ANN ARBOR—University of Michigan experts are available to lend their insights on the U.S. vice presidential debate, which will be held Thursday, Oct. 11. The topics will address various foreign and domestic issues.

DEBATES

Aaron Kall, director of the U-M Debate Program and Debate Institute, can discuss the debates and the impact on the voters. He can be reached at (734) 239-3996 or akall@umich.edu.

Colleen Seifert, the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Psychology, is an expert on memory retrieval, problem solving, judgment and decision-making. Her recent research examined factors that cause people to resist correcting misinformation, including those about politicians and government. She can be reached at (734) 763-0210 or seifert@umich.edu.

ECONOMY

Donald Grimes, senior research associate and economist at the Institute for Research on Labor, Employment, and the Economy, specializes in economic forecasting and regional economic development, especially in Michigan and the Midwest. He can be reached at (941) 225-1304 or dgrimes@umich.edu.

CHINESE RELATIONS

Linda Lim, professor of strategy at the Ross School of Business, can discuss trade U.S. tensions with China andthe influence of domestic politics, economic policy and culture on business structure, strategy and operations. She can be reached at 734-763-0290 or lylim@umich.edu. More about Lim: www.bus.umich.edu/FacultyBios/FacultyBio.asp?id=000119685

Mary Gallagher, director of U-M’s Center for Chinese Studies, can provide analysis about how politics in the U.S. and China affect relations. Gallagher is an associate professor of political science whose research areas are Chinese politics, comparative politics of transitional and developing states, and law and society. She can be reached at 734-615-9154 metg@umich.edu. More about Gallagher: www.lsa.umich.edu/polisci/people/ci.gallaghermary_ci.detail

EUROPEAN ECONOMY

Jim Adams, professor of economics, can discuss U.S. policy responses to the ongoing European financial crisis. His research ranges broadly, from European integration to public policy toward businesses in the U.S. His recent comments about the European crisis can be viewed at www.globalportal.umich.edu/2012/09/conversations-how-fragile-is-the-euro. He can be reached at (734) 764-5273 or jimadams@umich.edu. More about Adams: www.lsa.umich.edu/econ/people/faculty/ci.adamswilliamj_ci.detail

MIDDLE EAST, AFGHANISTAN

Mark Tessler, professor of political science, can discuss U.S. policy in the Middle East. Tessler’s scholarly publications examine the political implications of attitudes and values held by ordinary citizens in the Middle East. He can be reached at (734) 615-9149 or tessler@umich.edu. More about Tessler: www.lsa.umich.edu/polisci/people/faculty/ci.tesslermark_ci.detail

Juan Cole, professor of history, can discuss the war in Afghanistan and ongoing political change in the Arab world. His research interests include the social and intellectual history of the Middle East and Muslim South Asia. He can be reached at (734) 764-6305 or jrcole@umich.edu. More about Cole: http://www.ii.umich.edu/ii/aboutus/people/ci.colejuan_ci.detail. Follow him on Twitter: @jricole.

HEALTH POLICY/LAW

Nicholas Bagley, assistant professor at the U-M Law School, teaches and writes in the areas of administrative law, regulatory theory and health law. He can be reached at (734) 615-7049 or nbagley@umich.edu.

A. Mark Fendrick, professor at the U-M Medical School and School of Public Health and co-director of the U-M Center for Value-Based Insurance Design, is an authority on the clinical and economic assessment of medical interventions, with special attention to how technological innovation influences clinical practice, benefit design and health care systems. Fendrick serves on the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee. He can be reached at (734) 647-9688 or amfen@umich.edu.

Richard Hirth, professor at the U-M School of Public Health and Medical School, can discuss how the bill may or may not function with or without the mandate. Hirth’s expertise is the general economics of health insurance. He can be reached at rhirth@umich.edu.

Peter Jacobson, director for the Center for Law, Ethics and Health at the U-M School of Public Health, can discuss any of the legal or policy implications of the health reform case. Jacobson, an attorney, is a professor of health management and policy. His research focuses on the relationship between law and health care delivery, law and public health systems, public health ethics, and health care safety net services. He can be reached at pdj@umich.edu.

Marianne Udow-Phillips, lecturer at the U-M School of Public Health and director of the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation, a nonprofit partnership between the U-M Health System and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, can discuss public and private health insurance markets and coverage. Her expertise is in health care access, coverage, quality and efficiency issues. She can be reached at (734) 998-7555 or mudow@umich.edu.

POLITICS

Michael Heaney, assistant professor of organizational studies and political science, examines the organizational dimensions of American politics. His research focuses on the role of intermediary institutions—especially interest groups, political parties and social movements—in shaping the political process and policy outcomes. He can be reached at (202) 236-3369 or mheaney@umich.edu.

Vincent Hutchings, associate professor at the U-M Institute for Social Research’s Center for Political Studies, is an expert in elections, public opinion, voting behavior and African American politics. He can be reached at (734) 764-6591 or vincenth@umich.edu.

Arthur Lupia, political science professor and senior research scientist at the ISR Center for Political Studies, deals with questions regarding voting and elections, civic competence, parliamentary governance and the role of the media and the Internet in politics. He can be reached at (734) 647-7549 or lupia@isr.umich.edu.

Michael Traugott, professor of communication studies and senior research scientist at the ISR Center for Political Studies, is an authority on political communication, public opinion, media polling and campaign surveys. He can be reached at (734) 763–4702 or mtrau@umich.edu.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Joshua Pasek, assistant professor of communication studies, has done research exploring how new media and psychological processes each shape political attitudes, public opinion and political behaviors. He can be reached at (734) 763-3185 or jpasek@umich.edu.

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