Dr. Katherine Baker, assistant professor of art history, was an invited speaker for the Murphy Lecture Series sponsored by the Spencer Museum of Art, the Kress Foundation Department of Art History, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art at the University of Kansas. She discussed her research into the work of 16th century French sculptor Chicart Bailly, and participated in a seminar. Details are online.

Dr. Brad L. Rawlins, professor of strategic communication, is co-author of the second edition of An Overview of the Public Relations Function. The authors help both students and organization managers to achieve excellence through cutting-edge, research-based strategic public relations management and its various aspects. They also acquaint readers with the ethical guideline CERT formula (credibility, ethics, relationships, trust). More details are online.

Dr. Manu Bhandari, assistant professor of strategic communication, co-authored a peer-reviewed publication in Sage Research Methods Cases (part 2). The paper discusses the use and implementation of mixed methods, rhetorical analysis and experimental, in an earlier research project examining a communication crisis situation involving television chef Paula Deen and the steps she took toward repairing her image. The paper is available online.

During the annual Faculty Honors Convocation, 25 individuals who have attained service milestones were recognized. Congratulations to Dr. Ralph Ruby, 40 years; Lisa Ferrell, Dr. Joanna Grymes, Dr. D. Mike McDaniel, Dr. Mark McJunkin, John Salvest, Dr. Robert Schichler, 30 years; Sherry Eskridge, Dr. J. Bruce Johnson, and Gidget Scrivner, 25 years; Dr. Tim Crist, Kimberly Vickrey and Dr. Diana Williams, 20 years; and Donna Caldwell, Dr. Maureen Dolan, Heidi Griffin, Dominique Hallett, Dr. Xiuzhen Huang, Dr. Hai Jiang, Dr. David Lavetter, Dr. Tanja McKay, Dr. Elizabeth Nix, Larz Roberts, Dr. Susi Snellgrove, and Dr. Lily Zeng, 15 years.

Christy Brinkley (right), director of the Office of Behavioral Research and Evaluation (OBRE), and Sheila Stowers, associate director, presented a poster, "Increasing Social Support for New Parents: A Preliminary Look at One Program’s Effectiveness," at the 32nd annual Research & Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Behavioral Health in Tampa. The poster is based on a current evaluation of a parenting curriculum.