Media Coverage

AARP Interviews Haar for Mushroom Coffee Story

Jan 11, 2024

Mindy Haar, Ph.D., RDN, was interviewed for an AARP article about whether mushroom coffee offers potential nutrition benefits. Haar explains that enjoying a daily cup of mushroom coffee likely poses no harm for most people, but eating mushrooms offers more benefits, including increased fiber. This is because the process of extracting mushrooms to make mushroom coffee removes the fiber and other helpful nutrients.

 

Outlets Syndicate Op-ed Warning of Cuts to Federal Funding for Basic Research

Jan 10, 2024

The op-ed advocating against cuts to federal funding for basic research, originally published in The Hill, is receiving additional coverage in outlets across the country. The Daily Journal (Kankakee, IL); Claremore Daily Progress (Claremore, OK); Our Town (New York, NY); The Gilmer Mirror (Gilmer, TX), and The News-Herald (Southgate, MI), have all republished the piece by Provost and Executive Vice President Jerry Balentine, D.O.

“Far from reducing the debt burden, cuts to federal funding contribute to it by diminishing the fund of new knowledge that drives economic growth,” he writes.

 

Cybersecurity Expert Shares Phishing Scam Insight

Dec 27, 2023

Information Security and Compliance Analyst Thomas Vallario was interviewed by the PBS-affiliated news site NextAvenue for an article about phishing scams. Vallario explained that hackers’ techniques are becoming very sophisticated with the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, which allow them to create more convincing phishing emails. In addition, hackers can now harvest personal data from other security breaches on the dark web to make their emails more personalized, increasing the chances that recipients will fall for their scams.

“Not [long ago], you'd get these emails with spelling errors or incorrect grammar, and you’d be able to spot it right away. But now, with AI, these attackers are writing perfectly written emails, and you can’t tell the difference,” Vallario said.

 

News12 Features Psychiatrist in Two Mental Health Segments

Dec 27, 2023

In December, psychiatrist Liat Jarkon, D.O., director of the Center for Behavioral Health, appeared in two News12 interviews: one focused on managing holiday anxiety and another about beating the winter blues. The segments appeared as part of News12’s “be Well” series, in which experts share insight into mental health, fitness, nutrition, and other wellness-related topics to help viewers live a more balanced life.

 

Dec 25, 2023

As seen in Newsweek, Michael Granatosky, Ph.D., assistant professor of anatomy, lent his expertise to an article about human evolution. Granatosky, who studies the origins of locomotion, noted that evolution is still affecting humans, with environmental factors like COVID-19 potentially impacting the long-term outcome of the species.

“During the pandemic, we learned that there is natural variation as to how individuals responded to infection. Such variation serves as the basis for evolution to act. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the COVID-19 pandemic was its global nature. Rarely do such events affect an entire species so dramatically,” he said.

 

Hometown Media Outlets Publicize Student Accomplishments

Dec 24, 2023

Hometown news outlets highlighted the achievements of local students during fall 2023. TAPinto Elizabeth and other sites recognized students who completed the internship certificate program; multiple outlets, including The Riverdale Press and TAPinto Chatham, noted those who help to lead the institution’s student organizations; The Courier Express and others reported on the nursing program’s members of the fall Class of 2023, who were recognized at a December pinning ceremony.

 

Dec 20, 2023

Alexander Rothstein, M.S., coordinator and instructor for the Exercise Science, B.S. program, is quoted in Peloton’s blog, The Output, regarding the role of fascia in the body. He says that, while researchers have not settled on one specific definition for fascia, it is widely agreed that it is the tissue surrounding all the body’s organs, muscles, bones, and nerve fibers. While a sedentary lifestyle can lead to shortened or stiffened fascia, Rothstein recommends exercises and stretches to alleviate these issues, as well as fascia damage resulting from a tough workout.

 

Dec 19, 2023

Insight from Bisrat Kinfemichael, Ph.D., associate professor of accounting and finance, was featured in the NPR year-in-review article “A Look Back at Some of the Biggest and Weirdest Auctions of 2023.” Kinfemichael's quotes, which NPR first featured in February 2023, discuss why a first-generation iPhone sold for more than 100 times its original cost during an online auction. He notes that demand-side factors have made unopened first-generation iPhones into “extremely rare commodities, similar to precious metals.” In addition, bidding websites like eBay have made it easier for buyers and sellers to find one another—possibly creating more potential buyers than ever. 

“Substantial wealth has been created since the release of the original iPhone [in 2007]. It’s possible that some individuals who have benefited from the creation of wealth in the technology industry may highly value such devices and be willing to spend a lot of money on them,” he says. 

 

Dec 17, 2023

As seen in Newsday, a research project led by Assistant Professor of Physics Eve Armstrong, Ph.D., has received a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) totaling $360,000. The award will support her continued studies to determine which elements formed from the dust of supernova explosions.

 

The Hill Publishes Balentine Op-ed

Dec 17, 2023

In an op-ed published in The Hill, Provost and Executive Vice President Jerry Balentine, D.O., warns that proposed funding cuts for basic scientific research would be a grave mistake for our nation's long-term economic success. “Far from reducing the debt burden, cuts to federal funding contribute to it by diminishing the fund of new knowledge that drives economic growth,” he writes.

The for-profit sector can take basic research and turn it into useful products, but often, their origin point isn't a business. It's research institutions or universities, operating with federal funding. “Proposed cuts would have far-reaching consequences for more than 300,000 researchers across the country,” Balentine notes. And if funding dries up, potential breakthroughs slip out of reach, as science typically advances incrementally, with discoveries building upon decades of previous work.