You might have seen headlines sounding the alarm about the safety of an emerging technology called agentic AI. That’s where Sarra Alqahtani comes in. An associate professor of computer science at Wake Forest University, she studies the safety of AI agents through the new field of multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL). Alqahtani received a National Science…Categories: Experts, Research & Discovery
For many, making New Year’s resolutions is a way to chart a path toward new behaviors or away from old ones. Jan. 1 offers the promise of making changes to improve health and happiness. But setting goals and achieving them is hard. “Making a specific plan can actually free up mental energy to accomplish goals,”…Categories: Experts, Research & Discovery
Jason Fanning has spent a lot of time talking to older adults about leading healthy, active lifestyles. And he knows that the minute he utters the word “exercise,” he loses many of them. Instead, he talks to them about movement across the day, a key component of his current research study, A Mobile Health Intervention…Categories: Experts, Research & Discovery
According to the International Rhino Foundation, on average, one rhino is killed by poachers every 15 hours. Despite aggressive anti-poaching measures, the global rhino population has continued to decline. Wake Forest economist Fred Chen’s decades-long research on rhino horn poaching examines the outcomes of defensive anti-trafficking efforts (such as rhino relocation, anti-poaching patrols, GPS trackers,…Categories: Experts, Research & Discovery
Wake Forest professor, economics expert and baseball enthusiast Todd McFall has been studying sports for two decades. He has been widely quoted in national, regional and local news on topics ranging from golf’s economic rebound to NASCAR rebranding to the lopsidedness of baseball’s World Series. In this Q&A, McFall looks at the options for Major…Categories: Experts
Nearly a decade ago, Kristen Beavers, who studies safe ways for older adults to lose weight, began asking whether weighted vests could help this population drop pounds without sacrificing vital bone mass and lean muscle. Now, in 2025, she routinely gets requests from national media, community groups and individuals interested in better ways to work…Categories: Experts, Research & Discovery
The Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the NYSE, recently announced a strategic investment of up to $2 billion in Polymarket. This massive institutional buy-in is a watershed moment for the prediction market industry, moving it from the crypto-adjacent fringe directly into the financial mainstream. Wake Forest University economics professor Koleman Strumpf, a leading political…Categories: Experts
While nothing says “summer” quite like the taste of a perfectly ripe tomato, excessive heat during the growing season can prevent tomato plants from bearing fruit. Gloria Muday, the Charles M. Allen Professor of Biology at Wake Forest University, studies tomatoes and how to make them more heat-resistant. Her research laboratory focuses on understanding the…Categories: Environment & Sustainability, Experts, Research & Discovery
The mental work of managing a family is hard, but research shows some upsides. Parents often feel overwhelmed by the mental and emotional work involved in running a household. This includes tasks like remembering appointments, meal-planning and worrying about their kids' well-being. Wake Forest University Professor of Management Julie Holliday Wayne studies the “invisible family load” and who carries it. Categories: Experts
In “Sunset Boulevard” (1950), Gloria Swanson plays a faded star of the silent screen, Norma Desmond, who lives in her decaying mansion in Los Angeles. Norma sees an opportunity to make her return to the big screen, with tragedy to follow. Professor Emeritus of Art History David M. Lubin is drawing national attention with his…Categories: Arts & Culture, Experts