10 Hilltopper Experts Make the News
Our graduates and faculty members regularly appear in the news, for their expert opinions as well as their achievements. Enjoy this roundup of some of the latest Hilltopper perspectives shared in the media — from politics and poetry to superbugs and wage gaps. And a few university updates, too.
Carrie Fountain
Writer-In-Residence
The Writer's Almanac featured Fountain and her poetry during National Poetry Month in April. Fountain is the author of two collections of poetry published by Penguin. She says when she was 15 years old, the death of a close friend in a tragic accident prompted her first attempts at writing, although she suspects she wrote at an earlier age.
Erica Gammill ’09
Director of the Prison Justice League
Dozens of Texas prisoners protested inhumane living and working conditions to bring attention to inmate labor, which is used to support food, clothing, furniture and license plate production. Gammill spoke to Here & Now from NPR and WBUR Boston to explain inmate demands and their objection to forced and unpaid work.
George E. Martin
President of St. Edward's University
St. Edward’s University President George E. Martin was interviewed by La Estrella de Panama at an event where he met with Panamanian alumni, current students and high school seniors who shared an interest in higher education and St. Edward’s University. The number of Panamanian students enrolled at St. Edward’s has grown from just one in 2012 to 10 in 2016.
Carol Gee
Associate Professor of Mathematics, Department Chair
A claim that passengers are nine times more likely to be assaulted by taxi drivers than drivers who work for a ride-hailing service sparked a Politifact Texas investigation. Their research found that wrong indicators were used to reach such a conclusion, and Gee's expertise says the number of incidents per trip versus incidents per driver should be used to measure safety.
Brian Smith
Professor of Political Science
Where do political third parties come from? Skip to 20:10 on The Texas Tribune’s The Ticket 2016 podcast to hear Smith explain the history of third parties and why it's sometimes hard for those candidates to stand out in a two-party system.
Nancy Schreiber
Dean of The Bill Munday School of Business
Unequal pay is bad business, Schreiber says in the Austin Business Journal. Among her suggestions for closing the wage gap between men and women is acknowledging there is one and realizing women will leave an organization if they're not paid fairly.
Jana Soares ’15
U.S. Fulbright Student
Soares was awarded a full Fulbright U.S. Student Research Grant to the University of Technology Sydney and now studies superbugs, strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Her research focuses on infecting worms to see if a combination of antibiotics and antimicrobial peptides will clear the infection. If proven, her work could help battle hospital-acquired infections.
Laura Hernandez-Ehrisman
Professor of University Studies
How has San Antonio's annual Fiesta evolved? Hernandez-Ehrisman, who’s written a book on Fiesta, tells the Texas Standard that the city’s biggest party started as a celebration of Texas Independence. Over time, the event moved away from that theme since the Texas Revolution sparked violence and discrimination against Mexican-Americans.
Adam McCormick
Assistant Professor of Social Work
Children in foster care can be mistreated by the system established to protect them. McCormick tells the Texas Standard why it’s especially true for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) children. His research into the experiences of LGBTQ kids in foster care points to a growing need for affirming and supportive foster parents for these children.
Charles Porter
Visiting Professor of University Studies
Porter tells Trib+Water, a co-publication of The Texas Tribune, that the largest problem facing Texas right now is attitudes that prevent transferring water from wet areas to dry areas across the state. He also explains why a statewide water grid could be a viable solution. Porter's expertise is in water rights and real estate.
Main Building Renovation Project
An outpouring of support helped St. Edward's University meet the Mabee Challenge goal of securing $1.2 million by April 15, 2016. More than 330 donors gave $1.7 million during the Mabee Challenge, and the university also raised funds before the challenge grant, bringing total external funds for Main Building to almost $3.5 million. The funds will go toward interior repairs, windows, roof tiles and the restoration of the limestone and brick façade.
