Faculty Newsmakers

Associate Professor and Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Ralph S. Licklider, D.O. Endowed Professor in Behavioral Diabetes in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

View Elizabeth Beverly's Full Expert Profile 

Beverly was highlighted for her leadership role as president-elect of health care and education on the American Diabetes Association’s 2026 board of directors. Beverly is a nationally recognized expert whose research focuses on the psychosocial aspects of diabetes, rural health disparities and health care professional education. She was featured in the Associated Press and the American Diabetes Association, among other outlets. Beverly’s work in team-based care and translating research into real-world solutions underscores the ADA’s efforts to improve outcomes for people affected by diabetes.

News Stories

• The Associated Press - "The American Diabetes Association Welcomes 2026 Principal Officers and Members to the National Board of Directors"
• American Diabetes Association - "The American Diabetes Association Welcomes 2026 Principal Officers and Members to the National Board of Directors"
• Logan Daily News - "Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine faculty member named president-elect of American Diabetes Association"

Russ Professor and Vice Director for Business Development of the Ohio Research Institute for Transportation and the Environment in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology

View Shad Sargand's Full Expert Profile

Sargand highlighted ongoing research aimed at improving the nation’s aging underground pipe infrastructure amid renewed scrutiny of pipeline safety following a recent natural gas pipeline failure in Minnesota. Sargand explained that traditional methods of excavating and replacing corroded pipes are costly and disruptive, prompting his team’s investigation into rehabilitative techniques such as cured-in-place pipe liners that could extend service life with less traffic impact. 

News Stories

• WOUB - "New research from Ohio University could help make pipe dreams – literally – come true"
• Fox21 - "Pipe fractured in Pine County explosion was ‘susceptible to integrity issues"
• The Ohio Newsroom - "New Ohio research could help make pipe dreams – literally – come true"

Assistant Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences

Zhao was published in Phys.org, among other outlets, after contributing key research on how everyday screen time can influence stress recovery in adults as part of a broader study on work–life balance. The research, which used large national survey data and student surveys to assess screen time and mood, suggests that moderate post-work screen engagement could play a restorative role in mental well-being, even as it underscores caution about the risks of excessive device use.

News Stories

• Phys.org - "Long day at work? Go ahead and watch some TV, research suggests"
• Education News Canada - "Long day at work? Go ahead and watch some TV, research suggests"
• WDC TV News - "A little TV after a long day is good for your brain"
• Popular Science - "A little TV after a long day is good for your brain"

Assistant Professor of Instruction in the College of Health Sciences and Professions and OHIO Athletics Sports Dietitian

View Jessica Arquette's Full Expert Profile

Arquette was quoted in CNN and several other outlets for her expertise on nutrition and athletic performance in a story about how people can “train like a Winter Olympics athlete.” Arquette weighed in on the role of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods in supporting recovery from intense exercise, noting that nutrients such as vitamins A, C and E, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids found in colorful fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and healthy fats like salmon may benefit high-performance athletes’ training regimens. 

News Stories

• CNN - "Want to train like a Winter Olympics athlete? Here’s what to eat, when and how often"
• MSN - "Want to train like a Winter Olympics athlete? Here’s what to eat, when and how often"
• WXOW - "Want to train like a Winter Olympics athlete? Here’s what to eat, when and how often"

Assistant Professor of Instruction in the College of Health Sciences and Professions

Hill was featured in national and international media, including Inside Higher Ed, Yahoo Health, The Independent, among many others, for her role in leading a study linking social media use with loneliness among college students. Hill, whose team analyzed survey data from nearly 65,000 students across more than 120 institutions, talked about the nuanced connection between time spent on social media platforms and higher reported levels of isolation, highlighting that students who used social media at least 16 hours weekly were more likely to feel lonely. In the articles, she noted broader contextual factors, including lingering social challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of encouraging students to assess and potentially moderate their online engagement. 

News Stories

• Inside Higher Ed - "Social Media Linked to Student Loneliness"
• Yahoo Health - "Major college study links heavy social media use with higher odds of loneliness"
• The Independent - "Spending just two hours a day on social media is linked to increased loneliness in college students"
• News Medical - "Excessive social media use linked to loneliness among U.S. college students"
• OHIO Today - "OHIO faculty member leads study finding that college students who spend hours on social media are more likely to be lonely"

Associate Professor of Instruction and Director of Community Health Workforce Development in the College of Health Sciences and Professions

View Kerri Shaw's Full Expert Profile

Shaw was featured in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette and the Chillicothe Gazette for her role in advancing research and action on community health worker programs across Ohio. Shaw shared her expereince and insight on the importance of evidence-based strategies and collaborative partnerships in designing effective workforce models that support both community well-being and health equity. 

News Stories

• The Lancaster Eagle Gazette - "Community health worker grads bring new skills to Ohio care"
• The Chillicothe Gazette - "Community health worker grads bring new skills to Ohio care"
• OHIO Today - "Community Health Workers bridge gaps in care across Ohio"

Principal Investigator in the Institute for Molecular Medicine and Aging and Goll-Ohio Eminent Scholar and Professor of Molecular Biology in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

View John Kopchick's Full Expert Profile

Kopchick was featured in Cleveland.com, MSN, News Medical and more, for his role in advancing a promising new approach to lung cancer treatment. Kopchick led a study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences that identified a potential new way to fight treatment-resistant lung cancer. This research found that blocking the growth hormone receptor may help make existing therapies more effective, offering new hope for improving patient outcomes. He shared insight on how a drug originally discovered at Ohio University could make resistant lung cancer cells more responsive to chemotherapy.

