MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University faculty and staff have been sharing their perspectives with media this spring and summer on various issues, including artificial intelligence, rising gas and housing costs, state elections and jailhouse baptisms.

• Ben Lynch, engineering tech administrator in the Facilities Services Department, shared his opinion about the integration of information and operation technologies for the spring issue of Facilities Manager magazine that published in early May. Read the article.

• Dr. Sage Chevrette, associate professor of Communication Studies, shared her opinion in the Tennessean on May 6 regarding the investigation of the late MTSU associate professor Ashleigh McKinzie. Read the guest column.

• Kent Syler, political science professor, talked with The Tennessee Lookout on May 20 about the state’s redistricting map. Read the article.

Syler talked with the Tennessean on June 5 about the effects of the state’s redrawn congressional districts. Read the article.

Syler was interviewed by French newspaper Ouest-France on June 19 about Donald Trump’s unprecedented self-branding of government places. Read the article.

Syler talked with the Public News Service on June 22 about the increasing number of women in gubernatorial races. Read the article.

Syler talked with WSMV-TV Channel 4 for a July 29 story about artificial intelligence-generated advertising targeting Tennessee. Read the article.

• Dr. Daniel Smith, professor of economics and director of the Political Economy Research Institute, talked with WKRN-TV News Channel 2 on May 25 about the steady decrease in rental prices as more Nashvillians are opting to rent instead of buy. Watch the segment.

Smith talked with WTVF-TV NewsChannel 5 on May 28 about zoning rules regarding data center construction. Watch the segment.

Smith served as a guest on WPLN-FM’s “This Is Nashville” radio show on July 7 to talk about skyrocketing gas prices. Watch the segment.

• Ken Paulson, director of the Free Speech Center at MTSU, talked with the Spartanburg Post and Courier on June 3 about a county’s dispute over a Confederate flag. Read the article.

Paulson talked with the Indianapolis Star on June 11 about First Amendment concerns over jail baptisms. Read the article. He was also interviewed about the topic by WBIW-AM Radio. Read the article.

Paulson talked with The Daily News Journal on June 29 about concerns over Rutherford County reinstalling the Ten Commandments at the historic courthouse. Read the article.

Paulson talked about the future of the First Amendment on NewsChannel 5+ “Inside Politics” on July 3. Watch the interview.

• Beverly Keel, dean of the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment, talked with WSMV-TV Channel 4 on June 19 about the passing of Grammy-nominated producer and MTSU alumnus Tay Keith. Watch the segment. Keel also talked with the Memphis Commercial Appeal about Keith. Read the article.

• Dr. Melissa Cohen, finance lecturer, talked with WalletHub on July 1 about credit cards for those with no credit. Read the article.

• Dr. Carter Smith, associate professor of criminal justice, talked with WKRN-TV News Channel 2 on July 9 about graffiti from a white supremacist group that was found in East Nashville. Watch the segment.

• Dr. Amy Sayward, history professor, was spotlighted July 10 in the McMinnville Herald-Citizen ahead of the candidate forum she moderated. Read the article.

• Dr. John Vile, Honors College dean, talked with WKRN-TV News Channel 2 on July 13 about funds Sen. Marsha Blackburn received from employees of data center and artificial intelligence companies. Watch the segment.

Vile also talked with News Channel 2 on July 14 about Tennessee’s gubernatorial candidates. Watch the segment.

• Dr. Sean Foley, professor of history who specializes in Middle East and Asian politics and culture, talked about the U.S.-Iran conflict on “The Evan Bray Show” podcast that aired July 15. Listen to the show.

• Dr. Murat Arik, professor of economics and director of the Business and Economic Research Center, talked with Axios Nashville on July 16 about the rise in housing costs over the past six months. Read the article.

Arik also appeared on Axios Nashville’s “The State of Housing” panel that aired July 16. Watch the show.

• Dr. Ben Stickle, criminal justice professor, shared his commentary on virtual reality training for law enforcement in a July 22 article in The Police Chief magazine. Read the article.

• Becca Smitty, director of MT One Stop, talked with The Tennessean on July 27 about recent federal school loan changes. Read the article.

Smitty and Melanie Crowder, MT One Stop outreach coordinator, spoke with WTVF-TV NewsChannel 5 on July 30 about the university’s annual Free Cycle giveaway. Watch the segment.

— Nancy DeGennaro ([email protected])