Muskingum News

Laudations is an online collection spotlighting the professional contributions Muskingum University faculty and staff make to their respective disciplines.

Communication, Media, and Theatre

In November 2019, Assistant Professor of Communication Shawn Starcher presented a research paper at the National Communication Association 105th Annual Convention: Communication for Survival. Dr. Starcher’s presentation was entitled “Parental Mental Health Disclosures and Privacy Management Practices: What are Parents Teaching Children About Survival?” 

Dr. Starcher also co-authored two chapters in newly published books:

• “The Stigmatization of Mental Health Disclosures in the College Classroom: Student Perception of Instructor Credibility and the Benefits of Disclosure” in Communicating Mental Health: History, Contexts, and Perspectives (Lexington Books, December 2019.)  The book examines mental health research across multiple areas of communication research.

• “Measurement in Family Communication” in Communication Research Measures III: A Sourcebook (Routledge, September 2019). The book examines the most current publication trends and survey instruments in communication research.

Computer Science

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Alisa Neeman collaborated with Assistant Professor of Computer Science Jay Shaffstall on the article “Engaging the Core: ACM Social and Professional Issues Made Easy Via Mobile Security” published in the Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges (Vol. 34, Issue 1, October 2018).  Their article described how an undergraduate seminar on Mobile Security became a means to cover social issues and professional practice topics, particularly ethics and privacy.

Dr.  Neeman was also awarded two in-kind grants of resource units for computer processing time at the Ohio Supercomputer Center.  She used her initial allocation of 5,000 resource units and 1,000 follow-on resource units for Machine Learning research to recognize minerals’ crystal systems.  Collaborating with Associate Professor of Geology Eric Law and Muskie Fellow Madison Leach ’19, the work resulted in a poster presentation at the 2018 Ohio Supercomputing Statewide User’s Group Conference.

English

Associate Professor and Chair of the English Department Jane Wells recently published two articles: 

• “Shakespeare’s Snuff-Play: Suffocating Figures in Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2” in Studies in Philology (Vol. 116, No. 2, 2019).

• “The Counterfeit Trap in Shakespeare’s Comedies: Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing” in Journal of the Wooden O (Vol. 18, 2019).

Dr. Wells publishes frequently on Shakespeare’s work, with a special interest in the connection between wordplay and theatrical experience.

political science

Assistant Professor of Political Science Jason Kehrberg co-authored the article "Anti-Immigrant Sentiment and the Adoption of State Immigration Policy" in Policy Studies Journal (Vol. 47, Issue 3, August 2019). 

Dr. Kehrberg also presented a paper entitled "Authoritarianism and Gun Rights in the American States" at the American Political Science Association 2019 Annual Meeting.