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Georgia Southern professor earns Fulbright US Scholar Award for 2023-2024
A noted Georgia Southern University public health professor has earned a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in All Disciplines to Latvia for the 2023-2024 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Yelena N. Tarasenko, DrPH, is a professor in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences at Georgia Southern’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health. Her Fulbright project is titled “Strengthening research and teaching capacity in cancer prevention globally.” She will collaborate with personnel and students at the Faculty of Medicine and Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine at the University of Latvia, as well as colleagues at the International Agency for Research on Cancer to help improve cancer care coordination and screening in Latvia and 14 European countries participating in the “Towards gastric cancer screening implementation in the European Union” project. Given Tarasenko’s expertise in legal and cancer epidemiology, she will engage in (i) implementation research focused on cancer screening and patient navigation, and (ii) teaching activities focused on fostering research productivity (e.g., guest lecturing, curriculum development, advising, and mentoring). Tarasenko is among more than 800 U.S. citizens who will teach or conduct research abroad for the 2023-2024 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Fulbright scholars engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad. As Fulbright Scholar alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Notable Fulbright alumni include 62 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Fellows and 41 who have served as a head of state or government. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries – chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential – with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world. “This is a wonderful validation of Dr. Tarasenko’s scholarship and expertise, and another example of Georgia’s Southern’s expanding reputation for public-impact research,” said Carl Reiber, Ph.D., Georgia Southern University provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Fulbright scholars are among the world’s most talented academicians, and we congratulate Dr. Tarasenko for this achievement.” More than 800 U.S. scholars — faculty members, artists, and professionals from all backgrounds — teach or conduct research overseas through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually. In addition, over 2,000 U.S. students, artists, and early career professionals from all backgrounds in more than 100 different fields of study receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards annually to study, teach English, and conduct research overseas. “I’m excited to help expand our expertise on global health and develop a relationship with the only classical university in Latvia,” Tarasenko said. “This proposed project meets the university’s strategic pillars, as its leadership looks for ways to create and encourages opportunities for the exchange of teaching, research, scholarship, and professional development. It also meets the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health’s values and goals in terms of thinking globally and acting locally.” The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program. In the United States, the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships. For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org. To connect with Yelena N. Tarasenko — simply reach out to Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Researchers seek to apply nanoparticle drug delivery to coral wound healing
Coral reefs are the foundation of many aquatic ecosystems and are among the ocean’s most vulnerable inhabitants. While natural processes, like animal predation and storms, frequently damage coral, man-made causes, like ship collisions and global warming, destabilize these environments beyond their ability to recover. Researchers like Nastassja Lewinski, Ph.D., associate professor of chemical and life science engineering, are working to understand how corals heal in order to aid the restoration of these fragile ecosystems. They also seek partnerships with stakeholders that can support coral preservation by applying this research to industry practices and providing funding for continued research. “Coral ecosystems are vital to human life,” Lewinski said, “When there’s a high-intensity storm, reefs can absorb the impact and reduce the damage we see on land. They’re also important to the aquatic food web and serve as the foundation to many foods we eat.” Discovering the limits of coral healing is part of Lewinski’s work. Ideal water temperature for coral is 25 degrees Celsius, so research is conducted at the ideal temperature and elevated temperatures of 28 to 31 degrees Celsius, the projected water temperatures influenced by global warming. Successive imaging of wound closure in these conditions builds an understanding of the rate of closure during healing. “We’re looking to understand the mechanics of healing,” Lewinski said, “Some of what we’ve found suggests a process similar to human healing. We want to understand the actors in this process at a cellular level and what their role is in repairing tissue.” These observations inform the mathematical, cell-based wound healing model developed by Lewinski’s collaborators, Angela Reynolds, Ph.D. and Rebecca Segal, Ph.D., both professors in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics in VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences. Similar to humans, corals have been documented as following the same four stages of the healing process. These stages include: 1) coagulation to close the site of injury, 2) infiltration with immune cells to ward off infection, 3) cell migration and proliferation and 4) scar remodeling. “With our observations and a mathematical model, the next step is to collect data on the cellular dynamics of the healing process,” Lewinski said, “We want to observe what kinds of cells enter the wound area and what functions they perform during healing.” Fluorescent tagging is used to mark specific cells so they may be observed entering the wound area when healing occurs. Because corals are naturally fluorescent, the selection of the fluorescent tags must take this into account. Phagocytic properties allow immune cells to engulf and absorb bacteria and other small cells, in this case the fluorescent particles being used to tag immune cells. Nutritional variables are also being considered within the experiment. Corals derive energy from consuming small organisms and their symbiotic relationship with algae colonies. Modifying nutritional balance in the lab emulates the coral’s participation in the food web, where accessibility to vital nutrients could impact healing. Developing a nanoparticle drug-delivery system designed to deliver molecules to speed wound healing is the culmination of this research. Lewinski hypothesizes the delivery system would promote an energy-burning state within the corals that could result in increased healing. This is among a few examples of harnessing nanotechnology for safeguarding coral reefs, which are discussed in a recently published comment in Nature Nanotechnology. “The research we’re doing on wound healing in corals is the start of something bigger,” Lewinski said. “Our goal is to create a center dedicated to engineering new technologies for corals. We want to find partners who can translate our research findings to practice, helping preserve coral reefs and the vital resources they provide.” Through this consortium, newly-developed science can be disseminated more effectively within each partner’s respective industry. The result: a renewed commitment to aquatic sustainability and the protection of vital coral ecosystems.
