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Baylors Benjamin Franklin Scholars Bring Light to Complex Figure

Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was a complex man. Among his many roles, he was a businessman, entrepreneur, inventor, journalist, author, printer, editor, politician, postmaster, statesman, ambassador and signer of the Declaration of Independence. And even with a treasure trove of accomplishments, sometimes the Franklin legends are bigger than Franklin the man – and it’s taken an army of historians and scholars throughout the centuries to sort it out. As July 4 Independence Day approaches, Baylor University's two Franklin scholars share different perspectives of Franklin, his faith and his business acumen: Thomas S. Kidd, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of History and associate director of Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion Blaine McCormick, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the management department in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business Both have penned Franklin books and both have been featured nationally for their research on the Founding Father. Kidd’s 2017 book, “Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father,” has received high marks for its analysis of Franklin’s beliefs. From his Puritan upbringing to deism, skepticism and more, the book explores the influences and evolution of faith throughout Franklin’s life. “In today’s polarized political and religious environment, some pundits seek to remake the Founding Fathers in their own image. Benjamin Franklin’s example reveals that the historical truth is often more complicated,” Kidd wrote in a May 2017 column for The Wall Street Journal. McCormick, who wrote “Ben Franklin: America’s Original Entrepreneur,” discovered a passion to study the Founding Father after listening to an audiobook of Franklin’s autobiography. “Franklin could do things as a statesman, and understand things, and achieve things as a statesman, because he had achieved things in the marketplace first,” he said. “I’ve yet to find a better book for businesspeople to learn about how to run a business in the American Experiment. He wrote the autobiography to help train people in the life of business. Many of the principles are still very robust.” And the way he shared those principles (many of which have been misquoted and made into memes through the decades) is important, McCormick said. “Franklin used sentences no longer than a Tweet to train generations of colonial businesspeople,” he said. “They were short. They were memorable. They were high-impact.” ABOUT THOMAS KIDD, PH.D. Thomas S. Kidd, Ph.D., serves as Distinguished Professor of History and associate director of Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion. His books include “Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Lie of a Founding Father, “American Colonial History: Clashing Cultures and Faiths,” “Baptists in America: A History,” “George Whitefield: America’s Spiritual Founding Father,” “Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots,” “God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution,” “American Christians and Islam” and “The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America.” He has written for outlets including The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. ABOUT BLAINE MCCORMICK, PH.D. Blaine McCormick, Ph.D., serves as chair of the management department in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, is a nationally recognized scholar on the business practices of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison. McCormick is interviewed frequently across all forms of media including Forbes, The New York Times, CNN, public radio, and ABC World News Tonight. He often travels to developing countries to teach business lessons to undereducated entrepreneurs using only a bottle of Coca-Cola as a teaching aid. A native Texan, McCormick grew up working in the cotton fields of West Texas. Before joining the Baylor faculty, he worked in Dallas and Plano for ARCO Oil & Gas Company as a human resource management professional. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

Multiracial Congregations Have Nearly Doubled, But They Still Lag Behind the Makeup of Neighborhoods

