Skip to Content
Seton Hall University

Seton Hall Experts Shape National Headlines In September

Seton Hall campusThroughout September, Seton Hall University faculty members continued to lead critical conversations across law, public policy, national security, higher education and digital privacy across local, national and international news. As major stories unfolded throughout the month, University scholars provided essential analysis to premier media outlets including FOX News, USA Today, NJ.com, TRT World and Commonweal Magazine.

The month began with a strong focus on local policy and emerging technology. Speaking to NJ-BIZ, Jack Shannon, J.D., examined how artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming higher education operations and emphasized that universities must update curricula and guidelines to instill practical AI literacy while maintaining institutional integrity. Simultaneously, Seton Hall Law professor Robert Boland, J.D., contributed to Newsday, analyzing the commercial expansion of minor league soccer on Long Island and noting how municipal zoning and facility financing remain decisive factors in long-term viability for the two franchises.

Surveillance technology also took center stage as Kishon Hickman, Sr., Ed.D., program director of Seton Hall’s Law Enforcement Executive Leadership Program, provided critical perspective on civil liberties to USA Today. Analyzing automated license plate readers such as Flock cameras, Hickman warned that mass location tracking of peaceful protesters threatens free speech, advocating for strict judicial oversight, mandatory auditing and search restrictions to prevent government overreach.

The news cycle also highlighted Seton Hall’s ongoing leadership in national security and international affairs. On FOX News, national security fellow Mohamad Mirghahari, M.A., discussed evolving global threats and detailed how the School of Diplomacy’s National Security Graduate Fellowship prepares students for high-level government service. On the legal front, Seton Hall Law professor Maggie Lewis, J.D., spoke to The Star regarding the decade-long federal racketeering trial against Huawei, highlighting the extraordinary procedural challenges facing the court.

Ethical and social issues also drove much of September's commentary. In an op-ed for NJ.com, legal scholar Khabirah Myers, J.D., examined state eviction laws, analyzing how unclear statutory frameworks around cohabitant family disputes can destabilize households. Meanwhile, in Commonweal Magazine, Jonathan Heaps, Ph.D., offered a theological critique of political polarization in higher education, warning that aligning Catholic academic institutions too closely with partisan movements risks diluting a tradition rooted in moral reflection and open intellectual inquiry.

Closing out the month, Seton Hall experts addressed major global and political developments. Representing the University on an international stage, Diplomacy professor Courtney Smith, Ph.D., participated in a live panel for TRT World during the 81st United Nations General Assembly, analyzing UN structural limitations and realistic pathways for global governance reform. Finally, political science professor Matt Hale, Ph.D., also analyzed New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill’s growing media footprint for NJ.com and discussed how strategic national visibility may be laying vital groundwork for potential statewide or national campaigns in 2028.

Select Media:

Categories: Nation and World

NEWS CATEGORIES