Program addresses disparities in breast cancer between Black and white women ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute is partnering with Susan G. Komen®, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, in an expansion of Komen’s screening and diagnostics program to income-eligible residents of Delaware. Under the program, Delaware women who meet income qualifications will be able to access no-cost breast cancer screening mammograms and necessary diagnostic follow-up tests. Once approved by Susan G. Komen for care, they can select ChristianaCare for services. ChristianaCare is one of 20 health systems nationwide partnering with Susan G. Komen in the program, which seeks to reduce disparities in areas where the breast cancer mortality gap between Black and white women is the greatest. “The Graham Cancer Center is proud of its longstanding partnership with Susan G. Komen to bring breast cancer screenings to our community and to reduce disparities and save lives,” said Nicholas Petrelli, M.D., Bank of America endowed medical director of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. “This new partnership with Komen is an innovative way that we are stronger together as we continue to reduce barriers to care and help more Delaware women access timely breast imaging and treatment,” he said. “The screening and diagnostics program is critical for individuals who may have been putting off their breast cancer screening due to concerns about cost,” said Nora Katurakes, RN, OCN, manager of the Graham Cancer Center’s Community Outreach & Education program. “Early detection saves lives, and cost should not be a barrier to accessing high-quality health care services for anyone in need. This program seeks to achieve health equity for all.” “Early detection saves lives, and cost should not be a barrier to accessing high-quality health care services for anyone in need,” said Nora Katurakes, RN, OCN, manager of Community Outreach and Education According to the Delaware Division of Public Health, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in Delaware, and Black women are disproportionately more affected by breast cancer than white and Hispanic women and have a higher mortality rate. In addition, Black women in Delaware have among the highest incidence rates in the U.S. of triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease that is harder to treat and more likely to return. The Komen screening and diagnostics program is a service provided through the Komen Patient Care Center. Last year, Susan G. Komen provided nearly 3,000 screening and diagnostics services. Komen hopes to serve another 3,000 individuals in 2023. To be eligible for the program, individuals must have a current annual household income at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. For one person that is $43,740. A two-person family must have a $59,160 household income to be eligible. The Tatiana Copeland Breast Center at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute is one of the few facilities in the region devoted exclusively to breast care, diagnosis and treatment, and was the first center in the state to offer high-definition 3D mammography imaging. About Breast Cancer Screening Screening mammography tests are used to find breast cancer before it causes any warning signs or symptoms. Regular screening tests along with follow-up tests and treatment, if diagnosed, reduce an individual’s chance of dying from breast cancer. Mammography is a test that uses X-rays to create images of the breast. These images are called mammograms. A radiologist trained to read mammograms studies the images and looks for signs of breast cancer. A mammogram may show: No signs of breast cancer. A benign (not cancer) condition or other change that does not suggest cancer. An abnormal finding that needs follow-up tests to rule out cancer. Income eligible people seeking access to a breast cancer screening mammogram or diagnostic service should contact the Komen Breast Care Helpline at 1-877-465-6636 or helpline@komen.org to learn more. Individuals who would like more information about breast cancer screening in Delaware can also call ChristianaCare Community Health Outreach & Education at 302-623-4661.
