UD in the News
From our campus to a media outlet near you — the University of Dayton and members of its community are frequently featured by the local, national and international media. Here is a list of the most prominent places we've been making news lately. For a comprehensive list, visit UDnews's Bookmarks.
October 2009
Academic Excellence
AutoWeek, Reuters, The Washington Post
The Oct. 19 issue of AutoWeek included a review of history professor John Heitmann's book, The Automobile and American Life. "Cars are a subject he clearly loves," the review says, "and his focus on the way the automobile has influenced and been influenced by our national culture gives him latitude to address the fun aspects."
The Associated Press also looked to the School of Law for expert comment in the criminal case about philanthropist Brooke Astor's fortune, during which reports included some tension and intimidation among jurors. Thaddeus Hoffmeister, a University of Dayton School of Law professor whose research focuses on juries, said any claim would depend on what actually happened in the jury room. "Is it going to rise to that level (of being seen as coercive)? Only those people in that room know," he said. More than 130 outlets picked up the story, including The Washington Post and the Fox affiliate in New York City.
After distributing a news release about the University's human trafficking conference on PR Newswire, major outlets such as Reuters and the business journals in San Antonio, Baltimore, Minneapolis and Jacksonville picked up the story.
Reported by:
Catholic, Marianist Identity
The Observer
The Observer, one of the largest papers in the UK with a circulation of 1.37 million, in October wrote about how the Catholic roots of filmmaker Michael Moore influenced his latest film on capitalism and talked to David O'Brien, University Professor of Faith and Culture. "Catholics have always had a strong tradition in labour and union issues in America. There is not much in laissez-faire capitalism that is actually backed up by Catholic teaching," said O'Brien.
Reported by:
Distinctive Faculty
The Associated Press, The Boston Globe, Salon.com, USA Today
Investor's Business Daily on Oct. 23 turned to Bob Chelle, director of the Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Fifth Third Bank entrepreneur-in-residence, for advice for entrepreneurs starting a business now. "I would put myself in the proposed customer's shoes," Chelle said, "and ask: 'Will they take a chance on me? Will a new service or product appeal to the average Joe?'" If the answer is no, he says, find another business. If it's yes, forge ahead, Chelle said.
The Associated Press quoted Lori Shaw, a law professor and death penalty expert, in a story about Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland putting a moratorium on executions in the state. The reprieves Strickland issued provide some insight into his position on how the state executes people, since he could have gone even further, Shaw said. "What he hasn't done is put a moratorium on executions. He took this step, but he didn't take a greater leap." More than 200 outlets, including USA Today, Chicago Sun Times, eTaiwan News, The Boston Globe, Salon.com, WashingtonPost.com, picked up the story.
As Halloween approached, media turned to Jim Farrelly, a University of Dayton English professor and director of the film studies program. Farrelly gave a live interview Oct. 30 to Canadian national talk radio show The Dave Rutherford Show on the topic "Are we ruining Halloween?" The interview was a follow up to a CanWest News Service story Oct. 20 about how much Halloween has changed in recent years, especially with H1N1 fears this year. "I'm sure that kids will be instructed not to touch anybody as they go door-to-door, and that hand-sanitizers will be used between stops. It's going to be a very clinical Halloween." The story appeared in dozens of publications across Canada.
Farrelly also attracted media attention for insights into the rise of vampires in pop culture. The St. Cloud Times (Minn.) quoted Farrelly in a story Oct. 18 about the topic.
The Associated Press quoted political science professor Nancy Martorano Miller in a story about the Ohio legislature taking a pay cut to compensate for suspending a scheduled tax decrease for Ohioans. Dozens of Ohio newspapers carried the story.
STEM Leadership
The New York Times, Technology Review, University Business, The Associated Press
The October issue of Technology Review magazine featured an article co-written by electrical engineering professor Guru Subramanyam on his thin-film-based varactor technology research. The University and Analog Bridge are developing a patented nanotechnology to improve the capability of communications devices. Technology Review is read by more than two million people around the world and caters to tech-savvy audiences, with a focus on emerging technologies around the world.
In late October, the state of Ohio awarded the University two centers of excellence in fuels and energy. The University of Dayton was the only school in Ohio to receive two centers. The Associated Press reported the story, which ran in about 30 outlets, including ABC News.com, The New York Times and University Business.
Transformative Education
The Wall Street Journal, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The 2009 Saviors of Our Cities list again included the University of Dayton, which ranked as the top Catholic university in the nation and No. 2 overall for community engagement. Local media including the Dayton Daily News, Dayton Business Journal and local network TV news stations carried the story. Several national and regional media also reported on the story with mentions of the University of Dayton, including The New York Times blog "The Choice," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Reuters and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Path on CDR Radio came to the University of Dayton in October to interview guest and alum Matt Mayer, who gave a public lecture about involving local governments in homeland security. The PATH is broadcast on 15 frequencies in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky featuring music, Biblical teaching and news.
The AASHE Bulletin, a weekly e-newsletter from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, posted news of the University's composting and sustainability efforts.
The Wall Street Journal did a "How I Got Here" piece — "Former Auto Exec Gives Flight to Air Bags; Engineer Uses His Car-Safety Background to Tackle an Aviation Dilemma — on University of Dayton alum Bill Hagan. Hagan is the president of AmSafe Aviation.
