Radford University experts available on AI in Business, political races, depictions of disability and moral fundamentalism

Radford, VA (10/23/2024) — Radford University professors are available to talk about the following topics:

How horror films depict individuals with disabilities

Literary and cinematic horror does not have the best track record of depicting people with disabilities, says Radford University Professor of English Jamie McDaniel, a scholar in disability studies. McDaniel is available to speak about the reasons horror media typically use characters with disabilities as either stock characters or opportunistic metaphorical devices.

"For stock characters, you might think of wheelchair users in movies that encourage audiences to 'just know' that the wheelchair user will die due to their impairment and, therefore, audiences will experience a greater emotional response due to their sympathy for the disabled characters," explained McDaniel in early October, Disability History and Awareness month in Virginia. "They are really nothing more than their disability. For opportunistic metaphorical devices, you might think of the number of horror villains with physical impairments, such as Freddy Krueger's burns or Jason Vorhees's facial features. These films lead viewers to automatically associate physical impairment with evil, even if that's not usually the case."

Email: jmcdaniel30@radford.edu
Phone: 256-310-2100

AI's future in business

Associate Professor of Economics Can Dogan, Ph.D., is available to speak about his research into the future of AI and its impact on business dynamics. "Survey results show that the adoption rate among existing businesses is still low," Dogan explained.

Dogan and his co-researchers are analyzing all business applications in the United States since 2004 and identifying AI-related businesses. They are also following that work by tracking those AI applications to examine how well they perform once they become employer businesses.

"AI adoption may come from existing businesses as well as new startups," the Davis College of Business and Economics faculty expert explained. "Our results show that the second source of AI adoption, AI startups, is on the rise. We observe a significant acceleration, particularly after 2016, with a large, discrete jump in 2023."

Email: cdogan@radford.edu
Phone: (540) 831-6042

In politics

Radford University professor and chair of the Department of Political Science Chapman Rackaway, is available this week to speak with media on a number of topics in politics, including the U.S. presidential election and the tightening race in battleground states. Rackaway can also speak about congressional races in Virginia and the senate race.

Rackaway is an expert on the U.S. presidency, American voting behavior, campaign strategy and management, political communication, social media in politics, and political polarization.

Email: crackaway@radford.edu
Phone: 540-831-6602

In addition, Associate Professor of Political Science Daniel C. Reed is available to offer expertise on the upcoming presidential election and voting behavior, with a particular focus on political parties.

Email: dreed33@radford.edu

Beyond moral fundamentalism

Radford University professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies Steven Fesmire is available to speak about his new book "Beyond Moral Fundamentalism: Toward a Pragmatic Pluralism."

Fesmire's book delves into moral fundamentalism, "the my-way-or-the-highway notion that my group has exclusive access to the right diagnoses and prescriptions to our moral and political problems," the professor explains.

Fesmire describes an alternative approach, pragmatic pluralism, "that can be applied to complex ethical, political, educational and policy problems. This approach avoids flattening variability among values or presuming that abstract theories can determine what we ought to do on the ground."

Email: sfesmire@radford.edu

Steven

Fesmire