About one in five American congregants attends a racially mixed place of worship, Baylor University study find The percentage of multiracial congregations in the United States nearly doubled from 1998 to 2012, with about one in five American congregants attending a place of worship that is racially mixed, according to a Baylor University study. While Catholic churches remain more likely to be multiracial — about one in four — a growing number of Protestant churches are multiracial, the study found. The percentage of Protestant churches that are multiracial tripled, from 4 percent in 1998 to 12 percent in 2012, the most recent year for which data are available. In addition, more African-Americans are in the pulpits and pews of U.S. multiracial churches than in the past, according to the study. Multiracial congregations are places of worship in which less than 80 percent of participants are of the same race or ethnicity. “Congregations are looking more like their neighborhoods racially and ethnically, but they still lag behind,” said lead author Kevin D. Dougherty, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. “The average congregation was eight times less diverse racially than its neighborhood in 1998 and four times less diverse in 2012.” “More congregations seem to be growing more attentive to the changing demographics outside their doors, and as U.S. society continues to diversify by race and ethnicity, congregations’ ability to adapt to those changes will grow in importance,” said co-author Michael O. Emerson, Ph.D., provost of North Park University in Chicago. For the study, Dougherty and Emerson analyzed data from the National Congregations Study, a nationally representative survey conducted in 1998, 2006-2007 and 2012, with a cumulative sample of 4,071 congregations. The study by Dougherty and Emerson — “The Changing Complexion of American Congregations” — is published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. The study found that: One-third of U.S. congregations were composed entirely of one race in 2012, down from nearly half of U.S. congregations in 1998. Multiracial congregations constituted 12 percent of all U.S. congregations in 2012, up from 6 percent in 1998. The percentage of Americans worshipping in multiracial congregations climbed to 18 percent in 2012, up from 13 percent in 1998. Mainline Protestant and Evangelical Protestant churches have become more common in the count of multiracial congregations, but Catholic churches continue to show higher percentages of multiracial congregations. One in four Catholic churches was multiracial in 2012. While whites are the head ministers in more than two-thirds (70 percent) of multiracial congregations, the percentage of those led by black clergy has risen to 17 percent, up from fewer than 5 percent in 1998. Blacks have replaced Latinos as the most likely group to worship with whites. In the typical multiracial congregation, the percentage of black members rose to nearly a quarter in 2012, up from 16 percent in 1998. Meanwhile, Latinos in multiracial congregations dropped from 22 percent in 1998 to 13 percent in 2012. The percentage of immigrants in multiracial congregations decreased from over 5 percent in 1998 to under 3 percent in 2012. Previous research shows that congregations have adopted varying ways to encourage racial diversity, among them integrating music genres, using more participatory worship, hosting small groups to foster interracial networks and creating programs to address racial or ethnic issues. Churches with shorter histories are more likely to have diversity, and change is harder to bring about in long-established congregations. The new study by Dougherty and Emerson concluded that the complexion of American congregations is indeed changing — and the authors see benefits for American society. “During a several-year period of heightened racial tensions, the growth of multiracial congregations is a dramatic development,” Emerson said. “Such congregations are places of significantly increased cross-racial friendships and cross-racial common experiences.” ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 25 academic departments and seven academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines.

Surveying Patients about Health Care Providers Is Likely of Little Use

But a newly developed questionnaire delves more deeply and may provide valuable information, Baylor University study finds For anyone who has ever taken a survey after a medical appointment and wondered whether the effort was worthwhile, the answer is probably “No,” says a Baylor University psychologist and researcher. Health care providers are pushing to assess patient satisfaction, and many companies charge millions of dollars to assess patients for the providers. But while the intentions are great, “when I started looking at the instruments currently being used to assess doctor-patient relationships, it became apparent they were highly problematic and not providing useful information,” said Keith Sanford, Ph.D. professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. After conducting a series of studies to clarify problems with existing scales, Sanford — a scholar of psychometrics who develops assessment instruments — has created a new tool to measure patient experience during consultations, and research findings suggest it works better than others. The research — “Medical Consultation Experience Questionnaire: Assessing Perceived Alliance and Experienced Confusion During Medical Consultations” — was published in Psychological Assessment, a journal of the American Psychological Association, and funded in part by a grant from Baylor College of Medicine. Working with Baylor University psychologists were physicians with Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine. The new instrument — the Medical Consultation Experience Questionnaire (MCEQ) — measures two aspects of patient experience — “alliance” and “confusion.” Researchers stressed that it addresses the consultation, not treatment results. Practitioners strive for a good alliance, in which the patient sees the practitioner as committed, competent and dedicated to understanding patient desires and views. Another goal is good exchange of information to avoid confusion. But in attempting to measure how well those goals are being met, some questionnaires have limited options that may result in skewed results, Sanford said. For example, one survey offers respondents a 4-point scale in which the answers range from “always” to "never” to such questions as “How often did doctors listen carefully to you?” Another existing assessment instrument asks respondents to use a 5-point scale — from “poor” to “excellent” — to rate practitioner communication in such areas as whether they were treated with respect. The problem is that most respondents choose the top response for each item, with fewer than 5 percent choosing the bottom option, previous research has shown. While such a scale can identify “highly disgruntled” patients, “it cannot make reliable distinctions between patients having experiences ranging from marginally acceptable to extremely positive,” researchers wrote. “The key question is whether a ‘good doctor’ is a single thing or whether there is a range of goodness,” Sanford said. “If you ask the right questions, you’re able to get results that show that range.” To evaluate the new questionnaire, researchers conducted three studies with a total of 576 participants. They compared responses to the new survey with those participants’ responses to other questionnaires. Respondents ranged from adults with diabetes and/or hypertension to parents of children requiring plastic surgery (for such conditions as a cleft palate or facial injury) to parents of children with medical conditions meeting one or more of such criteria as having to go to an emergency room, spend time in a hospital, cope with a chronic condition or deal with a life-threatening condition. The study results support the validity of the new questionnaire in several important ways. It allows for measuring a wider range of patient experiences with more extensive and specific responses, making for better assessment of “alliance” and “confusion” — rather than merely identifying only the most dissatisfied or angry patients, Sanford said. “One of the reasons this is so important is if you don’t form an alliance with your practitioner, they may give you all the wonderful advice in the world, but you might not follow it, or you might be skeptical,” Sanford said. “And if you don’t quite understand what you are supposed to do, that will interfere with your doing the recommended actions.” Sanford noted that because the study relied on self-reported data and sampled only three groups with varying medical conditions, future research on patients with other health issues could be valuable. Tracking such outcomes as physiological measurements or frequency of attending rehabilitation sessions also could be of value, he said. “My hope is that people who use these surveys might realize that just as there is a science behind medical treatment, there is a science behind getting good survey reports,” Sanford said. “We want to make this available freely to anyone who wants to administer it.” *Co-researchers were Alannah Shelby Rivers, doctoral candidate in psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University; Dr. Tara L. Braun and Kelly P. Schultz, Division of Plastic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine; and Dr. Edward P. Buchanan, Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston and Division of Plastic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 25 academic departments and seven academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines. Visit www.baylor.edu/artsandsciences.

