Featured Post from Hofstra University

Crowded Debate Stage

Draft

1 min

Mark LukasiewiczTomeka RobinsonRosanna Perotti

Voters have more than a year before they go to the polls to pick their next president, but the 2020 election process is already underway with ongoing Democratic primary debates that will thin a field of 20 candidates to one nominee.   Experts who can analyze debate performance and discuss how candidates can stand out in a crowd include:


Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication and a former NBC news executive who has produced live coverage of ten presidential debates. He can discuss the evolution of televised debates, the impact of moderators, and the growing dependence on entertainment elements to draw viewers.  


Tomeka Robinson, rhetoric professor and director of Hofstra’s award-winning speech and debate team. She can offer commentary on the candidates’ debate styles and overall performance. 


Rosanna Perotti, political science professor, can discuss candidates’ policy stands and the overall race for the White House.




Connect with:
Mark Lukasiewicz

Mark Lukasiewicz

Dean, The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication

Dean Lukasiewicz is a veteran producer, journalist, and media executive. Before joining Hofstra, he was SVP of specials at NBC News.

news platformsnews industryBroadcast NewsDigital MediaMedia Ethics
Tomeka Robinson

Tomeka Robinson

Senior Associate Dean, Professor of Writing Studies and Rhetoric

Dr. Robinson is an expert on effective public debate as well as health communication. She directs Hofstra's award-winning forensics team.

Public/Social AdvocacyRhetoricHealth CommunicationsArgumentation and DebateIntercultural Communication
Rosanna Perotti

Rosanna Perotti

Professor of Political Science

Professor Perotti's expertise is in American politics, including Congress, elections and political parties.

American PoliticsCongressMedia and PoliticsAmerican Political PartiesAmerican Elections
Powered by

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from Hofstra University

1 min

Is Maduro Ouster In Line with Trump’s “America First” Mantra?

In an article about the U.S.-led ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Dr. Meena Bose told Newsday that President Donald Trump’s foreign policy positions have undergone an “evolution” between his first and second terms. “When he first ran for president and started campaigning in 2015, he was very much opposed to U.S. intervention abroad,” said Dr. Bose. “His America First policy was very much against the Iraq War. He called for … economic U.S. primacy in the world, but to also kind of step back from direct engagement. And yet, we’ve seen multiple efforts from the first term and the second where the administration has been engaged in airstrikes and military action abroad.”

1 min

Analyzing the Media’s Decision to Air Partisan Address

The Associated Press interviewed Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, for the article: “Trump gave an unusually partisan White House address. Should networks have given him the TV time?" Dean Lukasiewicz said, “It’s not that the Oval Office and the White House haven’t been used for political speeches before… But, as with a great deal of what Donald Trump does as president, this was outside the norm.”

1 min

LI Schools See Improvement in Math and ELA Exams

Dr. Amy Catalano, interim dean of Hofstra University’s School of Education, was interviewed by Newsday about English language arts (ELA) and math scores improving among Long Island students in grades 3-8. The article also noted that student participation in testing has increased. On Long Island, 31.1% of students opted out of the ELA test in 2025 compared with 36.5% last year and about 41% in 2023. Experts like Dr. Catalano noted all eligible students need to take the tests or scores could mask academic gaps. “If you don’t have 100% of your kids taking the test, those results are just not reliable,” she said.

View all posts
Powered by