Newswise — Mount Holyoke College joins WAMC Northeast Public Radio and the Newman's Own Foundation in celebrating the first anniversary of the launching of the Academic Minute, the daily radio series that has become a higher education staple by bringing the latest research from campuses around the world to listeners across the United States, Canada, and online at www.academicminute.org.
Featuring professors from institutions across the globe, the Academic Minute provides a forum for leading experts to explain their research and discoveries to an engaged listening audience. Since its launch in July 2010, the weekday series, which is hosted by Mount Holyoke College President Lynn Pasquerella, has featured professors from some 125 colleges and universities across myriad disciplines. The syndicated daily segments air on WAMC and nearly 60 other stations across North America each morning and afternoon; they are also available daily to visitors to the Insider Higher Ed website (http://www.insidehighered.com/).
The daily two-minute commentaries delve into topics both serious and lighthearted – from updates on groundbreaking scientific research such as work on possible genetic explanations for anger, to the development of new disciplines such as nanoeconomics, to the historical evolution of Santa Claus and the use of the board game Monopoly to explain the recent recession.
Pasquerella, an accomplished scholar, medical ethicist, and global advocate for women's education and empowerment, was named the 18th president of Mount Holyoke College in October 2009. As host, she introduces each segment.
"There are many reasons the Academic Minute has been successful," she said. "Provocative ideas are always in demand. The Academic Minute is more than a daily dose of cutting-edge thoughts, however. Colleges and universities are central to generating new ideas that push us forward. If higher education is not a prime mover in generating the ideas--and fueling the debates--that keep our culture and democracy strong, then we aren't doing our job."
"All of us at WAMC love the Academic Minute," added WAMC President and CEO Alan Chartock. "We love our collaboration with Mount Holyoke and their remarkable president even more. It turns out that academics all over the country want to participate. That makes all of us very happy and proud to be part of this wonderful undertaking."
To celebrate a successful initial year on the air, the Academic Minute staff has named “Senior Superlatives” from the large field of participating academics and institutions. The first year honorees included professors Corey Angst of Notre Dame University; Meagan Curtis of Purchase College/SUNY; Randi Epstein of Columbia University; and Nicholas Leadbeater of University of Connecticut.
The President’s Award, chosen by Pasquerella, went to Professor Jennifer Hoyer of the University of Arkansas. The University of Texas at Austin, Lock Haven University, Harvard University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute were also recognized for their support and promotion of the Academic Minute.
WAMC/Northeast Public Radio (http://www.wamc.org/) is a regional public radio network serving parts of seven northeastern states. These include New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. It is a member of National Public Radio and an affiliate of Public Radio International.
Located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, Mount Holyoke was the first of the Seven Sisters—the female equivalent of the once predominantly male Ivy League—and established higher education for women as a serious endeavor. Today the College is known for its academic rigor, its highly diverse campus and global community, its worldwide network of influential alumnae, and its conviction that women can and should make a difference in the world. For more information, see: http://www.mtholyoke.edu
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