Environmental Scientists Identify Most Pressing Issues Posed by Chemicals in the Environment in Europe

Environmental scientists have identified 22 key research questions surrounding the risks associated with chemicals in the environment in Europe. Chemicals released into the environment by human activity are resulting in biodiversity loss; increased natural hazards; threats to food, water and energy security; negative impacts on human health and degradation of environmental quality. Now an international study, coordinated by scientists from the University of York, Wageningen University and Baylor University, has identified the most important research questions that need to be answered to fill the most pressing knowledge gaps over the next decade. They include questions about which chemicals we should be most concerned about and where the hotspots of key contaminants are around the globe, as well as how we can develop methods to protect biodiversity and ecosystems. The research, which resulted from a recent "big questions" exercise involving researchers from across Europe, aims to serve as a roadmap for policymakers, regulators, industry and funders and result in a more coordinated approach from the European environmental science community to chemicals in the environment. “Our research has highlighted international scientists' research priorities and our key knowledge gaps when it comes to the risks and impacts of chemicals,” said one of the lead authors of the study Alistair Boxall, Ph.D., with the University of York’s environment department. “The study aims to help focus scientific effort on the questions that really matter and inform decisions about the type of research needed to update policies and regulations.” Bryan W. Brooks, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science and Biomedical Studies at Baylor University, who also coordinates a much larger global horizon scanning exercise, said the project is “intentionally transparent, inclusive of multiple sectors and multidisciplinary.” “Though this paper focuses on critical research needs for Europe, we partnered with the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry to perform similar studies in North America, Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America,” Brooks said. “In fact, output from the Latin American study was recently published. This unprecedented exercise, which also includes a key partnership with the American Chemical Society in North America, is for the first time identifying global research priorities from academic, government and industry scientists and engineers to understand, avoid and manage adverse outcomes of chemicals in the environment.” A key suggestion in the report is that the basic and translational research is needed to advance robust assessments of chemical risks to the environment and human health. “These big research questions aim to reduce uncertainty during scientific evaluations of environmental contaminants and to advance innovation and sustainability through development of less hazardous chemicals to public health and the environment. Such research recommendations from our European colleagues are thus timely, necessary and internationally important if we are to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals,” Brooks said. Towards Sustainable Environmental Quality: Priority Research Questions for Europe is published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. It is one of six papers in a global horizon scanning study. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 25 academic departments and seven academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines.

Vielight Pilot Study Featured in AARP Magazine

Light Therapy Offers Bright New Remedies for Alzheimers The Vielight technology and pilot study was mentioned in an article by the American Association for Retired People. Dr Hamblin, a principal investigator at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, spoke briefly about the pilot study’s protocol and results in 2015. For more information please reference the work Vielight is doing to investigate the benefits of photobiomodulation in the following: Read the AARP article here : Link Read our 2015 pilot study here : Link Current Vielight clinical trials : Link Disclaimer: Please note that the technologies are still being studied in clinical trials are not approved by any national regulatory body for the treatment of specific medical conditions.

