OHIO's June 2026 Newsmakers

Five faculty members were recognized by Ohio University as June 2026 Faculty Newsmakers. Learn more about their media mentions below:

Char Miller

Associate Professor and Executive Director of the School of Nursing in the College of Health Sciences and Professions

Miller was featured in The Ohio Newsroom and several other outlets discussing Ohio's nursing shortage and the growing push for mandatory nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. Miller explained that the shortage stems from multiple factors, including an aging workforce, declining nursing enrollment and the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also emphasized the importance of safe staffing levels for both patients and nurses and how burnout is leading to less people going into the profession.

News Stories

Vic Matta

Professor of Analytics & Information Systems in the College of Business

Matta was featured in Medical Xpress discussing new research on the role of transparency in artificial intelligence use in health care and its impact on patient trust. Matta and his colleagues found that transparency about how physicians use AI is more important than AI accuracy alone in fostering confidence in patient-provider relationships. The research also suggests that openness about AI's role in clinical decision-making is key to building trust and improving patient satisfaction.

News Stories

Gaurav Bansal

Chair and O’Bleness Full Professor of Analytics & Information System in the College of Business

Bansal was featured in Medical Xpress discussing new research on the role of transparency in artificial intelligence use in health care and its impact on patient trust. Bansal and his colleagues found that transparency about how physicians use AI is more important than AI accuracy alone in fostering confidence in patient-provider relationships. The research also suggests that openness about AI's role in clinical decision-making is key to building trust and improving patient satisfaction.

News Stories

Berkeley Franz

Professor of Community-based Health and Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Ralph S. Licklider, D.O. Endowed Faculty Fellow in Behavioral Health in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

Franz was featured in several outlets discussing a nearly $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that will expand research aimed at improving access to treatment for opioid use disorder in rural primary care settings. Franz explained that while medications for opioid use disorder have been proven effective for decades, they remain underutilized in primary care. The four-year project will expand a successful pilot program to approximately 40 clinics across Ohio and West Virginia, providing primary care providers with structured support and mentorship to increase access to life-saving treatment where patients already receive their care.

News Stories

Thom Stevenson

Associate Professor of Instruction in the Patton College of Education

Stevenson was featured in Cleveland Magazine discussing the rapid expansion of Hangry Brands and the strategy behind clustering multiple restaurant concepts in the same neighborhood. Stevenson explained that clustering establishments geographically while varying them thematically is prudent, adding that to create a restaurant hub, you need to have multiple concepts in that area that can support that, because not everybody wants to eat the same food every single day.