As a geotechnical engineer who studies foundation engineering, soil mechanics and earth retaining structures, Brian Anderson offered his expertise on the impact on Louisiana’s infrastructure since Tropical Storm Barry made landfall this weekend. Anderson is an associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering in Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from North Carolina State, and his master’s and doctorate degrees in the same discipline from the University of Florida. Anderson surveyed flood related damage after Hurricane Florence in North and South Carolina last September as part of a Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance team deployed by the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Lorraine Wolf, geosciences professor and director of undergraduate research in the College of Sciences and Mathematics, discusses the recent earthquakes in California.

Dr. Chris Lea, a director of the Auburn University Veterinary Clinic and assistant clinical professor, is quoted in The Atlantic in an article, “How Americans Decided Dogs Can’t Eat Grains,” about an FDA warning that grain-free food might be giving dogs a life-threatening heart problem. Lea is a 1999 graduate from Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine. His specialty interests include internal medicine, radiology and integrative medicine.

Dr. Karen Hopkins, visiting assistant professor of marketing in Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business, comments on the use of virtual influencers—or computer-generated personalities—in social media advertising.

Dr. Tiffany Sippial is the director of the Honors College at Auburn University and an associate professor in the Department of History. She is a Latin American specialist and has led four excursions to Cuba – the most recent one being in May 2019, just weeks before the newest travel restrictions took effect. Below, she shares her knowledge of those restrictions imposed by the U.S. on Cuba, and what it means for the two countries.

Harbert Eminent Scholar and Professor of Management Dave Ketchen recently challenged a proposal for a new national tax on carbonated beverages offered by a team of researchers from Cal-Berkeley, the University of Pennsylvania and New York University.

Drs. Henry Kinnucan and Brittney Goodrich, agricultural economists in Auburn University’s College of Agriculture, comment on the heavy rain and floods affecting U.S. corn farmers, especially in the Midwest, who face delayed planting. Consumers also face rising grocery and ethanol prices as a result of the delayed planting.

Dr. Tom Gallagher, the Regions Bank Endowed Professor of Forest Operations in Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, comments on the potential shortage of loggers in the timber industry.

Mike Roberts, an associate professor in the School of Kinesiology in the College of Education commented on a recent article in The New York Times titled, “A Possible Weight Loss Strategy: Skip Breakfast Before Exercise.”

Eduardus Duin, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry in Auburn’s College of Sciences and Mathematics, commented on the news of a helium shortage, including where helium is found, how long helium has been in shortage, its primary uses and what scientists will do moving forward.

Dr. Brian Bourdeau, associate professor of marketing in Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business, comments on the Google Shopping plan that would allow customers to buy directly through Google.

Max Runge, an agricultural economist with Auburn University’s College of Agriculture and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, comments on the U.S. Commerce Department’s 17.5 percent tariff on tomatoes from Mexico and the negotiations to reinstate a trade agreement. Runge is the leader of Alabama Extension’s Farm and Agribusiness Management program.

Professor James Barth and doctoral candidate Shen Zhang of Auburn’s Harbert College of Business recently discussed their paper, “Opportunity Zones for Economic Development and Job Creation: The ‘Nuts and Bolts’ and a Look at Alabama,” on a podcast by The Heartland Institute. They also talk about issues related to Opportunity Zones nationwide.

Justin Patton, director of the Auburn University RFID Lab, comments on the potential impact of a Google spinoff’s drone delivery system which is being tested in rural Virginia. The subsidiary, Wing Aviation, is the first drone operator to receive government approval as an airline, allowing it to drop products to customers.

Xaq Frohlich, assistant professor of history of technology in Auburn University's College of Liberal Arts, is writing a book about the history of the FDA, “From Label to Table: Regulating Food in the Information Age.” He recently penned a piece for The Washington Post about FDA regulations. Read his piece called "America’s cherry pies may soon feature fewer cherries. Here’s why." online.

Professor Ken Macklin of Auburn University’s College of Agriculture offers comments on the E. coli outbreak affecting 10 states. The CDC reports 177 cases: Kentucky (65 patients), Tennessee (52), Georgia (41), Ohio (10), Florida (3), Virginia (2), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Minnesota (1) and Mississippi (1). No deaths have been reported. The CDC indicates ground beef is the source of this outbreak and that recalls have been issued.

Dr. Rafay Ishfaq, Auburn University’s Allen Reed Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management, comments on the trend of brick-and-mortar store closings and on the outlook for retail and online stores.

Investigations are being conducted into the fire that ravaged the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France earlier this week. While the fate of its contents are uncertain, there is hope that many of the significant artifacts are unharmed and that the spire will be rebuilt. 

Dr. Sara-Louise Newcomer of Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine comments on the trend for pet owners to feed their pets with fresh food versus standard pet food.

Melissa Halford, a lecturer in the Department of Physics in Auburn’s College of Sciences and Mathematics who studies clusters of stars and star formations, was eager to see the first-ever photo of a black hole because of the information astronomers can gain about the universe from the image.

On Saturday, April 6, all Global Positioning Systems will reset to zero. The GPS rollover is perhaps the most important event you've never heard of, or at least Frank Cilluffo thinks so.

David Roueche, an assistant professor in the Auburn University Department of Civil Engineering, is an expert in research focusing on the effects of major weather events on communities and damage to the nation’s infrastructure. He specializes in research in the areas of extreme wind loads on low-rise buildings; post-disaster field investigations; performance-based wind engineering; wind resistance of light wood-frame structures; and surge and flood load modeling. Roueche was recently quoted on NPR and in The Wall Street Journal as well as this podcast involving his expertise relating to the March 3 tornadoes that hit Lee County, and below he offers a further Q&A on the topic.

