The faces of research at TU
Celebrating women's history with the contributions of eight faculty members who are solving problems, improving lives through research
The $19.2 million in annual research expenditures at TU make broad impacts on our understanding of the world and the way we live in it. From identifying factors that maintain muscle function as we age to creating new materials that improve medical devices, this research enhances education, advances technology and improves health outcomes.
Much of that research is led by women breaking boundaries in their fields. In honor of Women’s History Month, read on for eight faculty members whose research is making an impact on our communities and our world.
Identifying practices for aging well
The general belief is that physical activity gets harder as we age. But what if older adults’ muscles are aging because they’re less active? That’s what associate professor of kinesiology Rian Landers-Ramos set out to discover in a study comparing the small blood vessel and mitochondria function in muscles of older and younger adults with similar activity levels. The study uses a cutting-edge, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) device that enables Landers-Ramos and student researchers in the College of Health Professions to quickly and non-invasively examine small blood vessel and mitochondrial functions, which play a critical role in preventing muscle fatigue. The study found that when activity levels are matched, there is little difference in the small blood vessel and mitochondrial functions of older and younger adults —showing that exercise helps keep our muscles working well. Her findings are meaningful on their own and lay the groundwork for using NIRS to analyze other functions that could previously only be studied through invasive and expensive clinical procedures, opening the door to future impactful research.
“There are parts of aging we can’t avoid, but it’s reassuring to know that by staying active, we can help maintain many aspects of muscle function.”
Rian Landers-Ramos, associate professor of kinesiology
Creating accessible superconductors
As computing technology advances so too does the need for faster processing speeds. Physics professor Vera Smolyaninova’s research is working to build just that. Smolyaninova works closely with student researchers in the Fisher College of Science & Mathematics to analyze the properties and explore the possibilities of artificial metamaterials, looking at how they can be applied to photonics and enhance the properties of superconductivity. Since photons—unlike electrons—can travel at the speed of light, using the understanding of photonics to create light-adapting artificial materials can make them work better, thereby increasing their capacity to process information. Her research using metamaterial approaches to enhance the properties of superconductors has many important potential applications, like enabling more effective and affordable MRI machines and expanding the potential of quantum computing.
“These are really interesting problems, and we wouldn't be able to explore them without the support of TU and our student researchers.”
Vera Smolyaninova, physics professor
Teaching 21st-century thinking
Students in classrooms today need to be prepared to work with the technology of tomorrow. That means learning computational thinking—the step-by-step critical thinking skills that enable us to approach problems systematically. Think identifying patterns and breaking down problems into smaller, achievable steps. Although it’s a foundational skill for critical thinking, it’s a newer approach in pedagogy, and special education professors Rachel Billman and Kandace Hoppin discovered gaps in how this type of thinking is taught in the K–12 environment—particularly among students with disabilities.
In response, the two began implementing computational thinking instruction into the College of Education’s curriculum. They collaborated with fellow faculty on professional development opportunities to weave computational thinking into their coursework so TU students who are future special educators would be prepared to instruct on it. But they didn’t stop there. Billman and Hoppin also developed a free, immersive summer camp that offers elementary and middle school students hands-on development of computational thinking skills through robotics, coding and more. gives TU’s future special educators real-world, paid experience in teaching computational thinking while enabling students with disabilities a chance to develop these skills in a fun and accessible way.
“We want TU students to get experience integrating computational thinking in a classroom setting, and we want learners with disabilities to get access to these critical skills.”
Rachel Billman, assistant professor of special education
Improving information access
Librarians play a critical role in promoting informational literacy, innovation, creativity and access—an effort that doesn’t stop when business hours are over. Knowing that students, and indeed all citizens, need on-demand support finding reliable sources for information and research, ’s assessment and analytics librarian set to work identifying best practices for developing and implementing library chatbots at academic and public libraries across the country. By interviewing early adopters and assessing the breadth and quality of traditionally coded chatbots as well as those using artificial intelligence, Hwang’s research offers librarians practical guidance to meet the unique information needs of their communities. The research is so relevant that Hwang was invited to present it at the American Library Association Annual Conference—the largest in the field.
