Hoos in STEM

In this episode of HOOS in STEM, we sit down with UVA’s Olympic gold medalists and world-record-holding swimmers Claire Curzan, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, and their legendary coach Todd DeSorbo. From early morning practices to Olympic podiums, we explore the dedication, science, and data that fuel their success.

In this episode of HOOS in STEM, we speak with Kent Yagi, UVA Professor of Physics, whose work explores the deepest mysteries of gravity and spacetime. From Einstein’s century-old prediction of gravitational waves to their first detection in 2015, Yagi has been testing general relativity at cosmic scales. His discoveries connecting neutron stars, black holes, and the ripples of spacetime are helping redefine our understanding of the universe itself.

In this episode of HOOS in STEM, we speak with Anton Korinek, UVA Professor of Economics and Public Policy and one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in AI. A decade into exploring AI’s long-term impact, Korinek has been at the forefront of understanding how artificial intelligence could reshape our societies, and our lives.

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Madhav Marathe, Distinguished Professor and Executive Director of UVA’s Biocomplexity Institute. Dr. Marathe leads one of UVA’s most interdisciplinary research hubs where mathematicians, epidemiologists, social scientists, and AI systems work together to simulate the complex systems that shape our lives.

In this episode of HOOS in STEM, we spoke with Jennifer Morse, UVA Professor of Mathematics, whose path to combinatorics defied expectations. Raised on a dairy farm in Vermont, Jennifer’s journey took her from liberal arts studies to eventually earning a PhD in mathematics. Now, as one of the field’s top researchers, she’s preparing to lecture at the 2026 International Congress of Mathematicians.

In this special bonus episode, we share a live story told by Professor Scott Acton, chair of UVA’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Recorded at Carr’s Hill as part of our ongoing collaboration with The Story Collider, this episode offers a rare glimpse into the personal side of a scientist’s journey. With humor, vulnerability, and insight, Scott Acton reflects on the experiences that shaped his path in STEM

Dr. Sontheimer is the department chair, professor, mentor, biotechnology founder, and textbook author behind a recent revolution in the emerging field of cancer neuroscience: a series of breakthrough discoveries that have catalyzed the ongoing translation of scientific research to successful clinical trials. From the evolutionary roots of binocular vision to recording single membrane ion channels over millionths of a second, Prof. Sontheimer has followed his curiosity to reshape our understanding of the glial cells that drive brain tumors and found institutions for training the next generation of distinguished neuroscientists. We are lucky to hear his story in this fitting finale of Hoos in STEM’s summer conversations.

Dr. Kemi Jona, UVA’s Vice Provost for Online Education and Digital Innovation, sits down with us to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping education and the workplace. We explore the future of education in a post-AI world, and the steps the university is taking to champion lifelong, accessible learning. Reflecting on his expertise in computer science and education, Dr. Jona shares insights into the future of what learning may look like.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mark Esser, the inaugural Chief Scientific Officer of UVA’s new Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology. Dr. Esser, a renowned expert in immunology and vaccine development, shares his journey from AstraZeneca to leading this ambitious institute. With a vision to revolutionize healthcare and accelerate the development of life-saving treatments, Mark discusses fostering innovation, attracting biotech companies to Virginia, and the future of personalized medicine.

To celebrate their graduation from UVA, student producers Katie Nichols and Reeya Verma interviewed four exceptional Hoos in STEM. They welcome astrophysicist, historian, and Rhodes Scholar Sam Crowe; neuroscientist and President of the Raven Society, Campbell Coleman; mathematician and Marshall Scholar Catherine Cossaboom; and computational biologist and Davis Prize for Peace awardee Deniz Olgun. Congratulations to these fantastic four and to all of UVA’s accomplished Class of 2025!

This Spring, UVA welcomed the Story Collider team back to Charlottesville for the third year running. During a special recording at Carr's Hill, four UVA STEM leaders told personal stories about their lives, their careers, and how personal stories and scientific inquiry intertwine. We hope you'll head over to Story Collider to hear from Scott Acton, Chair of UVA's Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, and Stephanie Rowley, Dean of the School of Education and Human Development; and Hoos in STEM is very excited to share the other two stories from some the event. Here's Bill Petri, the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health at UVA, and Kathryn Thornton a retired astronaut and Professor Emerita at UVA in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The Story Collider's mission is to reveal the vibrant role that science plays in all of our lives through the art of personal storytelling. Check out all the Story Collider episodes: https://www.storycollider.org/podcast

In this episode, we’re diving into the groundbreaking research of UVA’s 2024 Edlich-Henderson Innovators of the Year: Professors Silvia Blemker and Craig Meyer from the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Their award-winning work is revolutionizing the way we analyze MRI data, creating 3D visualizations of musculature and providing insights that could transform athletic recovery. Whether you’re recovering from injury or optimizing performance, their work offers a new path to maximize recovery for all.

We are lucky to be joined by yet another one of UVA’s own 2025 PECASE recipients, Sally Pusede, an Associate Professor in the Dept. of Environmental Sciences. Although she has been officially honored for advancing the analysis of satellite remote sensing data for the resolution of neighborhood-level pollution across the country, we also discussed her work with political scientist Kim Fields, as co-directors of the Repair Lab, to combat environmental justice issues in local VA communities and ultimately leverage STEM for high social impact.

Three faculty members of the UVA School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, James (Jimmy) Burns, Coleen Carrigan, and Liheng Cai, join the show to discuss their research and the path that led them to become honorees of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. The PECASE Award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. From studying the culture within engineering, redefining our understanding of biomaterials, to assessing the integrity of space stations, it all has a home at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

How can we ensure that the AI we build is trustworthy? Responsible? An agent of the great and good, even as their rapidly increasing capabilities continue to astonish us? Thanks to the generous support of UVA Darden alum David LaCross, the LaCross Institute for Ethical AI in Business at Darden has been created to address these very concerns. We invited the Institute’s co-directors, Professors of Business Administration Yael Grushka-Cockayne and Rajkumar Venkatesan, to discuss the future of this inspiring new initiative, and how they came from unconventional backgrounds to bear the torch of ethical considerations amidst rapid technological innovation.

Scientists have begun to leverage the power of AI to help us better understand the formation and dynamics of the universe. Paul Torrey is a computational astrophysicist with a research focus on the formation and evolution of our cosmos. Torrey’s research group builds, runs, and analyzes large-scale cosmological simulations that allow us to examine in a new way our assumption of the universe.

Only about a decade ago did scientists discover the immense potential of leveraging the immune system to combat neurodegenerative diseases. Professor of Neuroscience John Lukens played an integral part in that movement, and he continues to push the field forward today as the inaugural director of UVA’s Harrison Family Translational Research Center in Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases.

This week, we dive into the heart of UVA’s chemistry department with Jill Venton, its chair and the Thomas Jefferson Professor of Chemistry. She tells us about the fascinating study and synthesis of the molecular building blocks of our universe: from star formation to nanoparticles for clean energy applications, and borrowing fluorescent molecules from fireflies to illuminate our own biological processes. We also discuss her lab’s research on brain chemistry and the future of neurochemical treatments for disease.

On this episode, we welcome Phil Potter, a professor of politics and public policy in the Batten School. We discuss the past, present, and future of national security, as well as UVA’s $20 million contract from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to launch a National Security and Data Policy Institute with Phil Potter as its founding director.

On this episode, we welcome Scott Acton the chair of UVA’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Arriving at UVA in 2000, Scott has worked on countless projects and seen first-hand how the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering has changed over time. We discuss Scott's career and research, as well as that of the department he leads, and the many ways they strive to advance technology.