UIndy Faculty, Staff Provide Expert Insight to Local & National Media in February
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 February:
Emily Hancock, director of admissions, wrote an op-ed in the Indianapolis Star explaining while Indiana’s diplomas are changing, the admission standards for college have not. The content prompted a story with WRTV and interviews with WXIN as well as WISH-TV, in a story that also appeared in the Hamilton County Reporter.
Dr. Lawrence Sondhaus, professor of history and the director of the graduate program, shared his expertise with Smithsonian Magazine on how Britain’s secret decoy ships outfoxed German U-Boats during World War I as a long-lost submarine was discovered on the ocean floor.
Dr. Larry Belcher, professor of finance, was interviewed about the idea of whether tariffs will work for a ‘What’s the Deal?’ segment on WTHR.
Dr. Tanuja Singh penned an op-ed in the Indianapolis Star advocating that private colleges receive more financial support from state government because they are a net importer of students to Indiana and could help the state’s longtime fight of brain drain. She was announced as one of the speakers for the 2025 Women in Business Retreat, organized by the Central Indiana Women’s Business Center, a program of the Indy Chamber, appearing in both the Indianapolis Recorder as well as Indiana Minority Business Magazine. She was interviewed by The Statehouse File about how DEI directives might affect private colleges and universities for a story which was also published in the Daily Journal and the Indiana Citizen.
Carissa Newton, assistant professor of marketing and director of the Stephen F. Fry Business Scholars Program, was quoted in the Daily Journal because both Greenwood and Center Grove students were selected as part of the inaugural class of scholars.
Dr. Christopher Schmidt, chair of anthropology and director of the Bioarchaeology Laboratory was published in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology for his analysis of the dietary variation among Hurculaneum’s victims after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. He was also interviewed for the ABC/Hulu docuseries The Fox Hollow Murders because of his role in helping excavate the bones as a graduate student when they were discovered by investigators.
Dr. Krista Latham, professor of biology and anthropology, as well as the director of the Human Identification Center, was also interviewed in the ABC/Hulu docuseries. She was mentioned in the Rensselaer Republican for her role in analyzing the bones discovered by investigators in an ongoing murder case in Jasper County.
Ben Houston, the associate director for transfer admissions, was the featured guest for the Mission Admissions podcast with Jeremy Tiers, and explained the challenges and opportunities presented by the increasing trend of transfer enrollment.
Chris Keevers, head football coach, was interviewed in the Indianapolis Star as it was announced that UIndy an Marian University are reviving their Monumental Matchup on the gridiron, beginning this fall.
Dr. Milind Thakar, professor of international relations, wrote an op-ed which appeared in American Kahani analyzing the meeting between President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dr. Kara Cecil, associate professor and director of undergraduate and graduate public health programs, was mentioned by WBIW for her role in co-teaching an upcoming virtual course for skilled nursing facility personnel on the topic of Emergency and Disaster Management in Long-Term Care.
Dr. Laura Merrifield Wilson, associate professor of political science, was one of the featured guests for several episodes for the politically-minded IN Focus show airing on WXIN as well as on other stations around the state. She was a featured expert for the Indiana Lawmakers show on WFYI for their 2025 Halftime Report, analyzing the halfway point of Indiana’s legislative session. She penned an op-ed for the Indiana Capital Chronicle asking where are all the female elected officials in Indiana, both at the statewide and national levels—which was also the subject of a live interview with WPTA. She discussed the meaning and significance of crossover week for The Statehouse File as well as the illegal immigration bills which had been filed by state lawmakers for a story which was syndicated in the Logansport Pharos-Tribune. She provided her expertise to Mirror Indy about Mayor Joe Hogsett’s plans for the future after a fundraising event to Mirror Indy.
Dr. Matt Will, associate professor of finance, discussed financial topics for a segment on WTHR. He was interviewed live multiple times with Tony Katz on WIBC.
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.