WVXU: UC finds pollution in ancient Maya reservoirs
August 6, 2020
A study by experts across disciplines at UC found that ancient Maya reservoirs in Tikal were polluted with toxic cyanobacteria and mercury, which likely hastened the demise of the ancient city during droughts. UC biology professor David Lentz tells Cincinnati Edition the findings could help explain the mystery of why people abandoned the city.
NPR: Excavations reveal sophisticated Mayan water filtration
November 9, 2020
Weekend Edition's Scott Simon interviews UC researchers who discovered that the ancient Maya used sophisticated water filtration system at Tikal.
Ancient Origins: Maya cities had unique neotropical forest parks
June 25, 2021
Ancient Origins highlights UC research at the ancient Maya city of Tikal that found evidence of trees and wild vegetation growing along two reservoirs.
Did the ancient Maya have parks?
June 22, 2021
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati say Tikal’s reservoirs — critical sources of city drinking water — were lined with trees and wild vegetation that would have provided scenic natural beauty in the heart of the ancient Maya city. UC developed a novel system to analyze ancient plant DNA in the sediment of Tikal’s temple and palace reservoirs to identify more than 30 species of trees, grasses, vines and flowering plants that lived along its banks more than 1,000 years ago. Their findings painted a picture of a lush, wild oasis.
UC faculty recognized for innovative instruction
February 16, 2022
Three faculty members in UC’s College of Arts and Sciences have received awards for bringing new thinking to classroom learning by the college’s Instructional Innovation Advisory Committee (iiAC). The Dean’s Award for Innovative Instruction is conferred on faculty who break new ground in teaching approaches, and the A&S Course Release Award grants the recipient a break from the usual teaching schedule to fully develop new or enhance existing courses. Both are awarded annually, and come with financial stipends.
Feather chemistry helps track origin of birds
October 11, 2021
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are using geology and rainfall patterns to track migratory birds of prey across North America. Using an innovative combination of isotopes from the feathers of kestrels, goshawks and other predatory birds called raptors, researchers can narrow down where the young birds likely hatched and learned to fly. This method offers a useful tool to help scientists track elusive, wide-ranging animals, identify critical habitats and observe any changes in migration patterns.
WVXU: UC experts discuss P&G's new green policies
September 23, 2021
UC environmental studies professors Amy Townsend-Small and Robert Hyland talk to WVXU about Procter & Gamble Co.'s new policies designed to reduce the company's carbon footprint.
What is Neuroscience?
November 5, 2021
Have you ever thought about thinking? Or have you been interested in how the brain works and makes us function? What about how the brain makes us behave? If you have, the neuroscience program at UC’s College of Arts & Sciences may be the right major for you. Neuroscience, by definition, is the study of the nervous system. While it is based on the nervous system, neuroscience includes many disciplines like physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, computer science and mathematical modeling. UC is one of the few schools in Ohio that offers a comprehensive major in neuroscience, and many students go on to careers in medicine, pharmaceutical or biotech research, or clinical psychology, to name a few. The neuroscience program in A&S has three focus areas: Brain, Mind & Behavior (thinking about thinking); Neurobiology (how the brain works); and Neuropsychology (how the brain makes us behave). Each focus area is a four-year program that confers a bachelor’s of science degree.