Fourth-annual Faculty Newsmakers Gala celebrates 378 newsmakers [PHOTOS]

Members of the Ohio University community gathered Sept. 20 to celebrate OHIO’s faculty – not for what they do inside their classrooms or research facilities, but rather for the above-and-beyond work they do to promote the University and its excellence.

University Communications and Marketing (UCM), in partnership with the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, hosted the fourth-annual Faculty Newsmakers Gala in the Baker University Center Ballroom. Created as a means of honoring faculty who elevate the University and raise its national and global profile through media coverage of their work and expertise, this year’s gala celebrated 378 OHIO faculty newsmakers who made headlines in 2017.

“Every mention of an Ohio University expert in the news has a direct impact on elevating our reputation,” Carly Leatherwood, OHIO’s senior director of communication services, said in welcoming the faculty newsmakers and distinguished guests to this year’s event. “Our celebration this evening is our way of expressing gratitude to you and to every person who plays a role in promoting the great work that happens here.”

UCM and marketing and communications offices throughout the University partner with faculty members and researchers who are committed to sharing OHIO’s stories by engaging with media around the country and all over the world. At UCM, those individuals are known as “OHIO faculty newsmakers” and are defined as employees who, regardless of their title or classification, teach at Ohio University and have been included in media placements provided by Cision, a monitoring service used by UCM to track the University’s media placements. Faculty newsmakers may include tenured and non-tenured faculty, as well as administrators who serve as educators in OHIO’s classrooms.

Many of OHIO’s faculty newsmakers take part in Ohio University’s Experts Directory, a searchable database that makes it easy for members of the media to find and connect with Ohio University’s expert sources on a broad range of subjects. 

Representing 10 academic units on the Athens Campus and all five of the University’s regional campuses, this year’s 378 faculty newsmakers were featured in 2,432 media reports and more than 1,000 news outlets during the 2017 calendar year.

This year’s event marked the second time Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis attended the event. He congratulated and honored the faculty not only for their expertise but for their top-notch research efforts and innovative ways of preparing students for the world.

“Ohio University has world-class faculty, and you are living proof of that,” President Nellis said while addressing the crowd. “Through your actions and words, you inspire others to achieve greatness – students, your fellows, our university partners and me! You inspire dreams with every interview, and every article that gets published. This recognition in the media is so important because each mention builds our national reputation, enhances our position as a national research institution, and reminds readers all over the world that OHIO is teaching people to make a difference.”

Joining President Nellis was Ohio University Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Chaden Djalali, who experienced his first Faculty Newsmakers Gala. Dr. Djalali had the honor of presenting special recognition awards to 36 OHIO faculty newsmakers – the 11 newsmakers who earned the most media placements in 2017 as well as those who were quoted in media reports related to the Associated Press’ “Top Stories of 2017.”

"This Gala is a time for us to celebrate and honor you, the faculty, who are committed to promoting the University's excellence by engaging with the media," Dr. Djalali said to this year's newsmakers. "You are Ohio University's ambassadors, our scholars, mentors and researchers. We thank you for your selfless efforts to raise the national and global profile of Ohio University."

The 36 faculty newsmakers who received special recognition were presented Keystroke Catalyst Awards. Designed by UCM, the awards are fashioned as a typewriter.

“We chose a typewriter statue to serve as the OHIO Keystroke Catalyst Awards because we believe that typewriters are timeless in their symbolism,” Leatherwood said while describing the awards. “Before laptops and tablets came along, writers did their writing on typewriters – aids to work that were also works of art themselves.”

The following OHIO faculty newsmakers were presented Keystroke Catalyst Awards for having the highest number of media placements in 2017:

• Katherine Jellison, College of Arts and Sciences, 812 media placements
• David Ridpath, College of Business, 150 media placements
• Thomas Suddes, Scripps College of Communication, 107 media placements
• Geoffrey Dabelko, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, 45 media placements
• Joseph McLaughlin, College of Arts and Sciences, 37 media placements
• Mercedes Sotos-Prieto, College of Health Sciences and Professions, 33 media placements
• delfin bautista, College of Arts and Sciences, 31 media placements
• Benjamin Bates, Scripps College of Communication, 30 media placements
• Patrick O’Connor, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, 27 media placements
• Nancy Stevens, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, 24 media placements
• Renée Middleton, Patton College of Education, 24 media placements

A professor of history, chair of the Department of History and a three-time Keystroke Catalyst Award winner, Dr. Jellison is a scholar of women’s studies who specializes in contemporary U.S. politics, elections and first ladies of the United States. She took first place for the second year in a row. Her expertise is increasingly sought out by journalists in the local community and states as well as throughout the United States and around the world.

