In the News - July 2 to August 4, 2025

This regular column links to the most significant stories about Webster University or that quote Webster faculty and staff members.

Bill Hall on National Polls and Protests

Bill Hall was quoted in Newsweek about two recent polls that show two Republican-controlled districts could flip to the Democrats in the mid-term elections. 

Newsweek also quoted Hall about polls that show that President Trump’s approval rating has fallen to all-time low. A second story that quotes Hall said that President Trump’s poll numbers among parents has also dropped significantly due to cuts to education and health programs. Hall’s quotes about the poll numbers were picked up the news service DNYUZ and  distributed by the Thai News Service.

Hall was interviewed by Axios about protests opposing White House policies being held in cities across the United States. That story was redistributed by MSN.  

Julie Smith Discusses AI

Julie Smith was interviewed on KMOX about AI-generated influencers on social media. 

She also was interviewed about a new phone app that allows people to take a real picture of a person and generate an AI-version of what that person would look like nude. Her interview is at the 8:24 a.m. mark. 

Additionally, she was interviewed about how people no longer feel uneasy looking at life-like AI images.

Lisa Blazer Discusses Optional Test Scores for Admissions

Vice President Lisa Blazer was interviewed by the Webster-Kirkwood Times about whether local universities and colleges are considering making SAT/ACT scores mandatory for admissions.

Geneva Campus Featured in Schools and Agents Magazine

Schools and Agents, an online magazine for education professionals who help students study abroad, ran a profile on Webster’s Geneva campus. 

Webster Student Layla Halilbasic Writes an Op-Ed

The Fulcrum, an online magazine that reports on the health of democracies around the world, published a guest column from Webster University student Layla Halilbasic about how she and her peers view the value of a democratic government. 

Joe Roberts Explains Cashback Deals

Professor Joe Roberts was quoted by WalletHub about how credit card companies can offer “cashback” deals and still make huge profits. 

Cardinals Broadcaster Touts a Program Written by Webster Students

Cardinals Broadcaster Mike Clayborn demonstrated on the pre-game show “Cardinals Insider” a score-keeping program that was built for him by two Webster University international students. The demonstration starts just shortly after the six-minute mark.