Flood Proof?

Image of flood waters reaching marquee sign above theater entrance.
Featured ~ Connecting-Classrooms
Above: Columbia Theater, Gallia Street near the Esplanade, January 1937 flood (Carl Ackerman Collection, Southern Ohio Museum). “One in a Million,” on the marquee, was a film about an Olympic figure skater.

In this episode, Flood Proof?, we meet Dr. Kurt Shoemaker, Professor of Geology at Shawnee State University.  Dr. Shoemaker has conducted research on volcanic systems in the northwestern United States and has studied the evolution of the Ohio River system during the Ice Age. More recently, his interests have turned toward the role of geologic setting and geologic phenomena in historical events. This episode shares a portion of his current research on the history of flooding and flood defense at Portsmouth, Ohio. As Dr. Shoemaker details the history of flooding and flood control along this portion of the Ohio River, he’ll weigh in on whether Portsmouth is “flood proof.” Continue reading “Flood Proof?” →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Student Journalism: Developing Skills for a Lifetime

Fall 2023 SSU Chronicle Staff and advisor Dr. Christy Zempter
~ Connecting-Classrooms

In this episode, Student Journalism: Developing Skills for a Lifetime, we meet Dr. Christy Zempter, Assistant Professor of Communication and faculty advisor for Shawnee State University’s student news site The Chronicle, and Hannah Kline, a History major at SSU who is also pursuing a Journalism minor. Hannah is currently enrolled in an Advanced News Writing and Reporting class at SSU, after completing the introductory course in the fall.

Hannah has published about a dozen stories so far on The Chronicle site, but the conversation in this episode focuses primarily on an article she published last fall that focused on student and faculty responses to generative AI platforms like ChatGPT. Continue reading “Student Journalism: Developing Skills for a Lifetime” →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The First Year of Science with the James Webb Space Telescope

Image shows Herbig-Haro object consisting of a central dark brown field from which colored streams emit in both north and south directions.
~ Connecting-Classrooms

In this episode, The First Year of Science with the James Webb Space Telescope, we meet Dr. Tim Hamilton, Professor of Physics and Director of the Clark Planetarium at Shawnee State University. From our campus in Portsmouth, Ohio, Tim works with both the Hubble and the James Webb space telescopes to study what are called “active galaxies”, like quasars. These are galaxies whose central black holes are actively sucking in gas, heating it up, and making it glow so brightly it can outshine the whole rest of the galaxy. Continue reading “The First Year of Science with the James Webb Space Telescope” →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download