Butler University Experts

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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Alexander Roehrkasse

Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminology

Fields: Criminology, Sociology
Focus Areas: Crime and punishment, Child welfare, Social inequality
Research/Study: Mass incarceration, Child maltreatment, Violent victimization, Racial and economic inequality

Ankur Gupta

Professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Department Chair

Fields: Computer Science & Software Engineering, Mathematics, Philosophy, Statistics
Focus Areas: Google Search, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Deep Learning, Algorithm Analysis, Artificial Wisdom and Computational Ethics, Data Compression
Research/Study: Compressed Data Structures, Algorithm Analysis, Data Structure Design, Artificial Wisdom, Designing Moral Machines, Wavelet Trees, Data Compression

Anne Wilson

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: 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, small molecule synthesis, science in microgravity

Bill Blomquist

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 U.S.), The policymaking process

Brent Hege

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, Interreligious Dialogue, Ecotheology/Religion and the Environment

Brian Day

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Fields: Psychology
Focus Areas: Human Experimental Psychology, Perception in Real and Virtual Environments, Human Factors and Applied Psychology, Perception-Action, Human Behavior, History and Theories of Psychology
Research/Study: Perception of Affordances, Visual Perception, Perception-Action Systems, Usability Evaluations, Ergonomic Assessments

Chad Bauman

Professor of Religion

Fields: Religion
Focus Areas: Hindu-Christian Relations, Hinduism, Buddhism, Buddhist-Christian Relations, Global Christianity, Interreligious Violence, Interreligious Relations
Research/Study: Indian Christianity, Hindu-Christian Relations, Buddhist-Christian Relations, Sri Lankan Christianity, Interreligious Conflict, Religion and the Law in Asia

Christopher Stobart

Associate Professor

Fields: Biology
Focus Areas: Virology, Microbiology
Research/Study: Coronaviruses, RSV, RNA Virus Biology, Microbial Pathogens, Vaccines

James McGrath

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

Jason Lantzer

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

Jay Howard

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

Jeana Jorgensen

Instructor – History and Anthropology/Core Curriculum

Fields: Anthropology, Cultures, Dance
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

Jonathan Sorenson

Professor of Computer Science & Software Engineering, Chair of Faculty Senate

Fields: Computer Science & Software Engineering, Mathematics
Focus Areas: computer science, programming languages, operating systems, database systems, mathematics, supercomputers
Research/Study: algorithms, number theory, Alan Turing, cryptography, prime numbers, parallel programming and algorithms

Karina Hamamouche

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Fields: Education, Psychology
Focus Areas: child development, developmental psychology, early childhood education, math achievement
Research/Study: children’s understanding of numbers, children’s understanding of time, math abilities

Libby Davis

Senior Lecturer of Chemistry

Fields: Chemistry, Environmental Studies
Focus Areas: environmental chemistry, contaminants of emerging concern, human and environmental health
Research/Study: organic contaminants of concern, water quality, plastics in the environment

Linda Willem

Professor of Spanish, Betty Blades Lofton Endowed Chair in Spanish

Fields: Cultures, Literatures, Modern Languages, Theatre, Visual Art
Focus Areas: Foreign Films, Guillermo del Toro, Pedro Almodóvar, Carlos Saura, Literary adaptations, Spanish literature and adaptations, Tourism and Study Abroad in Spain, Spanish art and arquitecture
Research/Study: Focus on the language, literature, and culture of Spain, including travel locations, and tourist sites, In depth knowledge of the films of Guillerrm del Toro, Pedto Almodóvar, and Carlos Saura, Film Studies (especially Foreign Film, but also American Classic Cinema and Film Noir), Founder and seven-time on-site director of Butler’s semster-long study abroad program in Alcalá de Henares, Spain

R. Jeremy Johnson

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

Stacy Wetmore

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Fields: Psychology
Focus Areas: Wrongful Convictions, Memory, Cognitive Psychology
Research/Study: Eyewitness Identifications, Jailhouse Informant Testimony, Wrongful Convictions, Memory, Eyewitness Memory

Stephen Barnard

Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology & Criminology

Fields: 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

Su-Mei Ooi

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 and international relations

Tom Mould

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

Travis Ryan

Professor, Associate Provost

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

William Johnston

Professor of Mathematics

Fields: Mathematics
Focus Areas: Theoretical Mathematics; Applied Mathematics; Deductive Reasoning; History of Mathematics; Probability and Statistics
Research/Study: Complex and Bicomplex Functions; Matrix Theory; Applied Mathematics

College of Communication

Amanda Stevenson-Holmes

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

Brooke Barnett

Provost, Vice President Academic Affairs, Professor of Communication

Fields: Communication, Journalism, Law
Focus Areas: Higher Education, First Amendment law, Media Law, Journalism, Leadership, DEI
Research/Study: Freedom of expression, the future of journalism, workplace culture for inclusion, student success and well-being., Higher Education DEI, preparing future academic leaders.

