Iris of a human eye, overlaid words say "driven to discover.".

Driven to Discover is a podcast that explores innovative University at Buffalo research through candid conversations with the researchers about their inspirations and goals.

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  • Vicky Santos talks to Stephanie Poindexter about the slow loris

    Stephanie Poindexter holding a reconstructed skeleton of a slow loris.

    Episode 2 - The Slow Loris with Stephanie Poindexter

    16:03 Run Time | February 28, 2023

    Stephanie Poindexter, a biological anthropologist in the College of Arts and Sciences, specializes in how primates utilize and navigate their habitats. For the past 10 years, she has focused her research on the slow loris: an adorable yet venomous primate that inhabits Southeast Asia and surrounding areas. In this episode, Poindexter tells host Vicky Santos how she first became interested in primates (it helps to grow up near a zoo), how to track down a slow loris in a Thai forest in the middle of the night, and why we need to understand this little-known creature better if we wish to fully understand ourselves.

  • Cory Nealon talks to John Crassidis about space junk

    John Crassidis and space junk.

    Episode 1 - Space Junk with John Crassidis

    12:36 Run Time | January 30, 2023

    John Crassidis, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Moog Professor of Innovation at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, works with NASA, the U.S. Air Force and other agencies to monitor space debris, also known as space junk. In this episode, Cory Nealon talks to Crassidis about his journey from aspiring astronaut to academia, why space junk poses a threat to the future of satellites and space missions, and how he’s applying a $5 million grant from the Air Force—with the help of institutional partners and his students at UB—to help solve the problem.  

Coming March 28: Climate resiliency

Nicholas Rajkovich.

Episode 3 - Climate Resiliency with Nicholas Rajkovich

In this episode, launching March 28, host David Hill talks to climate resiliency expert Nicholas Rajkovich about what cities should be doing now to prepare for the effects of extreme weather and a changing climate. Rajkovich, associate professor of architecture and director of the Resilient Buildings Lab, realized as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity in his teen years that building and design can be used to help others. Today, he is doing just that, guiding city planners, architects and even homewners to make the adjustments necessary to survive and thrive in an increasingly hostile climate.

 

 

Meet your hosts

Cory Nealon.

Cory Nealon
Director of News Content

Nealon joined University Communications in 2012 after writing for newspapers in Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in business administration, both from UB.

VIcky Santos.

Vicky Santos
News Content Manager

Santos began her career as a reporter in the Adirondack region of New York. She then spent 17 years in Alabama as the director of news and media services at Auburn University’s College of Liberal Arts before moving back north in 2021 to join University Communications at UB.

David Hill.

David Hill
Director of News Content

Following a nearly 10-year career in community newspapers, Hill joined University Communications in 2011. His UB résumé includes writing for the alumni magazine, editing school newsletters and, since 2015, serving on the media relations team.