Butler University Experts
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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Stephen R. Barnard, PhD
Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology & Criminology
Fields: Communication, Media Studies, Sociology
Focus Areas: social media, propaganda and disinformation, journalism, media and politics, social movements and social change, culture and identity
Research/Study: Twitter, social media, journalism, activism
Chad M. Bauman, PhD
Professor of Religion
Fields: Religion
Focus Areas: Hindu-Christian relations, Hinduism, Buddhism, Buddhist-Christian relations, global Christianity, inter-religious violence, inter-religious relations
Research/Study: Indian Christianity, Hindu-Christian relations, Buddhist-Christian relations, Sri Lankan Christianity, inter-religious conflict, religion and the law in Asia
Bill Blomquist, PhD
Instructor and Visiting Professor of Political Science
Fields: Political Science
Focus Areas: public policy, American politics, water management
Research/Study: water management and policy in Indiana, water management and policy in other states (especially the western United States), the policymaking process
Brent A. R. Hege, PhD
Senior Lecturer in Religion
Fields: Religion
Focus Areas: Christianity, theology, religion, church history, Protestantism, Lutheranism, religion and culture
Research/Study: Christian theology, history of Christianity, theology and culture, theology and science, religion and philosophy, inter-religious dialogue, eco-theology/religion and the environment
Jay Howard, PhD
Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Professor of Sociology
Fields: Sociology
Focus Areas: teaching and learning in higher education, contemporary Christian music, sociology of education (previously served six years as elected member of Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation)
Research/Study: higher education
R. Jeremy J. Johnson, PhD
Whitney Professor of Biochemistry
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Fields: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry
Focus Areas: antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, cancer biology, tuberculosis, science teaching, active learning and science, SARS-CoV2 Spike protein
Research/Study: protein structure and function, bacterial serine hydrolases, palmitoylation and cancer signaling, survival of mycobacteria like tuberculosis under dormant growth conditions, synthesis of novel enzyme substrates, protein engineering and design, redesigning undergraduate science laboratories to be novel research endeavors
Jeana Jorgensen, PhD
Instructor, History and Anthropology/Core Curriculum
Fields: Women and Sexuality Studies, Anthropology, Cultures, Dance, Gender
Focus Areas: folklore, fairy tales, gender, sexuality, disability, writing, trauma
Research/Study: traditional and contemporary fairy tales, representations of LGBTQ+ people in folklore and fiction, the history of sex education
Jason S. Lantzer, PhD
Assistant Director, University Honors Program
Fields: History, Religion
Focus Areas: Indiana/Midwest/American history
Research/Study: Indiana history, religious history, Prohibition, World War I, World War II, Disney
James F. Mcgrath, PhD
Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature
Fields: Religion
Focus Areas: New Testament, Bible, religion in science fiction, Gnosticism, religion in music, Christian fundamentalism, gender in Christianity
Research/Study: Jesus, Mandaeans, early Christianity, John the Baptist, Doctor Who, Gospel of John, monotheism
Tom Mould, PhD
Professor of Anthropology
Fields: Anthropology, Cultures
Focus Areas: American folklore, native and indigenous cultures, oral narrative and legend, poverty, Latter-day Saints (Mormon)
Research/Study: Native American oral traditions, welfare legends, religious and supernatural narratives
Su-Mei Ooi, PhD, MA, LLB
Associate Professor of Political Science
Director of Academic Affairs for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Faculty Director of Butler in Asia Program
Fields: Political Science
Focus Areas: politics and international relations of the Asia Pacific, human rights, democracy, global education
Research/Study: Chinese politics, human rights, democracy, Pacific Asian politics, international relations
Travis J. Ryan, PhD
Associate Provost
Professor of Biological Sciences
Fields: Biology, Environmental Studies
Focus Areas: wildlife in cities, the ecology of cities, the effect of human activity on natural systems
Research/Study: ecology, conservation, herpetology, wildlife biology
Jamie Valentine, M.S. ED
Assistant Director, Center for Urban Ecology and Sustainability
Fields: Environmental Studies
Focus Areas: sustainability, food systems, social justice, community based-projects, systems thinking
Research/Study: incorporating sustainability into curriculum, injustice of food systems, local and global solutions to climate change challenges
