Racer Report: Dec. 8-12

 

MURRAY, Ky. – The latest Murray State University Racer Report includes student, faculty, staff and alumni accomplishments, announcements, upcoming campus events and more for the week of Dec. 8-12.

 

 

 

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Dr. Carol Terracina-Hartman, assistant professor of journalism and mass communications at Murray State University, was elected to the Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication's Professional Freedom & Responsibility Committee. As of Oct. 1, she left her leadership position in the Magazine Media division and stepped up to this national role.

The group emphasizes five areas: free expression, ethics, media criticism and accountability, diversity and inclusion and public service. In addition to promoting activities for these core areas, members meet with representatives from the divisions to support their efforts. 

Additionally, she was appointed to the MagLab advisory committee to plan conferences, research and outreach. This is the only organization dedicated to magazine research. The second annual conference began Oct. 29 in Portugal. 

She was also trained and began serving as a judge for the Stillwater Awards, Society of Professional Journalism's Prison Journalism Project. The Awards Program airs live on YouTube each May.

 

 

 

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Murray State University will host a commencement ceremony for fall and winter 2025 graduates on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 10 a.m. at the CFSB Center. Additional information regarding the commencement ceremony is available at murraystate.edu/commencement. Based on data as of Dec. 10, a total of 787 degree applicants from 28 states and 14 countries comprise the graduating class.

 

 

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Dr. Ihsan Alkhatib, associate professor of political science at Murray State, was featured in WalletHub's recent article about no fault insurance guide. You can find it here: bit.ly/4aBEuwn

Alkhatib’s teaching and research interests include business law, business ethics, legal research and writing, Constitutional law, international law, American Islam and the courts, community policing, civil rights and civil liberties, Middle Eastern politics.

 

 

 

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Gavin Nolin, a marketing and Honors College alumnus (‘23), and Dr. Ismail Karabas, associate professor of marketing at Murray State, recently published Nolin’s honors thesis in the Journal of Consumer Marketing, a top tier ranked journal. After graduating, Nolin worked for one year and then joined Washington State University, where he is now a second-year PhD student.

The paper examines how message strategies that highlight an esports team’s physical location or its popularity shape potential fans’ intentions to support, watch or follow the team. It also tests how individual differences such as power-distance belief, need for uniqueness, sense of power and community pride interact with these message frames, showing that location cues resonate more with community-oriented or powerful individuals, whereas popularity cues appeal more to those who value hierarchy or uniqueness.

Paper link: bit.ly/4ppEnZq

 

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Murray State University’s 2026-2027 General Scholarship Application is currently open. Students can access the application through myGate on the Financial Aid/Scholarship section and learn more at murraystate.edu/scholarships. The deadline to complete is Feb. 2, 2026. A record $140 million was offered in financial aid and scholarships, based on the University’s most recent reports.