In this episode of Research Matters, we’re exploring how sharing personal narratives can inform self-awareness and create meaningful connections with others with Dr. Charles Parrott, a KSU researcher from the Geer College of the Arts.

Joining Charlie is Josh Cuthbertson, the creator of Atlanta Storytellers, where people are given the space to share their personal experiences in front of a live audience. In his show, The Songs That Shape Us, storytellers use music as a framework to revisit important moments from their past, while inviting the audience to reflect on the songs and stories that have shaped their own lives.

Through his work with students, Charlie studies how sharing personal stories can create self-knowledge for both the storyteller and the audience. Josh puts that same idea into practice, creating spaces where people can find meaning in their own experiences through the stories of others. Together, their work shows how storytelling can transform an individual experience into something that helps us better understand ourselves and connect with those around us.

In this episode of Research Matters, we talk with Professor of Exercise Science Bob Buresh, who leads an interdisciplinary team investigating how walking can be a transformative, accessible, and cost-effective approach to fighting obesity.

The research aims to confirm initial findings suggesting that increased step counts correlate with improved health indicators, such as reduced body fat and lower insulin levels. Once proven, the predictive model could revolutionize patient care. Instead of prescribing rigorous exercise routines or medications, healthcare professionals might recommend achievable daily step goals.

The same concerns were raised about Google. Today, many of us don't even blink at the thought of either. With conversations around AI sounding very similar, how will teachers adapt to this new, rapidly developing tool?

In this episode of Research Matters, we’re talking about the integration of AI into the classroom, how it can be applied wisely, and how we can better prepare teachers for this new frontier.

Dr. William Wright from the Bagwell College of Education at Kennesaw State University joins us to talk about his work in instructional technology, along with North Cobb High School teacher Alex Fahey, who is experiencing the shift firsthand.

In this episode of Research Matters, we’re exploring what isn’t working in addiction recovery science and why it isn’t working with Dr. Erica Holliday, a KSU researcher from the Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Joining Erica is her husband, Garrett Guy, a handyman in recovery, who, with Erica’s help, grew to understand addiction and eventually break his own cycle.

Erica's work places her at a unique crossroads where she not only examines the biological side of addiction, but the psychological side as well. She is hoping to shift recovery science away from the "once an addict, always an addict" mindset and rework rehabilitation to be more attainable. 

In this episode of Research Matters, we’re discussing SpectrumPlay, an online platform that uses color-coded sheet music to simplify music education and make it more accessible for all children.

Elementary music classes boost early brain development, allowing students to deepen their creativity, improve their critical thinking skills, and strengthen their memory. With SpectrumPlay, students can work at their own pace with digital support, easing the demand on teachers and maximizing the class time spent with students’ hands-on instruments.

Dr. Tiffany Roman and Erin Collins join us to talk about their platform, how it came to be, and the impact it’s having on students across Georgia.

In this episode of Research Matters, we’re exploring what virtual reality has to offer nursing education, particularly in training nurses how to deliver effective dementia care to patients experiencing behavioral symptoms.

KSU researchers have developed and are improving a gamified, virtual reality training for nursing students that allows them to experience simulations of realistic clinical scenarios they may face, then learn how respond to them in a controlled environment.

Dr. Modupe Akintomide, Dr. Joy Li, and Faith Smith join us to discuss how they brought healthcare and computer science together to achieve this innovative solution.

In this episode of Research Matters, we’re discussing an innovative response to that challenge: a virtual nurse aide. With the help of Wellstar Health System, KSU researchers have implemented the virtual aid in several hospitals in Georgia.

This virtual aid utilizes digital technology to monitor patients remotely and provide guidance for follow-up care, improving both outcomes and patient experience.

Sweta Sneha joins us to talk about this project, how it works, and the impact they’ve seen so far along with Susan Thurman, the VP of patient services and Chief Nursing Officer at Wellstar Health System.

Listen to this episode of Research Matters, where we talk with Dr. Monica Nandan and Dr. Dominic Thomas about a collaboration between Kennesaw State University, the Cobb County Police Department and Cobb Fire that will allow first responders to more easily respond to emergency mental health calls.

Joining Dr. Nandan and Dr. Thomas are Cobb County Police Officer Jacob King and Licensed Professional Counselor Matthew Dames, who lead a co-response team in Cobb County.

Listen to this episode of Research Matters, where we talk with Dr. Brian Moore and Dr. Bianca Channer, who lead the Center for the Advancement of Military and Emergency Services Research (AMES) at Kennesaw State University, which strives to reduce suicide, anxiety and depression among Georgia’s approximately 1 million military and public safety personnel. 

In partnership with the Georgia Department of Veterans Services, the center has conducted more than 7,000 suicide assessments across Georgia.  

Listen to this episode of Research Matters, where we discuss prosthetics and orthotics with Professor of Exercise Science Dr. Mark Geil and Adam Kiel, a student in the Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics program at Kennesaw State University who received his first prosthetic leg at 11 months old.

Listen to this episode of Research Matters, where Associate Professor of Computer Science Dr. Alan Shaw at Kennesaw State University discusses his project, "Computer Science for All," an ambitious initiative aimed at making computer science education accessible to a wider audience.

Listen to this episode of Research Matters, where we talk with Associate Professor of Anthropology Alice Gooding and Kennesaw State University Police Corporal Rusty Midkiff about the recovery of Rusty's great uncle, a U.S. soldier who was killed in France during World War II and was recently repatriated to Canton, Georgia.

Listen to this episode of Research Matters, where we talk with Associate Professor of Exercise Science at Kennesaw State University Dr. Gerald "Jerry" Mangine and strength coach Griffin Roelle about training regimens built for those using CrossFit to improve their fitness.

Executive Vice President for Research Dr. Karin Scarpinato kicks off the series and explains how she is building an environment for collaborative research at KSU, plus we discuss the intersection of research and commercialization and whether there will ever be a cure for cancer.