热点大瓜

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Next up is Isaac Kolding, from the English Department in the College of Arts and Sciences. Isaac hails from Prineville. That's in Oregon, right?And Isaac is pursuing a career in education, potentially with an education or arts related nonprofit. Isaac has done lots of theater in college, also plays the guitar. Something that I have been trying unsuccessfully to do for five years, so. I appreciate that skill. Are you all set, Isaac?

[Speaker: Issac Kolding] I think so.

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Ready, set, pitch.

[Speaker: Issac Kolding] How do you tell whether a novel is good or bad? In 1852, this novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was published and it deeply moved people in the US and across the world. It was also pure propaganda. It used the rhetoric of the radical abolitionists, the activists who fought slavery. But even though it was propagandistic, it was still considered a masterpiece by many critics. That's in 1852, but by 1900, this same exact book is an embarrassment. It's lousy art, largely because it was so propagandistic. So in 1852, a novel could be good literature and propaganda, and then by 1900, good literature and propaganda are two separate things. So why did this happen? I didn't think that cultural historians have told the whole story yet. So I combed through hundreds of historical documents to identify the specific kind of rhetoric used by radical abolitionists, the rhetoric that made this book such propaganda. Then I analyzed novels from before and after the Civil War to see how they used that rhetoric. So I could track the changing relationship between literature and propaganda through the 1800s. What I found is that the Civil War itself was the turning point for American literature. It was the moment when critics and novelists began moving away from this idea that good literature could be propaganda, but why would the Civil War have this effect? Well, the radical abolitionists believed that revolutionary change could help perfect America. The Civil War was certainly revolutionary, but it was also violent and traumatic. By the time it was over, it became clear that the United States was still very far from being perfect. In reaction to this political reality, novelists began making fun of the abolitionists. Showing abolitionists style characters struggling and failing to achieve radical and positive social change. They began to express a new kind of pessimism about the very possibility of radical positive social change. And these attitudes about this pessimism was a sign of artistic integrity, artistic honesty, and these ideas still structure the way that many people talk about literature even today. So how do you tell whether a novel is good or bad? My research reminds us, that it's not just a question about whether you thought a book was fun or whether you happen to like it. These are deeper questions. They're questions about our politics and our values about what we as a culture believe is true and good. You can learn a lot about history by memorizing facts and statistics. But my research is important because you can only truly understand our culture if you understand the stories that we like to tell about ourselves. Thanks. (audience applauds)

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Next up is Liz Lavoie from the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences in the School of Public Health and Health Professions. Liz is an athletic trainer. She has lived in 10 different towns across four New England states, and, I noted, had quite a prolific concert attendance record since coming to Buffalo, including seeing Genesis and Queen. I am jealous.

[Speaker: Liz Lavoie] It was awesome. (laughs)

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] I'm sure it was. Liz, are you ready?

[Speaker: Liz Lavoie] As ready as I can be.

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Ready, set, pitch.

[Speaker: Liz Lavoie] Women in the military are risking their lives every day despite not being set up for success. But what do you mean? They attend initial training, have required exercise, and provided with equipment. While all that's true, military training and equipment have been based on male's height, weight, and fitness capabilities, which generally differ from that of females. Imagine carrying a backpack like this one and struggling to keep up with those around you. Or, with that same backpack, the hip belt designed to take the weight off of your shoulders can't be tightened enough to do so, leaving all the stress on your shoulders and upper back. But why is this important? It ultimately boils down to two things: injuries and money. Female war fighters are 1.3 to 2.5 times more likely to sustain an injury that their male counterparts, which equates to about 53% of females to 42% of males. Injuries not related to war cost the military over $3.7 billion each year. Reducing the disparity in injury has the potential to save over $400 million each year, which could benefit taxpayers. But how do we reduce this disparity? That's where my research comes in. In order to reduce the disparity, we have to understand if and how military activities affect females and males differently. Heavy backpacking, a common military activity, is known to increase risk of injury, but does it affect males the same way as females? My research has investigated the effect of heavy backpacking on gait and balance to determine if there are differences between the sexes. My studies have shown that simply putting on backpack alters gait in a manner to protect from a slip, trip, fall event. And, during heavy backpacking at a set speed, despite working at a higher percent of their maximum capabilities, females have similar changes in gait imbalance as males after the activity. Even though my work has not seen sex differences with heavy backpacking, there is still much work to be done. There are so many intricacies that we do not yet know. For example, the menstrual cycle is known to affect injury in team sports, but is the same true for military activities? Answering these questions and so many others has the potential to fortify the military force and ultimately set up women in the military for success. Thank you. (attendees clapping)

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Next up is an Anarghya Das from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. From Kolkata, India, Anarghya has actually lived out every soccer fan's dream, having played soccer in an English Premier League stadium. Can I ask you which stadium it was?

[Speaker: Anarghya Das] Etihad, Manchester City.

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] That's phenomenal.

[Speaker: Anarghya Das] Well, Anarghya, are you all set?

[Speaker: Anarghya Das] Yes.

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Ready, set, pitch.

