These experts from the UW–Madison faculty and staff have agreed to comment on breaking news, ongoing developments and trends in their areas of expertise. If you need help arranging interviews, email University Communications.
2024 Paris Olympic Games
The Paris 2024 Olympic games begin July 26 with events continuing until Aug. 11. Experts from UW–Madison can speak on a wide range of subjects relating to the competition.
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Shilagh Mirgain on: What we can learn from the Olympic mindset
Athletes can get far on raw physical ability, but what separates the truly elite from the rest is that they know how to use their minds. Having a strong mindset can be one of the most powerful tools for succeeding in the face of competition.
Dr. Shilagh Mirgain, a distinguished psychologist at UW Health, can discuss how we can all learn from the Olympic athlete mindset to improve our performance in challenging situations, whether it’s competing as an amateur athlete, giving a presentation at work, playing an instrument, taking a test or doing an arts and crafts project at home.
Click here for an interview with Mirgain.
Contact: egreendonner@uwhealth.org
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Mark Eppli on: Post-Olympic tourism/real estate strategy
Cities prepare for years to be ready for the Olympics. But what happens after the medals have been awarded and the athletes and fans go home?
Mark Eppli, Director of the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate at the Wisconsin School of Business, can discuss how former host cities have/can leverage their Olympic legacy to see a return-on-investment with their real estate and infrastructure investments.
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Kevin Chung on: Going for the gold – and endorsement deals
Kevin Chung, an assistant professor in marketing at the Wisconsin School of Business, has written about the value of celebrity endorsements on sales in sports and can discuss the value of an Olympic gold medal for an athlete’s brand and endorsement opportunities.
“The value of the gold vs silver medal is significant in regards to signing a new sponsorship,” Chung says. “With this being said, gold medal is now becoming more of a ‘necessary but not a sufficient condition’ for athletes as brands want to make sure medal winners are engaging AND their personalities/values align well with the brand. This is especially amplified today as athletes have their own platform to reach people where good/bad behaviors are often exhibited live.”
Experts on today’s news
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Stav Atir on: Election 2024: Gender bias in politics
Kamala vs. Trump. That's how the two presidential candidates are most often referred to. But why use her first name and his last name? And why does it matter?
“We know the first name is kind of more associated with familiarity,” Stav Atir told The Today Show, noting how first names mark a person as “more familiar approachable, and surname is a little more distant.”
Atir's joint research project, "How gender determines the way we speak about professionals," found that people are more likely to use first names for women than men.
“There are pros and cons to each of those,” she said. “But they tend to map on to gender stereotypes with women being a little more approachable, more familiar, lower status and men generally being seen as more competent, more less familiar.”
Conversely, she notes that using last names with or without titles like “Senator Harris” or “Trump” can emphasize hierarchy and respect while also creating distance.
Ativ can discuss her research and the significance of the ways we address people.
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Barry Burden on: Election 2024: New state of the race
Barry Burden is a professor of political science and director of the Elections Research Center. Burden can discuss Biden's exit from the presidential race, swing states in the Electoral College, voter turnout, politics of Wisconsin, political advertising and public perception of political parties.
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J. Michael Collins on: Election 2024: Rural poverty
The pick of J.D. Vance, author of "Hillbilly Elegy," as former President Trump's running mate has brought fresh attention to the topic of rural poverty. Experts from UW–Madison are available to comment on the issue. J. Michael Collins, director of the Center for Financial Security, can discuss new WisconSays data that shows rural areas of Wisconsin are struggling economically.
Stephen Deller, professor of agricultural and applied economics, is also available to comment on the topic.
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Andrene Wright on: Election 2024: Urban politics and Black political behavior
Andrene Wright, assistant professor of African Amerian Studies, is available for interviews about urban politics and Black political behavior.
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Alex Tahk on: Election 2024: Election news
Alex Tahk, associate professor of political science, is available to the media for interviews about the latest developments election 2024, party politics and public opinion.
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Jason Lopez on: Election 2024: Betting on the US presidency
Communication arts professors Jason Kido Lopez, a sports gaming expert, and Allison Prasch, an expert on presidential politics, are available for interviews about their study examining the impact of betting in politics and what it says about the electoral process. Lopez and Prasch wrote about the subject for The Conversation.
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Steven Wright on: Election 2024: The Voting Rights Act
Steven Wright, clinical professor of law, is available for interviews about the Voting Rights Act, its past and future, and the National Voting Registration Act. Formerly, Wright was a trial attorney in the Voting Section of the United States Department of Justice.
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Cary Forest on: UW fusion experiment achieves milestone
A fusion device at UW–Madison recently generated plasma for the first time, opening a door to making the highly anticipated, carbon-free energy source a reality.
Cary Forest, a professor of physics and who helped lead the development of the experimental fusion device, is available for interviews on the topic.
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Derrick Herndon on: Storm chasing
"Twisters," the newly released follow-up to the 1990s blockbuster about deadly tornadoes and the thrill seekers who chase them, has generated renewed interest in storm chasing.
Derrick Herndon is a researcher at UW's Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies. While his expertise is more in the realm of hurricanes, Herndon is available for interviews on the topic of storm chasing in general.
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Ajay Sethi on: Covid levels rise
Covid levels are on the rise, and President Biden tested positive this week for the virus. Ajay Sethi, professor of Population Health Sciences, is available for interviews about the news and what it means for public health.
