MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University faculty and staff recently shared their perspectives with media on various issues, including employment rates, artificial intelligence, censorship and finances.

• Allie Sultan, media arts professor, talked with Axios Nashville on April 9 about the launch of a Master of Fine Arts for film and TV production. Read the article.

• Dr. Murat Arik, professor of economics and director of the Business and Economic Research Center, talked with WKRN-TV Channel 2 on March 10 about rising gas prices. Watch the segment.

Arik talked with WKRN-TV Channel 2 on April 9 about Rutherford County’s drop in home permits. Watch the segment.

• Ken Paulson, director of the Free Speech Center, talked with Higher Ed Dive on March 17 about universities requiring professors to post syllabi online. Read the article.

Paulson talked with The Arizona Republic on March 19 about the legalities of politicians blocking constituents on social media. Read the article.  

Paulson spoke with Filmogaz.com on April 1 about the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on conversion therapy bans. Read the article.

• Kent Syler, political science professor, talked with the Tennessean on March 18 about a complaint alleging U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s potential misuse of campaign funds. Read the article.

• Dr. Frank Lambert, associate professor of Library and Information Sciences and member of the nonprofit Rutherford County Library Alliance advocacy group, talked with The Daily News Journal on March 19 about the Rutherford County Library Board’s decision to relocate over 100 children’s books to the adult section . Read the article.

Lambert talked with WKRN-TV Channel 2 on April 6 about the library board’s removal of the director. Read the article.

• Dr. Sam Zaza, associate professor of Information Systems and Analytics, talked with WKRN-TV Channel 2 on March 19 about U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s plans for artificial intelligence safety measures. Watch the segment.

Zaza talked with The Tennessean on April 20 about the negative effects of artificial intelligence on employment in Tennessee. Read the article.

• Dr. Daniel Smith, professor of economics and director of the Political Economy Research Institute, talked with WKRN-TV Channel 2 on March 23 about unemployment and layoffs in Rutherford County. Watch the segment.

• Harlow Crandall, archivist at the Center for Popular Music, was spotlighted by WKRN-TV Channel 2 on March 31 about the newly acquired Maximum Rocknroll punk rock collection. Watch the segment.

• Charlott Scott-Moore, director of the Ann Campbell Early Learning Center, talked with WKRN-TV Channel 2 on April 1 about gun safety. Watch the segment.

• Dr. Sean Foley, a professor of history who specializes in Middle East and Asian politics and culture, talked with WTVF-TV News Channel 5 on April 3 about the potential economic impact of the Iran conflict. Read the article.

• Dr. Carroll Van West, Center for Historic Preservation director, talked with the Hamilton County Herald on April 3 about restoration efforts at a historic Chattanooga-area burial ground for Black people. Read the article.

• Dr. Steven Sprick-Schuster, associate professor of economics, talked with WKRN-TV Channel 2 on April 8 about the drop in Tennessee employment rates in some sectors. Watch the segment.

• Dr. Maria Edlin King, Center for Financial Literacy director, talked with WalletHub on April 9 about the benefits of budgeting. Read the article.

• Jesse Benefield, assistant professor of recording industry, talked with Stay Positive News on April 10 about legendary country musician Don Williams. Read the article.

• Dr. Carter F. Smith, associate professor of criminal justice, wrote a guest column for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on April 10 about real pirates — not the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team — that used the Ohio Valley region as hunting grounds. Read the article.

• Dr. Ben Stickle, criminal justice professor, talked with WKRN-TV on April 12 about an officer-involved shooting. Watch the segment.

• Dr. Thomas Holland, anthropology professor and director of the Forensic Institute for Research and Education, talked with WMC-TV Action News 5 on April 23 about children’s skeletal remains found in Memphis. Watch the segment.

• Dr. Sean Salter, associate professor of economics, talked with Bankrate on April 29 about mortgage rate trends. Read the article.

• Martin Fisher, curator at the Center for Popular Music, was featured in The Rogersville Review on April 30 for his performance at The Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Read the article.

— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)