Research

Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg, professor of anthropology, is co-author of a new dental study of fossilized remains found in South Africa in 2008 that provides support that this species is one of the closest relatives to early humans. The teeth of this species–an ancient offshoot of the human family tree called Australopithecus sediba indicate that it is also a close relative to the previously identified Australopithecus africanus.

Brad Bushman, professor of communication and psychology, has been invited by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council of the National Academies to participate in a workshop of the Committee on Priorities for a Public Health Research Agenda to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-related Violence, in response to President Obama’s recent executive orders addressing gun violence. The workshop is scheduled for April 23 in Washington, DC.

Rachel Dwyer, associate professor of sociology, is co-author of a new study revealing that student loans provide more help to women than they do for men in encouraging graduation from college. Dwyer conducted the study with Ohio State Professor of Sociology Randy Hodson and Laura McCloud, assistant professor of sociology at Pacific Lutheran University. Their results appear in the February 2013 issue of the journal Gender & Society.

Lucia Dunn, professor of economics, is co-author of new study finding that younger Americans not only take on relatively more credit card debt than their elders, but they are also paying it off at a slower rate. The findings suggest that younger generations may continue to add credit card debt into their 70s, and die still owing money on their cards.