UIndy Faculty, Staff Provide Expert Insight to Local & National Media in January

As part of their commitment to “education for service,” faculty and staff at the University of Indianapolis share their expertise with local and national news outlets in order to keep our community informed and to introduce new perspectives on current issues. 

UIndy faculty and staff were featured in the following news stories in January:

Dr. Sarah Reynolds, assistant professor of physics and Earth-space science, showcased UIndy’s Discover Together: Eclipses with live interviews encouraging people to sign up for the class with several appearances including FOX59 as well as WTHR.

Dr. Tanuja Singh was interviewed by the Washington Post in a story asking the question, ‘who wants to be a college president?’, after several high-profile resignations from college presidents at other institutions. She was also the featured guest for the ‘Business & Beyond with Gerry Dick’ podcast where talked about the diversity of the UIndy student body and the power of ‘just in time’ learning.

Dr. Elizabeth Ziff, assistant professor of sociology, and Dr. Lacey Davidson, assistant professor of philosophy, provided expertise as the Indiana Senate tax committee considered a bill considering fetuses as dependent children for tax deduction purposes in stories which appeared in both the Indiana Capital Chronicle and The Statehouse File. Ziff’s words were quoted by Indiana Public Broadcasting, which was also widely used by radio affiliates around the state.

Dr. Stephanie Rudd, assistant professor of social work, and her masters cohort’s efforts to bring five NaloxBoxes to campus as a safety initiative was highlighted on WRTV, WTHR and WXIN as well as the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments.

School of Business Dean Karl Knapp discussed his efforts to incorporate artificial intelligence into all business classes as the featured guest of Tech Talk, an article which appeared in the BizVoice Magazine, the signature publication of the Indiana Chamber.

Dr. Krista Latham, professor of biology and anthropology, as well as the director of the Human Identification Center, was thanked for her work to help identify the Fox Hollow Farm remains of Manuel Resendez, one of the victims of accused serial killer Herb Baumeister by WRTV, a story which was widely circulated nationwide, including People Magazine.

Dr. Gregory Shufeldt, associate professor of political science, explained why Indiana, which rarely has competitive primaries for the governor’s office, is different this year to the Associated Press in an article which was widely syndicated by outlets like Fox News and Yahoo. He co-authored an op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times entitled ‘Have New Hampshire and Iowa lost the power to pick presidents? It’s complicated.’ Shufeldt also provided expert analysis in the Indianapolis Star for why Lawrence Mayor Deb Whitfield was able to become the first Black woman mayor in Marion County’s history.

Dr. Leah Milne, associate professor of English, was highlighted by the Madison Courier for her upcoming talk connecting reading and empathy as part of Hanover College’s Black History Month celebration, an event sponsored by Indiana Humanities’ Advancing Racial Equity Speakers Bureau.

Greg Shaheen, vice president of intercollegiate athletics, was quoted by the NCAA after Sue Willey was named the recipient of the Division II Gold Award for her outstanding contributions to the division during her 45-year career at the Division II keynote session at the NCAA Convention. 

Paul Corsaro, men’s basketball head coach, shared about his experience of being a cancer survivor as part of WISH-TV’s coverage of Coaches vs. Cancer Suits And Sneakers Week, a nationwide event organized by the American Cancer Society. Corsaro. was quoted, and the team’s success was highlighted, in an article by the Indianapolis Star highlighting former standout Ron Rutland Jr. and his son Ron Rutland III, a senior at Crispus Attucks High School.

Dr. Paul Talaga, associate professor of engineering, and James Emery, manager of mechanical systems and laboratories, appeared in the Southside Times for their efforts leading the UIndy Racing RSO and competing in the Power Racing Series’ Maker Faire.

Dr. Matt Will, associate professor of finance, broke down the latest consumer prices report from the U.S. Labor Department in an extended live ‘UnPHILtered’ conversation with News 8 anchor Phil Sanchez on WISH-TV, in addition to numerous radio appearances on WIBC.

Dr. Laura Merrifield Wilson, associate professor of political science, analyzed 2023 election data from Marion County with WFYI to discover trends and make provide insight ahead of the 2024 election. Wilson provided expertise to FOX59 after U.S. Rep. Greg Pence announced he would not run for reelection this year. She also commented about Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen’s unique approach to the office to the Indianapolis Business Journal.

Dr. Nathan Johnson, assistant professor of religion, appeared in the Southside Times after winning the Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise.

Cynthia Carrasco, vice president and general counsel, was featured in the Indianapolis Star for her elected role as a newly elected state senator representing District 36 which includes portions of Marion and Johnson counties. Her work to simplify the formula for individual assistance after a natural disaster was the focus of a WIBC article.

Courtney Johnston, graduate writing instructor in the Writing Lab, wrote several freelance articles for CNET including the 2024 tax brackets and the possibility of increased paychecks, how the 1099-K delays could affect users of PayPal and other payment apps, and provided expert tips to anyone in Gen Z who might be overwhelmed with tax season.

Are you a UIndy faculty or staff member who was recently featured in the media? Let the Office of Communications and Marketing know at newsdesk@uindy.edu to be included in the next monthly update.