Webster In the News: Aug. 29, 2025
August 29, 2025
This regular column links to the most significant stories about Webster University or that quote Webster faculty and staff members.
McMullin Discusses the Falling Rate of Alcohol Consumption
National Public Radio ran a story about how alcohol consumption in the United States has fallen to a record low. Assistant Professor of Psychology Sara McMullin was quoted. The story ran on dozens of NPR affiliates across the United States.
Move-In Day Featured on Several Channels
Both KTVI (Fox 2 news) and KMOV (Channel 4 news) ran stories on Webster’s Move-in Day events. The stories included video of student volunteers helping to unload the cars of incoming freshman and transfer students. KTVI’s story included a quote from President Tim Keane. (Clips not online).
Hall Talks about Republican Party Polling, John Osoff
Bill Hall was quoted by Newsweek Magazine about how the popularity of the Republican Party has hit a new two-year low, according to the most recent national polls. The story was picked up and redistributed by MSN.
Hall also was quoted by the magazine about the chances of Democratic Senator John Osoff retaining his seat in the Georgia mid-term elections.
Julie Smith Discusses AI, Social Media for the Dead, Celebrity Scams
Julie Smith was interviewed on KMOX about an “interview” that was conducted by CNN reporter Jim Acosta that he held with an AI-generated avatar.
She also was interviewed by KMOX about people who manage the social media of deceased loved ones. The interview starts at the 8:26 a.m. mark.
Smith also discussed online celebrity scams with KMOX.
Barry Smith Discusses How Car Insurance Rates are Calculated
Barry Smith was quoted by WalletHub about how car insurance companies calculate their rates.
Belo Discusses the Challenges Ukraine Faces in Peace Talks
Professor Dani Belo was interviewed by Newsweek about potential “red lines” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may have when negotiating for peace with Russia. The story was picked up by MSNBC.