CANFIELD, OH, September 15, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Leanna Hartsough, PhD, has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Dr. Hartsough is an esteemed educator who teaches communication courses at the rank of assistant professor in the social sciences department at the University of Cincinnati (UC) Clermont. Since joining the faculty in 2022, she has embraced her diverse responsibilities in teaching, professional development, and service. She thrives in service as the UC Clermont Communication Assessment Coordinator, ensuring that the data are utilized for the benefit of students and the college. Dr. Hartsough also served many roles, such as co-chair and event coordinator with the Training and Development Division of the National Communication Association, which honored her with the prestigious Ross Brinkert Rising Star Award in 2023.

Dr. Hartsough is proud to contribute meaningfully to building the curriculum at UC Clermont. To this end, she partnered with Dr. Patricia Friel to submit a new course, Communicating in Problem Solving Groups, for acceptance into the undergraduate catalog. Additionally, Dr. Hartsough has further demonstrated her signature commitment to higher education through a sustained role as a part-time faculty member, teaching a master's level qualitative research methods course and serving on graduate thesis committees at Youngstown State University since 2024.

Dr. Hartsough's presence in the field has been defined by a series of key roles. Before accepting her current faculty appointments, she excelled as a teaching and research assistant at the University of Kentucky from 2018 to 2022. She deployed her knowledge by teaching communication courses and training research teams on how to effectively conduct qualitative research. In these roles, Dr. Hartsough relied on critical experience gained as a higher education coordinator and inside account manager at Turning Technologies from 2017 to 2018 and as a communication foundation instructor and communication tutoring center director at Youngstown State University between 2016 and 2018.

Dr. Hartsough's academic credentials are extensive. She holds dual bachelor's degrees from Youngstown State University, one in physical education through the exercise science department and another in international business, both completed in 2016. She subsequently pursued graduate studies and earned a Master of Arts in professional communication from Youngstown State University in 2017 followed by a Doctorate in communication from the University of Kentucky in 2022. Notably, Dr. Hartsough's completion of her dissertation was singled out for the top dissertation award from the Training and Development Division of the National Communication Association. Her commitment to utilizing the research data continues as a significant career accomplishment.

Entrepreneurial accomplishments are also a key component of Dr. Hartsough's unique profile. In 2016, she launched Festival Fitness, and she has thrived as a yoga and mindfulness instructor since 2012. Additionally, she has served as a health communication consultant from 2020 - 2021. Dr. Hartsough attributes her success across distinct platforms to an ability to forge enduring connections with her students and to her varied personal experiences as a collegiate division 1 student-athlete and business owner.

She enjoys practicing and teaching yoga, meditating and dancing, and she staunchly prioritizes her role as a student mentor. She is currently in an advanced 300-hr yoga teacher training program through Studio Oxygen in Canfield. Looking toward the future, Dr. Hartsough aims to more fully integrate yogic communication into her classroom protocols while forging deeper connections with the University of Cincinnati yoga certification program development.

Dr. Hartsough was a caregiver to her husband, Adam Hanshaw, from 2017 to 2025. Adam was a 35-year-old disabled veteran when he passed away from a brain tumor on August 28, 2025. Dr. Hartsough aspires to share her story of how yoga and mindfulness in communication have contributed to strengthening her previous caregiving role. Her story and resilience will continue to deepen relationships with students, colleagues, friends, and family.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

# # #