Elon University professors, students and alumni made regional and national news in recent weeks through their research and activities, both on and off campus. Notable in November was coverage of the Elon University Poll, guest columns by university employees and mentions of faculty scholarship and student projects on blogs hosted by the New York Times and the Washington Post.
The following list should not be considered exhaustive and does not include athletics news.
October: Odyssey children’s magazine: “The Spencers: Making Magic Heal and Teach” quotes physical therapy professor Charity Johansson on a couple who incorporate magic tricks into therapeutic exercise programs for patients of all ages. (Not currently available online.)
11/7: Bergen County Record (New Jersey): “Competition challenges future sales force” reports on the fourth annual National Sales Challenge at the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales at William Paterson University. Elon senior Megan Anderson was the overall champion; she and senior Charles Costa won the team competition.
11/7: (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record: “Hoopla over NPR’s firing of Williams is misguided” was a guest column penned by associate professor Anthony Hatcher and reflects on the fallout of remarks made by former NPR conservative news analyst Juan Williams. (Not currently posted online.)
11/8: Fox 8 WGHP: “NASA Exhibit at Elon University” was a broadcast segment on “From Earth to the Universe,” a collection of large images loaned to Elon for two weeks that show photos of celestial features taken by the Hubble, Chandra and Spitzer telescopes.
11/11: MSNBC.com: “Where’s my car? How do I know you? Beating brain glitches” includes advice from assistant professor Amy Overman on ways people can strengthen memory.
11/14: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Elon students preparing for public transit survey” shared with readers ways to take part in an online survey organized by associate professor Sharon Hodge’s marketing students “to gauge public interest in improving sidewalks, bicycle lanes and public transit.”
11/15: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Elon students play popular ‘Harry Potter’ game” was a short feature on a game of “quidditch” organized by resident assistants on campus.
11/15: (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record: “With elections settled, civility should govern” was the monthly guest column authored by professor emeritus David Noer. In it, he discusses the intellectual insult of attack ads, the trend toward polarization and the inability to compromise, and the need for responsible followership. (Column not posed to the News & Record website; link goes to Noer’s personal site)
11/18: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Elon volleyball team aims for happy ending” looks at the success of the Phoenix in volleyball competition as the team claimed this fall its first North Division crown in the Southern Conference.
11/19: Bloomberg News via the Associated Press: “Poll: N.C. residents support tax to help with budget” reported on the results of the latest Elon University Poll and how respondents favored a sales tax increase over additional cuts to state payroll and services. It quotes associate professor Hunter Bacot, director of the Elon University Poll. RELATED from the Fayetteville Observer: “Editorial: The math – Survey finds public receptive to revenue review” RELATED from the Triangle and Triad Business Journals: “Elon poll: 60% would support sales tax hike” RELATED from ABC 11 (WTVD): “Poll finds North Carolinians support sales tax hike” RELATED from News 14 Carolina: “North Carolinians want to keep sales tax as is”
11/21: (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record: “Master of Arts, interactive media: Elon University” was a profile of Elon’s iMedia graduate program. The story served as the centerpiece article on the Sunday “Triad Careers” section of the paper.
11/21: (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record: “Personal Adds: McDonald’s moment a reminder to slow down” was associate professor Tom Nelson’s first-person story on what happened when he learned that a regular patron of a local McDonald’s had died the night before.
11/22: North Carolina News Network: “Poll Shows Most Oppose Doing Away With Charter School Cap” reports on data compiled the final Elon University Poll of the fall semester. (Not currently available online.)
11/22: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Helping Elon as they help us” was a column by Times-News editor Madison Taylor on the work of students in associate professor Glenn Scott’s “Reporting for the Public Good” course.
11/25: (Burlington, N.C.) Times-News: “Blakey Hall brings Elon professors to teach classes” was a short feature on retired professors who visit a nearby assisted care home to share lessons with residents.
11/30: Los Angeles Times: “For some, social-networking has a downside: too much information about friends” quotes Elon alumna Ashley Dischinger on annoying tendencies of some social media users. RELATED: The same story and headline also appeared in the Hartford Courant.
November 2010: College Sports Business News: “PAC 10 Faces Both Revenue and Expense Pressure” is a column by assistant professor Tony Weaver on how a new commissioner has positioned his conference for a major television rights deal.
12/1: New York Times’ “Well” blog: “Phys Ed: Why Wii Fit Is Best for Grandparents” features research by associate professor Caroline Ketcham and Sarah Foushee ’10 about the benefits of the Wii Fit video game to older populations as opposed to youth who use the same device.