Dan Parker, associate professor of linguistics, researches psycholinguistics, the scientific study of how people understand, produce, and learn language. He explains that while language feels effortless, it relies on complex cognitive processes that allow humans to rapidly interpret words, sentences, and meaning.
A major focus of Parker’s research is understanding how people process language in real time. Using experimental methods such as eye-tracking, he examines how readers move through text, revisit information, and resolve ambiguities while constructing meaning. These methods provide insights into the hidden mental processes that support communication.
Professors Parker and host David Staley also discuss the growing role of large language models such as ChatGPT in linguistic research. Parker views these systems as useful tools for studying cognition because they share certain behaviors with humans, including using context, memory, and prediction to process language.
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24 Sept 2026
Guramrit Singh: Deciphering the messages of mRNA
Associate professor of molecular genetics (https://molgen.osu.edu/) and 2026 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching recipient Guramrit Singh researches RNA, temporary copies of DNA used to make proteins. His lab studies mRNA quality control/surveillance that destroys faulty messages, noting links to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and to cancer strategies.
He also describes how he got into the field and what is next for his research, including differentiating stem cells into different lineages to measure the presence and impact of specific proteins in surveillance pathways.
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6 Aug 2026
Jeanne Serb: The Eyes Have It
Jeanne Serb, professor and chair of the Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, grew up fascinated by animals. She turned that interest into a successful career researching how organisms sense environmental cues and how sensory systems evolve.
She describes to host David Staley how eyes evolved independently across animals, and outlines her research on marine bivalves (scallops, oysters, mussels), showing five independent origins of eyes. If you didn’t know that scallops and jellyfish have eyes, this is the podcast for you!
Who has been a guest on Voices of Excellence
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Kentaro Fujita
Christa Teston
Jason Rawls
Björn Köhnlein
Roger Beebe
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
276,500
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.7 / 5
15 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 77 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
99
Social presence
0
YouTube
86
Engagement
51
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Guest appearances
Books guests
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