Auburn University entomologist Dr. Xing Ping Hu comments on the effects of a warm, rainy winter on insect populations.

Matthew Clary, a lecturer in Auburn’s Department of Political Science, comments on Brexit, including political, economic and trade implications. Clary teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in international relations and comparative politics, specializing in courses on national and international security and foreign policy.

Auburn University Wildlife Professor and Extension Specialist Mark Smith comments on chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer. CWD has not been found in Alabama, but has been discovered in northeast Mississippi and southwest Tennessee. The Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries has implemented CWD surveillance efforts in north Alabama.

Frank Cilluffo, a globally renowned cyber expert and head of the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security at Auburn University, offers the below Q&A information on the cyber threats we face as a nation as well as those targeting individuals and businesses.  

Professor Dave Ketchen, Auburn University’s Harbert Eminent Scholar and Professor of Management, comments on a study released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York that shows 7 million Americans are at least 90 days behind on payments for automobile loans, the highest number in history.

Dr. Kerry Inger, who specializes in financial accounting and corporate taxation in Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business, comments on tax law changes and the effect on consumers and corporations.

Auburn University finance scholar James R. Barth comments on cryptocurrency and the QuadrigaCX situation.

Dr. Jitka Hilliard of Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business comments on the Federal Reserve’s decision to hold interest rates steady. Hilliard is an associate professor of finance in Auburn’s Harbert College of Business and has had research published in the Journal of Banking and Finance, Quantitative Finance, The Journal of Investment Management and The Financial Review.

Dr. Linda Ferrell, professor and chair of the Department of Marketing in Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business, comments on the effectiveness of Super Bowl advertising and what makes a great ad.

Some say the partial shutdown of the U.S. government is putting the nation’s cybersecurity at risk.Frank Cilluffo, a globally renowned cyber expert and head of the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security at Auburn University, agrees, but the American people shouldn’t be concerned, yet.“The American people should rest assured that the players most critical to the nation’s defense and protection are still at their posts, but if the current situation extends much longer, the top talent will likely jump ship and the long-term implications can be significant, further setting back the government’s ability to translate their strategies into reality,” he said.On Jan. 22, Cilluffo and Sharon Cardash penned an opinion piece for The Hill.

Eleanor Patterson, an assistant professor of media studies at Auburn University, offers insight into the changing landscape of streaming media, a topic that was recently in the spotlight with this Associated Press article.

Stewart Schneller, a chemistry and biochemistry professor in Auburn University’s College of Sciences and Mathematics, has for many years studied the Ebola virus and has even worked with a research team at Auburn to design compounds to fight the compromising effects on the immune system that viral infections such as Ebola can cause. Schneller offers a commentary below involving the Ebola virus, including recent news of more Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He points to data that so far suggests  tracing patient contact with non-infected people and vaccination have not proven to prevent transmission. 

Auburn University professor of supply chain management Glenn Richey discusses how oil production in both U.S. and the OPEC countries affects gas prices for consumers and how it influences oil company profitability.

Max Runge, an Extension economist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Auburn University’s College of Agriculture, offers Things to Know about the Farm Bill. He is the leader of Alabama Extension’s Farm and Agribusiness Management.

Auburn University Professor James R. Barth and doctoral student Jiayi Xu are conducting research on the role and comparative performance of Minority Depository Institutions, or MDIs, in the U.S. banking industry. They presented their research at the 65th Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International in San Antonio in early November.

Professor Dave Ketchen, Auburn University’s Harbert Eminent Scholar and Professor of Management, examines GM’s decision to cut jobs and the outlook for the American auto industry.

Dr. Spencer Durham of Auburn University’s Harrison School of Pharmacy offers insight below into the new flu drug, Xofluza. He is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist and has a qualification in infectious diseases from the Board of Pharmacy Specialties. Dunham is an assistant clinical professor.

Auburn University finance professor John Jahera answers the below questions on the recent volatility of the Stock Market.

Supply chain management scholar Dr. Rafay Ishfaq of Auburn University addresses a recent report of U.S. holiday sales predicted to surpass $1 trillion for the first time this year and how that will impact brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers. He also comments on how stores are able to offer free shipping.

Kimberly Braxton Lloyd, Auburn University’s assistant dean for Health Services, director of the Auburn University Pharmacy Health Services and a professor in the Harrison School of Pharmacy, offers the below answers concerning the nation’s opioid crisis and recent legislation signed into law by President Donald Trump.

Dr. Beth Davis-Sramek of Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business offers insight into the recent national news about a closure of Sears stores and how brick and mortar businesses need to develop omnichannel capabilities. Below is a Q&A with Dr. Davis-Sramek on the topic:

Auburn University professor of supply chain management Glenn Richey answers the below questions regarding the recent trade deal struck by the U.S., Mexico and Canada (called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA) that replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. Richey is the Harbert Eminent Scholar in supply chain management in Auburn’s Harbert College of Business. He serves as senior editor for Decision Sciences Journal and as associate editor of the Journal of Business Logistics and the Journal of Supply Chain Management.

Frank Cilluffo, a globally renowned cyber expert and director of Auburn University’s Charles D. McCrary Institute, offers the below answers regarding recent news that the U.S. could offer cyberwar capabilities to NATO allies.

Kimberly Key is a professor of accounting in the School of Accountancy in the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business. Key’s research interests are primarily in the areas of earnings management, the effect of taxes on asset prices and state taxation.  She offers the below answers that address the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling on online sales tax.