Experts Available For Interviews During The Holiday Season

Newswise — Sixteen Texas A&M University experts from six different colleges are available to discuss holiday topics that include retail innovations, holiday giving practices, and health and food safety tips, among many others. Please contact each professor’s designated media contact to coordinate on and off-camera interviews.

Holiday Retail

• Venkatesh (Venky) Shankar, Coleman chair professor of marketing and director of research at the Center for Retailing Studies at Mays Business School, is available to discuss retail trends that include Black Friday, Cyber Monday and online holiday retail. Media contacts: Venky Shankar, 979-777-7436, or Kelli Reynolds, [email protected], 979-845-3167.
• Kelli Hollinger, marketing lecturer and director of the Center for Retailing Studies at Mays Business School, can discuss strategic marketing over the holiday season. Media contact: Kelli Reynolds, [email protected], 979-845-3167.
• Cheryl Bridges, executive professor of marketing at Mays Business School, is available to discuss retail innovation for the holiday season. Media contact: Kelli Reynolds, [email protected], 979-845-3167.

Holiday Giving

• Kyle Gammenthaler, instructor of strategic philanthropy at Texas A&M University Mays Business School, can offer year-end giving tips for nonprofits and individuals as organizations around the country make appeals for supporters to contribute to their causes. Media contact: Kelli Reynolds, [email protected], 979-845-3167.
• Stacy Eckman, clinical professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, can discuss why giving a pet at Christmas is not a very good idea. Both the pet and the owner can be unhappy. Media contact: Stacy Eckman 979-862-4216 or 421-312, or Megan Palsa at [email protected].

Holiday Health

• Marco Palma, director of the Human Behavior Lab, researches human behavior using the latest biometric tools. His expertise and recent research examines how people exercise self-control, particularly in food choices and spending decisions. Palma can explain why people fail to maintain resolutions and overspend during the holidays, and provide helpful tips to counter these tendencies. Media contact: Jeff Pool, [email protected], 979-845-6597.
• Matt Hoffman, FNP, clinical assistant professor with the Texas A&M College of Nursing offers tips to prevent overeating while still enjoying holiday meals. Media contact: Holly Shive, [email protected], 979-436-0613.
• Genny Carrillo, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor with the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health, can discuss the common asthma triggers that are hiding around the home during holidays from dusty homes and air fresheners to cold air and smoking relatives. Media contact: Holly Shive, [email protected], 979-436-0613.
• David Earnest, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at the Texas A&M College of Medicine, can discuss seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and how to avoid the winter blues. Media contact: Holly Shive, [email protected], 979-436-0613.
• Cindy Weston, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Nursing, can offer tips on how to react to feeling under the weather over the holiday season. Hot tea and bed rest may do the trick if it’s a harmless cold or allergies, but what if it’s a contagious flu? Media contact: Holly Shive, [email protected], 979-436-0613.

Food Safety

• Alison Pittman, clinical assistant professor with the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing, offers tips to keep yesterday’s dinner from being tomorrow’s nightmare when holiday feasting turns into leftovers. Media contact: Holly Shive, [email protected], 979-436-0613.
• Jenna Anding holds a teaching certificate in both agricultural sciences and biology, and is a registered and licensed dietitian, and a certified food safety professional. She can speak about how to avoid food illnesses particularly in preparing large holiday meals and safely eating leftovers.  She can also speak on making healthy eating choices over the holidays. Media contact: Jeff Pool, [email protected], 979-845-6597, or Dr. Jenna Anding, [email protected], 979-847-9228.

Holiday Travel

• Kara Jones-Schubart, DNP, FNP-BC, RN, a nurse practitioner and clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Nursing, offers tips to avoid the health risks that can occur when passengers have been seated in the upright and locked position for too long. Media contact: Holly Shive, [email protected], 979-436-0613.
• Gabriel Neal, MD, family medicine physician and clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Medicine, talks about how holiday travels can affect health. Media contact: Holly Shive, [email protected], 979-436-0613.
• John Nielsen-Gammon, the Texas state climatologist and atmospheric sciences professor, an expert on climate and meteorology. Media contact: Robyn Blackmon, [email protected], 919-845-6324.

Toy History And Technology

• Jonathan Coopersmith, a historian of technology at Texas A&M University, is available to discuss the history of technology in toys. Media contact: Heather Rodriguez, [email protected], 979-845-6061.

Santa And Reindeer

• Alice Blue-McLendon, asst. professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, can discuss Christmas and reindeer; how reindeer are unique animals unlike any other; and how likely it is that Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer is probably a female. Media contact: Alice Blue-McLendon, 979-845-6881, or Megan Palsa, executive director of communications, media and public relations in the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, 979-862-4216, [email protected].