News Stories

• Cleveland.com - "Drug discovered at Ohio University may improve lung cancer outcomes"
• News Medical - "Blocking growth hormone receptor may improve treatment response in lung cancer"
• MSN - "Growth hormone receptor could serve as possible target for improving lung cancer treatment"
• Medical XPress - "Growth hormone receptor could serve as possible target for improving lung cancer treatment"
• OHIO Today - "New study identifies growth hormone receptor as possible target to improve lung cancer treatment"

Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy in the College of Health Sciences and Professions; researcher with the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute

Payne was mentioned for his work on how aging and Parkinson’s disease affect the brain’s control of balance and fall risk. Payne was a co‑author on a study published showing that older adults and people with Parkinson’s disease engage much larger brain and muscle responses during balance disturbances, which paradoxically may make balance recovery less effective and increase fall risk. The research highlighted the neural “overdrive” that occurs in these populations and pointed toward new ways to assess and potentially predict balance problems clinically.

News Stories

• Neuroscience News - "Brain Overdrive Linked to Falling Risk"
• Medical Xpress - "Exploring balance recovery in people with and without Parkinson's disease"
• SciTechDaily - "The Surprising Reason Balance Gets Worse With Age and Parkinson’s"
• ScienceDaily - "Why your brain may be sabotaging your balance as you age"

Associate Professor of Athletic Training in the College of Health Sciences and Professions

View Jeff Russell's Full Expert Profile

Russell was featured in several outlets for his groundbreaking study examining concussion risk among performers in Cirque du Soleil. Drawing on nearly a decade of medical data, Russell’s research provided one of the most comprehensive analyses of head injuries in elite circus arts. The study also identified important patterns, including that most concussions occur during live performances and most frequently affect acrobats, offering new insight into when and how these injuries happen. By quantifying risk and challenging assumptions about the dangers of performance environments, Russell’s work highlighted opportunities for improved safety practices and injury prevention.

News Stories

• Cleveland.com - "You’d think Cirque du Soleil performers have sky-high concussion rates, but surprising OU study reveals opposite"
• World Today News - "Cirque du Soleil Concussion Rates: New Study Reveals the Reality"
• Medical Xpress - "A look under the Big Top: Decade-long study sheds light on head injuries in Cirque du Soleil performers"
• Hoodline - "Ohio Team Busts Myth of 'Sky-High' Concussions Under the Cirque Big Top"
• OHIO Today - "A look under the Big Top: Decade-long study sheds light on head injuries in Cirque du Soleil performers"

Associate Dean for Research and Associate Professor in the College of Health Sciences and Professions

View Janet Simon's Full Expert Profile

Simon was highlighted in media coverage for her critical analytical role in a study on concussion rates among performers in Cirque du Soleil. As the project’s lead statistician, Simon was responsible for transforming a massive dataset of nearly a decade of medical records into meaningful, reliable findings. She was quoted talking on how she applied statistical modeling to examine trends over time and compare concussion patterns across performer groups, including acrobats, dancers and musicians, helping to identify where and how injuries most frequently occurred. Simon’s work also uncovered key insights, such as the concentration of concussions during live performances and among acrobats.

News Stories

• Medical Xpress - "A look under the Big Top: Decade-long study sheds light on head injuries in Cirque du Soleil performers"
• The Logan Daily News - "Decade-long study sheds light on head injuries in Cirque du Soleil performers"
• Times.News - "Study Reveals Concussion Rates in Cirque du Soleil Performers"
• OHIO Today - "A look under the Big Top: Decade-long study sheds light on head injuries in Cirque du Soleil performers"

Professor and Coordinator for Ph.D. programs in the College of Health Sciences and Professions

View Jim Montgomery's Full Expert Profile

Montgomery was highlighted in media coverage connected to a major National Institutes of Health report that brought renewed attention to developmental language disorder (DLD), an often-overlooked but highly prevalent condition affecting an estimated 7–10% of school-age children. Montgomery’s analysis helped clarify the complexity of identifying DLD, noting that the disorder doesn’t always look the same and that signs can range from quite mild to profound, which can make identification especially difficult in school settings. He also underscored key diagnostic challenges highlighted in the report, including the need to distinguish DLD from related conditions like dyslexia and the lack of early screening systems for oral language skills in schools. 

News Stories

• U.S. News and World Report - "Does My Child Have a Language Disorder?"
• Medical Xpress - "Does my child have a language disorder?"
• MedicineNet - "Does My Child Have a Language Disorder?"

Assistant Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences

Hamilton was quoted in media coverage for leading a clinical study on whether combining cannabis with opioids improves pain relief. Her findings showed that the combination offered no added benefit for people with knee osteoarthritis and increased side effects like drowsiness and impaired thinking. Hamilton emphasized that the study challenges a common assumption that cannabis can enhance opioid effectiveness, noting that the evidence simply did not support that claim in a clinical setting. Her work underscores the need for careful, evidence-based approaches to pain management and cautions against relying on unproven combinations that may introduce additional risks without improving outcomes.

News Stories

• Medical Xpress - "Combining cannabis with opioids offers no added pain relief for knee arthritis patients, study concludes"
• Knowridge - "Mixing cannabis and opioids may not ease arthritis pain"