Each month, Capital University takes immense pride in showcasing the remarkable accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students. These achievements, ranging from groundbreaking research and innovative projects to significant contributions in various fields, reflect the vibrant intellectual community and commitment to excellence that define our institution. Join us in applauding these milestones and the individuals who are not only advancing their respective disciplines but also shaping the future of our university and community.
Congratulations to Li Feng (computer science) who gave two presentations at the Ohio Academy of Science and Ohio Project Kaleidoscope 2025 Joint Meeting at Miami University. During the first presentation, Differentiate Teaching Strategies to Prepare Computer Science Students for Their Future Workforce, Feng shared her experiences using active learning, project-based learning, and industry collaboration in computer science courses to help computer science students prepare for their future workforce. Feng’s second presentation, Cloud Computing and Containers, was co-authored with student Ben Herdman and described how to build a server using Docker to handle digital content ownership from scratch. Nicely done!
Kudos to Mark Brown (law) who was lead counsel in federal civil rights action declaring Ohio's law authorizing its attorney general to block citizen initiatives unconstitutional under the First Amendment (Brown v. Yost, F. Supp.3d (S.D. Ohio), stay lifted, 133 F. 4th 725 (6th Cir.), stay denied, S.Ct. (2025)). The United States Court of Appeals agreed that Ohio's law violates the First Amendment. The Supreme Court of the United States rejected Ohio's attempt to block the lower courts' rulings. This is a valuable win for democracy in Ohio.
Congratulations to Justin Breidenbach (business) who presented Accounting for the Emerging Cannabis Industry at the Kent State University Meonske Conference. Breidenbach examined the conflict surrounding the state-legalized cannabis industry as it relates to accounting, business operations, internal controls, taxation, and other business considerations. Academic and professional research on the state-legalized cannabis industry is important because it provides critical insights into a rapidly evolving and complex business sector. As more states and countries legalize cannabis, research helps inform public policy, regulatory frameworks, health and safety standards, and economic development and addresses gaps in knowledge related to social equity, taxation, public health impacts, business practices, and legal inconsistencies between state and federal laws.
Praise for student Gaby McCain and Debbie Fournier (social work) who published Neurodiversity Justice: Resistance Through Authenticity in the NASW Ohio Magazine. McCain developed the entire issue that was focused on neurodiversity in the field of social work, and she wrote many of the articles which were interviews she competed with professionals in the field. Fournier remarked that, “Addressing neurodiversity, not only for the clients we serve but with the social workers who are practicing and identify as neurodiverse, is an important step in mitigating barriers and increasing awareness.”
Congratulations to Dina Lentsner (music) who presented Branding National Identity through Ukrainian Art Music of the Wartime at the international interdisciplinary scientific conference Postcolonial Situation in the Arts after the Collapse of the Soviet Union: Experience, Impact, Reassessment, in Riga, Latvia. This collaborative and interdisciplinary research, co-authored with Ukrainian musicologist Iryna Tukova, focused on the conceptualization of the Ukrainian brand of contemporary music written now, during Russian war in Ukraine. According to Lentsner, “Paradoxically, the more difficult, dangerous, or even dire the everyday life of the Ukrainian people gets, the more creative energy and artistic imagination these processes activate. This paper contributed to the discussion of the notion of Ukrainian national brand in relation to art music. We consider this type of music the artistic embodiment of national identity — arguably, a marker common to all post-Soviet nation-states.”
Congratulations to Jennifer Goldson (law) who received the Lay Leadership Award at PowerNet 2025, the annual conference of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies. This award honors exceptional lay leaders who make a lasting impact on their agencies and communities. Goldson currently serves as board chair of Jewish Family Services in Columbus, an agency rooted in Jewish values that serves the entire community by helping individuals and families achieve economic self-sufficiency and emotional stability. Goldson was honored by this recognition, “I couldn’t be more proud to support this organization, a team of diverse, selfless people who use Jewish values to help the entire community live with dignity and combat antisemitism.”