Georgia Southern adding two engineering doctorates this fall
Georgia Southern University is launching two new engineering doctorates – a Ph.D. in applied computing degree and a Ph.D. in engineering – after approval of the programs this week from the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents. With almost 4,000 students in its programs, Georgia Southern’s Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing identified the need for the new graduate degrees to sustain growth in the discipline, continue to aid workforce development in the region, add substantially to the university’s research capabilities, and provide additional teacher-scholars for Georgia. “In line with Georgia Southern’s Strategic pillars, the new Ph.D. programs will greatly enhance the University’s research capabilities and further advance key partnerships in the region,” said Carl Reiber, Ph.D., Georgia Southern’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. “A strong Ph.D. program improves faculty recruiting and is a prerequisite for applying for research grants from sources such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense.” The proposed engineering Ph.D. program will have concentrations in civil, electrical, advanced manufacturing and mechanical engineering, and will fuel future multidisciplinary research synergies with other departments and centers within Georgia Southern in fields such as natural sciences, environmental sustainability, public health and education. Greater scholarly collaborations with sister institutions within the university system and beyond are also envisioned. The Ph.D. in engineering program will have a positive impact on the economic and technological development of Southeast Georgia, contributing significantly to the growth of the I-16 technology corridor. The Ph.D. in applied computing degree program will be offered jointly by the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Information Technology within the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing at Georgia Southern Universit. The program will provide students with the requisite foundation to conduct basic and applied research to solve advanced technical problems in computing foundations, cybersecurity and machine learning. The program aims to promote the education of individuals who will become exceptional researchers, high-quality post-secondary educators, and innovative leaders and entrepreneurs in the field of applied computing. It will advance research and the generation of new knowledge in applied computing and support the growing knowledge-based economy in Southeast Georgia. The mission of the Ph.D. in applied computing degree program is to ensure student, graduate and faculty success by preparing graduates with the skills and depth of knowledge to advance the computing disciplines through application and scholarship. It will mentor students who will support faculty in their scholarly pursuits as they prepare to assume professional computing and computing-related positions that utilize their applied technical skills, problem-solving aptitude and scholarly abilities upon graduation. “The addition of these two new degree programs is part of Georgia Southern University’s commitment to be a world-class institution that provides a population of advanced graduates who can contribute to regional economic development and public-impact research,” Reiber said. “The programs will enhance the vitality and growth of the bachelor’s and master’s computer science and information technology degree programs by expanding the academic and research missions of the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing." For more information about these new engineering doctorates coming to Georgia Southern this fall research or to speak with Carl Reiber, Ph.D., Georgia Southern’s provost and vice president for academic affairs — simply reach out to Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Why does Alabama have more gun deaths than New York? UConn expert explains.
Only five million people live in Alabama, but the state has the fourth highest firearms death rate in the country. In 2021, the state had 26.4 firearm deaths per 100,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Compared to New York -- a state with about 20 million people and a rate of 5.4 gun deaths per 100,000 in 2021 -- the question becomes: Why does such a small state rank so high for gun violence? UConn expert Kerri Raissian offered perspective and insight on the causes and reasons why these tragic incidents occur in specific regions and states more often across America in an interview with the Alabama Reflector: A 2019 brief published by the Rockefeller Institute of Government, a nonprofit research center for the State University of New York (SUNY) system, said universal background checks, concealed carry permits and laws prohibiting people who have committed violent misdemeanors reduce gun homicides. “One policy that has come up against legal challenges recently has been not allowing people under the age of 21 years old to have certain guns or types of weapons,” Raissian said. “It is helpful. That age group has the highest risk of perpetuating homicides of any age group in the U.S.” Social policies can also deter gun violence. “It is laws, it is access to guns, it is also poverty,” Raissian said. “We have a lot of evidence that laws that you wouldn’t think have anything to do with gun violence, like Medicaid access, summer school for kids, employment opportunities for kids, are really good at reducing gun violence.” Raissian cited a randomized controlled trial of a youth summer employment program that was established in Chicago that had reduced incidents of gun violence compared to a control group. “It is not just about keeping them busy because these differences persist,” Raissian said. “It is also learning conflict resolution. It is also learning communication skills — all those things that come from employment and positive interactions tend to reduce violence of any form.” But Raissian and Grant Reeher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University, both said no single law will solve the issues of gun violence. The full article is attached above, and well worth the read. Kerri