Arkansas State University has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) award totaling $177,108 to support research aimed at making waste-to-energy systems more efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. Congratulations to Dr. Chiqian Zhang, assistant professor of civil engineering, who is leading the research  focusing on improving anaerobic digestion, a process that uses naturally occurring microorganisms to convert organic waste into renewable energy in the form of methane. Details are in the news release.

An article co-authored by Dr. Po-Lin Pan, professor of strategic communication, has been published in the Journal of Media Ethics. Pan’s research focuses on the interrelationships between ethical infrastructures and trust building in organizations through the lens of professional responsibility theory. It demonstrates that PR practitioners’ trust building toward their organizations emerges most strongly when ethics training, awareness and resources are aligned to reinforce the professional role of PR practitioners.

An article by Tyler Hester, instructor, radiography and MRI, and clinical coordinator, has been published in the Journal of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, Radiologic Technology. He discussed proper safety measures, adverse or near-miss events, challenges, and continued quality improvement to help ensure safety and best practice in magnetic resonance imaging. Hester concluded that appropriate MR workflows, policies and procedures provide conducive work environments and reduce the number of hazardous events.