UB in the News

An essay in Design Observer titled, "What I Learned from Architect Barbie," is written by architectural historian Despina Stratigakos, who notes that "As a feminist scholar, I am interested in analyzing the ideological fences that architecture has built around the profession."

An article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that St. Louis ranks in the top tier of U.S. metro areas in a regional-resilience measure developed at UB.

An article in the Philadelphia Inquirer reports on new DNA evidence that shows that polar bears carry genetic material that links them to the brown bears that roamed Ireland 30,000 years ago, and quotes UB biologist Charlotte Lindqvist. Scientists should be careful how they interpret these latest findings, she said. An article also appeared in the Christian Science Monitor and on CBS News.

An article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports musicians who imbibe energy drinks may also be more susceptible to binge drinking, alcohol-related social problems and misuse of prescription drugs, according to a study conducted by UB's Research Institute on Addictions.

An article in the Hartford Courant about the number of research studies that have been spurred by the Harry Potter series of books and movies quotes Shira Gabriel, associate professor of psychology, who used the books to explore how closely people identify with fictional narratives.

An article in The New York Times about the debate over whether alcoholism and other addictions should be treated as a disease rather than a personal weakness reports 10 medical schools, including the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, have introduced the first accredited residents programs in addiction medicine.

An article in England's Daily Mail reports a study conducted at UB has found that like humans, rhesus monkeys have a sense of "self-agency" that traces thoughts and actions to the existence of "me." The article quotes Justin Couchman, a doctoral student who led the research. Articles also appeared on Science Daily, the Irish Independent, The Scotsman, PhysOrg and ScienceBlog.

Jordan Troisi, a psychology graduate student, was interviewed on Viewpoints, a contemporary radio magazine produced by Media Tracks for a podcast about "What makes comfort foods comforting?" Comfort foods remind people that they are close to others, he said.

An article in The New York Times about a summer camp that aims to teach children money skills quotes Lewis Mandell, professor of finance and dean emeritus of the School of Management. He suggested, jokingly, that these camps should put on a theatrical show called "Foreclosure: The Musical" if they really want to teach children about money. "It would show them just how wrong decisions you make that seemed like great ideas worked out really badly."

Vasiliki Neofotistos, assistant professor of anthropology, was interviewed on Public Radio International's "The World" for a story about a 30-ton bronze statue of Alexander the Great that was installed in Skopje, Macedonia, as a symbol of national pride. The idea is that this is the birthplace or a cornerstone of civilization, said Neofotistos, who studies identity politics in that Balkan nation.