In Georgia governor's race, women could cast deciding vote

With the 2018 midterm elections looming less than a month away, Georgia gubernatorial candidates Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp are neck-and-neck according to the latest Atlanta Journal Constitution/Channel 2 poll. In an election year with record voter registration numbers in the Peach State—and amid allegations of voter suppression—women voters could cast the deciding vote. But for which side? To find the answer, says Dr. Mary-Kate Lizotte, associate professor of political science at Augusta University, look to the issues. “Women, in particular Republican and Independent women, differ from men of the same party on the issues of government spending on childcare, public schools, welfare, social security, and aiding the homeless,” Lizotte said. “Women typically favor increased spending on the issues.” Examining data from 1994 to 2008, Lizotte, an expert on gender differences relating to public opinion, found that women are also more liberal than men of the same party on the issues of gay rights, government-guaranteed standard of living, and on the provision of more government services. “For races where these issues have become salient, it might be the case that women would be more likely to be motivated to turn out to vote and to vote for candidates that have liberal positions on these issues,” she said.   That could be excellent news for the Abrams campaign, which has emphasized public education funding. “Women in Georgia who believe in increasing public education funding should be more likely to vote for Abrams,” Lizotte said. “This may also be the case for several House races where the issue of tax reform and tax cuts has become salient.” The confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court earlier this month could also sway election results, albeit in less clearly defined ways. Lizotte said the confirmation could either motivate conservative women voters to turn out or, alternatively, dissuade Republican women with Pro-Choice leanings from voting entirely. The expectation is a little more cut-and-dry for liberal women voters. “The Kavanaugh confirmation is just one more reason to expect an increase in voter turnout among liberal women,” she said. “The Women's March in 2017 and 2018 along with the increase in female interest in running for office all indicate that the Trump election and presidency had already galvanized liberal women voters.” Finally, Lizotte said, although white women are divided politically—with college-educated white women swaying Left and those without a college degree favoring the Right—there was no such division among African American women voters. “And as we've seen, African American women turnout at high rates and can influence elections like the Alabama Senate race,” she said. Dr. Lizotte is available to discuss: "Gender gaps" on various issues leading up to the 2018 midterm elections The role of women voters in State and National elections The perception of voters, in terms of public opinion, toward candidates in Georgia's gubernatorial election.

The Storm After the Storm: Scam Contractors Who Prey on Those Suffering After a Natural Disaster

