One of Ironton’s best-kept secrets may soon be a name known all across the country.

David Lucas, a communications studies professor at Ohio University Southern, was featured last week on CNN in an examination of an African-American gravesite he recently uncovered with students in his folknography classes.

The national news network ran a story that had been originally broadcast by local TV station WSAZ.

“CNN called and wanted permission to use that report on the national CNN outlet,” Lucas said. “Naturally, I told them to go for it!”

The broadcast is just the latest honor heaped on Lucas, who in the past year was named OU’s best regional professor, published his first textbook, and taught classes throughout Asia at Harvard.

“I am happy and humbled by this attention, yet such national notice confirms our research and certainly provides our students with incentives to keep up their work,” Lucas said. “We are proud of our university, and I am proud of the work we do here.”

More than increasing his own profile, Lucas said he hopes the story will continue to spread the message that his school is a serious contender when it comes to research.

“Few people think about the fact that Ohio University is a research university,” Lucas said. “That includes our regional campuses too. We do research and this is just one example of how that research can impact our community, the region or even the nation.

“That’s why they call this higher education.”

For those who may have missed the broadcast, a complete transcript is available online at http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/21/lol.03.html.