From childcare to the beautiful game, Lafayette faculty bring research to a national audience

What can childcare policy in 23 states tell us about workforce participation nationwide? How did the Marquis de Lafayette help shape global conversations about human rights? And what can the world’s most popular sport reveal about socioeconomic, political, and historical trends?

Lafayette College is taking over The Academic Minute on Nov. 16-20. Professors Susan Averett, Olga Anna Duhl, Jenn Stroud Rossmann, Abraham Seda and Carlos Tavares will be featured.

These are just a few of the questions Lafayette College faculty will explore for a national audience during a weeklong takeover of The Academic Minute, a nationally syndicated public radio program in which researchers make complex ideas accessible in roughly 100 seconds.

The series airs Monday, Nov. 16, to Friday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 a.m. ET features five Lafayette faculty members whose research spans the social sciences, humanities, and engineering.  Together these segments show the range of scholarship at Lafayette and how different fields can deepen our understanding of the world.

Listen on WAMC or public radio stations across the U.S. and Canada, or online via The Academic Minute, NPR, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

“Higher education has an important role to play in helping people gain a deeper understanding of the world around them,” says President Nicole Hurd. “Through this takeover of The Academic Minute, audiences across the country will experience the curiosity, creativity, and rigor that define a Lafayette education. We are proud to share the ideas and expertise of our faculty while highlighting the many ways liberal arts and engineering contribute to conversations that matter.”

The week’s lineup:

• Susan Averett, Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics, examines how childcare tax credits affect birth rates and workforce participation. Her findings have implications for families, employers, and policymakers. [Listen to her Academic Minute segment now.]
• Olga Anna Duhl, Oliver E. Williams Professor of Languages, traces the legacy of the College’s namesake, the Marquis de Lafayette, as a global human rights advocate, a timely subject as Lafayette celebrates its Bicentennial. [Listen to her Academic Minute segment now.]
• Jenn Stroud Rossmann, William Jeffers Dean of Engineering, highlights the engineering advancements that shaped America’s growth. [Listen to her Academic Minute segment now.]
• Abraham Seda, assistant professor of history and Africana studies, asks why the world’s most popular sport struggled to gain a foothold in the United States. He examines the historical, political, and socioeconomic forces behind Americans’ sporting tastes, from the games the country embraced early on to soccer’s surge in popularity around the 2206 FIFA World Cup. [Listen to his Academic Minute segment now.]
• Carlos Tavares, associate professor of sociology, explores why socioeconomic success does not bring equal health benefits for everyone. [Listen to his Academic Minute segment now.]

 The Academic Minute is produced by WAMC Northeast Public Radio, with support from the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and Inside Higher Ed. The program is hosted by AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella. It reaches listeners through more than 70 radio stations in the United States and Canada, with recordings also available online to a broader international audience.