Raissian is an associate professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Connecticut, director of the University of Connecticut's UConn’s Center for Advancing Research, Methods, and Scholarship (ARMS) in Gun Violence Prevention, and co-director of the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) Gun Violence Prevention Research Interest Group. She is available to speak to media about this important topic - simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) will strengthen existing partnership and form basis for future collaborations Official signing took place during an official visit by delegation from NEFU and AEMG on 22 May Delegation met senior staff from College of Engineering and Physical Sciences as well as NEFU students studying at Aston University. Aston University in Birmingham, UK and Northeast Forestry University (NEFU) in Harbin City in Heilongjiang Province, China have signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop their strategic partnership. The MoU will see the universities renew and strengthen their existing partnership and explore future collaborations in the areas of both teaching and research. The partnership is facilitated by AEMG Education, who have over 20 years of experience in brokering strategic relationships with Chinese universities. The official signing by Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University, Professor Li Shunlong, Vice President of Northeast Forestry University and Mr Stephen Connelly, Vice President of AEMG Education, took place on 22 May during a visit to Aston University by a senior delegation from NEFU and AEMG Education. The delegation from NEFU also included Professor Liu Zhiming, Dean of Aulin College, Mr Sun Zhiping, Director of the International Cooperation Office and Professor Li Hongfen, Associate Professor of the College of Civil Engineering. AEMG Education was represented by Mr Stephen Connelly, Vice President of Business Development and Engagement, Dr Jacko Feng, Director of Research and Partnerships and Ms Sarah Armstrong, Director of Business Development, UK & Europe. During the visit, the delegation met with senior staff from the Department of Civil Engineering and the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, including Executive Dean, Professor Stephen Garrett. They also had the opportunity to meet with the NEFU students studying at Aston University who have just completed their final year examinations. The Aston University/NEFU partnership was established around the development of a joint programme in BSc Construction Project Management which was approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education (MoE) in January 2018, under which students from NEFU are able to transfer into the final year of the programme at Aston University. In 2021/22, the first cohort of 21 students successfully finished their studies,10 of whom achieved first class degrees. Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University, commented: “I am delighted to welcome visitors from NEFU and AEMG to Aston University and to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with NEFU. “This represents an important milestone in taking forward our collaboration. We are committed to continuing to strengthen our strategic relationship with NEFU and look forward to welcoming more students in the future.”
Experts from the Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing will examine the daily financial struggles of low to moderate income UK households The Real Accounts project will capture day-to-day financial fluctuations, understanding household money management strategies It is hoped the results will help inform policy and market innovation and debate. New research by the Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing at Aston University will shine a light on the real day-to-day experience of financial uncertainty among UK households and help inform policy and market innovation and debate. The Real Accounts project will build an in-depth understanding of the lived experience of financial uncertainty among low to moderate income households across the country. Believed to be the first of its kind in the UK and in contrast with the snapshot data achieved by annual surveys, this long-term study will provide a fully joined-up view of household finances, capturing the day-to-day, week-to-week ups and downs, working with households to understand the situations they face and the strategies they use to manage their money. The project will be a collaboration with Nest Insight and the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health at Glasgow Caledonian University. Experts will use a research data collection app that has been custom designed by Moneyhub to capture real-time income and expenditure transaction data over six months for a sample of around 50 low to moderate income households, combined with monthly interviewing. Professor Andy Lymer, director of the Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing at Aston University, said: “We are really pleased to be part of this innovative project, directly focusing on real experiences of managing financial volatility and the impact that has on broader aspects of wellbeing. Too little is currently known about the scope and scale of income and expense volatility experienced by UK households. This research is really timely given people are currently facing the very significant impact of the cost-of-living crisis and often enormous uncertainty about both their incomes and their expenditures. The outcomes of this work will generate deeper understanding of what it means to experience financial challenges in reality and over sustained periods of time. It will contribute to finding better ways to help people in their everyday lives and is a perfect fit for the focus of our Centre that seeks to deepen our understanding of what matters in creating personal financial wellbeing.” Sope Otulana, head of research at Nest Insight, said: “As the rising cost of living continues to impact households across the country, and levels of household debt climb, this research is more crucial than ever. The project aims to shine a light on exactly what it is like for households today managing volatile income