“A college education should equip students with the ability to evaluate information critically and make a meaningful, informed contribution to the society. My research aims to support the development of these skills.”
Soo-Yeon Hwang, assessment and analytics librarian
Creating engaged citizens
More than 20 years ago, a new political science professor named Alison Rios Millett McCartney organized a model United Nations conference for students in underserved communities, led by political science students in TU’s College of Liberal Arts. Both sides found the combination of global learning, service-learning and civic engagement so valuable that McCartney decided to expand it into a formal civic engagement course at TU. Yet when she dug into the research literature on civic engagement pedagogy, she realized no such course curriculum existed. So she decided to build one herself, weaving in pre-and post-assessments to evaluate the conference’s—and eventually the course’s—effectiveness in building the research, critical thinking, oral presentation and writing skills that empower engaged citizens. Fast forward to today, and McCartney, now dean of the Honors College, has authored three books on the subject and worked alongside TU students and alumni to build, evaluate and present what is now a national model for civic engagement.
“In a democracy we need capable citizens who understand how our political system works and have the skills to work effectively within that system. Our goal is to enable colleges across the country to develop lifelong citizens who can be a foundation for our democracy moving forward.”
Alison Rios Millett McCartney, Honors College dean
Building financial literacy
Before pursuing her doctorate, College of Business & Economics professor Chris Boyd Leon spent seven years providing financial education to historically disadvantaged communities in her native Peru. As participants improved their understanding and engagement in the financial system, their economic situation also improved. Nearly 10 years later, she noticed a similar opportunity for financial literacy among her students. Boyd Leon wanted to make sure that financial challenges like paying tuition or securing income didn’t distract students from their studies or impact their ability to complete their degree. It sparked an idea to build a comprehensive, campuswide financial literacy program bringing together financial information and resources from across campus. She paired that with economic research methodology to evaluate the program’s causal impact on student success and well-being. The effort launched this spring with support from a Towson University Foundation grant, and initial stages are expected to be complete by the end of the year.
“My research is inspired by interactions with people in the field. Understanding their challenges enables us to address their needs.”
Chris Boyd Leon, assistant professor of economics
Preventing sexual violence
Sexual violence is a tragedy in any context, and individuals in cultures lacking access to sexual health information are especially susceptible. That’s the situation in Comfort Tosin Adebayo’s home country of Nigeria. Over the past three years, the College of Fine Arts & Communication professor has researched the prevalence of sexual violence throughout the country, interviewing and/or surveying more than 100 survivors to identify culturally relevant risk markers, support strategies and prevention tactics. Now she’s using the findings to create an online platform that offers anonymous emotional support for survivors as well as sexual health education and sexual violence awareness tools for all community members. The platform also gathers anonymous data that can be useful in providing recommendations to policymakers, helping make important progress in a country where some states have no formal organizations supporting sexual violence survivors and where many avoid disclosing their experiences to even their closest friends or family.
“Communication—especially in the field of health—has the power to bring healing to those who are most vulnerable. We’re leveraging technology to give sexual violence survivors access to a community of support and to resources that can aid in the prevention of violence.”
Comfort Tosin Adebayo, assistant professor of communication studies
Reinterpreting philosophy
Twentieth-century French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir made enduring contributions to feminist theory and literature, even earning a Nobel Prize nomination. Yet the social constructs of her time meant history relegated her to a footnote of her colleague and partner Jean-Paul Sartre. This oversight means some of Beauvoir’s most important works weren’t translated with the care or context they deserve. College of Liberal Arts philosophy professor Emily Parker is working to correct that. Along with translators and fellow academics at the University of Illinois and Case Western Reserve, Parker is retranslating Beauvoir’s 1947 book “The ethics of ambiguity” with a deeper understanding of the philosopher’s viewpoints on singularity, freedom and connection. Written just after World War II ended, the book is an exploration of how to create a good life in a world beyond your control. It’s a question as relevant now as it was then, and Parker’s translation will allow new generations of English-speaking students to contemplate it with greater nuance, context and depth.
“My hope is that this new translation reignites people’s interest in Beauvoir and her philosophical questions. It will certainly make the text a more useful teaching tool.”
Emily Parker, associate professor of philosophy
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