Reporters recently sought out MTSU faculty and administrators for their perspectives on various issues, including gerrymandering, voting rights legislation, inflation, N95 masks and Les Paul, among other topics.

Dr. Kelly Strong

Kent Syler

• Dr. Kelly Strong, director of the School of Concrete and Construction Management, said federal funding will only help fix some of the aging bridges in Tennessee in a Jan. 14 report by WTVC-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His views can be accessed here.

• Kent Syler, a professor of political science and international relations, criticized Republicans’ proposal to divide Davidson County into three different areas in a refashioning of the 5th Congressional District in a Jan. 17 story in The Tennessean. His comments can be read here.

Syler said it would have been difficult for retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper to retain his congressional seat in the face of Republican gerrymandering in a Jan. 25 article in Newsweek magazine. His views can be accessed here.

Dr. Jeremy Aber

Dr. Ryan Korstange

• Dr. Jeremy Aber, an associate professor of geosciences, expressed concerns about the spread of the omicron variant while distributing free N95 masks to students as reported Jan. 18 by WKRN-TV in Nashville. His remarks are available here.

• Dr. Ryan Korstange, an assistant professor of university studies, offered advice on how college students can avoid burnout in a Jan. 20 article at www.theconversation.com. His comments can be accessed here.

Amanda Marie Martinez

Dr. Sidney A. McPhee

• Amanda Martinez, a lecturer in the Department of Recording Industry, was interviewed about racism in the country music industry for a Jan. 20 story in the Nashville Scene. Her views can be read here.

• Dr. Sidney A. McPhee, university president, predicted good things for the Nashville economy as part of a Jan. 13 panel discussion that was recapped Jan. 14 at www.capitalanalyticsassociates.com. His remarks are available here.

Dr. Jon DiCiccio

Dr. John Vile

• Dr. Jon DiCicco, a professor of political science and international relations, explained the importance of declassified government documents in a Jan. 25 article at www.howstuffworks.com. His views can be accessed here.

• Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College and a political scientist, discussed the voting rights bill that stalled in the U.S. Senate and other congressional news Jan. 25 on OpenLine on NewsChannel5+. The video can be seen here.

Dr. Richard Tarpey

Dr. Daniel Smith

• Dr. Richard Tarpey, an assistant professor of management, talked about inflation’s impact on the economy on the Jan. 25 edition of MorningLine on NewsChannel5+. The video is available here.

• Dr. Daniel Smith, director of the Political Economy Research Institute, and Macy Scheck, a doctoral research fellow with the institute, co-authored an editorial calling for certificate-of-need reform in Tennessee. The column, which was published Jan. 25 by the Memphis Commercial Appeal, can be read here.

John Merchant

• John Merchant, chair of the Department of Recording Industry, participated in a virtual panel discussion about electric guitar pioneer Les Paul Jan. 25 under the auspices of the New York section of the Audio Engineering Society. The video, which was posted to YouTube, can be seen here.

Reporters seeking expertise from MTSU personnel, as well as members of the campus community with expertise for media, may contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Media Relations at 615-631-8322 or via email at gina.logue@mtsu.edu.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)