and expenditure, sharing their first-hand stories. While large income and expenditure datasets track individuals and their behaviour out in the world, this research puts individuals back into the contexts where their financial lives play out, focussing on the overall household – partners, parents, siblings, friends and other social connections. It will look beyond the balance sheet to also analyse social, environmental, and health factors, as well as other dynamics that can come into play and affect household finances. The research will identify trends but also capture the variation within households, recognising that there is no ‘average’ household circumstance or experience.” Alex Christopoulos, Aviva Foundation lead and senior strategic adviser and consultant, said: “Millions in the UK are struggling and worried about money. The Real Accounts research provides us with an opportunity to understand how these households are managing to get by day-to-day; the choices they make, the strategies they take and the knock-on effects this has on other areas of their life. In uncertain times, we need to better understand how people deal with fluctuations in their incomings and outgoings – and what kinds of financial support and services might enable them to build a buffer, and a plan, to deal with today’s pressures, as well as what tomorrow may bring. The Aviva Foundation is proud to be supporting Nest Insight and its partners to deliver to the Real Accounts research.” Samantha Seaton, CEO of Moneyhub, said: “It is only when we have in-depth and holistic data on a person's or household’s finances that we can truly know and begin to understand the impact of the rising cost of living. This can only be successfully achieved by bringing all of an individual's or household’s financial data together in one place, from every-day spending to long-term projects such as buying a property and saving for retirement. At Moneyhub, we’re absolutely delighted to be providing our cutting-edge technology to enable Nest Insight and its partners to collect and analyse this crucial data. We know from our own users the pressure that the current economic situation is placing on them, with many unable to save resorting to borrowing to get by each month. Having thorough data and insight will enable any solution to be highly personalised in its approach and have a much more positive impact on those that require it most. Ultimately the more real-time financial data points, the more informed the decisions can be. It has always been our purpose at Moneyhub to improve financial wellness, and this project is just one example of how we’re using Open Finance to do exactly that.” You can find out more about the project here.
The management Knowledge Transfer Partnership (mKTP) with Beever and Struthers will help drive the firm’s digital transformation The 30-month programme will specifically aim to develop, embed and exploit smart data driven technologies It will enable the business to increase quality, productivity and capacity. Aston University has begun a management Knowledge Transfer Partnership (mKTP) with nationwide accountants and business advisors Beever and Struthers to help drive the firm’s digital transformation. A management Knowledge Transfer Partnership is built around identifying strategic management-based initiatives to increase business effectiveness and improve management practices. As part of the mKTP, led by Aston University in collaboration with Professor Brian Nicholson and Dr Sung Hwan Chai (Alliance Manchester Business School), Dr George Moyenda Salijeni (Aston Business School) and the team will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of Beever and Struthers' existing data systems. Following the assessment, specific methodologies will be proposed to ensure alignment between the mKTP and the firm's ongoing data systems. The 30-month programme will aim to develop, embed and exploit smart data driven technologies within the audit function, enabling the business to increase the quality, productivity and capacity to deliver additional insight and value to clients. Dr George Salijeni, a lecturer in accounting at Aston Business School and an expert in data analytics tools used in external audits and knowledge base supervisor in the mKTP, said: “This mKTP offers an opportunity to share and utilise knowledge and technical exposure which academics at Aston University and Alliance Manchester Business School have gained and generated over the years through undertaking multi-disciplinary research and engagements with practitioners and audit regulators on data driven technologies which include artificial intelligence. Potentially, this project generates insights, workflows which could impact and transform the way audits are performed by leveraging data driven analytics tools and models.” Michael Tourville, partner at Beever and Struthers, said: “Given that the business has been around for up to 125 years it is quite traditional in its approach, but we are now keen to embrace the opportunities that a truly digital transformation could offer. Although we are a firm with a long history, we are also an entrepreneurial business and are keen to grasp opportunities when we see them. This mKTP is all about giving our clients more insight and helping us navigate data far better too. The main improvements for us will come from increased efficiency and insight, but we will also be able to further improve the quality of the service we offer.” Professor Andy Lymer, head of the Accounting Department at Aston University, said: “Digital approaches to accounting are increasingly at the heart of how the accounting industry works – and therefore increasingly at the heart of what we teach and research related to this industry and its practices. This extremely innovative project will enable us to work with the partners in this programme to go in depth into an organisation exploring how the use of the latest developments in the use of digital tools such as advanced data analytics can further enhance the processes of audit. The experience and knowledge gained in this work will be brought back into the classroom for our students to benefit from also.”
Ask an Expert: Can a Recession Boost Employee Job Satisfaction?
