{"681174":{"#nid":"681174","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Research from Around the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch from Around the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom highlighting science fiction\u2019s role in innovation to examining the emotional toll that Covid-19 took on assisted living center employees, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts experts have been hard at work expanding our knowledge of the world and the impact of technology on people and society. Here are a few of their recent contributions:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia and Communication: Science Fiction\u2019s Innovation Role\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScience fiction fans have long known that the genre\u2019s best artists imagine a range of possible futures by carefully studying and logically extrapolating from the scientific and social trends of their own historic moment. A special \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/special-issue\/100ZWTMG8DH\u0022\u003Eedition\u003C\/a\u003E of the journal \u003Cem\u003ETechnovation,\u003C\/em\u003E co-edited by Regents\u2019 Professor \u003Cstrong\u003ELisa Yaszek\u003C\/strong\u003E (Literature, Media, and Communication), examines how the genre, sometimes known as \u201cSF,\u201d now \u201chas transcended its traditional entertainment function to become a significant resource for strategic foresight, ethical deliberation, and organizational creativity.\u201d The research pieces included in the journal \u201cargue for the incorporation of SF into interdisciplinary research agendas and organizational practices, stressing that its transformative potential hinges on addressing the ethical, cultural, and power dynamics that shape real-world outcomes.\u201d Yaszek\u2019s co-authored introduction is available at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.technovation.2025.103172\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.technovation.2025.103172\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHealthcare Policy: Medication Upkeep Among Released Inmates\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany former prison inmates face difficulties staying on medications for chronic conditions after they return to the community, according to a new\u003Cem\u003E JAMA Network Open\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Estudy co-authored by \u003Cstrong\u003ECici McNamara\u003C\/strong\u003E (Economics). In the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2830785.\u0022\u003Epaper\u003C\/a\u003E, \u201cContinuity of Prescription Medication Use Among Adults Leaving State Prison,\u201d the researchers found that only\u0026nbsp;51.7% of those receiving medications for chronic conditions in prison continued their prescriptions within six months after release, despite being enrolled in Medicaid. The researchers found that one thing mattered more than anything else when it came to how well former inmates stuck with their prescriptions: an outpatient visit within 60 days. These findings suggest that effective transitional care should emphasize connecting former inmates with outpatient clinicians. Providing insurance and initial medication supplies are also crucial, they say. The paper is available at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2024.61982\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2024.61982\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHealthcare Policy: Covid-19\u2019s Emotional Toll on Assisted Living Center Employees\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Covid-19 pandemic took an emotional toll on many people, but it especially may have affected assisted living center employees, according to a new study authored by \u003Cstrong\u003EYaqi \u0022Sam\u0022 Yuan\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(History and Sociology). For the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.socscimed.2025.117803\u0022\u003Epaper\u003C\/a\u003E, published in \u003Cem\u003ESocial Science \u0026amp; Medicine\u003C\/em\u003E, the research team interviewed employees at a private assisted living facility in Oregon. The study found that employees emotionally struggled as they worked to enforce pandemic safety measures while simultaneously providing compassionate care to residents. The study calls for new strategies to better support both staff and residents in long-term care settings. The paper is available at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.socscimed.2025.117803\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.socscimed.2025.117803\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Policy: Location Matters When It Comes to Energy Assistance, Study Shows\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new study in \u003Cem\u003ELocal Environment\u003C\/em\u003E, co-authored by \u003Cstrong\u003EMichelle Graff\u003C\/strong\u003E (Public Policy), finds that millions of low-income U.S. households live too far from energy assistance offices to easily apply in person. In fact, only 6% live within close walking distance to such an office, where staff help households enroll in programs that offset heating and electricity costs. The study finds these gaps in access create significant barriers for vulnerable populations, particularly those with limited transportation options. The authors urge policymakers to expand service coverage and improve outreach, ensuring that assistance reaches those who need it most. The paper, \u201cThe Local Context of Energy Assistance: Exploring Spatial Associations Between Community Characteristics and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Facilities,\u201d is available at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/13549839.2025.2467389\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/13549839.2025.2467389\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Policy: Solar, Battery Storage, Require Significant Adaptation from Electrical System\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs rooftop solar panels and home battery storage become more common, they are reshaping the way electricity is generated, stored, and used. A new book chapter by \u003Cstrong\u003EMatthew E. Oliver\u003C\/strong\u003E (Economics) explores the economic challenges of integrating these distributed energy resources into the power grid. While such sources offer clean, low-cost electricity, they also create complications. Solar panels generate power only when the sun is shining, disrupting supply-demand balance and traditional utility business models. Home batteries help manage these fluctuations, but costs and market rules affect how widely they are adopted. Oliver emphasizes that to integrate distributed energy sources effectively, the entire electricity system must adapt, including generation, transmission, and distribution systems. Oliver\u2019s study recommends updating market structures, rethinking regulations, and developing financial incentives that encourage both grid stability and widespread distributed energy adoption. Oliver\u2019s chapter, \u201cThe Economics of Integrating Distributed Energy Resources Into the Electricity System,\u201d was published in \u003Cem\u003EDistributed Generation \u2014 Pioneering the Future of Decentralized Energy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003EIt is available at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5772\/intechopen.1009105\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.5772\/intechopen.1009105\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIAC Communications used AI tools to collect, analyze, or generate information contained in this article.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA roundup of recent research published by Ivan Allen College faculty.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A roundup of recent research published by Ivan Allen College faculty."}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2025-03-17 14:01:35","changed_gmt":"2025-03-17 14:04:00","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676564":{"id":"676564","type":"image","title":"IAC Research Roundup","body":null,"created":"1742220205","gmt_created":"2025-03-17 14:03:25","changed":"1742220205","gmt_changed":"2025-03-17 14:03:25","alt":"\u0022\u0022","file":{"fid":"260369","name":"research-rdp-image.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/17\/research-rdp-image.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/17\/research-rdp-image.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1057706,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/03\/17\/research-rdp-image.jpg?itok=p5INE7T6"}}},"media_ids":["676564"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMichael Pearson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}