MTSU faculty experts have been in high demand recently for various types of election analysis, as well as expertise on wild ginseng, immigration, protein, dairy foods, human rights, documentaries and more.

• Dr. Ryan Otter, a professor of biology, explained the importance of developing alternative protein sources in an Oct. 28 article in the Missouri Business Alert. His remarks can be read here.

• Dr. Sidney McPhee, MTSU president, said he is concerned that the proposed merger between the University of Tennessee and Martin Methodist College will have an adverse impact on funding for other public universities in an Oct. 29 article in the Clarksville (Tennessee) Leaf Chronicle. His comments are available here.

• Dr. Stephen Morris, a professor of political science and international relations, said immigration would be the most dramatically changed aspect of American policy if President Donald Trump were to lose the November election in an Oct. 29 article at www.ejecentral.com. His views can be accessed here.

• Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College and a political scientist; Dr. Mark Byrnes, university provost; Dr. Michael Federici, chair of the Department of Political Science; and Dr. Lara Daniel, a professor of business law, participated in an Oct. 29 videoconference on the Electoral College. The video is available on YouTube here.

Vile said that early voters in the presidential election might have trended for former Vice President Joe Biden because of his approach to the COVID-19 pandemic in a Nov. 4 report on WKRN-TV in Nashville. The transcript can be read here.

Vile explained the difference between the popular vote and the electoral vote and the significance of both in a Nov. 5 report on WTVF-TV in Nashville. The video and transcript are available here.

Vile said no modern presidential candidate has refused to concede in a Nov. 6 article at www.nationalgeographic.com. His comments are available here.

Vile said some early losing presidential candidates sent congratulatory messages to their opponents in a Nov. 8 story in The Business Standard. His remarks can be read here.

• Dr. Lisa Sheehan-Smith, a professor of nutrition and food science, wrote an article about nutritious dairy treats for Halloween that was published Oct. 30 by The Dairy Alliance. The story can be accessed here.

• Dr. Sekou Franklin, an associate professor of political science and international relations, expressed fears that his vote in the Nov. 3 election might not count due to various threats to the electoral system in an Oct. 30 article at www.vox.com. His remarks are available here.

Franklin said there will be voter suppression in rural Black Belt counties in the Nov. 3 election in an Oct. 31 article for www.facingsouth.com. His views can be read here.

• Frank Barnas, a lecturer in the Department of Media Arts, discussed the production of documentaries around the world on “The Chad Whittle Podcast,” which was uploaded to YouTube Nov. 1. The audio is available here.

• Dr. Katie Foss, a professor of media studies, talked about the impact of the news media on society on the “News Media and Society” podcast, which was uploaded to YouTube Nov. 1. The audio and video can be accessed here.

• Kent Syler, a professor of political science and international relations, said the aftermath of the presidential election could be very contentious in a Nov. 3 report on WSMV-TV in Nashville. The video and transcript can be seen here.

Syler speculated on the possibility of a messy, protracted post-election period in a Nov. 3 story on WSMV-TV in Nashville. His comments can be accessed here.

Syler analyzed the accuracy of presidential pollsters in a Nov. 3 story on WSMV-TV in Nashville. The video can be seen here.

Syler explained the way the Electoral College works in a Nov. 3 on WSMV-TV in Nashville. The video is available here.

Syler explained why the presidential race in traditionally conservative Georgia was closer than usual for a Nov. 5 subscribers-only article in the Knoxville News-Sentinel. The story, which was reprinted by the Columbia (Tennessee) Daily Herald, can be accessed here.

Syler assessed the election results in Tennessee in a Nov. 5 article in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press. His analysis can be read here.

Syler told the Tullahoma Noon Rotary Club that the Electoral College probably will not be abolished, according to a Nov. 7 story in the Tullahoma (Tennessee) News. His remarks can be read here.

Syler said U.S. Senator-elect Bill Hagerty would do well to follow U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander’s tradition of working across the aisle to get legislation passed in a Nov. 7 report on WSMV-TV in Nashville. The video and transcript can be obtained here.

Syler said he will be watching the two U.S. Senate races in Georgia very carefully to see if Georgia really is beginning to lean Democratic in a Nov. 8 article in The Tennessean. His words, as reprinted in the Daily Comet (Thibodaux, Louisiana), can be accessed here.

• Dr. Iris Gao, an associate professor of agriculture, explained her research into how to preserve wild ginseng in Appalachia in a Nov. 4 article for www.undark.org. The story is available here.

• Dr. Ron Aday, a professor of sociology, commented on the rise of older people being convicted of crimes late in life in a Nov. 4 article for Washington Latest. His views can be read here.

• Dr. James Chaney, an assistant professor of global studies and human geography, participated in an Oct. 30 webinar on advancing issues of human rights and religious freedom. The video was posted on YouTube Nov. 5 by Humanity Is Beautiful and can be seen here.

• Dr. Crystal DeGregory, a research fellow at MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, said that Vice President-elect Kamala Harris probably will use her position to advocate for historically black colleges and universities in a Nov. 7 article for www.morningstar.com. Her views are available 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.