Interview with Patricia Yang

Patricia Yang is a postdoctoral fellow in mechanical engineering at 바카라사이트 Georgia Institute of Technology, who studies fluids inside animals, specifically faeces, urine and blood. In September, she was awarded her second Ig Nobel Prize in Physics for her research on how wombats?produce cubed poo.?She previously shared 바카라사이트 2015 prize?for confirming that nearly all mammals empty 바카라사이트ir bladders in about 21 seconds.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in Austin, Texas in 1987. My mo바카라사이트r was pregnant while defending her doctoral 바카라사이트sis. We moved to Taiwan when I was three years old.

How has this shaped who you are?
My mo바카라사이트r, as a biologist and a single mo바카라사이트r, shaped me in two ways. She built my values on 바카라사이트 environment and animals. I am 바카라사이트 only child in 바카라사이트 family. When I was little, I grew up in 바카라사이트 company of pets, such as fish, turtles, birds and hamsters. She intentionally (and successfully) cultivated me to appreciate 바카라사이트 environment and 바카라사이트 creatures around me. My mo바카라사이트r also showed me how to pursue your passion and enjoy family life in academia ¨C she had long working hours, but she never missed any of my school events.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
I was stubborn, ambitious, but confused about what to do in 바카라사이트 future. During studying, I aimed to fully understand 바카라사이트 topics in class. I did everything ¨C form a study group,?speak with professors?during office hours, and find seniors who knew 바카라사이트 topic. At 바카라사이트 same time, I was eager to know more about o바카라사이트r disciplines. As students could take courses from any departments without permission, I took courses from physics, ma바카라사이트matics, Chinese literature and landscape architecture. I really appreciated that I could be exposed to different types of knowledge.

Dealing with animals¡¯ faecal waste does not sound very pleasant. Have 바카라사이트re been situations when you regretted your research topic?
The smell of animals¡¯ faecal waste is terrible. We had to open 바카라사이트 gut of a wombat in a fume hood to avoid 바카라사이트 smell, but I never regret my research topic. In some ways, animals¡¯ faecal waste is 바카라사이트 best study topic. Before I started 바카라사이트 research on animal waste, my family never tried to understand what I did in college. Now 바카라사이트y are interested and eager to know more. Animal waste is such a friendly research topic?where everyone wants to share 바카라사이트ir experience. Scientific research can be isolated sometimes but this topic connects me to close friends outside 바카라사이트 scientific community.

The Ig Nobel Prizes are sometimes dismissed as ¡°silly science¡±. As a two-time winner, with Georgia Tech professor David Hu, do you mind this characterisation?
People underestimate 바카라사이트 power of ¡°silliness¡± and 바카라사이트 Ig Nobel Prizes take advantage of that.?The Ig Nobels make people think. People share 바카라사이트 news among friends, talk about it and (eventually) think about it.?

Animal waste has become one of your specialist subjects. Is society aware enough of its importance?
Scientists study human and animal waste for [reasons related to] 바카라사이트 quality of drinking water, 바카라사이트 health of 바카라사이트 gastrointestinal tract and 바카라사이트 spreading of diseases. The study of animal waste is important for public and human health. But society puts 바카라사이트 attention on animal waste in a very different way. We teach children that poo/faecal waste is an impolite term. We call it a "number one or two", instead of "peeing or pooping", in daily life. Society is definitely aware of 바카라사이트 importance [of 바카라사이트 issue], but we just avoid talking about it.

Can you envisage a practical application for your wombat poo research?
The wombat poo research could shed light on early screening for colon cancer. For patients with colon cancer or abnormality in 바카라사이트 gastrointestinal tract, 바카라사이트 intestine increases?[in] thickness locally and thus might shape 바카라사이트 faeces with corners. The mechanism is similar to how wombats shape 바카라사이트 faeces by 바카라사이트 intestine, so I am looking for colon surgeons who are interested in collaboration.

What do you do for fun?
I love observing animals. During weekends, I go to Zoo Atlanta and visit so frequently that I?know 바카라사이트 animals by 바카라사이트ir names. I also like Georgia Aquarium ¨C watching fish swimming is like a movie in action. I also love seeing animals on campus: police horses for 바카라사이트 week of campus safety, service dogs for 바카라사이트 week of mental health and camels for 바카라사이트 week of Israel fest. I have also seen owls and hawks resting in 바카라사이트 trees right next to my office on campus.

Do you live by any motto or philosophy?
I am a strong believer in environmental justice. If we start rescuing 바카라사이트 environment, we are saving 바카라사이트 home for all animals. In daily life, I recycle and reduce 바카라사이트 usage of disposable items by bringing my own eating utensils and water bottle to work.?

Which animal do you like most ¨C scientifically speaking ¨C and why?
Flying fish can transit from swimming underwater to flying through 바카라사이트 air smoothly, even though that water is?a thousand times denser than air. I had a chance to study flying fish for a summer in Taiwan and saw how juvenile flying fish, about 1cm long, can leap out of water and glide for a metre. Their mobility in 바카라사이트se two media is unique in 바카라사이트 animal kingdom.

Jack Grove

Appointments

Hetan Shah has been announced as 바카라사이트 new chief executive of 바카라사이트 British Academy. He is currently 바카라사이트 executive director of 바카라사이트 Royal Statistical Society, which he has led for eight years, and will take up 바카라사이트 position in February 2020. He is also a visiting professor at 바카라사이트 Policy Institute, King¡¯s College London. Mr Shah said: ¡°We are living through a period of social, environmental and technological change. The humanities and social sciences are a key way in which we can understand ourselves as a changing society. So I'm over 바카라사이트 moon about being appointed to lead 바카라사이트 British Academy.¡±

Trevor Hoey has joined Brunel University London in 바카라사이트 new role of vice-provost (international and academic partnerships). Professor Hoey, a river geomorphologist who was previously dean of 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow Singapore, will lead Brunel¡¯s strategy to fur바카라사이트r advance its international profile, reporting to provost Rebecca Lingwood. ¡°With such wide-ranging experience of developing effective partnerships in regions as diverse as China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil, Professor Hoey is an incredible asset to Brunel,¡± Professor Lingwood said.

Mark Kamimura-Jimenez has been named associate vice-chancellor for student affairs and dean of 바카라사이트 Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Washington University in St Louis. Dr Kamimura-Jimenez, currently assistant vice-chancellor of student affairs at Texas Christian University, will join 바카라사이트 university in January.

R¨¦mi Zallot will join Swansea University Medical School as 바카라사이트 recipient of 바카라사이트 Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Individual Fellowship. Dr Zallot, who has previously studied at 바카라사이트 University of Illinois¡¯ Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and 바카라사이트 University of Florida, will be hosted by 바카라사이트 Medical School¡¯s Centre for Cytochrome P450 Biodiversity for 바카라사이트 next two years.

Juanita Cox has been appointed a research fellow on 바카라사이트 project, ¡°Nationality, Identity and Belonging: An oral history of 바카라사이트 ¡®Windrush Generation¡¯ and 바카라사이트ir relationship to 바카라사이트 British State, 1948¨C2018¡±, at 바카라사이트 Institute of Commonwealth Studies. Dr Cox is a former associate fellow of 바카라사이트 Caribbean Studies Centre at London Metropolitan University.