Robert W. Plaster College of Business

Michael Carr, Ph.D., assistant professor, marketing, was featured in WalletHub’s 2025 spring article about Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card.

Malcolm Robinson, Ph.D., professor, business administration, continues to be featured as an expert by WalletHub.com. Early in the year, Robinson was part of the February 2025 Credit Limit Guide. In March 2025, Robinson was tapped for the article Best Car Insurance Companies. Robinson also gave sound advice for the May 2025 article Credit Card Insurance.

John D. (Jack) Rudnick Jr., Ed.D., professor, business administration and economics, served as a peer-reviewer for the University of Richmond’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies scholarly publication Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies. Rudnick also had a paper accepted for presentation in Prague, Czech Republic for the 2025 International Leadership Association (ILA) Global Conference entitled “Leadership Inclusiveness: Context and Decision-Making in AI-Driven Crisis Consultation.”

In the summer, Rudnick led a team of co-authors to publish an article in the scholarly journal Academic Leader (June 16, 2025 issue.) Academic Leader covers the trends, challenges, and best practices today’s academic decision-makers need to protect and enhance their institution’s mission while meeting the evolving demands from internal and external stakeholders.

Rudnick also earned two advanced certificates: Generative AI and Leadership Strategy from Vanderbilt University, completing coursework in Generative AI for Leaders, Trustworthy Generative AI, and Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT, and an AI for Business specialization from the University of Pennsylvania where he completed advanced coursework in Non-Data Scientist AI Fundamentals, AI Applications in Marketing and Finance, People Management with AI, and AI Strategy and Governance. As a result of his extensive work and research with artificial intelligence (AI), Rudnick is invited to serve as a delegate representing Catholic higher education in the United States at the Builders AI Forum, scheduled for Nov. 6-7, 2025, at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. The Builders AI Forum is dedicated to advancing the beneficial use of AI by the Church for the spiritual and temporal benefit of the faithful. The gathering brings together leaders in their respective fields, all sharing a common Catholic faith, to foster a unique community of practice. Look for a reflection from Rudnick on the experience in the future.

Michelle Vezina, assistant professor, business administration, served as a book reviewer for the Sage Publication “Sustainability in Management: A Systems Approach.”

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

Maria C. Garriga, Ph.D., professor of foreign languages, is a member of the inaugural Covington Mayor’s Academy, an immersive, eight-month program designed to educate, involve, and engage residents and stakeholders in the work of City government.

Steve Oldfield, assistant professor of creative media, has been recognized by the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) for his work as a reporter for Spectrum News Ohio. Oldfield has been awarded the following by the 2025 Ohio SPJ Awards: First Place: Television – Best Business/Consumer Reporting; First Place: Television – Best General Assignment Reporting; and Second Place: Television – Best Sports Reporting.

St. Elizabeth College of Natural and Health Sciences

Joe Christensen, Ph.D., dean of the St. Elizabeth College of Natural and Health Sciences, has completed the new AIKCU Advancing Leaders Program, designed to prepare campus leaders for even greater leadership roles in today’s higher education environment. Participants completed workshops that focused on four learning objectives: common themes in thriving institutions, demands of leadership, cross-functional engagement & awareness, and leadership readiness and growth actions.

Staff

James Catchen, MPA, director of dual credit and transfer pathways, has been appointed to Kentucky’s Dual Credit Advisory Council, a body charged with overseeing policies and initiatives to expand and improve dual credit opportunities for high school students across the Commonwealth. CLICK HERE to read the release.

President Joseph L. Chillo, LP.D. has been elected to serve as vice chair for the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU). As vice chair, President Chillo is part of the core leadership of the executive committee, which sets the strategy of the organization, oversees finances, and conducts meetings of the board, among other responsibilities. After a two-year term as vice chair, President Chillo will assume the role of chair. AIKCU is the voice of Kentucky’s independent colleges and universities, advocating for the policies that recognize the sector’s critical role and helping students access and afford a distinctive, high-quality education. Earlier this year, AIKCU presented the findings of an economic impact study, showing that the Commonwealth’s 18 independent, nonprofit colleges and universities contribute $2.06 billion to state and local economies.

Rebecca Elliott, PhD, executive director of institutional effectiveness, research and academic records, successfully defended her dissertation, “Homelessness and Housing Insecurity in Higher Education: A Policy Delphi Study,” fulfilling the requirements for a PhD in Educational Studies with a concentration in Education Policy and Higher Education at the University of Cincinnati. Rebecca also completed certificates in Data Analytics, Public Economics, and Online Learning during her graduate career. Post graduation, Rebecca will continue to support Thomas More’s strategic priorities and data needs.

Kelly French, vice president for strategy & impact and chief of staff, recently earned her Doctorate in Public Administration (DPA) from West Chester University in Pennsylvania. Her dissertation was entitled “Public Values of Higher Education.” With society’s significant investment in higher education, studies like these are crucial to understanding the return on investment that higher education provides to the public. Using content analysis of university websites and surveys of stakeholders, Dr. French found consensus that higher education supports three primary public values – “democracy, equity, and workforce development.”

Melinda Simpson Kellam, enrollment coach for undergraduate and graduate programs, was selected for the 47th class of Leadership Northern Kentucky, the leadership development program of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

Amy J. Malventano, PhD, university archivist and special collections coordinator in the Benedictine Library, successfully defended her dissertation, “Shaping a City: Municipal Housekeeping, Civic Activism, and Urban Environmentalism in Progressive Era Louisville Through the Women’s City Club,” fulfilling the requirements for a doctorate in history from the University of Kentucky. Post graduation, Amy plans to continue her efforts to maintain and expand access to the archives, while also remaining active in several research projects.