[Speaker: Anarghya Das] Imagine waking up tomorrow and suddenly you can't speak, you can't call for help, your voice is gone, trapped inside you. For millions of people around the world suffering with speech impairments, this isn't just a nightmare, it's their reality. But what if I told you your thoughts could turn into words, you can speak again, not with your mouth, but with your mind. This is where my research comes in. I work with wearable devices called Brain Computer Interfaces, or BCIs in short. These devices can capture your brain's electrical signals by placing tiny sensors around your head, thankfully, without drilling a hole in it. (audience laughing) Our brain signals are like secret codes unique to each one of us. They carry valuable information related to everyday tasks like speaking. But unlike most secret codes, we don't have a guidebook to decipher our thoughts. This is why I leverage the power of AI to uncover patterns by showing them countless examples of brain activity paired with spoken words, ultimately transforming thoughts into speech. It took more than two years and countless iterations, but in the end, I was able to create a device that is roughly a size of a quarter. This device can turn your thoughts into speech using AI, but AI requires a lot of data, and this is why I've collaborated with speech language pathologists to create new procedures to collect this data. By combining the expertise of healthcare and technology, we have now started collecting data here in Buffalo to enhance the accuracy of AI. What's truly exciting is that my research doesn't just stop at helping people with speech impairments. It has the potential to go beyond and help us interact with the world in a different way. Picture a future, we are typing, clicking, or even using your voice commands are obsolete as information flows directly from your mind to devices all around you. The potentials are endless. My work brings us one step closer to making this a reality. So I'll just leave you with one question. How would you change your life if all you had to do was think? Thank you. (audience clapping)

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Okay, next up is Omkar Desai from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Omkar is from Mumbai, and maybe most importantly, at least to me, a huge cheese fan. (audience laughing) Allow me to read, just verbatim, a fun fact that you offered, because I think I found my new mission statement. Quote, "I am of firm opinion that any form of cheese is good, and more cheese is always better." So that's fantastic. Thank you very much, Omkar. (Joseph laughing) (audience clapping) Omkar, are you ready?

[Speaker: Omkar Desai] Yes.

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Ready, set, pitch.

[Speaker: Omkar Desai] What if I tell you, with my research, you would be able to save three to $5 a day? It might not sound much. It is like saving over $100,000 over your lifespan. Now I got your attention. Well, we are surrounded by polymers. Polymers are small chemicals compounds, like form of chains. They are used to produce these seeds, clothes, bags, everywhere. One of the important task of manufacturing polymers is separating the gases which are used to produce it. It requires more energy to separate these gases than powering the whole city of Buffalo. However, my research will help us. I'm working on new family of material known as metal organic polyhedra, or MOP in short. You can consider a MOP as a filter for gases. It comes in different shapes and sizes, with over 1,000 different members, and its chemistry affecting the gas separation. You can consider a MOP as the bouncer outside the bar. It stops the flow of one gas, but allows the flow of next one. But the basis of separating these gases is just based on size of the gas, but the issue is, the sizes of these gases are just over 500,000^th the thickness of a needle! When we have a difficult task, we need something robust, effective, and efficient, and that is the reason why we need something new, so just like the guy on the screen, we coded a complex set of equations. The use of these equations is like, oh, I have one MOP. Just test, how efficient are you? If you're good enough, accepted. If you're not, rejected. So this is how we will be able to find the best MOP for our application. This will not only reduce the manufacturing cost of polymers, but it can also be useful in chemical and other sectors, like pharmacy, drug delivery, and agriculture application. This will not only be helpful for our pockets, but at the same time, it will make our environment greener, which is our most important aim, so from the money you save, be ready to buy your favorite pair of Air Jordans or probably the Bills game we always wanted to have. Thank you. (audience clapping)

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Okay, next up is Megan Bailey from the School of Social Work. Megan is from Chattanooga, another guitarist in addition to the mandolin, and you indicated that you once copilot at a plane. We'll have to get that story after the competition, during the reception. Megan, are you ready?

[Speaker: Megan Bailey] Yes.

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Ready, set, pitch.

[Speaker: Megan Bailey] I'd like you to think back to middle and high school. To a time when you were experiencing a range of physical and emotional changes, when you were asking yourself questions like, who am I? And where do I fit within my family, with my peers in my community? Now, imagine that during that stage of life your family moved to a new country. One that was vastly different than the one you grew up in. What might it have been like to try to answer questions of identity and belonging while navigating a new language, a new culture? This is the experience of resettled refugee youth. For those who may not be familiar, a refugee is someone who's been forced to flee from their home due to a fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. Resettlement is the formal relocation process of a refugee to a new country. Since 1980, the US has resettled over three and 1/2 million refugees, and while almost 1/2 of all of those resettled are under the age of 18, US resettlement policy primarily focuses on self-sufficiency, which means it prioritizes employment for working-age adults. So where does that leave refugee youth? What supports are available to them as they wrestle with questions of identity and belonging in this new context? To help answer these questions, I've been asking refugee youth to reflect on the role of activity in their lives. And their responses are highlighting that participating in an activity provides the opportunity and space for them to help answer questions of who they are and where they fit. Like Michael, who has grown in confidence and a deeper connection with his parents through the game of basketball. Or Tokyo, who through playing soccer, has learned to see himself as a leader and is investing in the lives of recently arrived teammates because he remembers what it felt like to be new. Or Burns, who through

performing and acting on stage, has developed a vision for his future and a sense of purpose. Their stories and experiences direct us to the development of policies and programs that better support them, that help them cultivate a sense of identity, that help them forge relationships and a sense of belonging within their family and peers and community, that help them not just survive, but thrive. Thank you. (audience clapping)

