The Public Relations Society of America selected Holly Kathleen Hall, J.D., associate professor of strategic communication, to develop and present an online webinar to assist students studying for PRSA's new certificate in principles of public relations. PRSA asked educators and professionals to develop modules for inclusion in the course. Hall presented the media relations module, one of 11 modules of study for the certificate for PR students near graduation.

A professional journal article co-authored by Dr. Tanja McKay, associate professor of entomology, was cited in a news feature published by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and further distributed by the Associated Press.  According to her abstract, the article in Environmental Entomology provides an analysis of the emergence densities of annual cicadas, the noise of which is drawing lots of attention in Arkansas, the news feature explains.

For the second consecutive year, Dr. Marika Kyriakos, professor of music and department chair, will be a faculty member for OperaMaya Summer Festival in Mexico. One of her vocal music students and a trumpet student of Dr. Christopher Wilson, associate professor, also were selected through audition to perform in OperaMaya. Dr. Lauren Schack Clark, professor of music, is collaborative pianist for the students at a benefit recital.

Advice from Terry Finney, director of financial aid and scholarships, was solicited for an article about debunking common myths about repaying student loans for a recent article in U.S. News and World Report. Finney responded with his thoughts on consolidating student loans along with deferment and forbearance options, and he explains these services should be free to the borrower. The article is online. 

With assistance from Information Technology Services, the Inside A-State newsletter today reaches a number of new faculty and staff addresses. If this is your first look at Inside A-State, welcome to the list. Read it weekly for news about your colleagues, or see previous editions in the archive. Article ideas are always welcome; please forward tips to the Marketing and Communications staff, news@astate.edu or call us at (870) 972-3820.

The historical Tom Horn biography, by Dr. Larry Ball, emeritus professor of history, has received new recognition. The book, Tom Horn in Life and Legend, was a finalist in the annual Western Writers of America evaluation of new books.  This is a long-established organization that emphasizes books on the West. Ball's account of Horn, a notorious Old West gunman, was published last year by the University of Oklahoma Press.