Will the United States tip into recession in 2023? The jury for many remains out, though there are enough clouds forming on the horizon to cause consternation for firms eyeing the next financial quarter. But while recessions invariably spell belt-tightening, are they always plain bad for business? Could there be some kind of silver lining to hard times? New research led by Goizueta Business School’s Emily Bianchi suggests there is in fact an upside to economic downturns: higher employee job satisfaction. Bianchi and colleagues from Oglethorpe and Hong Kong Polytechnic Universities have found that in times of increased financial uncertainty, people tend to think less about other opportunities or openings, and focus more on the jobs they actually have. This in turn makes us see our jobs and workplace more favorably, says Bianchi. “It might feel counter-intuitive because there’s reason to think that tumultuous times make the workplace and workplace relations more tense or challenging. But we wanted to explore whether the security of having a job in an economic slump might positively impact the way people think about their roles and employers,” Bianchi says. Our hunch was that fewer available jobs outside the organization may translate into greater satisfaction with the jobs we have in hand when there’s a recession. To test this possibility, Bianchi and co-authors ran three studies. The first looked at almost 50 years of data from the U.S. General Social Survey, a cross-sectional barometer of people’s attitudes and opinions, including their assessment of the economy and satisfaction with the work they do. Through analyses of respondents’ answers between 1974 and 2016, Bianchi et al. found compelling evidence to support their hypothesis: at both the national and state level, job satisfaction rose during recessions and fell off again when the economy did better. A second study analyzed data from the U.K. where recessions tend to hit at the same time as the United States, but can be more or less severe. Two surveys conducted by the University of Essex followed the same respondents between 1991 and 2013, allowing Bianchi et al. to measure how individual job satisfaction fluctuated with macro-economic changes. Limiting their analysis to those people who remained employed over the time period and controlling for things like age, gender and income, the researchers were able to isolate the impact of recession based on the way that a group of just over 8,500,000 employees felt about their jobs. They found the same pattern. “By looking at the same individuals over time, we’re able to eliminate any impact coming from changes in the composition of the workforce across economic cycles,” says Bianchi. The same pattern emerged: during bad economic times, people reported greater job satisfaction even within the same group. Unlocking the Upside of Downturns To dig deeper into the psychological mechanisms undergirding these patterns, Bianchi et al. ran an experiment. One group was shown “bad news” about the economy, while the other read a report on economic growth and “plentiful jobs.” Both groups were then asked to self-report on job satisfaction. Those who had read the news article on recession and unemployment reported greater contentment with their current jobs. Moreover, when reminded of recessions, they reported that alternative jobs became less salient, which in turn led to greater job satisfaction. In other words, their own jobs were “more satisfying.” One implication of these findings is that they challenge the notion that job satisfaction is exclusively dictated by what happens inside the organization. We tend to think of businesses as bubbles that are somehow impervious to the outside world. But these studies show broader societal events can affect us in surprising ways. A Silver Lining for Employers Recessions are rarely welcome news. And for employers, they can engender feelings of hopelessness, says Bianchi. The insights shared in her paper should provide some reassurance, nonetheless, that even when the chips are down, they might have one less thing to worry about. But there’s a caveat. Our findings suggest that there might actually be a bright side to recessions for employers; that greater job satisfaction during these difficult times might help people psychologically weather an otherwise challenging situation. “Of course, this does not mean that employers should take advantage of this surprising goodwill by asking more of their employees. Rather, while employers likely believe that there is little they can do to bolster job satisfaction during tough times, our research suggests that satisfaction-boosting efforts may be even more effective. Moreover, our findings suggest that employers should be more attuned to bolstering satisfaction when times are good and employees are particularly apt to be looking at other opportunities.” Interested in learning more about how a recession may impact the workplace? Then let us help with your coverage and questions. Goizueta Business School’s Emily Bianchi is available to speak regarding this important topic - simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
Expert Insight: The Voice of Alexa: How Speech Characteristics Impact Consumer Decisions
