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Baylor Film Expert Featured on NPR's Marketplace to Explain Marketing of Faith-Based Films

Chris Hansen, M.F.A., associate professor and chair of Baylor University's film and digital media department, is a featured expert in this Marketplace story by Adriene Hill about the marketing of faith-based films. During the interview, Hansen discussed how Mel Gibson’s 2004 film “The Passion of the Christ” – which made more than $600 million worldwide – helped kick-start Hollywood’s interest in faith-based films. "Once ‘The Passion’ came out and did that kind of business, Hollywood was all over the idea of making films for this audience,” he said. Source:

Small businesses will suffer most from bridge collapse

The fire that burned under a bridge on I-85 North Thursday evening did more than cause a collapse of the roadway and potentially months of traffic woes. It added a cloud of smoke that blurs the future for countless businesses in the area. Goizueta Business School's Tom Smith says the disruption in traffic could create real pain for local establishments that rely on foot traffic or fresh deliveries. Source:

Financial Post: Empowering women in venture capital firms correspondingly empowers entrepreneurial women

The new U.S.-Canada council on women in business, unveiled at Justin Trudeau’s first meeting with Donald Trump last month, has been dismissed by some as little more than a symbolic photo op. But that’s a mistake. Symbols matter. Source:

Nanotechnology is huge - is it the way of the future?

Earlier this week, the International Nanotechnology and Conference took place in Tokyo, Japan. Thousands of researchers, scientists and academics attended from around the world to discuss advances in the field, applications and how nanotechnology is transforming and shaping our world for the future. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are the study and application of extremely small things and can be used across all the other science fields, such as chemistry, biology, physics, materials science and engineering. It's the stuff once only seen in movies and books. Science fiction is now reality. But what will it mean for the public, for academics and for business? The benefits seem extraordinary, but what are the cautions or consequences? Like stem cells, there was much ethical, moral and scientific concerns about their use. Today, science and how we approach the human body has been radically changed because of that research. Will nanotechnology transform the scientific world in the same way? As well, what are the economic benefits? Will we one day just see nanotechnology as an everyday occurrence in our regular lives? There are a lot of questions and this is where Missouri State University's experts can help. We have two experts who can speak to media regarding this very interesting field of research: Dr. Adam Wanekaya's research focuses on the fabrication, modification, characterization and application of nanoscale materials. He also works on integrating these materials into functional devices with specific applications in chemical sensing, biomedical sensing and remediation of heavy metals and other toxins from the environment. Dr. Robert Mayanovic works on investigating the physical and chemical properties of primarily nanophase materials in extreme environments. Both professors will be able to explain the field of nanotechnology and how it is shaping the future of technology, healthcare and the world we live in. Simply click on either of their icons to arrange an interview. Source:

There’s no app for that. Financial planning and your retirement are not a click away

Smartphones may be one of the best technological advancements of our era. In your pocket, you have you home computer, your phone and for most people – their life. Be it a cab, your bank account or a dinner reservation – anything you may need is simply a touch away. Apps have transformed service models and convenience, but not everything in life should be as simple as posting to social media or hailing a ride with Uber. A growing trend some financial experts are seeing is investing apps. People are investing small and large amounts of money through their phone. Some are minor increments, some can be substantial sums of money. Most are done without thought or advice. While convenient – what’s not clear are the fees nor the portfolios. Odds are someone is getting rich, and it might not be those investing. James Philpot is an associate professor in finance and general business, and director of the Financial Planning Program at Missouri State University. He's an expert in this area and is available to speak to media. Click on his icon to arrange an interview. Source:

A billion-dollar boost for Facebook – New accounting rules could mean huge returns for tech companies

Somewhere in California Mark Zuckerberg is smiling. That’s because earlier this week his company saw a $934 million reduction in its income-tax provision all coming from a new rule affecting the accounting for stock payments to employees. And Facebook isn’t alone. The new rules affect all companies like Microsoft and other corporations that rely on employee stock compensation as incentive. And with this week’s announcement of close to a billion dollars – expect more to get on board. But with accounting rules like this – who wins, who pays and obviously, someone out there must be making up the difference? Is this good for the economy or just another example of how enormous companies are finding ways of paying fewer and fewer taxes? Clever accounting is never simple to explain – that’s where the Kelly School of Business can help. Laureen Maynes is the Executive Associate Dean of Faculty and Research at The Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business. Laureen is an expert in the fields accounting and financial services and is a leading opinion on this topic. She can help explain how companies are reaping hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits and why it is allowed. Simply click on her icon to arrange an interview. Source:

It's up to us to make America healthy again

Health care costs continue to rise in the U.S. despite a number of approaches in government policy and the marketplace to control them during the last decade. One of the main reasons is due to the increase in unhealthy trends among our population such as chronic diseases. As the saying goes, 'Prevention is better than cure.' Instead of trying to figure out how we pay for "sick care," we should focus more on preventing it in the first place by making a conscious effort to take care of our own health and trying to achieve the six "normals.” Coined by Cleveland Clinic, this involves having normal measures in these six areas: (1) low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol at Source: