麻豆影院

Research & Science

Women bored on her phone looking out the window.

It would not be surprising if you have a social media app open right now; however, you may not be getting the enjoyment out of it that you think you are. In a recent publication in Computers in Human Behavior, two 麻豆影院 State professors examined the relationship between social media usage and boredom. Students may be surprised by the results and parents might be excited by them.

Division of Research & Economic Development
Man wearing a virtual reality headset

Two 麻豆影院 State sociology researchers are moving toward gaining insight into how people鈥檚 brains react in a variety of threatening situations using innovative virtual reality (VR) technology funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Army. Josh Pollock and William Kalkhoff, both in the Department of Sociology & Criminology, are leading the research projects, which will benefit the Army, 麻豆影院 State students and others.

Division of Research & Economic Development
Looking at the clouds of a hurricane from above

Climate change can now be measured on a global scale using multiple weather variables, according to new research published by Cameron C. Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Geography at 麻豆影院 State.

Dave Costello, Ph.D., (left), associate professor in 麻豆影院鈥檚 Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Devan Mathie (right), an undergraduate honors student, stand in Wahoo Ditch in Ravenna, Ohio.

麻豆影院 State鈥檚 David Costello is passionate about identifying what trace metals lie within Northeast Ohio鈥檚 streams and what the effects of these metals are on the surrounding environment. Costello, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, received a $718,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study these important trace metals. The grant is awarded as part of the National Science Foundation鈥檚 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program.

Cat in a car carrier at a veterinary clinic

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has selected two 麻豆影院 College of Arts and Sciences faculty members, along with two community clinicians, for , an initiative that will provide funding and leadership training to the four team members. Their plan is to implement a project that will help veterinary professionals in Northeast Ohio address mental health stigmas they experience in their lives and provide usable techniques that can be incorporated into their veterinary practices.

A 麻豆影院 faculty member conducts a meeting online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most universities across the United States transitioned from face-to-face classes to remote learning, closed campuses and sent students home this past spring. Recently, a group of 麻豆影院 researchers sought to examine the impact of these pandemic-related changes upon physical activity and sedentary behavior, specifically sitting, across the university population. 

Young women with mask on cell phone, Photo by Maksim Goncharenok from Pexels

Before leaving the house, you most likely check to ensure you have your ID, your shoes and most importantly your smartphone. In the past decade, American smartphone usage has grown more than 50% according to a . Smartphones have become as commonplace as a wallet or car keys and 麻豆影院 State researchers are taking advantage of this new commodity by using cell phone data to study individuals鈥 behavioral patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic and link cell phone use behaviors to mental health. 

Two People Standing in Forest, Photo by Magda Ehlers

The National Institute of Health granted additional funding to 麻豆影院 researcher  bringing her total award amount to more than $3 million to support her research on mental well-being and coping after traumatic injuries in individuals aged 65 and older. 

Michelle Bebber sprays an air freshener in a bathroom.

In 2019, a team of researchers in 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 Department of Anthropology published its 鈥減rize-winning鈥 research article titled in the Journal of Archaeological Science. (Yes, the jokes are seemingly endless, but seriously folks, there is an important underlying message here about evidence-based research and fact-checking!)

Old Woman Creek: one of the wetlands that is part of H2Ohio Initiative Wetland Monitoring Program. Researchers will assess how effective wetland restoration, construction, and management projects are at removing polluting nutrients from inflowing water.

Lauren Kinsman-Costello, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, will serve as the H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program Lead for Lake Erie and Aquatic Research Network (LEARN). The group will assess the effectiveness and future role of implemented and planned wetland restoration projects in partnership with the Ohio Division of Natural Resources (ODNR). This project is part of Governor Mike DeWine鈥檚 , a comprehensive, data-driven approach to improving Ohio鈥檚 water quality.