Robert W. Plaster College of Business

Malcolm Robinson, Ph.D., professor, business administration & economics, gave expert advice to moneygeek.com on several topics in 2024. The first article was entitled Best First Credit Cards for No Credit in 2024, the second is entitled Economic Recessions: History, Causes and Characteristics, a third covers the Best Secured Credit Cards in 2024. Wallethub.com also featured Robinson’s sound advice in their piece Credit Card Deals, which speaks to the practice several credit card companies follow of offering sign on bonuses and in their feature on Best Car Insurance in Kentucky.

John D. (Jack) Rudnick Jr., Ed.D., professor, and Michelle Vezina, M.L., assistant professor, business administration & economics, coauthored and published the article: Performance improvement (PI) and artificial intelligence (AI) emerge to bridge the gap for exceptional gastroenterology physician onboarding. Staff member Kelly Bilz, Thomas More librarian, was acknowledged in the piece for her formatting and research expertise with publication preparation. The article appeared in CGH Practice Management: The Road Ahead.

John D. (Jack) Rudnick Jr., Ed.D., professor, was interviewed by McGraw Hill Publishing for application of artificial intelligence (AI) into an e-book online study tool, “E-Content.” The interview content is to be incorporated into a new product textbook feature that embeds AI resource cues into textbooks for interactive student learning. Continuing along the recent trend of AI, Rudnick served as a peer reviewer for Sage publication’s global peer reviewed journal, “Digital Health. ” Rudnick also had the peer-reviewed submission Inclusive Leadership for Digital Inclusion: “Iron Technology Triangle” Focus Eases Global Equity Transformation, accepted for presentation at the 26th International Leadership Association (ILA) Global Conference scheduled for fall 2024 in Chicago, Ill. Ever active in his field, Rudnick served the New England Journal of Medicine  as a peer-reviewer for its Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery section.

College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Quinton Jefferson ‘05, adjunct professor, theology, presents at the American Prospect Research Association’s (APRA) annual conference. The conference, “Unlock the Future” takes place in Seattle, Washington, August 20 – 23. Professor Jefferson delivers a presentation entitled “Pathfinding Leadership: An Informed Tactic to Development Stewardship.” This presentation teaches attendees about the concept of professional development and types of development. Attendees are asked to respond to thought-provoking questions and participate in brief left- and right-brained activities to encourage the teasing out of their understandings of the interplay between development and their organizational practices, and their views. Attendees are supported in their thinking by research-based theories. They are shown how stewarding development is a principled practice whose impact correlates with achievement. Jefferson’s presentation has one foot in conceptualization and one foot in practical reality. An organizational leadership doctoral candidate at Xavier University, Jefferson is completing his dissertation. He has taught at theology and business courses at Thomas More since 2012.

Cate Sherron, Ph.D., professor and department chair, philosophy, political science, & interdisciplinary studies, participated in several publications and presentations during the first half of 2024. In May Sherron co-authored and published “Doing Right: Ethics in EMS” with Mike Sherron online in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services. She also participated in a panel discussion with colleagues regarding “Microaggressions in Medicine” by Freeman and Stewart at the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics Conference held in February in Cincinnati, Ohio. The panel discussion will soon appear online in the International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics. Sherron also presented “Current Conundrums in Public Health Ethics,” a talk for graduate students in the Department of Environmental & Public Health Sciences in the College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati in March.

John T. Spence, Ph.D., AICP, professor, philosophy, political science, & interdisciplinary studies, was interviewed by Competitions, a trade publication focusing on design competitions in architecture, landscape and planning, for work in his former role as planner for the City of Covington. To read the article, CLICK HERE.

Soran Tarkhani, Ph.D., assistant professor, philosophy, political science, & interdisciplinary studies, had his latest research published in the journal Nations and Nationalism. The article, entitled “Examining the Objectives of Ethnic Parties: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Dynamics of Ethnic Party Competition Beyond the Constraints of the Outbidding Model,” delves into the dynamics of ethnic party competition in Iraqi Kurdistan.

St. Elizabeth College of Health & Natural Sciences

Kelly Barbour, MS, senior laboratory coordinator and instructor, department of biological sciences, received this year’s Anne L. Stamm Avian Education Fund grant through the Kentucky Ornithological Society. The grant will be utilized to establish outreach camps/activities focused on educating high school students about avian biology, ecology, and conservation. By participating in ornithological research and interacting with local wildlife organizations, students gain valuable information about birds and environmental stewardship. Thomas More students will be directly involved in facilitating outreach opportunities, serving as both mentors and leaders.

Austin Hinkel, Ph.D., assistant professor, department of math and physics, received a Research Experience for Undergraduates grant from the NASA Kentucky Space Grant Consortium. The grant provides support for Josephine Roach to continue her research into the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy and will fund travel to the American Astronomical Society’s 245th meeting.

Chris Lorentz, Ph.D., professor, department of biological sciences, and director of the Thomas More Biology Field Station, served as moderator for a presentation to the Ohio River Basin Congressional Caucus in Washington, D.C. by the Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA) and its federal partners. A restoration plan, created by ORBA, calls for federal investments to safeguard public health, protect fish and wildlife, restore ecosystems, revitalize local economies, upgrade water infrastructure, and enhance the quality of life for the 30 million people living in the Ohio River watershed.

Harold J. Smith, Ph. D., associate professor, mathematics, refereed a paper by Shubh N. Singh and Ranjan K. Ram (both of Central University of South Gihar, India) titled  “On isolated gaps in numerical semigroups of embedding dimension two” for the journal Discrete Mathematics.

Staff

Flynn Ashley, assistant vice president for Institutional Advancement, has been named as a member of the 2025 NKY Chamber Leadership Northern Kentucky Class, the 46th group of professionals to take part in this 10-month program. A cross section of professionals come together to understand the strengths and challenges in the NKY Metro and Greater Cincinnati area, and gain the necessary skills to affect positive change in the region.

Terry Connor ’92, vice president and director of athletics, was interviewed by The New York Times regarding the implications that a recent NCAA settlement could have on collegiate sports and revenue-sharing. To read the article, CLICK HERE.

Ray Hebert, Ph.D., executive director, Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III ’67 Institute for Religious Liberty, was interviewed by the Northern Kentucky Tribune about his book, Student-Athletes & Athletic Programs at Thomas More University, Post-World War II to 2023. CLICK HERE to read the backstory about the book, which is available for online order HERE.

Amy Malventano, archivist, Benedictine Library, as a member of the Midwest Urban Environmentalism Panel presented a talk entitled “The Women’s City Club and the Rise of Urban Environmentalism” at the 10th Annual Midwestern History Conference at Grand Valley State University in May 2024.

Mark Messingschlager ’11/’15, director of financial aid, appeared on WLWT to discuss the difficult situation created for students and colleges by delays in the introduction of the new FAFSA which was originally scheduled to go live in fall 2023. To see the segment, CLICK HERE.