Madison Reporter

Experts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison are available to discuss a range of topics related to Thanksgiving, including fall phenology, food safety, and holiday spending.

Stanley Temple, professor emeritus and expert on birds and wildlife conservation, can provide insights into phenology, which is the study of seasonal events in nature. He is available for contact at satemple@wisc.edu.

Food safety during Thanksgiving is another area covered by Kathleen Glass, associate director of the Food Research Institute. She offers advice on ensuring leftovers remain safe to eat. Her contact email is kglass@wisc.edu.

The UW–Madison School of Human Ecology has experts ready to discuss consumer behavior and financial decision-making during the peak retail season. Mary Beth Collins from the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies can address philanthropy and end-of-year giving amid current global events like inflation and conflict in the Middle East. She can be reached at mecollins@wisc.edu.

Nancy Wong, a professor in consumer science, can talk about the psychology behind holiday shopping decisions. Her contact information is nywong@wisc.edu.

Michael Collins, director of the Center for Financial Security, offers expertise on policies related to consumer finance and financial literacy amid inflation concerns. He is available at mcollins@wisc.edu.

Cliff Robb, department chair in consumer science, can discuss how inflation impacts holiday spending. Contact him at carobb@wisc.edu.

Megan Doherty Bea provides insights into recent trends such as "underconsumption" among consumers. She can be contacted via mbea@wisc.edu.

Melissa Bublitz focuses on socially just consumerism and evolving trends like Giving Tuesday. Reach her at mgbublitz@wisc.edu.

Belkis J. Cerrato Caceres discusses macroeconomic trends affecting consumer behavior during holidays. Her email is cerratocacer@wisc.edu.

Laura Hensen from Kohl’s Center for Retailing explores global retail industry trends and strategies for retailers during the holiday season. She can be contacted at lhensen@wisc.edu.

For more information or additional experts on news and current events, refer to the UW–Madison Experts Database.