Praise for Baiju Markose (seminary) who published Preaching the Passion Narrative in a Time of Eco-Crisis in Working Preacher, an online preaching resource platform by Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota. According to Markose, “This article invites readers to explore the concept of 'solastalgia'-the profound distress resulting from environmental change-and its meaningful connection to the Passion narrative. By examining this relationship, the article demonstrates how a solastalgic perspective can enrich preaching and deepen the congregation’s understanding of both Scripture and creation.”
Congratulations to Hoyun Cho (education) who gave a special lecture, Mathematical Modeling: Designing Teaching and Learning for Developing Real-World Problem-Solving Skills, to master's degree students at Daegu National University of Education in South Korea. This lecture focused on the use of 3-Act Math Tasks. According to Cho, “Given the level and interests of master's students, it is important to strike a balance between theoretical background and practical application.” The lecture helped students understand the importance and process of mathematical modeling, explained the structure and educational value of 3-Act Math Tasks, analyzed the mathematical modeling process through a 3-Act Math Task, and provided ideas for designing and implementing math lessons using 3-Act Math Tasks in the context of Korean education.
Kudos to Paige Kohn (law) who presented Holistic Lawyering: Transforming 1L Legal Writing into a Hub for NextGen Bar Readiness at the Notre Dame Law School 2025 Legal Writing Conference. Kohn examined how first-year legal writing courses can become a hub for developing holistic lawyering skills required by the NextGen Bar exam. Holistic lawyering, which requires attorneys to synthesize multiple areas of law and skills while addressing client needs comprehensively, can be cultivated early by directly connecting legal writing courses with traditionally siloed doctrinal courses in the first-year curriculum like torts and civil procedure. The session provided both practical ideas and promotes discussion amongst the audience on how legal writing professors can coordinate with other first-year faculty to create integrated learning experiences for each student section.
Congratulations to Nate Whelan-Jackson (philosophy) who published Habitats of Madness in William James Studies. This article explores ways of interpreting the experience of "madness" as a social label, using concepts from Emilio Uranga's existentialism. Whelan-Jackson examined how the idea of zozobra, sliding between multiple frameworks of self-understanding, can characterize the experience. More importantly, the analysis suggests that we call into question the assumed normalcy of "sanity" and motivates a kind of empathy in recognizing we don't inhabit the norm naturally and inevitably. Whelan-Jackson remarked: “This was my first foray into the literature in Madness studies, and it's been a great learning experience that has given me a richer appreciation of the breadth of work surrounding disability.”
Praise for Anjel Stough-Hunter (criminology and sociology) and Andrea M. Karkowski (psychology) who presented Mentorship, Thoughtful Teaching and OER Use at Opencon Ohio 2025. Open Educational Resources (OER) are materials for teaching and learning that are freely available to students and faculty. The presentation compared and contrasted classes using traditional textbooks and classes using OER, connected OER materials to teaching and learning via backward design, and demonstrated how to promote OER use via faculty mentoring.
Applause for Carmen Dixon (education) and Andrea M. Karkowski (psychology) who presented Ohio JSHS: Promote FREE Scholarship Opportunities for STEM students! at the 2025 Ohio STEM Innovation Summit: Inspiring a Curious Community. Dixon and Karkowski provided strategies for high school science teachers who mentor student science projects, discussed the Ohio Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS), hosted by Capital University, and highlighted the benefits to high school students who present their work at Ohio JSHS. Dixon’s enthusiasm for this work is contagious, “I love seeing high school students get excited by science and support each other when they present their projects at events like JSHS.”
Kudos to Andrea M. Karkowski (psychology) who received a $30,000 TechCred: AI Training grant from the Ohio Department of Development TechCred Program. This work will help to train Capital University staff and faculty on the use and ethical considerations of AI tools. Karkowski stated, “AI tools are now integrated into many careers; in order to prepare Capital students for their careers, we need to ensure that they develop AI literacy.” Karkowski also presented a workshop for employees at the Columbus Zoo entitled Psychological Safety and Feedback in which Karkowski discussed how to build psychological safety in the workplace and explored the relationship between psychological safety and giving and receiving feedback.