College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

James Camp, Ph.D., professor, sociology and criminal justice, was honored in November at the 2024 GC3 Celebration of Teaching awards as an outstanding regional faculty member at Thomas More.

Elizabeth Cox, M.Ed., adjunct faculty, psychology, was honored in November at the 2024 GC3 Celebration of Teaching awards as an outstanding regional faculty member at Thomas More.

Evan Johnson, Ph. D., assistant professor, history, presented the paper “‘The Sheep Have Run Away’: Enduring Urban Emigration in the Thirty Years’ War” at the annual 16th Century Society Conference in Toronto, Canada. This paper was part of a panel he organized for the Conference entitled German Bodies: Colonizing, Aging, and Barely Hanging On.


Steve Oldfield, assistant professor, communication, was named runner-up in the 2024 Best Television News Reporter in Ohio competition sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists, competing against full-time reporters from across the state. Oldfield produced two stories a week for Spectrum News Ohio and his award-winning video portfolio featured an investigative report on prescription opioid laws along with features on veterans, athletes, and people with disabilities. During the fall 2024 semester he incorporated his coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals, FC Cincinnati, and high school athletes into his sports journalism course. He is taking a break from reporting to work on several short documentaries and a feature film project with alumnus Jackson Howard ’24. Stay tuned.

Robert W. Plaster College of Business

Steven Flynn, Ph.D., professor, accountancy, was honored in November at the 2024 GC3 Celebration of Teaching awards as an outstanding regional faculty member at Thomas More.

Malcolm Robinson, Ph.D., professor, business administration, was tapped by moneygeek as an expert for their 2024 article What Is the Consumer Price Index? Robinson also gave his expert advice for a WalletHub.com article on the Cheapest Cars to Insure, always useful advice especially when there are multiple cars in the family!

John D. (Jack) Rudnick Jr., Ed.D., professor, business administration and economics, joined the Notre Dame Academy board of board of directors at their fall strategic planning retreat as a facilitator. Rudnick shared academic pedagogy that Thomas More professors engage in, which helped to reinforce the legacy the Sisters of Notre Dame enjoy at both the academy and the University.

Professor Rudnick also spoke in the Gastrointestinal Diseases and Disorders Division in October 2024 at the 7th Edition of Global Webinar on GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY, titled “Enhancing Gastroenterology Physician Onboarding through Perfomance Improvement and Artificial Intelligence.   Michelle Vezina, M.A., assistant professor, co-authored the paper for the material and contributed to the presentation format and graphics.

In addition to his presentations, Rudnick was appointed as an assistant editor for Health Sciences and Digital Innovation for the Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (JMR is an international, peer-reviewed publication dedicated to advancing knowledge across diverse academic and professional fields, providing a forum for academics and practitioners alike. JMR is widely recognized for its commitment to high-quality, impactful research). Rudnick’s role will further improve  the journal’s mission to publish quality research articles that explore emerging healthcare trends and digital innovation as well as the frontiers of business, communication, education, law, science and technology, and other emerging areas.

Dr. Rudnick was also named Life Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), reflecting long term membership and continuous academic scholarship. ACHE is the professional society for healthcare leaders committed to improving health.   

Charles Zimmer ’11, Ph.D., assistant professor and department chair, information systems, published the article “Nontraditional Strategies to Find and Retain STEM Faculty in Higher Education” in theJournal of Multidisciplinary Research, with contributions to the article from colleague John D. (Jack) Rudnick Jr., Ed.D., professor, business administration and economics.

St. Elizabeth College of Natural and Health Sciences

Joe Christensen, Ph.D., dean of the St. Elizabeth College of Natural and Health Sciences, is one of 16 participants in the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU) Advancing Leaders Program.

Christopher Lorentz, Ph.D., professor and director of the Biology Field Station, in fall 2024 was selected to become a Climate Change Scholar through the Green Umbrella Climate Research Incubator. This program provides training to researchers related to climate and serves as a platform for fostering collaboration among researchers, community members, and government representatives across the region. In the spring, Dr. Lorentz will work with K-12 schools in disadvantaged communities to help enroll them in the Kentucky Association of Environmental Educators Green School Program.

Staff

Barbara Amato, strategic learning specialist in the Institute for Learning Differences (ILD), had a letter-to-the-editor published in the October 2024 issue of Mensa Bulletin. Editor’s Note: Mensa is a worldwide organization in which the qualification for membership is scoring within the upper 2% of the general population on an approved intelligence test.

Ray Hebert, executive director, Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III ’67 Institute for Religious Liberty and Dean of the College Emeritus, was recognized on two occasions in 2024 by the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame. In August, he received the 2024 Dr. James A. Claypool Award for “his service and dedication to sports in Northern Kentucky” in recognition of his work as the primary author/internal editor of the Thomas More University Centennial Athletic Volume entitled: “Student Athletes and Athletic Programs at Thomas More University: Post-World War II to 2023.” In December, he was officially inducted as a member in the Hall of Fame for a combination of his athletic success during his high school and college years in New Hampshire, including his induction into the Rochester, New Hampshire Sports Hall of Fame and his success in Northern Kentucky, first in slow-pitch softball and later in middle school basketball, coaching his daughters and oldest grandchild, Kyle Beier, who played for Turkey Foot Middle School. 

Justin Vogel, enrollment, was promoted from dean to assistant vice president of enrollment in fall 2024. Vogel has been instrumental in managing efforts to diversity both the undergraduate and graduate admission tactics leading to the second largest enrollment in University history for 2024-2025.