Faculty Newsmakers
Introducing a New Chapter of Faculty Newsmakers Recognition
Since 2015, University Communications and Marketing (UCM) has proudly honored hundreds of OHIO faculty members whose work, insights and expertise have elevated 51社区鈥檚 national and global profile through media coverage. These individuals鈥攐ur OHIO Faculty Newsmakers鈥攔epresent the excellence, leadership and impact of our academic community.
This year, we鈥檙e excited to introduce a refreshed approach to the Faculty Newsmakers honors to ensure the recognition is more timely, relevant and can highlight even more faculty. Rather than compiling a full year鈥檚 worth of media activity and basing honors solely on quantity, we will now recognize faculty monthly. Each month, we will spotlight those, through social media and OHIO Today, who have made notable appearances in the news, culminating in a year-end recognition of all honorees.
Some ways in which faculty may be recognized include:
- Being quoted as an expert or source in one or more media stories
- Having research or creative work picked up by multiple news outlets
- Being featured in a significant media profile or article
- Receiving an award or honor highlighted by the media
This new approach allows us to amplify even more faculty members impact across all OHIO campuses, while elevating their work, impact and expertise in a timelier manner.
Faculty interested in learning more about their individual media mentions or would like detailed analytics, please contact us directly at media@ohio.edu. We're happy to provide personalized reports for any faculty member.
We look forward to celebrating even more of the extraordinary accomplishments of OHIO鈥檚 faculty.
2025 Newsmakers
Professor in Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service
In January 2025, Dabelko provided expert analysis on the geopolitical significance of Greenland amid renewed U.S. interest in acquiring the territory. Dabelko, an environmental security specialist, explained that Greenland's strategic location and abundant natural resources, such as rare earth minerals and fossil fuels, have become increasingly valuable as climate change opens new Arctic shipping routes. He also noted that these factors have intensified competition among global powers.
Associate Professor of Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences
In January 2025, Curran garnered significant media attention for her groundbreaking discovery in paleoanthropology. Leading an international team, Curran uncovered cut-marked bones at the Gr膬unceanu site in Romania, dating back approximately 1.95 million years. This finding, published in Nature Communications, suggests that early hominins were present in Europe much earlier than previously believed, predating the well-known Dmanisi site in Georgia by about 200,000 years. The discovery has been widely reported, highlighting its implications for understanding human evolution and the spread of early human ancestors across Eurasia.
Professor of Neuroscience and Anatomy in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
In February 2025, O鈥機onnor was prominently featured in media coverage of the discovery of the earliest known modern bird, Vegavis iaai.This 69-million-year-old fossil, unearthed on Vega Island in Antarctica, provides significant insights into avian evolution during the Cretaceous period. Dr. O'Connor's expertise was highlighted in various outlets, including Reuters and The Sun, where he emphasized Antarctica's pivotal role in the early stages of modern bird development. He noted that, unlike other regions where birds of that era exhibited primitive features like teeth and long bony tails, the Antarctic fossils suggest a distinct evolutionary path leading to today's waterfowl. His contributions underscore the importance of this discovery in understanding the resilience and diversification of avian species following the mass extinction event that ended the age of dinosaurs.
Associate Professor of Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences
In February 2025, Karney was featured in various media outlets discussing the implications of tariffs on the U.S. economy, emphasizing that tariffs function as a form of taxation, ultimately raising prices for American consumers rather than penalizing foreign producers. Karney also critiqued the notion of protective tariffs, arguing that such policies often fail to deliver the intended economic benefits and can disrupt the principle of comparative advantage that underpins free trade.
Director of Rural and Urban Scholars Pathways Program, and Assistant Professor of Primary Care in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
In February 2025, Casapulla was featured in the Columbus Dispatch discussing the critical issue of healthcare deserts in rural Ohio, emphasizing the profound impact on communities where access to medical services is severely limited or nonexistent. Casapulla highlighted that many rural areas lack essential healthcare infrastructure, such as hospitals and primary care providers, forcing residents to travel long distances for basic medical needs.
