Author Archives: Miriam Lipton

Horror in Fiction

In 2021 Jordan Peele remade the 1992 cult horror classic, Candyman. The 2021 remake received critical success and despite being delayed several times due to the covid-19 pandemic, was a box office success as well. In both the 1992 and 2021 versions, the eponymous main character is a black man. But in the remake, the character deviates from the usual narrative trope of being a menacing black man to a man with complex emotions and feelings. For most viewers, these changes make for a good story, but likely are not things that they dwell on, and certainly are forgettable by the time they have left the theater. But for our guest this week, literature MA student Marisa Williams in the School of Writing, Literature, and Film, these differences are what gives them inspiration and are what inform their research. While Marisa has just begun their thesis work, they know that they will examine issues of racism on black bodies within contemporary literature. Specifically, Marisa plans to explore how the legacy of colonialism has remained in the literature of French-Caribbean authors writing in the 21st century despite more than two centuries of emancipation from colonialism. 

In order to do this kind of research, Marisa first has to learn about the history and philosophy of colonialism and post-colonial identity in the Caribbean. They plan to do this by exploring how notions of “Creole-ness,” the monstrosity of whiteness, and identity have all shaped the French-Caribbean experience in today’s literature. This has led Marisa to some interesting literary “rabbit holes,” that has taken them through history, philosophy, and fantasy literature.

To learn more about what is “Creole-ness,” the monstrosity of whiteness, and identity and how they relate to fantasy literature, tune in live on Sunday May 1st, 2022 on KBVR to listen. You can also catch more of Marisa’s story and research when they present as part of OSU’s 2022 Grad Inspire which will be taking place on May 12th

Red, Red, (smoky) Wine

Did you know humans have the ability to “taste” through smelling? Well we do, and it is through a process called retronasal olfaction. This fancy sounding term is just some of the ways that food scientists, such as our guest speaker this week, recent M.S. graduate and soon to be Ph.D. student, Jenna Fryer studies how flavors, or tastes through smell, are understood and what impact external factors have on them. Specifically, Fryer looks at the ways fires affect the flavors of wine, a particularly timely area of research due to the recent wave of devastating wildfires in Oregon. 

Fryer at OSU’s vineyard

Having always been interested in food science, Fryer examines the ways smoke penetrates wine grapes. She does this by studying the ways people taste the smoke and how they can best rid the smokiness in their mouths, because spoiler, it has a pretty negative impact on the flavor. This research has forced her to develop novel ways to explain and standardize certain flavors, such as ashiness and mixed berry, as well as learn what compounds are the best palate cleansers. She will continue this research with her Ph.D. where she plans to figure out what compounds make that smoky flavor, and how best to predict which wines will taste like smoke in the future. 

Through this work, Fryer has made some fascinating discoveries, such as how many people can actually detect the smoke flavor (because not everyone can), how best to create an ashy flavor (hint, it has to do with a restaurant in the UK and leeks), why red wine is more affected by smoke than white wines, and what the difference is between flavor and taste. 

Fryer processing wine samples

Tune in live at 7pm on Sunday April 24th or listen to this episode anywhere you get your podcasts to learn about Fryer’s research! 

And, if you are interested in being a part of a future wine study (and who wouldn’t want to get paid to taste wine), click on this link to sign up! 

Home Economics as a Science 

Milam, ca. 1919. Courtesy of Oregon Digital.

At OSU there is a building called Milam Hall. It sits across the quad from the Memorial Union and houses many departments, including the School of History, Philosophy, and Religion, where our guest this week, History and Philosophy of Science M.A. student Kathleen McHugh is housed. The building is certainly showing its age, with a perpetually leaky roof and well worn stairwells. But despite this, embedded in some of its classrooms, are hints of its former glory. It was once the location of the School of Home Economics, and was posthumously named after its longstanding dean, Ava B. Milam. While no books have been written about Milam, aside from her own autobiography, her story is one worth telling, and McHugh is doing just that with her M.A. thesis where she explores Milam’s deliberate actions to make home economics a legitimate scientific field. 

Home Economics students cooking. Courtesy of Industrial-Arts Magazine.

During Milam’s tenure, home economics was a place where women could get an education and, most importantly, where they would not interfere with men’s scientific pursuits. It necessarily othered women and excluded them from science. But McHugh argues that Milam actively tried to shape home economics so that it was perceived as a legitimate science rather than a field of educational placation. And, as McHugh demonstrates through her research, in part due to Milam’s work, women are able to study science today without prejudice (well, for the most part. Obviously there is still a long way to go before there is full equality). 

But exactly how Milam legitimized a field that–let’s be honest, probably immediately gives readers flashbacks of baking a cake in middle school or learning how to darn a sock –is exactly what McHugh explores in her thesis. Through meticulous archival research, and despite COVID hurdles, McHugh has created a compelling and persuasive narrative of Milam’s efforts to transform home economics into a science. 

Guests waiting outside a tearoom at the 1919 San Francisco World’s Fair run by Home Economics students. Courtesy of Industrial-Arts Magazine.

Listen this week and learn how a cafe at the 1915 San Francisco World’s Fair and a house near campus that ran a nearly 50 year adoption service relate to Milam and her pioneering work. If you missed the live show, listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts.

Radio in the Time of Covid

Here at Inspiration Dissemination we are adapting to the global pandemic’s ever changing obstacles. Because of COVID we are unable to be in the booth this week. That means no interviews. But we will have interviews starting next week.

Have you heard (the new voices on the radio)?

Inspiration Dissemination is excited to announce three new hosts, Bryan K. Lynn, Grace Deitzler, and Miriam F. Lipton.

Bryan is Ph.D. candidate in Integrative biology researching the evolution of cooperation using bacteria and math. You can read more about Bryan and his research here when he was a guest on ID.

Grace is a Ph.D. candidate in microbiology studying the relationship between the gut microbiome and behavior. You can read more about Grace and her research here when she was a guest on ID.

Miriam is a Ph.D. candidate in history and philosophy of science. She studies the history of antibiotic resistance in the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. You can read more about Miriam and her research here when she was a guest on ID.

What’s that? Another awesome way to learn about graduate student experiences at OSU?

In collaboration with the Graduate School, Inspiration Dissemination is proud to announce Oregon State University’s annual Grad Inspire event set to take place at the end of April 2022. The event, where a few hand-selected graduate students share their research in a short 10 minute talk, will be in person (COVID dependent) in the MU Ballroom. Video streaming and live captions will be available for anyone who cannot attend in person. For the most up to date information, please visit this website.

There is a lot to look forward this term.

Coming up this term we already have a stellar line-up. We have students from Public Policy, Nuclear Engineering, Materials Science, and Botany and Plant Pathology. Listen each week at 7pm live at KBVR Corvallis, stream, or download the podcast episode from where ever you are.

Are you a grad student? Are you doing awesome things? We want to hear from you.

We are always interested in hearing from graduate students at OSU. If you are interested in joining the show, click on the “New Guest Sign Up” tab at the top of this page.

Thanks to everyone for your patience as we navigate doing live radio during COVID.

We will back on the air next week. Tune in!