Sources on the Oil Spill
Loyola faculty members are available to speak on a number of topics related to the BP-Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Reporters needing assistance indentifying and securing an expert source may call the Office of Public Affairs at 504-861-5888, or Meredith Hartley, director of Public Affairs and External Relations, at 504-722-6078 or mhartley@loyno.edu.
Topics:
Impact on Wetlands and Plants
Paul Barnes, Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences and the Rev. John H. Mullahy, S.J., endowed Chair in Environmental Biology
Expertise: ecology, evolution, conservation, botany, environmental science
Can speak on: general impact of the oil spill on costal ecology
Office phone: (504) 865-2008
Donald Hauber, Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences
Expertise: plants and wetland exotic plants, common reed plants
Can speak on: general oil spill impact on wetland plants including the common reed
Office phone: (504) 865-2769
Frank Jordan, Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences
Expertise: marine biology, ecology, fisheries
Can speak on: general oil spill impact on fisheries, marine biology and coastal ecosystems
Office phone: (504) 865-3829
Robert A. "Bob" Thomas, Ph.D.
Director of the Center for Environmental Communications and Loyola Chair of Environmental Communications
Expertise: environmental communications, environmental politics, policy development
Can speak on: general oil spill impact on the coastal region, marine life, plants and wildlife
Office phone: (504) 865-2107
David A. White, Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences
Expertise: ecology, environmental issues, wetland loss, wetland plants, plant ecology
Can speak on: general impact of the oil spill on wetlands and plants
Office phone: (504) 865-2770
Impact on Wildlife (back to top)
Craig S. Hood, Ph.D.
Professor and Chairperson of Biological Sciences
Expertise: conservation biology, ecology
Can speak on: general oil spill impact on vertebrates and invertebrates and coastal ecosystems
Office phone: (504) 865-2193
Robert A. "Bob" Thomas, Ph.D.
Director of the Center for Environmental Communications and Loyola Chair of Environmental Communications
Expertise: environmental communications, environmental politics, policy development
Can speak on: general oil spill impact on the coastal region, marine life, plants and wildlife
Office phone: (504) 865-2107
Impact on Marine Life (back to top)
Frank Jordan, Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences
Expertise: marine biology, ecology, fisheries
Can speak on: general oil spill impact on fisheries, marine biology and coastal ecosystems
Office phone: (504) 865-3829
Robert A. "Bob" Thomas, Ph.D.
Director of the Center for Environmental Communications and Loyola Chair of Environmental Communications
Expertise: environmental communications, environmental politics, policy development
Can speak on: general oil spill impact on the coastal region, marine life, plants and wildlife
Office phone: (504) 865-2107
James Wee, Ph.D.
Provost Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences
Expertise: phytoplankton ecology, phycology (algae), environmental issues
Can speak on: general oil spill impact on phytoplankton
Office phone: (504) 865-2548
Impact on Business/Tourism (back to top)
Ronald Christner, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Finance
Expertise: stock market, investments, empirical study of profit opportunities on the gold platinum future spread, diversification of stock portfolios using future spreads, real estate
Can speak on: stock market, corporate finance and pension fund and other financial related issues to oil
Office phone: (504) 864-7959
Carmen Sunda, M.B.A.
Director of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center for the Greater New Orleans Region
Expertise: Marketing research, small business management, business planning
Can speak on: BP claims process, small business impact
Office phone: (504) 831-3730
Impact on Fishing/Seafood Industry
Frank Jordan, Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences
Expertise: marine biology, ecology, fisheries
Can speak on: general oil spill impact on fisheries, marine biology and coastal ecosystems
Office phone: (504) 865-3829
Dispersants and Chemicals (back to top)
Kurt Birdwhistell, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry
Expertise: inorganic chemistry, green chemistry
Can speak on: chemical reactions with the oil, dispersants
Office phone: (504) 865-3272
Health Concerns (back to top)
Ann Cary, Ph.D.
Professor of Nursing and Director of the School of Nursing
Expertise: nursing administration, environmental health
Can speak on: health effects resulting from the oil spill
Office phone: (504) 865-2579
Political Issues Surrounding the Spill (back to top)
Peter Burns, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science
Expertise: politics, elections and polls, Louisiana politics, public policy, urban issues
Can speak on: politics of the oil spill
Office phone: (504) 865-2299
Sean Cain, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Expertise: politics, campaigns and elections, American national politics
Can speak on: politics of the oil spill
Office phone: (504) 865-2492
Governance and Accountability (back to top)
Vincenzo Sainato, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Program Director, Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration
Expertise: critical incident and disaster analysis, governance and accountability
Can speak on: accountability and oversight of government agencies involved with oil spill or economic impacts
Office phone: (504) 865-2665
Stock Market/Corporate Finance (back to top)
Ronald Christner, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Finance
Expertise: stock market, investments, empirical study of profit opportunities on the gold platinum future spread, diversification of stock portfolios using future spreads, real estate
Can speak on: stock market, corporate finance and pension fund and other financial related issues to oil
Office phone: (504) 864-7959
Tax Issues and Bankruptcy (back to top)
Patrick M. Lynch, C.P.A.
