Faculty Experts Roundup

Kathleen Sullivan professor of professor of political science, and co-author Patricia Strach, won the Dennis Judd Best Book Award given by the Section on Urban and Local Politics of the American Political Science Association (APSA) for The Politics of Trash: How Governments Used Corruption to Clean Cities, 1890-1929, published in 2023. Read more about the book’s findings and insight.

Two College of Business professors have been designated Highly Ranked in the Sales Discipline by the international academic ranking website ScholarGPS. Sales is a specialty discipline within Marketing.

Ralph & Luci Schey Professor of Sales Adam Rapp is ranked #9 (lifetime) and #3 (last five years). O'Bleness Professor Marketing Nick Panagopoulus is ranked #12 (lifetime). This puts both Rapp and Panagopoulus among the top .05% of all scholars in the field.

Ohio University’s 2024 Alumnus of the Year Dell Robinson, BSED '88 and executive director of the AECOM Center for Sports Administration in the College of Business, was the selected speaker for the Patton College of Education’s Violet Patton Lecture Series on Sept. 26.
As he reflected on the topic "Coming Back hOUme," Robinson reminded a roomful of educators from across Ohio University that we are "building a foundational space for our students" that they will always return to.

Andrea Bender, assistant clinical professor and director of clinical education in the Department of Athletic Training, was selected to present at the fall Nexus Summit 2024: Navigating Complexity to Advance Outcomes. Bender’s presentation was about the CHSP IPE Spring 2024 event and was titled, "Exploring Interprofessional Collaboration and Rural Health Care Through the Lens of a Traumatic Brain Injury Case Study."

Dr. Dustin Grooms, associate professor of clinical neuroscience and associate director of the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI), received a Department of Defense grant for the project "Bayesian inference as a way of understanding sensorimotor deficits resulting from ACL Injury," in collaboration with Dr. Tyler Whittier of the Navy Health Research Center. This research will use Bayesian inference methods to develop battlefield-feasible rehabilitation strategies to address sensorimotor deficits from ACL injuries, improving recovery and reducing reinjury risk for military personnel and physically active individuals. Grooms was specifically sought for his expertise in neuromechanics.

Grooms also co-authored several significant publications over the summer 2024. These include a Neuroscience study on neural mechanisms in young female athletes post-concussion, and a Journal of Athletic Training paper on the combined effects of ACL injury and concussion on reaction times. He also contributed to research led by OHIO alumna Dr. Meredith Chaput on visual-cognitive rehabilitation post-ACL reconstruction in JOSPT and co-authored a clinical commentary on alpine skiing return protocols in International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, integrating perceptual, motor, and cognitive considerations into rehabilitation strategies.

Finally, Grooms delivered several prestigious international presentations in 2024, including a keynote on neuroplasticity associated with ACL injury at Université Savoie Mont Blanc in France, and talks on optimizing therapy and return to sport through neuroplasticity at the University of Florence, Italy. He also participated in the Isokinetic Medical Group’s 31st Conference in Madrid, where his keynote address focused on neuroscience-based ACL injury prevention and rehabilitation, with additional talks on topics related to neurocognitive-enriched rehabilitation and return-to-play strategies.

Associate Professor Kevin Cordi presented an online workshop titled "Discover your Next Story: Creative Storytelling and Collaboration" for the international educational organization Narrative 4 on September 26. Cordi was also awarded Ohio’s Innovative Teacher Award for 2024 by the Ohio Communication Association. Recognizing faculty who have demonstrated notable innovations in teaching in their field of study, the award was conferred at a ceremony in Cleveland on October 4. 

Medea Loibl, director of OHIO Career Ready Campus, was named a special interest director to the Ohio Association for Adult and Continuing Education (OAACE). OAACE is dedicated to advancing adult education, and their board members play a vital role in driving this mission forward. Board members are selected for their expertise and passion, and their mission is to implement strategies that bring OAACE’s goals to life and make a lasting impact on the community.

Loibl also presented a session titled "What is Life Design?" at the OAACE Fall Conference October 24-25 in Columbus. Life Design Studio for University Educators, part of the Stanford Life Design Lab, is an immersive educational experience for educators in institutions of higher learning looking to be intentional about how students reflect on their experiences and build their future.

Dr. Krisanna Machtmes and Dr. Alan Wu were selected as section editors of "Educational Use and Online Learning" in the Oxford University Press Intersection of Social Media.

Marcquis Parham, Ph.D. student in higher education, adjunct Instructor, assistant director of career and employer engagement, and director of Brothers RISE, recently published “Diversifying the educator workforce: promising aspects of teacher preparation programs."

Jay Wilhelm, director of the Avionics Engineering Center and associate professor in Mechanical Engineering in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, has been named an associate fellow of the aerospace engineering professional society (AIAA).

School of Media Arts and Studies Director Josh Antonuccio served as a Music Careers Mentor at the Digilogue Days, a global music and tech community that programs career resources, artist discovery content, & educational conversations, in Brooklyn October 18-19. Music Careers Mentors help answer questions event attendees have about the industry and offer personalized career guidance.