Associate Professor; Heritage Faculty Endowed Fellowship in Obesity and Diabetes, Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Ralph S. Licklider, D.O., Research Endowment in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
In March 2025, Lo was featured in local and regional media for her pioneering research on obesity treatment. Her study, published in the journal Obesity, identified Apolipoprotein A4 (APOA4) as a promising protein that could help prevent weight gain and improve metabolic health. Lo emphasized that APOA4's benefits extend beyond appetite control, potentially enhancing how the body processes and burns fat. The research demonstrated that supplementing APOA4 in obese mouse models reduced fat mass and improved liver health without altering food intake or physical activity.
Associate Professor of Economics and M.A. Graduate Chair in the College of Arts and Sciences
In March 2025, Duncan was featured in local and national media for his expert analysis on the economic implications of the new tariffs.He provided insights into how these tariffs could lead to higher consumer prices and disrupt supply chains. Duncan explained that while tariffs are intended to protect domestic industries, they often result in increased costs for consumers. He also noted that the revenue generated from these tariffs contributes to government funding but may not be sufficient to offset the broader economic challenges they pose.
Director of Sustainability and Adjunct Professor in the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service
In April 2025, Crowl was featured in various news outlets including American Recycler on OHIO鈥檚 compost facility and the process in which composting works at the University, as well as being quoted on OHIO鈥檚 Ecohouse and how everyday homes can be more sustainable.
News Stories
Distinguished Professor of Environmental and Plant Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences
In April 2025, Wyatt was highlighted in numerous outlets for being among the featured panelists in a webinar spotlighting science investigations aboard SpaceX鈥檚 32nd Commercial Resupply Services mission. She discussed a NASA-sponsored study examining how space radiation impacts plant biology鈥攕pecifically telomere activity in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana鈥攁s part of broader efforts to prepare organisms for long-duration missions.
News Stories
Assistant Professor in the Scripps College of Communication
In April 2025, Das was interviewed on multiple Columbus broadcasts on how online AI trends are raising privacy concerns, talking on deepfakes and how AI can be used to streamline workflows, enhance communication and make using the Internet safer, but how he鈥檚 also watched how criminals have used it for bad.
View Rishabh Das's Full Expert Profile
News Stories
Assistant Professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences
In May 2025, Shovlin was quoted and highlighted in several media outlets including The New York Times and Breitbart weighing in on student backlash when AI is used for feedback, clarifying that he鈥檚 not a big fan of professors outsourcing critique and emphasizing that the true value instructors bring is human connection and thoughtful insights. The story notes he is an AI faculty fellow at 51社区 and reiterated the importance of teaching students to develop an ethical compass with AI, warning that mishandling the technology could have real-world career consequences.
View Paul Shovlin's Full Expert Profile
News Stories
Associate Professor of Medical Ethics in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in Cleveland
In May 2025, Shapiro was quoted in Cosmopolitan鈥檚 article on medical gaslighting and what to do if a doctor is dismissing health concerns, explaining that being dismissed by doctors isn鈥檛 just frustrating鈥攊t can inflict 鈥渕edical trauma,鈥� causing patients to 鈥渜uestion their own sanity鈥� and suffer long-lasting psychological harm. Her insights help validate readers鈥� experiences and encourage advocacy when medical professionals overlook or trivialize patient symptoms.
News Stories
Associate Professor and Director of the School of Media Arts and Studies in the Scripps College of Communication
In May 2025, Antonuccio was quoted in Medium in a story on how AI is changing the music industry, where he says the overwhelming volume of AI-generated songs can reduce the space for authentic music and new talent.
View Josh Antonuccio's Full Expert Profile
News Stories
Associate Professor of Instruction in Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences
In June 2025, Klein was featured on broadcasts, including Good Day Columbus, talking on his highly watched social media videos where he shares hands鈥憃n anatomy demos using models, answers the general public鈥檚 questions about anatomy and their body and much more.
View Ian Klein's Full Expert Profile
News Stories
Chair of Environmental and Plant Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences
In June 2025, DeForest was featured in The New York Times discussing the integration of AI in higher education, noting how he developed a custom tutoring bot named SoilSage, designed to answer students' questions based on his published research and scientific knowledge. By limiting the chatbot to trusted information sources, he ensures accuracy and reliability, stating, the curated chatbot allows me to control the information in there to get the product that I want at the college level.