Assistant Professor of Accounting
Expertise: fraud, forensic accounting, financial accounting, taxation, insurance
Can speak on: bankruptcy, accounting and related tax issues to oil spill
Office phone: (504) 864-7974
William Neilson, LL.M.
Associate Professor of Law
Expertise: taxation, business law, successions, trusts, estates
Can speak on: tax issues related to payments BP is making to various third parties
Office phone: (504) 861-5668
BP Escrow Fund (back to top)
Mitchell Crusto, J.D.
Professor of Law
Expertise: civil rights, corporate governance, entrepreneurship, insurance, Louisiana law, real estate, U.S. Constitution, U.S. Supreme Court.
Can speak on: disaster and environmental management, BP escrow fund
Office phone: (504) 861-5743
Oil Spill Claims and Liability (back to top)
Dane Ciolino, J.D.
Alvin R. Christovich Distinguished Professor of Law
Expertise: legal and judicial ethics
Can speak on: criminal responsibility, civil lawsuits and liability surrounding oil spill
Office phone: (504) 861-5652
Blaine G. LeCesne
Associate Professor of Law
Expertise: criminal law
Can speak on: tort or litigation issues related to the BP incident
Office phone: (504) 861-5676
Denise M. Piliι, J.D.
Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor of Law
Expertise: civil arbitration
Can speak on: mediating and/or arbitrating oil spill claims
Office phone: (504) 861-5697
Environmental Ethics/Politics (back to top)
John Clark, Ph.D.
Gregory F. Curtin Distinguished Professor in Humane Letters and the Professions, and Professor of Philosophy
Expertise: environmental philosophy, environmental ethics, social ethics, and political ecology
Can speak on: social and environmental ethics of the oil spill
Office phone: (504) 865-2790
Anthony Ladd, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology
Expertise: socio-environmental impacts of environmental controversies and disasters on communities
Can speak on: socio-economic impacts of the spill and its comparisons to Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, the oil industry, its history in dealing with accidents, dependency on fossil fuels
Office phone: (504) 865-3640
Robert A. "Bob" Thomas, Ph.D.
Director of the Center for Environmental Communications and Loyola Chair of Environmental Communications
Expertise: environmental communications, environmental politics, policy development
Can speak on: general oil spill impact on the coastal region, marine life, plants and wildlife
Office phone: (504) 865-2107
Crime and Disaster (back to top)
Rae Taylor, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice
Expertise: lethal and non-lethal intimate partner violence and other violent crimes, societal and organizational responses to violent crime, social inequalities, research methodology, and criminological and sociological theory
Can speak on: domestic violence in the context of disaster, including the hightened risk factors associated with disaster experience
Office phone: (504) 865-2041
William Thornton, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology
Expertise: crime/criminology, tourist crime victimization, robbery, murder, domestic violence, death sentence/penalty, criminal justice policy, violent crime
Can speak on: crime in the contest of disaster; disaster rape, victimization of relief workers
Office phone: (504) 865-2134
Disaster Management (back to top)
Mitchell Crusto, J.D.
Professor of Law
Expertise: civil rights, corporate governance, entrepreneurship, insurance, Louisiana law, real estate, U.S. Constitution, U.S. Supreme Court.
Can speak on: disaster and environmental management, BP escrow fund
Office phone: (504) 861-5743
Vincenzo Sainato, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Program Director, Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration
Expertise: critical incident and disaster analysis, governance and accountability
Can speak on: accountability and oversight of government agencies involved with oil spill or economic impacts
Office phone: (504) 865-2665
Sociological Impacts (back to top)
Anthony Ladd, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology
Expertise: socio-environmental impacts of environmental controversies and disasters on communities
Can speak on: socio-economic impacts of the spill and its comparisons to Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, the oil industry, its history in dealing with accidents, dependency on fossil fuels
Office phone: (504) 865-3640
Jeanne Woods, J.D.
Henry F. Bonura, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law
Expertise: civil liberties, national security
Can speak on: human rights dimensions of the oil spill
Office phone: (504) 861-5424
Media and Oil Spill Coverage (back to top)
David Zemmels, M.F.A.
Assistant Professor of Digital Communication and Director of Digital Technology
Expertise: communications, mass communication, popular culture, technology
Can speak on: general implications that media and social network technology has on the oil spill
Office phone: (504) 865-3632