‘The key is to get a lawyer to look at the contract before you sign it,’ Baylor legal expert says WACO, Texas (Oct. 11, 2018) – Following a natural disaster or strong storm like Hurricane Michael, there is usually a second wave of potential destruction – scam artists looking to line their pockets. “After any major weather-related incident, insurance adjusters and contractors swarm the affected area and, unfortunately, some are looking to take advantage of those in distress,” said Stephen Rispoli, L.L.M, J.D., assistant dean of student affairs and pro bono programs at Baylor Law School. As an attorney, he works with victims of insurance scams. Rispoli said most contractors are legitimate businesspeople helping neighbors rebuild. But there are the unscrupulous ones whose practices inflict financial and emotional pain on people already suffering from storm damage. “The primary result of these scams is financial loss,” Rispoli said. “The homeowners may pay much, much more than they should have to fix the damage, sometimes having to pay multiple contractors for the same work. Sadly, in some cases, homeowners could even lose their homes.” In this Q&A, Rispoli shares some tips to help those reeling from storm damage identify and avoid scammers. Q: Who are the most common victims? A: The most common targets are those in distress following a major storm, the elderly and the disabled. Q: How will scam artists approach a potential victim? A: Usually, contractors will approach homeowners they know have been affected. This happens as simply as the contractor driving through neighborhoods looking for damaged homes. Let’s say, for example, they see a damaged roof with a homeowner standing outside looking at it. They’ll quickly pull over and offer to tarp the roof to prevent damage. The homeowner, already distressed by the storm and the damage to the house, agrees. Once the tarp is on, the contractor then starts asking questions about insurance coverage, which insurance company has insured the house, and helpfully offering his or her opinion on how much it will cost to fix the damage. Unscrupulous contractors will try to take advantage of this situation by pressing the homeowner to sign a contract with them. I have even seen cases where the contractor left all the blanks in the form contract unfilled, including the work to be done and the price, saying things like, “Don’t worry about that, we’ll talk to your insurance company and get it all taken care of, just sign it.” Once the unscrupulous contractor has a signed contract, they can fill in the blanks at their leisure. At this point, they are in total control – they know how much the insurance company will pay, and they can try to squeeze the homeowner for more money by charging too much or with add-ons that may or may not be necessary. Q: What are some of the potential losses victims can suffer? A: Financially, victims could lose money by paying more – sometimes much more – than they should for repairs. Or, in extreme cases, they could even lose their homes. That could happen if the homeowner signs a contract with the contractor that contains a mechanic’s or materialman’s lien provision. Under these provisions, contractors can file a lien with the county for work done on the house to ensure payment. If the homeowner does not pay the contractor the amount owed under the contract, the contractor can seek to foreclose on the house to recover the amount owed. Q: What about dealing with the insurance company? A: It’s important that you cooperate with your insurance company and your adjustor. Call your insurance company as soon as you can. Waiting to file a claim may make the process take longer or complicate matters. You should be responsive to their requests, but don’t be afraid to ask questions if you have them. Be sure to take photographs of any damage or evidence of the storm if it’s safe to do so. After your initial conversation with your insurance company, the company will send an adjustor out and will give you a quote. However, after you’ve had two or three contractors come out and give you estimates, if the adjustor’s quote looks too low, don’t be afraid to ask for another adjustor to come out and give you a quote. You should feel comfortable with the process as you move forward. Q: Is it illegal or unethical for contractors to file liens? A: It is not necessarily unscrupulous for contractors to include a mechanic’s or materialman’s lien provision in the contract. Generally, creditors cannot foreclose on a person’s homestead in Texas. The purpose of a mechanic’s or materialman’s lien provision is to protect the contractor should the homeowner wrongfully refuse to pay for work done on a homestead. On large jobs where several thousands of dollars are at stake, the contractor may rightfully want to make sure that they can be paid for the job. Whether they are appropriate can only be decided on a case-by-case basis. Q: Are there red flags people should look for when presented with a contract? A: Do not sign a contract you are not comfortable with. There are several red flags to look for: pressure to sign a contract, giving you little time to think about it, refusing to let you take the contract to a lawyer, and asking to collect the money directly from the insurance company or pressuring you to give them the check from the insurance company. Q: How do people know if the repair costs presented to them are too high? A: Be sure to get written estimates from several (at least three) contractors. By getting three estimates, you’ll have a better idea of how much the repair should cost. Any estimates that are way lower or way higher than the others are good indications that something is off. If that happens, get another estimate from a different contractor. Do not be afraid to ask contractors to come give you an estimate. It is a normal part of their job, and good contractors will not mind taking the time to do it. Q: How do you know if a contractor is legitimate? A: Do your homework on the contractors. Ask for references and call them, and check with the Better Business Bureau. Be cautious when dealing with contractors who are not from your area, and extra cautious if they are not from Texas or will not provide local references. Q: Contractors often ask for upfront money, don’t they? A: Once the contract is signed and the work begins, be sure to control the money. The contractor will likely ask you to pay some of the contract up front so that they can begin to purchase materials and hire the crew to work on your repair. Try to pay as little as possible. You do not want to give them the bulk of the money up front, because then the incentive to get the job done quickly is diminished. After the job starts, ask the contractor to give you, in writing, progress reports when they ask for more money. Do not pay more than the progress report. Do not give the contractor the final payment until all the work is done. Q: If someone feels they’ve been taken advantage of, are there legal steps they can take? A: The key here is to get a lawyer to look at the contract before you sign it. Once the contract is signed, it will be difficult for a lawyer to undo the damage. If the contractor is trying to foreclose on the home using a mechanic’s or materialman’s lien, a lawyer may be able to save your home. There are several Texas Constitutional and statutory protections for homeowners. If the contractor did not strictly follow the steps necessary to properly attach a lien, a lawyer may be able to keep the foreclosure from happening. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT BAYLOR LAW SCHOOL Established in 1857, Baylor Law was one of the first law schools in Texas and one of the first west of the Mississippi River. Today, the school has more than 7,400 living alumni. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Baylor Law has a record of producing outstanding lawyers, many of whom decide upon a career in public service. Baylor Law boasts two governors, members or former members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, two former directors of the FBI, U.S. ambassadors, federal judges, justices of the Texas Supreme Court and members of the Texas Legislature among its notable alumni. In its law specialties rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Baylor Law’s trial advocacy program as one of the top 5 in the nation. Baylor Law School also is ranked No. 50 in the magazine’s 2019 edition of “America’s Best Graduate Schools.” The National Jurist ranks Baylor Law as one of the “Best School for Practical Training” and No. 4 in the nation in its most recent “Best Law School Facilities” listing. The Business Insider places Baylor Law among the top 50 law schools in the nation. Baylor Law School received the 2015 American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award, making it only the third law school in the nation to be honored with the award since the award’s inception in 1984. Learn more at baylor.edu/law.