In the 2020 film “Superintelligence,” an all-powerful artificial intelligence attempts to take over the world, and it studies an average person, played by Melissa McCarthy, to decide if humanity is worth saving. The AI is voiced by James Corden—a voice it chooses because it knows it’s one McCarthy’s character will engage with. Rajiv Garg, associate professor of Information Systems & Operations Management at Emory’s Goizueta Business School, shows the “Superintelligence” trailer before his research presentations to set the tone. Garg conducts research that explores the impact of artificial intelligence voices on consumer behavior and purchase intent, along with Haris Krijestorac, a professor at HEC Paris, and Vijay Mahajan, a professor from The University of Texas at Austin. Garg’s research began when Amazon launched celebrity voices for its Alexa device in 2019. From Samuel L. Jackson to Shaquille O’Neal, users can now get their news and entertainment, while interacting with their favorite superstars. “I questioned if certain voices could get more engagement or more purchases from consumers,” Garg says. If Alexa starts talking to you in Samuel L. Jackson’s voice, will you continue the conversation? What could Samuel L. Jackson’s voice sell you that you would buy? Garg and his team began their research by collecting more than 300 celebrity voice samples, which they analyzed based on their sound characteristics, such as amplitude, frequency, and entropy. They looked at 20 sound characteristics and identified that all the voices could be segmented into six clusters: ostentatious, colloquial, friendly, authoritative, seductive, and suave. The team then created advertisements for select products using computer generated voices for each of the six clusters, opting for artificial intelligence-created speech instead of celebrity deep fakes due to permission legalities. They chose a shoe and an office chair as their products, and created two different advertisements for each product. One ad was simple, denoting the shoe as comfortable for all-day wear and the office chair as comfortable for sitting in for extended time periods. The other ad was hedonic, denoting the shoe as crafted with Italian leather and the office chair equipped with several massage features. They recorded the four advertisements using both a female and male voice for all six voice clusters. Study participants listened to each of the four advertisements in one of the 12 voices, which was randomly selected. After the advertisement was played, participants were asked if they wanted more information, and later, if they wanted to buy the product (omitting the price as to not add another factor to their decision making). Influencing Consumer Behavior For simple, utilitarian products, they found no significant effect of voice on information seeking behavior. Garg says once participants hear this type of advertisement, they simply decide to purchase or move on. Participants do, however, engage more in information seeking behavior for hedonic products when the voice is ostentatious, seductive, or authoritative. The team also found men were more likely than women to engage with ostentatious or seductive voices, and women were more likely to engage with friendly or colloquial voices. Overall, they found participants did not seek information with male voices. For information seeking, men and women only engage if the voices are female, which is somewhat intuitive. The industry is doing this—Alexa, Google, and Siri all have a female voice. In terms of purchase intention, they found ostentatious voices have higher yields for utilitarian products. Men, especially, were more likely than women to purchase a utilitarian product advertised in an ostentatious voice. Think about advertising a stapler. It’s a stapler—it staples paper—but you advertise it in a French accent to make it sound interesting. Conversely, for hedonic products, an ostentatious voice has a negative effect on purchase intent because Garg says it can make the product sound gimmicky. Their research shows colloquial voices do the best here because people focus more on the advertisement’s content. Across the board, they found seductive voices have a negative effect on purchase intent, but more so on utilitarian products compared to hedonic ones. Men were more likely than women to respond positively to seductive and suave voices. Applying the results Voices are another way smart device companies can personalize their customers’ experiences. Garg says these companies should be aware that there may be a certain voice that will garner the best engagement. Their findings are not isolated to business, but may apply to other industries, such as the media. Garg says, for example, if publications intend to increase reader curiosity and engagement, they should use a female colloquial voice on “click to listen” features. Although not yet tested, Garg says he wouldn’t be surprised if their results extend to real-world settings with real human voices as well. During their research, Garg’s team asked participants if they had heard the advertisement voices before, and about 15 percent of respondents says they had. "These were voices we’d created for the first time,” Garg says. “If they say they’ve heard the voice before, that means they were thinking of them as human voices. Although we didn’t study it that way, I do believe what we’re seeing will be relevant for actual human being’s voices and interactions.” Having researched this for years, Garg says every time he listens to a voice, whether a customer service representative or podcast host, he questions whether or not it is impacting his behavior. A lot of times when I’m making a decision, I know that I’m making that decision passively because of the voice. “I’m acting 50 percent based on the rational information in the voice, but the other 50 percent I just want to listen more. There is an inherent desire for a certain voice.” Garg says his favorite part of the research are those “aha moments,” whether they be the influence of voice in his own life or in the industry—such as large companies using female voices in their products to draw engagement. He says he hopes to continue doing this kind of research to help startups and other companies perform better, as AI-powered voices continue to change the way people interact with technology and consume information. “We’re finding these interesting phenomena that can help create new products that are more effective,” Garg says. “I am trying to increase the economic surplus, in some ways to improve society, and this technology presents numerous opportunities.” Looking to know more? Rajiv Garg from Emory’s Goizueta Business School is available to speak with media – simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
