An Ohio State professor has discovered that the centerfold isn’t the only place of prestige in Playboy magazine.

Political science professor John Mueller, known for his defiant views on terrorism, made the list of professors on the Playboy Honor Roll published in the magazine’s annual college edition. The inaugural honor highlights 20 college professors from across the country.

“We attempted to find people on the vanguard of the country’s core issues,” said Josh Schollmeyer, senior editor of Playboy. “We contacted experts in a range of fields for their suggestions — many of these were esteemed writers, academics and contributors to the Playboy Forum.”

Mueller’s mention in the magazine labels him “a calm voice in the post-9/11 fear culture” because he urges the public to put the threat of a terrorist attack in a realistic context.

Even considering the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, he points out that the chances of being killed by an international terrorist are 1 in 800,000.

“He is an unusual and defiant voice,” said Richard Herrmann, director for the Mershon Center and distinguished professor in behavioral sciences. “He’s almost a threat deflator. He punctures our fears.”

Mueller came to OSU in 2000 as the Woody Hayes chair of National Security Studies, a position at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies. This quarter he is also teaching a seminar about the politics of security during and after the Cold War.

“He makes his lectures kind of comical in the way that he teaches,” said Meredith Asbury, a fourth-year in political science in Mueller’s class. “It’s one of the few classes I stay interested in.”

Mueller is working on a book to be titled “Terror, Security, and Money: Balancing the Risks, Benefits, and Costs of Homeland Security” in conjunction with Mark Stewart, an Australian engineer and risk analyst. Mueller said he expects the book to be controversial because it will evaluate certain aspects about homeland security.

“John is one of my most productive scholars,” Herrmann said. “He’s always had his own point of view on everything. He always points out the other side on almost everything.”

If the book is as controversial as Mueller expects, it will be one more wave in the sea of controversy he has been swimming in throughout his career.

It was that controversial and norm-puncturing style that won Mueller recognition above more than 200 professors considered for the honor.

“A lot of it came from their work, their reputation, what they published,” said Stephen Mazeika, Playboy spokesman. “A lot of the feature had to do with staying innovative and sort of staying ahead and thinking outside the box.”

Mueller’s published work extends beyond writing about international security.

The October issue also features young women from the Pacific-10 Conference and the winning entry to a college essay contest.

Mazeika said the issue is the most popular of the year.

Playboy, an American men’s magazine, has a reputation for featuring risque photos of women. But it’s also known for its goal to complement that with hard-hitting journalism.

“People like to focus on the girls and the models that we feature, but we always stand behind our writings,” Mazeika said.

Besides his work on security and international studies, Mueller has written a book analyzing the dances of American film and Broadway star Fred Astaire and has taught numerous courses about him. He has also written several musical productions that have appeared at the Shaw Festival, a major Canadian theater festival in Ontario. He has even taught dance appreciation classes through OSU’s Dance Department.

It’s “not unusual for college professors to work in more than one area,” Mueller said. “Mine may have gotten a little out of hand.”

Mueller said he was honored to be recognized for his achievements.

“It’s nice to be on this list of people who are sort of doing unusual and interesting things,” he said. “At least they didn’t ask me to do the centerfold.”