Media Experts

Our media experts list helps connect journalists with accomplished professors at the University of Lynchburg. They offer valuable insight and analysis on various topics, including environmental science, politics, health sciences, and the arts. Get detailed explanations and expert opinions for your next story.

Please email news@lynchburg.edu or call 434.544.8262 before contacting Lynchburg faculty or staff.

Contact the athletics department for all athletics-related inquiries.

University Leadership

Alison Morrison-Shetlar, PhD

Alison Morrison-Shetlar, PhD
President

Specialties:

Leadership
Biology
Chemistry
Biomedical science
Scotland native

Aaron Basko

Aaron Basko
Vice President for Enrollment, Marketing, and Communications

Specialties:

Strategic enrollment
Enrollment auditing
Higher education consulting
Columnist for The Chronicle of Higher Education

Faculty Experts

Africana Studies

Ghislaine Lewis, PhD
Associate Professor of Communication Studies
Co-chair of the Africana Studies Department

Specialties:

Director for Pierce Street Gateway
Lynchburg’s Black history
Faculty advisor for Lynchburg’s student newspaper The Critograph
Passionate about travel and has visited 42 countries
Guyana and Jamaica native

Biology, Ecology, and Conservation

John D. Styrsky, PhD
Professor of Biology

Specialties:

Entomologist
Animal Biology
Ornithology
Ecology
Conducts milkweed research (monarch butterflies) at Claytor Nature Center

Brooke Haiar, PhD
Professor of Environmental Sciences and Sustainability

Specialties:

Geology
Diversity, equity, and inclusion in geology
Microscopic fossils
Faculty lead for annual Wyoming dinosaur dig trip
Animal backbones and plants from the Morrison and Cloverly Formations

Laura Henry-Stone, PhD
Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences and Sustainability
Chair of the Environmental Sciences and Sustainability Department

Specialties:

Ecological literacy and education
Environmental justice and climate resilience
Campus sustainability
Curriculum and course design
Integration of natural and social sciences

Thomas D. Shahady, PhD
Professor of Environmental Science
Director of the Center for Water Quality

Specialties:

Earth and environmental science
Environmental law and policy
Environmental assessment
Freshwater biology
Conservation biology
Landscape ecology

Business and Marketing

Gerald Prante, PhD
Associate Professor of Economics
Chair of the Economics Department

Specialties:

Tax policy
Government fiscal policies

Tim Schauer, DBA
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Sydnor Professor 2023-24

Specialties:

Corporate marketing
Social media

Mike Schnur, DBA
Assistant Professor of Economics
Job Placement Coordinator

Specialties:

Microeconomics
Macroeconomics
Contemporary Economics
Finance

Communication, Media, and Public Relations

Jeremy Langett, PhD
Professor of Communication Studies

Specialties:

Public relations
PR crisis management
Strategic communication
Faculty advisor for the student chapter of PRSSA

Michael Robinson, PhD
Professor of Communication Studies
Chair of the Communication Studies Department

Specialties:

Genre studies
Science fiction
Comic books and superheroes
Media history
Pop culture

Jimmy Roux, PhD
Professor of Communication Studies and Nonprofit Leadership
Director of the Master of Arts in Nonprofit Leadership Studies Program

Specialties:

Interpersonal communication
Research methods, professional and organizational communication
Small group communication
Runs the local nonprofit Cycling Without Age

Paula Youra, PhD
Professor of Communication Studies
Director of the Center for Professional Communication

Specialties:

Intercultural communication
Persuasion
Public presentation
Political rhetoric
Faculty advisor for the Debate and Forensics Society

English and Writing

Kelly Jacobson, PhD
Assistant Professor of English

Specialties:

Gender studies
Poetry
Short story
Speculative fiction
Young adult fiction
Author of the queer young adult novels “Tink and Wendy,” “Robin and her Misfits,” and “Weaver.”
Learn more about Kelly.

Gender Studies and Sociology

Paul K. McClure, PhD
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Chair of the Sociology and Human Services Department

Specialties:

Intersections of technology and religion
Identity and spirituality in the digital age
Religiosity and internet use
“Spiritual but not religious” dynamics
Automation, work, and technophobia

Kelly Jacobson, PhD
Assistant Professor of English

Specialties:

Gender studies
Poetry
Short story
Speculative fiction
Young adult fiction
Author of the queer young adult novels “Tink and Wendy,” “Robin and her Misfits,” and “Weaver.”
Learn more about Kelly.

Lindsay Parks Pieper, PhD
Associate Professor of Sport Management
Chair of the Sport Management Department

Specialties:

Gender policing in women’s sports
Intersections of gender, sexuality, and sports during the Cold War
Historical analysis of women in sports
Hormones and eligibility in women’s sports
Academic analysis of sports media and blogging

History and Cultural Studies

Brian Crim, PhD
Professor of History
John Franklin East Professor of Humanities
Chair of the History Department

Specialties:

Modern European history
Holocaust studies
Research and writing
Government intelligence analysis
Learn more about Brian.

Physical and Mental Health

Tonya Price, DHEd, RDN, CHES, CWP
Assistant Professor of Health Promotion
Chair of the Health Promotion Department

Specialties:

Food allergy management in the college population
Nutrition in college and geriatric populations
Health promotion and public health teaching
Weight bias in the healthcare environment
Mental health at work

Tom Bowman, PhD, ATC
Professor of Athletic Training

Specialties:

Expert on concussion research
Socialization and retention issues in athletic training
Head/neck injury in sport
Athletic protective equipment

Politics, International Relations, and Modern Conflicts

David Richards, PhD
Associate Professor of International Relations and Political Science
Chair of the International Relations and Political Science Department

Specialties: