An article by Dr. Huiling Liu, assistant professor of supply chain management, has been published in the Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education. The study highlights how digital sticky notes on Zoom’s whiteboard can deepen engagement and understanding in online graduate courses. Students used the tool to brainstorm and design supply chains for various products, encouraging collaboration and hands-on learning. Survey results showed higher engagement and improved comprehension.

Benqiao Jiang, instructor in sport management, presented a poster at the Sport Marketing Association annual conference in Phoenix. The poster, “March Madness Through Fans’ Eyes: Exploring Reddit Discussions on NCAA Basketball Tournament,” used machine learning method to analyze over 180,000 Reddit posts from the 2024 tournament, revealing fan discussions centered on championship games, standout players and growing attention to gender equity in college sports.

Amber McElhaney, director of budget and position control, Budget Office, has been selected to participate in the 2025-26 Emerging Leaders Program conducted by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). The program is designed for business officers who want to advance in higher education and focuses on leadership development, the evolving higher education business landscape, and communication and interpersonal effectiveness.

With recommendation from her doctoral dissertation adviser, Dr. Gregory Hansen (left), professor of folklore and English, Shanita Sanders (right) pursued and won a Robinson-Roeder-Ward Fellowship from the Education Section of the American Folklore Society. The award supported her travel to the group’s meeting in Atlanta. Sanders, a teacher in Osceola, is using folklore and heritage in her own classroom instruction as well as in her doctoral research on Black musical history in Arkansas.

Jeff McLaughlin, associate professor of theatre, recently designed projections for Imaginary Theatre's production of “Moriarty” in Tucson, Ariz. Started in 1971 as an arena for local playwrights, the Imaginary Theatre has expanded its programs to include adaptations of stage classics and recent Off-Broadway plays and musicals. It also continues to encourage new playwrights, through both full productions and stage readings.