UND faculty pass 1 million reads in ‘The Conversation’

Readers around the world see articles by UND scholars, learn more about University and its research

UND academics have set a new milestone in informing the public by passing 1 million reads with the nonprofit media outlet, The Conversation.

That feat was accomplished in 44 articles written by 30 UND scholar-authors. As of Thursday, Nov. 7, more than 1.29 million readers from dozens of countries across the globe have read articles by UND academics, on topics ranging from crisis fatigue to teacher well-being to sci-fi books for young readers to, most recently, the influence of the Confederacy on Montana’s history, as reflected in the hit TV series, “Yellowstone.”

Meloney Linder, vice president of Marketing & Communications, said that when it comes to publishing in The Conversation, momentum certainly is growing. Publishing with the outlet creates a situation that benefits the author, the University and the public, she said.

“Over the past two years, we’ve seen the reach of our faculty members grow and grow, as their research and ideas find new audiences all over the world,” Linder said. “This is a win-win-win for everyone involved. The scholars cement their reputations as a public experts in their field, the University’s national media exposure continues to grow, and the public gains a new understanding of the academic work we are doing here.”

Randi Tanglen, vice provost for Faculty Affairs, agreed. Tanglen is UND’s most recent faculty author, with the above-mentioned article about Montana’s little-known connection to the Confederacy, and how that connection shows up on TV in “Yellowstone” and “1883.” (Next week, the article will be republished in UND Today).

Publishing in The Conversation creates opportunities for faculty members, including being invited to conferences and being asked to do research with scholars from other universities, Tanglen said. Other opportunities include being invited to appear on news programs or national podcasts.

Besides that, she said, it’s a rewarding experience.

“I appreciate the opportunity to share my scholarly research with a wide public audience,” said Tanglen, of her “Yellowstone” article. “Within a few minutes of publication, my article had been read by people in Japan, Germany and France.

Moreover, “my editor at ‘The Conversation’ was supportive, collaborative and responsive,” she said. “I had full control over the content of the article, and the editor’s comments and feedback helped sharpen my ideas and writing.”

Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, clinical assistant professor of Education, Health & Behavior, is no stranger to the benefits of publishing with The Conversation. She’s written twice for the outlet: first, about young professionals struggling to adapt in the workplace, and second, about mental health support for teachers being a benefit to students.

As a result of those articles, Rawlins Williams appeared on a radio program in California and was invited to the East Coast to speak. In fact, she’s soon set to head to Spain to present at the 17th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI), in Seville, Spain, as a result of her “Conversation stuff,” she said.

Oh, and another result of that “stuff?” She co-created a stress-management course for graduate students for the International Black Sea University in Tbilisi, Georgia, with Ekaterine Pipia, a faulty member there.

“The platform provided by ‘The Conversation’ has been transformative, both personally and professionally for me,” she said. “It has played a key role in launching my research on disability, and enabled the creation of invaluable international connections. This exposure has opened doors to speaking engagements, training sessions and collaborative opportunities across the world. It has really helped me engage with a diverse audience.”

Same goes for Laura Link, associate professor of Teaching & Leadership, who is also a multi-article author with the outlet. Link has written about teachers grading students differently, lawsuits over grade inflation and why holding children back in schools doesn’t work.

Because of those articles, she’s been interviewed twice by KCBS Radio in San Francisco, appeared in “The 74 Million,” an academic news website, and has engaged with “The Academic Minute.”

“Overall, publishing with ‘The Conversation’ has been a tremendously beneficial experience that has amplified the real-world impact of my research,” Link said. “The writing process was collaborative and insightful, as the editors worked closely with me to refine the pieces and ensure the research was presented in an engaging, accessible way for a broad audience.”

Like Link, Nathaniel Johnson, assistant professor of Nutrition & Dietetics, is a three-time author for The Conversation, having written about how the food a pregnant woman eats can change the baby’s health outcomes, sugary cereals, and diet-related diseases. Publishing those articles led to him appearing on three different radio shows and podcasts.

He’s also, apparently, no stranger to puns, which UND Today found out when asking him to contribute to this article.

“Publishing in ‘The Conversation’ is an excellent way for the public to really sink their teeth in and digest some difficult scientific information about food,” he said.

And as for Kumi Nagamoto-Combs, assistant professor of biomedical sciences, she said writing for The Conversation led her to experience something that usually doesn’t happen for researchers in her field: exposure to patient feedback. Nagomoto-Combs wrote about how food allergies can lead to mood and behaviors changes (this article, by the way, accounts for nearly a tenth of all reads of UND stories).

“I received many encouraging comments from the readers who were experiencing this condition,” she said. “Since we do not typically interact with patients, hearing their supportive feedback was reassuring, and made my team and me feel confident that our research was contributing to an important health issue.”

UND scholars and graduate students who are interested in writing for The Conversation can find a guide for doing so on the UND Today website. Scholars wanting help in pitching their ideas can reach out to Tom Dennis, editor of UND Today, or Adam Kurtz, strategic communication editor, for support or assistance.

See you again at 5 million reads!