Anne M. Wilson, PhD
Professor of Chemistry
Fields: Chemistry
Focus Areas: food chemistry and nutrition (especially the science of the “good life” — beer, wine, cheese, chocolate, coffee, barbecue, etc.), dyes, sports clinics for persons with varying physical and cognitive challenges, undergraduate research and creative activities, women in science
Research/Study: small molecule synthesis, science in microgravity
Andre B. Lacy School of Business
Matthew W. Caito, MA
Lecturer in Operations Management
Fields: Entrepreneurship, History, Innovation, International Business, Management, Marketing, Operations Management, Strategic Communication
Focus Areas: supply chain, operations, Microsoft Excel, food production, distribution and, transportation, trucking and transportation, food safety, dynamics of family businesses
Research/Study: airline operations, warehouse operations, supply chain resilience, strategic procurement, fresh food solutions, consumer packaged goods, food branding
Janaina (Jane) Siegler, PhD
Assistant Professor of Operations
Fields: International Business, Operations Management, Risk Management & Insurance
Focus Areas: supply chain, supply network, logistics
Research/Study: supply chain resiliency, buyer and supplier relationships, supply chain risk management, academia and industry collaboration, supply chain analytics, supply chain visibility, supply chain design
College of Communication
Gary R. Edgerton, PhD
Professor of Creative Media and Entertainment
Fields: Communication, Creative Media, Media Studies
Focus Areas: creative media, entertainment, popular culture, contemporary television, contemporary film, future media trends, global media business and industry
Research/Study: streaming wars, transnational media trends, prestige television series, global popular culture
Lee Farquhar, PhD
Associate Professor, Journalism and Sports Media
Fields: Communication, Journalism, Media Studies
Focus Areas: sports media production, sports consumption trends, esports, sports fan behaviors
Research/Study: esports, digital identity, impacts of social media use, online community
Amanda Stevenson-Holmes, MBA
Instructor of Strategic Communication
Fields: Communication, Marketing, Strategic Communication
Focus Areas: marketing, communication, public relations, media consulting, communications strategy
Research/Study: leadership, generational, non-profit, legal, B2B, B2B2C
College of Education
Lisa Farley, EdD
Associate Professor of Education
Fields: Education, Health Sciences
Focus Areas: pickleball, health education, sport education, physical education, physical activity, photovoice research
Research/Study: photovoice research on health, pickleball as the fastest growing sport in America, meaning of “being healthy”
Catherine Pangan, EdD
Professor of Education
STEM New Educator Academy Director
Faculty-in-Residence
Fields: Education, Innovation
Focus Areas: STEM, teacher education (new teachers and student teachers), gifted/high ability, teacher leadership, STEM children’s literature
Research/Study: integrating STEM and children’s literature, pre-service teaching and learning, science and social studies teaching in K-6 environments, connecting schools to informal education settings (museums and community organizations)
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
John Hertig, PharmD
Associate Professor and Vice-Chair of Pharmacy Practice
Fields: Health Sciences, Pharmacy Practice
Focus Areas: patient/medication safety, substandard/falsified/counterfeit medications, online/internet pharmacies, medication supply chain security, pharmacy practice laws/regulations/policy
Research/Study: medication errors and harm mitigation in health-systems, illegal online pharmacies (consumer behavior, health professional education and training, global patient safety threats), intravenous medication/products safety in health systems (best practices and harm avoidance)
Amy Sutton Peak, PharmD
Chair, Health Science Department
Program Director, Health Science Program
Program Director, Healthcare & Business Program
Fields: Health Sciences, Pharmacy Practice
Focus Areas: nicotine, cannabis/CBD/THC, vaping, mental health, social determinants of health, community or public health, wellbeing
Research/Study: vaping, nicotine, cannabis, mental health, wellbeing
Andrew N. Schmelz, PharmD, BCACP
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Ambulatory Care at Eskenazi Health
Fields: Pharmacy Practice, Sociology
Focus Areas: pharmacy practice, health equity, immunizations
Research/Study: health equity, use of race in clinical algorithms, racial disparities in medication use
Veronica Vernon, PharmD
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Fields: Pharmacy Practice
Focus Areas: pharmacy, medication use, pharmacy law, women’s health
Research/Study: pharmacy practice advancement, pharmacy law, women’s health