What began as a graduate project has catapulted Kendra Schmid, Ph.D., assistant professor of biostatics in the College of Public Health, onto the international stage as an expert in facial attractiveness.
This weekend, she will be part of a two-hour documentary on the Discovery Channel titled, "The Science of Sex Appeal." It airs Sunday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. CST.
The show examines the research of top experts in an attempt to explain how various features (face, voice, etc.) predict attractiveness. Dr. Schmid’s research measures the geometry of the face and rates attractiveness on a scale of one to 10. Her research was published in Pattern Recognition magazine in August 2008.
But a video about the attractiveness of the candidates in last fall’s presidential campaign put her research software program in the spotlight.
A Discovery Channel producer heard about her research and decided to include it in the upcoming documentary.
"I was extremely impressed with the level of research the producers conducted on different aspects of beauty," Dr. Schmid said. "I am honored to have my work included among experts from around the world."
The North Platte native will travel to Australia next month to present a new attractiveness program designed for an international company.
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