers for investigative Journalism are trying to pick up some of the slack.

Frank Newsome is a former coal miner in Appalachia. He's also an Old Regular Baptist preacher and singer of lined-out hymnody who influenced Ralph Stanley and many others. Newsome’s new CD "Gone Away With A Friend" reveals the influence of this musical tradition on bluegrass, gospel, and old-time music. Listen to this remarkable singer and his congregation as they worship at the Little David Church in Haysi, Virginia.

Also: Travelers to the Carpathian Mountains in Romania are surprised to find a striking resemblance to America's Appalachian mountains and culture.

The first year of college can be stressful and disorienting, especially for shy students. But Madelynn Shell (UVA Wise) says shy freshmen who have at least one good friend report more life satisfaction and better emotional wellbeing. Plus: While many students on the rural Eastern Shore of Virginia can’t wait to get out, one of their teachers couldn’t wait to come back. Christina Duffman (Eastern Shore Community College) grew up in poverty and now shares her inspiring life story with students who feel hopeless there.

Later in the show: Leslie Whiteman (Virginia State University) and her colleagues created a program called STAR (Successful Transition to the Academic Realm) to help minority students overcome science class challenges and pursue STEM careers. Plus: Many teachers see cell phones in the classroom as a real problem, but Helen Crompton (Old Dominion University) loves bringing handheld technology into student learning. Helen Crompton is a Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award recipient.

Student survivors of school shootings have made their voices heard, loud and clear. But the teacher's perspective of school shootings is less common. Megan Doney (New River Community College) is an English professor turned gun control activist who writes about her traumatic experience. Plus: Research suggests that a police strategy called "community policing" benefits those with mental illness. Charlotte Gill (George Mason University) rides along with a police officer and catches a surprisingly warm encounter. 

Later in the show: Hunting for evidence at a crime scene? Try E. coli. Biology professor Amorette Barber (Longwood University) is a 2020 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award recipient. She and analytical chemist Sarah Porter (Longwood University) are using bacteria to detect gunshot residue. And they get their students in on the action. Plus: Philip Mongan (Radford University) on predicting which students will become school shooters.

One of the great American beliefs is that a college education gives us a better shot at moving up in life. But Scott Jaschik, editor of Inside Higher Ed, says social mobility has stalled and we should expand access to those universities admitting the largest numbers of low income students. That gets a big “yes” from Virginia State University President Makola Abdullah. He’s fighting for more resources for HBCUs in the higher education landscape to create social mobility for all students. And: Helping students succeed sometimes means support outside of the classroom. Lelia Bradshaw (Mountain Empire Community College) and Rachelle Thompson (Northern Virginia Community College) share what community colleges are doing to help keep students in school and on track to success.

Later in the show: Student loan numbers have skyrocketed in recent years, but some groups of students are affected more than others. Jason Houle (Dartmouth College) explains how the burden of student debt follows the same social divides that much else does: race and class. And: Stephanie Cellini (George Washington University) studies the rise and fall of for-profit colleges and universities. She says they often take advantage of the students who are most in need of a leg up.

It’s 2020 and online dating isn’t special anymore--it’s the norm. But that doesn’t make it easy. We explore what researchers know about finding love online.

Also: Jennifer Rosier loves love and studies how to make it work better. She shares tips on forming healthy relationships and debunks the four myths about sex.

Plus: Physicist Joshua Erlich spends his days pondering dark matter. But he also explores the science of making chocolate.

And: Our wine expert shares his favorite wines for pairing with chocolates on Valentine’s Day.

Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati (University of Virginia) is an opthamologist who is dedicated to ending macular degeneration, which leads to sight loss, and affects more than 10 million Americans. Now, Dr Ambati believes a cure is on the way. Plus: The Escape Room craze, where people work together to solve puzzles that unlock a door, is now a new tool in health education. Janice Hawkins (Old Dominion University) says her nursing students are learning the fundamentals of patient care in a fun, interactive setting.

Later in the show:

Transplant surgeon Jose Oberholzer (University of Virginia) lies awake at night thinking about a cellular cure for diabetes. He founded the Chicago Diabetes Project to collaborate with the best minds in the country on a cure using cells rather than injections and surgery. And: Sharon Zook (James Madison University) is back from Tanzania with JMU nursing students where they helped people get what they need to control their diabetes.

AI technologies are really human issues. Sylvester Johnson (Virginia Tech) says we humans must decide for ourselves how to live in a world where intelligent machines and algorithmic systems are deciding issues of medicine, electricity, prison sentences and who is eligible for public assistance. Also: Google uses computer vision algorithms to filter out unwanted pornographic images from our search results. Alex Monea (George Mason University) explains how this filter is sometimes applied overbroadly, censoring LGBTQIA+ discourse and sex education.

Later in the show: When the Food and Drug Administration approved the production and sale of genetically modified salmon in 2015, some consumers were alarmed by the prospect of consuming “Frankenfish.” But are all genetically modified foods dangerous? Eric Hallerman (Virginia Tech) makes the case for accepting some of them. And: What if there was an app that worked like GoogleMaps, but for marine animals? Sara Maxwell (University of Washington-Bothell) is using satellite tracking to help fisheries avoid catching animals like whales, turtles, and sharks while they’re hunting for other fish.