Dr. Christina S. Beck, professor in the School of Communication Studies, has been selected to receive the Samuel L. Becker Distinguished Service Award from the National Communication Association (NCA). NCA award recipients are honored for achieving excellence in research, teaching, and service. Beck will be formally recognized at NCA’s award ceremony during the NCA 110th Annual Convention on Saturday, November 23, in New Orleans.

Dr. Laeeq Khan, associate professor in the School of Media Arts and Studies and director of the Social Media Analytics Research Team (SMART) Lab, presented at the fourth annual research symposium organized by the Department of Marketing at the College of Business Administration at Prince Sultan University on Oct. 6.

Dr. Khan's presentation, "Leveraging analytics and AI in social media marketing: from content creation to storytelling," highlighted the transformative role of AI and analytics in enhancing social media marketing strategies and how AI can be used to collect and analyze vast amounts of data to personalize content, predict audience behavior, and drive business growth.

Dean Scott Titsworth presented a general session, "Virtual Reality Professional Development," at the National Speakers Association (NSA) Ohio's Communication Mastery Conference sponsored by the Scripps College, on October 18, at the Ohio University Dublin Integrated Education Center in Dublin.

Eric Williams, professor in the J. Warren McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies, was recognized at two recent conferences for his work writing and directing cinematic virtual reality experiences specific to police training.

• At the National Institute of Justice conference in Pittsburgh, he presented "Creative Techniques for Using Cinematic Virtual Reality for Soft Skills Law Enforcement Training," highlighting the work that was recognized by the FBI National Academy Science and Innovation Award for making a substantial contribution to the law enforcement profession through the introduction of a new law enforcement product, technology, and technique.
• At the Urban Media Makers Film Festival in Atlanta, the Cine-VR story “Police Dispatch,” depicting the day in the life of two officers on patrol, won the Best Virtual Reality Training Video award. The story was produced in collaboration with the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service.

Scripps faculty receive college awards and recognition

At the annual college awards ceremony on October 10, three faculty members received the Scripps College of Communication Engagement Award, which recognizes an individual or group affiliated with the college who actively engages with community partners and participates in collaborative efforts to solve social problems in our region and beyond.

• Benjamin Bates, professor in the School of Communication Studies. In his remarks at the ceremony, Dean Scott Titsworth praised Bates for his work with the Tropical Disease Institute. "Work by Bates has utilized a culture-centered approach to amplify community voices, promote sustainable development goals, and combat transmissible diseases such as Chagas Disease," Titsworth said.
• Saumya Pant, associate professor in the School of Media Arts and Studies and director or the Communication and Development Studies program. "Saumya has provided key mentoring for students and has expanded their experiences through activities such as last summer’s trip to Brazil to meet with the family of Paulo Friere...Dr. Pant has been instrumental in forming an active community of practice involving use of Positive Deviance to understand social change in Southeast Ohio," Titsworth said in his remarks.
• Andie Walla, associate professor of instruction and director of the High School Media Workshop. "Andie Walla has cultivated a distinguished legacy as an educator who defines learning through experience...This past summer, Andie collaborated with WOUB and alumni-owned OHD Studios in Gahanna to produce the Sycamore Sessions at the Nelsonville Music Festival...Her work showcases the outstanding work that can be accomplished when creating intersections between our students and our community,” Titsworth said in his remarks.
• Nerissa Young, professor of instruction in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. "Nerissa Young has been a committee of one in planning and organizing the School of Journalism's public events--especially the multiple 2023 events to celebrate the school's centennial, 100 years of journalism education at Ohio University...These events provided platforms to educate students, faculty, staff and members of the community about the vital roles journalism and informed citizens play in our democracy, particularly during a time in which free speech rights have been under political (and sometimes physical) attack," Titsworth said in his remarks.

Patty Mitchell, a community fellow in the Barbara Geralds Institute for Storytelling and Social Impact, was inducted into the Scripps College of Communication Dean's Leadership Circle, an initiative introduced to honor individuals who have shown extraordinary service to the college. A permanent installation exists in the dean’s suite in the Schoonover Center for Communication, where details about the honorees are on display. "I am honored to induct my colleague and friend, Patty Mitchell, Founder and Executive Director of Passion Works Studio, for membership...Patty is an artist and social entrepreneur who creates spaces for storytelling through collaborative making. She is a trailblazer in asset-based organizing and creating communities strengthened by the inclusion of diverse voices,” said Titsworth in his remarks.

Professor Geoff Dabelko published a new peer-reviewed article with Ken Conca,  long-time collaborator at American University. "The International (In)Security Order and the Climate-Conflict-Security Nexus" was included in the journal Environment and Security. The article fittingly became open access on November 6, the UN International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. “We're getting some good responses from colleagues so far as we challenge the research and practice worlds to challenge some assumptions and be more inclusive in our analysis and practice,” Dabelko said.

The third annual Community Engagement Symposium on October 25 featured two sets of keynote speakers from across the University:

• The team behind True Pigments: Michelle Shively of local nonprofit group Rural Action, John Sabraw, a professor in the College of Fine Arts, and Guy Riefler, a professor in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology.
• Lynn Harter, professor and co-director of the Barbara Geralds Institute for Storytelling and Social Impact, and Patty Mitchell of Passion Works Studio.