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Great. Well, next up is Guangpeng Xu from the Physics Department from the College of Arts and Sciences. And I love that another weather reference, I love in his fun fact that Guangpeng shared, that his hometown in Northeastern China is known for cold winters with an average temperature of 30 degrees below zero. So, he does find Buffalo warm, by comparison. And I also love that your decision to major in physics came after watching "Big Bang Theory." So, I'm sure that Sheldon and Howard and Leonard are cheering you on in spirit. Guangpeng, are you ready?

[Speaker: Guanpeg Xu] Yes.

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko]  Ready, set, pitch

[Speaker: Guanpeg Xu] Light was a mystery and we have been studying it for thousands of years, starting with the natural light of the sun and fire, moving to light bulbs for more control. And then we took a step further with lasers, as we realized that light can do more than illuminate and produce heat. As a physics student, the type of light that I work with is a bit special. It doesn't illuminate anything and it's not even visible to the human eyes, but it is shaping the future of our world. And this light is called quantum light. Quantum light is special because it deals with something called photons. A photon is the smallest piece of light we can ever have. If we think about the light from the screen or the cell phone, photons are like tiny water droplets in the vast ocean. They're so small and massless, yet they can carry huge amount of information, traveling at the fastest speed as possible, the speed of light. And this opens up incredible possibilities, like quantum computers that outperform millions of our laptops, while consuming far less energy. And then there's quantum encryption, the future of digital security, making our bank account information, medical records, and text files completely unhackable. With these intriguing applications, many quantum light source have been developed and we need to identify the high-quality photons to encode information. However, the detection of quantum light remains as a challenge. Not only human eyes, but most light detectors cannot sense individual photons. And this is where my research comes in. I'm developing an optical system to efficiently capture and identify these elusive photons, using their particle nature. 'Cause photons can behave like twins. They appear identical at the first glance, but when they overlap, it creates a unique pattern, like a fingerprint. That reflects photons quality and allows us to track them with higher precision, so that we can have better chance to integrate every single photon into the real-world quantum technologies and light will no longer be a mystery. Thank you.

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Great. Next up is Deschana Washington from Immunology and the Roswell Park Graduate Division. A Buffalo native, Deschana's creative outlets include poetry, spoken word events, and oil and acrylics painting. Deschana is also a former rugby player, so no stranger to a little competition.

[Speaker: Deschana Washington] Never, never.

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Great to have you with us, Deschana. Are you ready?

[Speaker: Deschana Washington] Yes.

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko]  Now you're ready.

[Speaker: Deschana Washington] I am.

[Speaker: Joseph Stefko] Ready, set, pitch.

[Speaker: Deschana Washington] Hey, let me tell you a story. Back in 2020, I, at five feet, four inches weighed a whopping 300 pounds. My BMI was categorically morbidly obese, and I had suffered for year with inflammatory conditions that had left me in pain disfigured, and depressed. Out of interest in a personal vendetta against obesity, my thesis began to take shape. Obesity is an ongoing epidemic. Researchers projected that in 2030, just five years from now, the prevalence of obesity will rise to 49%. That's nearly one in every two individuals will be obese. As a young researcher, I went looking for solutions to my ailments, and what I discovered was that I, like one billion other people, was suffering from one of the many negative health outcomes linked to obesity-induced immune dysfunction. Now, all this just means is that unfortunately obesity is making your immune system weak. But imagine this in individual fighting for their lives from deadly diseases such as cancer. The risk to these individuals becomes that much greater. Now, typically our immune system will fight to protect us against cancer and other pathogens, all while remembering everything it has encountered throughout our lifetime. Just like people, our immune system has its own memory as well as key immune cells that can aid in our protection or work against us. If we were to imagine you are Superman, obesity is our kryptonite. When exposed to our kryptonite, it can recruit alternative immune cells and supercharge them to work against us for our disease, instead of inducing protection. Our once great, once strong immune cells capable of fighting back cancer are now overworked and exhausted from constant exposure to our kryptonite. I wondered how this would affect patients battling lung cancer, the most deadliest disease in 2024. In fact, since 1950, lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer related death with obesity contributing to worse survival rates. Throughout my research, I hope that I can help people understand how obesity is making our immune system weak, but also serve as the foundation onto which we can turn our kryptonite into the red sun lamp that repowers our immune system, saving lives not only those with cancer, but informing people like me who suffered with obesity that our fight is also not over. Thank you. (audience clapping)