Cloudhopper - What is it and should we worry?

Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning that a Beijing based group of hackers -dubbed ‘cloudhopper’ was mounting a potential cyber-attack on American based institutions. The Chinese government has denied these claims vigorously and stated that China does not support hacking. So, what is cloudhopper? What businesses and institutions are most vulnerable? And does America need to increase its focus on cyber-security and digital threats? There are a lot of questions – and only a few leading experts who can help explain the situation. That’s where Cedarville can help. Dr. Seth Hamman is an assistant professor of computer science at Cedarville. Seth is an expert in cybersecurity education.  Dr. Hamman is available to speak with media – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.

Cities value cybersecurity but budget prevents investment

Although city governments increasingly rely on software programs to provide services such as 911 calls, service delivery and online bill payment, they may not have the proper cybersecurity policies in place to protect their systems, according to a recent nationwide survey of cities by Augusta University researchers. “We’re concerned first with the human factor of all issues,” said Dr. William Hatcher, director of Augusta University’s Master of Public Administration program and one of the survey’s authors. “Having trained employees is necessary to stop attacks or even make sure organizations are not tricked through phishing type schemes.” Almost 30 percent of surveyed cities have no formal cybersecurity policy, which would include rules on password creation, guidelines for employee training on computer security and procedures for reviewing the list of employees with access to sensitive systems, according to the survey. Of the cities that have a formal policy, the survey found that: - 17 percent don’t require in-depth background checks when employees are granted access to sensitive systems. - 18 percent don’t teach employees to recognize breaches. - 37 percent don’t provide ongoing training to employees on new computer security procedures. - 47 percent don’t review the list of employees who have security access on a regular basis. - 54 percent don’t work with an outside auditor to review their policies on an annual basis. The survey looked into cities nationwide with more than 10,000 people and received responses from 193 local governments. Based on the results of the survey, Hatcher says most cities understand the importance of cybersecurity but are not investing in vulnerable areas due to financial constraints. “Providing effective cybersecurity protection is expensive, and many municipalities have financial issues paying for the service,” Hatcher said. Hatcher ‘s research focuses on the connection between public administration and the development of local communities. Through his research, he tries to understand why public administration scholars and practitioners often have different views about the efficacy of certain administrative practices. His research has appeared in journals such as American Journal of Public Health, Journal of Public Affairs Education, Public Administration Quarterly and The Review of Regional Studies. Contact us to schedule an interview with Dr. Hatcher or learn more about his expertise. Source:

Bigly: the effect of Trump's rhetoric on national security

Going against the findings of his own intelligence community, President Donald Trump has called Russian meddling into the 2016 U.S. presidential election a “hoax.” In a recent turn of events, though, the president accused China of interfering with the midterm elections. Has President Trump’s rhetoric on the intelligence community and hesitancy to hold Russia accountable influenced countries, such as China, to also try meddling in U.S. elections? “If people and foreign officials start believing President Trump’s rhetoric, there is a possibility, that we will face issues of doubt and trust concerning U.S. policy and commitments,” said Craig Albert, an expert in U.S.-Russian security affairs, director of the master of arts in intelligence and security studies and associate professor of political science at Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Augusta University. “Also, President Trump’s rhetoric helps prop up Vladimir Putin as being equal in stature to the leader of the free world and gives Kremlin and Putin greater credibility with Russian citizens and the near abroad.” Midterm elections are on the horizon, and Putin will continue election meddling regardless of Trump’s actions or rhetoric, Albert said. “Russia, under Putin’s leadership, will continue to increase its cyber activity against all sectors of the U.S., including and especially into the cognitive hacking of our electoral process,” he said. Cognitive hacking is when fake sources are used to spread fake news on social media. The success of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election is emboldening other actors, like China. “Non-state actors like ISIS and Al Qaeda feel empowered to engage in both cognitive and source hacking in order to shift American public opinion,” Albert said. “We already believe China and Iran have engaged in similar operations. It won’t be long before ISIS utilizes the same type of intelligence operations because they are low risk, extremely high reward operations. Albert is available to discuss: • How President Trump’s rhetoric affects the U.S. intelligence community • How Trump’s apparent support for Russia empowers Putin and the Kremlin to continue meddling into U.S. elections • How Russia’s actions are emboldening other non-state actors • Why Trump’s denial of Russian meddling into U.S. elections can further damage U.S. relations with its allies Contact us to schedule an interview with Albert or to learn more about his expertise. Source: