The Conversation is an independent, nonprofit publisher of commentary and analysis, authored by academics and edited by journalists. The stories below were written by Texas State faculty and staff.
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      5 children’s books that teach valuable engineering lessonsMichelle Forsythe, Assistant Professor of STEM Education Julie Jackson, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction 
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      Adults judge children who tell blunt polite truths more harshly than they do liarsLaure Brimbal, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology 
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      Airdropping vaccines to eliminate canine rabies in Texas – two scientists explain the decades of research behind its successRodney E. Rohde, Regents' Professor & Chair, Medical Laboratory Science 
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      An interfaith discussion on the role of religion in mental healthNatasha Mikles, Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Religious Studies 
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      As one of Vladimir Putin’s closest advisers on Ukraine, Nicolai Patrushev spreads disinformation and outlandish conspiracy theoriesSusanne Sternthal, Lecturer in Post-Soviet Government and Politics 
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      The average person’s daily choices can still make a big difference in fighting climate change – and getting governments and utilities to tackle it, tooTom Ptak, Assistant Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies 
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      Beyoncé’s ‘Blackbiird’ breathes new life into a symbol that has inspired centuries of Black artists, musicians and storytellersKatie Kapurch, Associate Professor of English Jon Marc Smith, Senior Lecturer of English 
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      Biden is inheriting a wrecked economy, but Democrats have a record of avoiding recession and reducing unemploymentWilliam Chittenden, Presidential Fellow 
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      Bringing joy back to the classroom and supporting stressed kids – what summer school looks like in 2021Raphael Travis Jr., Professor of Social Work 
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      Buying groceries isn’t a problem just for the poor – middle-class millennials like me with student debt have trouble tooCassandra M. Johnson, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Foods 
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      Canceling student loan debt will barely boost the economy, but a targeted approach could help certain groupsWilliam Chittenden, Presidential Fellow 
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      Cannabis legalization has led to a boom in potent forms of the drug that present new hazards for adolescentsTy Schepis, Professor of Psychology 
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      The Catholic Church’s views on exorcism have changed – a religious studies scholar explains whyJoseph P. Laycock, Associate Professor of Religious Studies 
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      Chauvin conviction: 2 things to know about jury bias and 2 ways to reduce itAngela M. Jones, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice and Criminology 
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      College-age kids and teens are drinking less alcohol – but something else is risingTy Schepis, Professor of Psychology 
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      Colleges are using federal stimulus money to clear students’ past-due debts – an economist answers five questionsWilliam Chittenden, Presidential Fellow 
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      Craft breweries are fermenting change, addressing local ills while serving local alesColleen C. Myles, Associate Professor of Geography 
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      Does ‘virtue signaling’ pay off for entrepreneurs? We studied 81,799 Airbnb listings to find outJacob A. Waddingham, Assistant Professor of Management 
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      Effects of childhood adversity linger during college yearsToni Watt, Professor of Sociology 
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      Entrepreneurs, beware: Owning your own business can make it harder to get hired laterJacob A. Waddingham, Assistant Professor of Management 
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      Feeding insects to cattle could make meat and milk production more sustainableMerritt Drewery, Assistant Professor of Animal Science 
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      For some craft beer drinkers, less can mean moreColleen C. Myles, Associate Professor of Geography 
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      Fungal infections worldwide are becoming resistant to drugs and more deadlyRodney E. Rohde, Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science 
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      Government and nonprofit workers are getting billions in student loan debt canceled through a public service programAssociate Professor of Finance 
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      Government and nonprofit workers are getting billions in student loan debt canceled through a public service programWilliam Chittenden, Associate Professor of Finance 
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      How do blood tests work? Medical laboratory scientists explain the pathway from blood draw to diagnosis and treatmentRodney E. Rohde, Regents' Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science 
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      How stigma, anxiety and other psychological factors can contribute to food insecurityCassandra M. Johnson, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Foods 
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      How the Satanic Temple is using ‘abortion rituals’ to claim religious liberty against the Texas’ ‘heartbeat bill’Joseph P. Laycock, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies 
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      How to plan successful e-conferences during and after the COVID-19 pandemicEmily Roehl, Lecturer, Honors College 
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      If Biden decides not to run for reelection, he faces a big threat: Being a lame duckMichael J. Faber, Associate Professor of Political Science 
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      Indians are forced to change rituals for their dead as COVID-19 rages through cities and villagesNatasha Mikles, Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Religious Studies 
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      Insects are everywhere in farming and research − but insect welfare is just catching upBob Fischer, Professor of Philosophy 
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      Lack of burial space is changing age-old funeral practices, and in Japan ‘tree burials’ are gaining in popularityNatasha Mikles, Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Religious Studies 
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      Louis Pasteur’s scientific discoveries in the 19th century revolutionized medicine and continue to save the lives of millions todayRodney E. Rohde, Regents' Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science 
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      Manifesto published in Russian media reflects Putin regime’s ruthless plans in UkraineSusanne Sternthal, Lecturer in Post-Soviet Government and Politics 
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      The many stories of Diwali share a common theme of triumph of justiceNatasha Mikles, Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Religious Studies 
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      Mental health problems come with an added ‘cost’ of poorer cognitive function – a neuropsychologist explainsAmitai Abramovitch, Associate Professor of Psychology 
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      Millions of US children have parents with substance use disorder, and the consequences are staggering − new researchTy Schepis, Professor of Psychology 
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      Motivation is a key factor in whether students cheatCarlton J. Fong, Assistant Professor of Education 
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      Nigeria recalled all its ambassadors a year ago and has not replaced them – international isolation loomsSheriff Folarin, Professor of International Relations and Visiting Scholar 
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      Now that President Biden’s student loan cancellation program has been canceled, here’s what’s nextWilliam Chittenden, Associate Professor of Finance 
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      Obasanjo: from a Nigerian village to the pinnacle of power on the continentSheriff Folarin, Professor of International Relations and Visiting Scholar 
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      The omicron variant is deepening severe staffing shortages in medical laboratories across the USRodney E. Rohde, Regents' Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science 
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      Organized crime is a top driver of global deforestation – along with beef, soy, palm oil and wood productsJennifer Devine, Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies 
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      The pandemic changed death rituals and left grieving families without a sense of closureNatasha Mikles, Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Religious Studies 
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      Plant-based meat alternatives are trying to exit the culture wars – an impossible task?S. Marek Muller, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies 
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      Rabies is an ancient, unpredictable and potentially fatal disease − two rabies researchers explain how to protect yourselfRodney E. Rohde, Regents' Professor & Chair, Medical Laboratory Science 
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      The real priest behind ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ was a fan of Hollywood horror filmsJoseph P. Laycock, Associate Professor of Religious Studies 
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      Ringworm fungal infections are common in the US and are becoming increasingly resistant to treatment – 6 questions answeredRodney E. Rohde, Regents' Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science 
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      Silicon Valley Bank biggest US lender to fail since 2008 financial crisis – a finance expert explains the impactWilliam Chittenden, Associate Professor of Finance 
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      Student loan cancellation got blocked. Now what? 3 questions answeredWilliam Chittenden, Associate Professor of Finance 
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      Unlicensed teachers now dominate new teacher hires in rural Texas schoolsJames P. Van Overschelde, Associate professor of secondary education Minda Lopez, Professor of Literacy and Education 
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      US food insecurity surveys aren’t getting accurate data regarding Latino familiesLauren Butler, Assistant Professor of Nutrition 
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      US food insecurity surveys aren’t getting accurate data regarding Latino familiesCassandra M. Johnson, Assistant Professor of Nutrition 
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      US is split between the vaccinated and unvaccinated – and deaths and hospitalizations reflect this divideRodney E. Rohde, Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science 
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      Voters are starting to act like hard-core sports fans – with dangerous repercussions for democracyMichael Devlin, Associate Professor of Communication 
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      What a biannual gathering of 1967 Impalas reveals about the blurry line between fandom and religionJoseph Laycock, Associate Professor of Religious Studies Natasha Mikles, Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Religious Studies 
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      What does weight-inclusive health care mean? A dietitian explains what some providers are doing to end weight stigmaLauren Butler, Assistant Professor of Nutrition 
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      What does weight-inclusive health care mean? A dietitian explains what some providers are doing to end weight stigmaLauren Butler, Assistant Professor of Nutrition 
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      What is child care insecurity? 2 social scientists explainCassandra M. Johnson, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Foods 
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      What is herd immunity? A public health expert and a medical laboratory scientist explainRodney E. Rohde, Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science 
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      What is mpox? A microbiologist explains what’s known about this smallpox cousinRodney E. Rohde, Regents' Professor & Chair, Medical Laboratory Science 
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      What monoclonal antibodies are – and why we need them as well as a vaccineRodney E. Rohde, Professor Clinical Laboratory Science 
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      What’s a 100-year flood? A hydrologist explainsRobert Mace, Executive Director of the Meadows Center for Water and Environment 
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      What’s behind the enduring popularity of crystals?Joseph P. Laycock, Associate Professor of Religious Studies 
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      Who benefits from a break on federal student loan payments? An economist answers 3 questionsWilliam Chittenden, Presidential Fellow 
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      Who is doing all those COVID-19 tests? Why you should care about medical laboratory professionalsRodney E. Rohde, Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science 
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      Why ‘Barbie’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’ made 2023 the dead girl summerKatie Kapurch, Associate Professor of English 
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      Why are nuclear weapons so hard to get rid of? Because they’re tied up in nuclear countries’ sense of right and wrongThomas E. Doyle II, Associate Professor of Political Science 
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      Why are people calling Bitcoin a religion?Joseph P. Laycock, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies 
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      Why herd immunity may be impossible without vaccinating children against COVID-19Rodney E. Rohde, Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science 
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      Why inflation will likely stay sky-high regardless of which party wins the midtermsWilliam Chittenden, Associate Professor of Finance 
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      Why Republicans and others concerned about the economy have reason to celebrate Biden in the White HouseWilliam Chittenden, Presidential Fellow 
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      Why the Fed raised interest rates by the smallest amount since it began its epic inflation fightWilliam Chittenden, Presidential Fellow 
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      Willie Nelson at 90: Country music’s elder statesman still on the road againJason Mellard, Director of the Center for Texas Music History 
 
        
        
    