The vast majority of Dr. Jellison’s 2017 media placements were related to the current First Lady, Melania Trump, and her role in the White House. In addition to being featured in the United States’ largest and most influential publications and news outlets, Dr. Jellison made headlines in countries around the globe, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Japan, China and Qatar.

Jellison said she was surprised to see such a high number of placements this year. She also topped the list in 2016, but that year, an election year, saw her commenting on not just the Trumps, but Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, and more.

“To have over 800 citations for 2017, that did surprise me a little because as the provost noted, it’s mainly about one woman, and she still remains to a great extent a mystery woman,” Jellison said.

That mystery, and the fact that the Trump family frequently breaks precedents, seems to lead many to want to put those actions into context, Jellison said.

“Part of the historian’s job is always to provide the larger context, and in terms of people worried that we’re in an unsolvable crisis as a nation, look at the Civil War. Look at the Great Depression,” she said. “We’ve been through some serious issues in the past, and we’re still here.”

The following OHIO faculty newsmakers were presented Keystroke Catalyst Awards for being quoted in media reports related to the Associated Press’ Top 10 Stories of 2017:

• Ziad Abu-Rish, College of Arts and Sciences, who was featured in news reports on President Donald Trump’s first year
• Andrew Alexander, Scripps College of Communication, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Tania Basta, College of Health Sciences and Professions, who was featured in news reports on the hurricane onslaught
• David Bayless, Russ College of Engineering and Technology, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Susan Burgess, College of Arts and Sciences, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Bernhard Debatin, Scripps College of Communication, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Dennis Delaney, College of Fine Arts, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Ryan Fogt, College of Arts and Sciences, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Tarig Higazi, Zanesville Campus, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Jana Houser, College of Arts and Sciences, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Jason Jolley, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Brandon Kendhammer, College of Arts and Sciences, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Courtney Koestler, Patton College of Education, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Randy Leite, College of Health Sciences and Professions, who was featured in news reports on the hurricane onslaught
• Loren Lybarger, College of Arts and Sciences, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Kevin Mattson, College of Arts and Sciences, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Steven Miner, College of Arts and Sciences, who was featured in news reports on Trump and the Russia probe
• Sarah Poggione, College of Arts and Sciences, who was featured in news reports on the Congressional tax overhaul
• Bill Reader, Scripps College of Communication, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Anirudh Ruhil, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, who was featured in news reports on the hurricane onslaught
• Daniel Skinner, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, who was featured in news reports on Obamacare
• Charles Smith, College of Fine Arts, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Robert Stewart, Scripps College of Communication, who was featured in news reports on sexual misconduct
• Barry Tadlock, College of Arts and Sciences, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year
• Jim Taylor, Zanesville Campus, who was featured in news reports on Trump’s first year

This year’s Faculty Newsmakers Gala ended with a champagne toast honoring all of OHIO’s faculty newsmakers.

“I salute you for your dedication and your support,” Leatherwood said during the toast. “Your efforts are continuing to underscore the media here and abroad. What we know is that Ohio University is the place where our faculty provide access to academic excellence and innovation every day to the benefit of our students, our region, our nation and our world.”

undefinedA group of some of Ohio University's top newsmakers of 2017 pose for a photo with President Nellis, Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Chaden Djalali and Ohio University's senior director of communication services, Carly Leatherwood at the fourth annual Faculty Newsmakers Gala.

undefinedOhio University's senior director of communication services, Carly Leatherwood, welcomes faculty newsmakers and thanks them for their work with the media.  

undefinedNewsmakers with the most media placements and those quoted in media reports related to the Associated Press' "Top 10 Stories of 2017" recieved Keystroke Catalyst awards that are designed as typewriters.

undefinedOhio University's President M. Duane Nellis pays tribute to the accomplishments of OHIO's faculty newsmakers before the awards ceremony. 

undefinedOhio University Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Chaden Djalali announces the 2017 award winners. 

undefinedPresident Nellis is pictured with Charles Smith, a distinguished professor of playwriting in OHIO's Theater Division, who recieved special recognition for being quoted in media reports about Trump's first year - one of the Associated Press' "Top 10 Stories of 2017."

undefinedPresident Nellis poses for a photo with Dr. David Ridpath, an associate professor of Sports Administration in the College of Business, who earned the second highest amount of media placements for 2017.    

undefinedPresident Nellis is pictured with Dr. Katherine Jellison, professor and department chair in the History Department, who earned 812 media placements in 2017 and claimed the top OHIO faculty newsmaker for the second year in a row. 

undefinedOHIO's faculty newsmakers and distinguished guests raise a toast to the 378 faculty members who earned media placements for Ohio University in 2017.