Gary Edgerton

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

Associate Professor

Fields: 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

Xiaowen Xu

Assistant Professor

Fields: Communication, Strategic Communication
Focus Areas: digital advertising, user experience, mass media influences
Research/Study: personalized advertising, social media advertising, online consumer review, pro-environmental behavior, vaccination decision-making, multiethnic marketing

College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Amy Peak

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 Schmelz

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

John Hertig

Associate Professor, 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), Illegal Online Pharmacies (Health Professional Education and Training), Illegal Online Pharmacies (Global Patient Safety Threats), Intravenous Medication/Products Safety in Health-Systems (Best Practices and Harm Avoidance)

Susanna Scott

Assistant Professor

Fields: Communication, Health Sciences
Focus Areas: health communication, breastfeeding, maternal and infant health, birth stories
Research/Study: Breastfeeding discourse, Narratives and women’s reproductive health, birth stories, low milk supply

Veronica Vernon

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

Jordan College of the Arts

Brenda Johnston

Department Chair & Associate Professor, Art Administration

Fields: Arts Administration
Focus Areas: Arts/Not-for-Profit Management, Board Governance, Community Engagement, Artistic Programming, Strategic Planning
Research/Study: Community Engagement

David Murray

Director, School of Music

Fields: Music
Focus Areas: Music performance, bass/double bass, music education
Research/Study: orchestral performance, chamber music, solo bass performance

Doug Spaniol

Professor of Music

Fields: Music
Focus Areas: Music, Bassoon, Classical Music, Pop Music, Joni Mitchell, International Scholarships (Rhodes/Marshall/Fulbright/etc.)
Research/Study: – Pedagogical Bassoon Music: published five volumes of music for bassoon students, numerous conference presentations on teaching/playing bassoon. International Scholarships: Marshall Scholar and Fulbright Scholar, have served as reviewer and selection committee member for both. Joni Mitchell: Have taught a class on Joni Mitchell. Numerous performances/recordings as classical and as a member of Rock E Bassoon, a rock band comprised of six electric bassoons and a drummer.

Lisa Brooks

Dean, Jordan College of the Arts, Professor of Violin, Principal Second Violin, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra

Fields: Music
Focus Areas: Arts, Music, Violin
Research/Study: Violin and Violin Repertoire, Chamber Music and Chamber Music Repertoire, Orchestra and Orchestral Repertoire, Baroque Performance Practice

Sophie Benn

Assistant Professor of Musicology

Fields: Dance, History, Music
Focus Areas: Music History (19th and 20th centuries), Dance History (19th and 20th centuries), Music – Historical Performance Practices, Early Music Performance, Ballet History, Stringed Instruments – Cello, Orchestral Music
Research/Study: Music – Historical Performance Practices (18th and 19th centuries), Tango Craze of 1913-1914 (in Europe and the United States), Dance Notation and Recording (ca. 1880-1914), French Culture – Intermedial Relations (dance, music, and silent film)

College of Education

Brooke Kandel

Dean & Professor

Fields: Education
Focus Areas: K-12 Education, Teacher Leadership, Family & Community School Engagement
Research/Study: Refugee and Immigrant Students, Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Instruction, ESL and Bilingual Education

Catherine Pangan

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)

Chloe Moushey

Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Adjunct Instructor for Licensed Mental Health Counseling Certificate Program at Butler University, Program Manager for Crisis Department at Community Health Network

Fields: Health Sciences, Psychology
Focus Areas: Mental health, Counseling, Suicide prevention, Mental health resources, Crisis, Coping skills – Mental health
Research/Study: NA

Kathryn Brooks

professor

Fields: Education, Innovation
Focus Areas: teaching multilingual learners, family engagement, instructional coaching, educating students who are refugees, content literacy, reading interventions, teacher advocacy
Research/Study: participatory research methods, educational change, teacher advocacy and leadership, family engagement, instructional coaching, educational equity and access, educator professional learning

Lisa Farley

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, What does “Being Healthy” mean

Susan Adams

Associate Professor of Education, Director of DEI, College of Education

Fields: Education
Focus Areas: K-12 education, Innovation Schools, English Language Education (ESL)
Research/Study: Equity-oriented education, Teacher Education, Intentional Learning Communities

Andre B. Lacy School of Business

Janaina (Jane) Siegler

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

Julie Straub

Senior Executive Director, Division of Professional Studies

Fields: Computer Science & Software Engineering, Education, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Management, Marketing
Focus Areas: Online Learning, Digital Strategy, Digital Transformation, Digital Entrepreneurship, Equity in Education, Change Management, Innovation Management
Research/Study: Digital Transformation, Education Innovation, Digital Equity, Digital Accessibility, Online Learning, Academic Technology

Mark Donner

Fields: Chemistry, Computer Science & Software Engineering, Entrepreneurship, History, Innovation, Management, Media Studies
Focus Areas: Entrepreneurship, History, Innovation, Social Media, Flight Simulation, Software Development Life Cycle, Product Management, Systems Management, Healthcare IT Systems.
Research/Study: US History World War 1, History of Social Media (Holder of US Patent US7392306) for AOL Instant Messenger, Flight Simulation (various publications).

Matthew Caito

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

William Rieber

Economics Professor

Fields: Economics
Focus Areas: International trade, International finance, Unemployment, Inflation
Research/Study: U.S. trade with Asian countries; Inflation in the U.S.; Unemployment in the U.S.