Our interview with Yanling Liu

This month, we talk to Yanling Liu, Coordinator of Information Literacy
and Research Services at IU Kokomo's library. 

We discuss IU Kokomo’s new Research Spotlight program, which will include podcasts, a speaker series, and an event to celebrate the research being conducted at IU Kokomo.

We also hear how students can get involved in the project. Through the
Research Spotlight, they can gain important communication and broadcasting skills while promoting innovative research efforts on campus.

This has been a production of the IU Kokomo Library, supported by a generous grant from the Women of the Well House Fund. To learn more about the Research Spotlight, you can visit our website at IUK.Libguides.com/ResearchSpotlight or send us an email at IUKRS@IU.edu.

Transcript

IU KOKOMO RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: AUGUST 2026 PODCAST 

Chris McGovern: Thanks for listening to this first episode of IU Kokomo’s Research Spotlight. Each episode, we’ll be meeting with a different faculty member or student to discuss their current research and the impact it can have on campus as well as our world. I’m your host, Chris McGovern. 

Today I'm talking to Yanling Liu, Assistant Librarian and Coordinator of Information Literacy and Research Services at IU Kokomo’s Library. She's here to explain what we can expect from the Research Spotlight, and why it promises to be an important resource for students, faculty, and, really, everyone in the community. 

So, this year you've started the Research Spotlight project here at IU Kokomo. Tell me a little bit about that. Where did the idea come from?

Yanling Liu: The idea came from conversations with our own faculty. I realized that they are really doing remarkable work, which has a real-world impact. But the students and the community members, the staff, some of them never have a chance to learn these stories, and they're not widely known outside their own disciplines. We wanted to create this project to bridge the gap. We want to make the research more visible, accessible, and more engaging, while celebrating the outstanding scholarship here at IU Kokomo.

McGovern: Why do you think it's important to get the word out about these types of research projects?

Liu: Students, faculty, and staff, they are our primary audience for the Research Spotlight project, although we also welcome alumni and community members. So, for students, I hope that they can discover that exciting research is happening right here on campus and also realize that they can be part of it. And for faculty, I hope the program can provide another opportunity to share their scholarship with a broader audience and connect with colleagues with similar minds and do projects together. And for staff and maybe community members, I hope that the presentations can demonstrate how the university research addresses real world challenges, and just see what amazing research we are doing in IU Kokomo.

McGovern: Can you tell me what the audience can expect to see from the Research Spotlight?

Liu: The spotlight brings together several pieces into one program. Throughout the year, each featured faculty member will participate in a student-produced podcast interview. The podcast will be released before the presentation, which will give listeners a chance to get to know the researcher and about their work and hear the story behind the research before attending the presentation. And then we have the live presentations when researchers have a chance to answer questions and engage with the audience in real time. And then after each event, the podcast, the presentation recording, and all the related resources will also be archived in our Research Spotlight LibGuide and also our institutional repository, IU Scholar Works. We hope people can visit the research long after the event has ended.

McGovern: It sounds like there should be something, a little bit, for everyone. There will be monthly podcasts, there will be the live presentations that you mentioned, and then there's going to be a celebration event at the end of the year, celebrating some of the work that faculty and students have been doing here. 

Can you tell me a little bit about the speakers or some of the topics that you have lined up?

Liu: Yes. We are launching this pilot with faculty from the School of Sciences, so visitors can expect to hear about research exploring new molecules that, one day, might help fight cancer, and also innovative approaches to recycle nylon into useful products which might help sustain our environment. And many other related scientific questions that have real world applications.

Although these topics are kind of different, they kind of all share common purpose which is to use research to improve our health and our environment and our future in general. 

So honestly, I'm looking forward to every conversation because they all have a unique story. But what excites me most is not just the research itself; it’s also about hearing the journey behind that. So, what challenges the researcher and also their students have encountered, and what unexpected discoveries they have, and the moments that have maybe changed the direction of their work. 

And yes, I’m also especially excited to hear about how undergraduates are being involved in the process, because I have already heard that students make meaningful contributions and those stories of mentorship and scientific discovery is just as inspiring as the research itself, I think.

McGovern: When we come back, we'll be talking about why it was important to involve students in the production of this series. We'll also discuss how you can listen to the upcoming interviews, and how you can get involved in the Research Spotlight. You can start by visiting our website at IUK.Libguides.com/ResearchSpotlight. There you can learn more about upcoming episodes, read transcripts from the podcasts, see a schedule of speakers, and learn more about the Research Spotlight. You can also send us an email at IUKRS@IU.edu. 

Now. Let's get back to our interview with Yanling Liu. 

 Why was it important to involve students in telling these research stories?

Liu: For the Research Spotlight project, I really hope that we can give students hands-on experience in interviewing, storytelling, digital media production, and for the future, maybe graphic design and marketing. I do not want students to only be the audience. I want them to be involved in the research process and helping the research product to be accessible to all people and just make the faculty research more accessible, I think, and reach out to a broader audience. So they are not just assume a passive role, but actively engaging in this process.

McGovern: So when can we expect the first interview to drop?

Liu: You're listening to our kickoff episode right now, and beginning in September, we will feature three faculty researchers from the School of Sciences. The podcast interviews will be released on the first Monday of each month, followed by the live presentation on the third Monday from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Gathering Place at the IU Kokomo Library. 

The best place to stay up to date on this spotlight event is our Research Spotlight Libguide, where you can find interviews, event schedule, podcast episodes, and all the presentation materials. We will also be sharing our updates through campus and library social media channels and emails.

McGovern: And the list of speakers, that is on the library's calendar now, isn't it?

Liu: Yes. We also mark it on our library calendar, too. So, 1 to 2 p.m. Gathering Place.

McGovern: So, if students want to take it a step further and they want to get involved in the production of this series or, you know, they're interested in podcasting, what would you recommend they do?

Liu: We would love to have more students involved in the project. I would recommend students watch for announcements through our Handshake, the library, and also the campus communications.

I want to stress that you don't need to be an expert in podcast production or storytelling or digital marketing. We are just looking for students who are curious, creative, and eager to learn about the research that are happening. And I think just as our faculty mentor students in their research labs, the research projects also give students opportunities to develop professional skills while also helping tell the stories that are happening.

McGovern: And there are a lot of really interesting ones to be told.

Liu: Yeah, if we are doing good, we will be planning to expand the project into other schools and also maybe the regional campuses. We hope it to be a collective celebration of the research at IU, which is perfectly aligned with our 2030 strategic plan.

McGovern: Good deal! 

 I want to thank Yanling Liu for letting us know a little bit about what we can expect from the IU Kokomo Research Spotlight in the upcoming year. 

You've been listening to the IU Kokomo Research Spotlight, promoting faculty and student research through talks, podcasts, and a celebration event coming up in the spring semester. 

This production is made possible by a grant from the Women of the Well House Fund, committed to supporting the philanthropic goals of Indiana University Kokomo students, staff, and faculty. 

Learn more about this podcast by visiting our website at IUK.Libguides.com/ResearchSpotlight or send us an email at IUKRS@IU.edu. 

For IU Kokomo’s Research Spotlight, I'm Chris McGovern.