Dr. Cameron Wimpy, associate professor of political science, department chair, and director, Institute for Rural Initiatives, led the process to secure a $47,612 planning grant from the Elections Trust Initiative.  Wimpy and his research team will analyze how election administration policy and practices can be improved in rural communities, as well as exploring how election administration practices vary across the urban-rural spectrum. Details are in a news release.

Dr. Anahita Izadyar (right), professor of chemistry, is corresponding and primary author and Ezekiel McCain, an undergraduate student, and Dr. Elizabeth Hood, former faculty member, are co-authors of an article in the journal Sensors. Their research is an important step toward cost-effective and innovative biosensing platforms with potential applications in healthcare and food safety. They introduce a novel disposable electrochemical biosensor that integrates recombinant corn-derived manganese peroxidase, glucose oxidase, gold nanoparticles, and advanced voltammetric techniques for highly sensitive and selective glucose detection. 

Dr. Nanying Lin, assistant professor of finance, is co-author of a research paper with Seung Ho Jeon, a graduate assistant pursuing a Master of Accountancy and Business Analytics. Their study, which appears in Finance Research Letters, examines how long-term equity investors can boost returns by lending shares to short-sellers. They recommend regulators consider new reporting requirements for funds with high short-selling costs. The article is online.

Dr. Hrishikesh Desai, associate professor of accounting, has been appointed to the editorial board of the Enrolled Agent journal, the journal of the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA). Also, his research article has been published in the Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance. He found indications that an aggressive initial cryptocurrency regulatory stance rapidly enhances market stability, albeit at the cost of a temporary increase in capital flight.

Dr. Mohammadreza (Reza) Daroonparvar, assistant professor of materials engineering, is included in the World's Top 2% Scientists list published by Stanford University and Elsevier. His work focuses on improving the performance and reliability of materials used in aerospace, automotive, energy and marine applications. Daroonparvar’ s research interests include advanced materials and steel production research, protective coatings, and additive and advanced manufacturing of metallic materials.