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Oct 24, 2012

DePaul University Experts Available to Comment on Presidential and Other Elections

DePaul University faculty experts are available to provide expert analysis of the presidential election and the key issues in the race, including the economy, foreign and domestic policy and the impact of negative campaigning. DePaul University, the largest Catholic university in the United States, has an array of experts available to provide context and insight on the presidential election.

 

Professors available to comment include:

 

Patricia Bombard, BVM, professor of public service and director of Vincent on Leadership: The Hay Project. She can discuss how understanding of leadership has changed in recent decades; values-centered leadership; and the relationship of spirituality and human development to ethics and leadership. Former journalist and aide to former U.S. Rep. Robert McClory. She can be reached at 312-362-5522 or pbombard@depaul.edu.

 

Kathy Dhanda, associate professor, management. She can discuss climate change legislation. She can be reached at (312) 362-8846 or kdhanda@depaul.edu.

 

Bruce Evensen, professor of communication. Evensen can discuss the impact of gender, race, ageism and the urban-rural divide on the presidential race, as well as economic uncertainties and the ongoing war on terror. He can also discuss how new media is changing how Americans access news about campaign issues and developments. He can discuss public perception of the press and the political process, the link between press credibility and voter confidence, and the effect of negative attack ads on public perception. He also can discuss media coverage of the campaign and the role of religion in the political race. Evensen can be reached at (773) 325-2894 or bevensen@depaul.edu.

 

David Franklin, assistant professor of law. He is an expert on presidential power, separation of powers, separation of church and state, and the United States Supreme Court. Franklin is one of President Obama’s former law students and a former clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He can be reached at (773) 510-5923 or dfrankl2@depaul.edu.

 

Scott Hibbard, associate professor of political science. He can speak to the role of religion in American presidential campaigns - both historically and in the current campaign - as well as issues of American foreign policy.  He is the author of Religious Politics and Secular States: Egypt, India and the United States and Islamic Activism and U.S. Foreign Policy (with David Little).  Hibbard worked as a policy analyst for 12 years in Washington, D.C., and can be reached at (773) 325-7542 or shibbar1@depaul.edu.

 

Valerie Johnson, associate professor of political science. She can talk about American, African-American and urban politics, multiracial political alliances and the politics of urban education. Her published works include “Black Power in the Suburbs” and “Power in the City.” She can be reached at 773/325-4731 or by e-mail at vjohnso5@depaul.edu.

 

Nick Kachiroubas, visiting assistant professor, School of Public Service. He is an expert in leadership studies and its relationship to politics, policy, and the presidency, particularly within the executive office of the President. Kachiroubas has served in a wide range of elected and leadership roles in federal, state and local governments. He can be reached at (312) 362-7649 or nkachio@depaul.edu.

 

Andrea Kaufman, associate professor of education. She can discuss education policy, politics and law. She can be reached at (773) 325-7661 or akaufman@depaul.edu.

 

Michael L. Mezey, professor of political science. He can discuss congressional and presidential elections and processes, public policymaking and the Electoral College. He is an editorial board member of Legislative Studies Quarterly, appears regularly on Chicago television news programs, and gives frequent interviews to local and national news media. He can be reached at (773) 325-7318 or mmezey@depaul.edu.

 

Tom Mockaitis, professor of history. He can discuss a broad range of national security issues. “Whoever is elected in November will face a host of national security and foreign policy issues, including the war in Syria, the on-going threat of terrorism and the growing danger posed by Iran.” He can be reached at (773) 325-7471 or tmockait@depaul.edu.

 

Bruce Newman, professor of marketing. He can discuss why marketing Mitt Romney is a losing proposition; why Paul Ryan was the wrong choice from a marketing perspective; image management and the new paradigm in politics; and why President Obama continues to rely on the same winning marketing formula that helped him win in 2008. Newman was a communication adviser to the senior staff of the Clinton White House in 1995 and 1996 and is the author of several books on the subject, including “The Marketing of the President,” and is editor of the Journal of Political Marketing. He can be reached at (312) 362-5186 or bnewman@depaul.edu.

  

Wayne Steger, professor of political science. He can speak about public policymaking, media coverage of presidential elections, election forecasts and outcomes, endorsements/party behavior, voter behavior and evaluating presidential success in Congress. He can be reached at (773) 325-4240, (773) 677-5328 or wsteger@depaul.edu.

 

James Wolfinger, assistant professor of history and education. He has written extensively about race and politics in 20th century America. He is currently working on a history of black Chicago titled “Building the Black Metropolis,” and is author of “Philadelphia Divided: Race and Politics in the City of Brotherly Love.” He can bring a historical perspective to journalistic discussions of race and politics. He can be reached at (773) 325-4290 or jwolfing@depaul.edu.

 

Professors available to speak with reporters on economics and finance include:

 

James Booth, Keeley Chair in Investment Management. He can discuss the stock markets, inflation, global macro-finance, the presidential cycle in stock returns and market performance related to politics. He can be reached at (312) 362-8826 or jbooth3@depaul.edu.

 

Rebel Cole, professor, finance. Cole can discuss key economic issues facing the candidates, jobs, the U.S. economy, the Federal Reserve and banking-related issues such as foreclosures, robo-signing and LIBOR-gate. Cole served as a financial economist for the Federal Reserve Board from 1991 to 1998. Since 1998, he has worked as a consultant for the International Monetary Fund, assisting central banks in more than 25 countries on issues related to financial stability. He can be reached at (312) 933-0584 or rcole@depaul.edu.

 

Ludovic Comeau Jr., associate professor. A former columnist in his native Haiti who also served as chief economist at Haiti’s central bank, Comeau can discuss Obama’s economic platform, the U.S. financial crisis from a global perspective, and the historical significance of this presidential election, particularly for the vast immigrant population living in the U.S. Fluent in French. He can be reached at (312) 362-8484, (773) 263-8870 or lcomeau@depaul.edu.

 

Werner F.M. De Bondt, professor, finance; chair and director, Richard H. Driehaus Center for Behavioral Finance. DeBondt is a leading expert on behavioral finance, including investor psychology, psychology of financial markets and financial decision making, uncertainty and risk, and how the stock market reacts to dramatic news or events. He can discuss economic malaise, the Euro crisis and the European Union. He can be reached at (312) 362-8394 or wdebondt@depaul.edu.

 

Ali M. Fatemi, professor finance, College of Commerce. He can discuss international finance, sustainable finance and corporate finance. He can be reached at (312) 362-5183 or afatemi@depaul.edu.

 

Daniel Heiser, associate dean for international programs, Driehaus College of Business. Heiser can discuss international trade/relations, including China-related trade issues; the impact of the debt crises in Europe; trade flows between Europe, Asia and North America, and immigration (transnational movement of labor). He can be reached at (312) 362-8423 or dheiser@depaul.edu.

 

Robert Kallen, visiting assistant professor, economics. He can discuss debts and the deficit; Simpson/Bowles; entitlement and tax reform; campaign finance and PAC spending; and the House, Senate and presidential elections. He can be reached at (312) 543-7370 or rkallen@depaul.edu.

 

Steven Kelly, professor of marketing. He can discuss the impact of digital and social media on the presidential race. He can be reached at (312) 362-8130 or skelly@depaul.edu.

 

Antonio Morales-Pita, assistant professor, international studies. He can discuss the impact of the 2012 presidential election on economic inequality in the U.S; the repercussion of the presidency on foreign policy, and the impact of the European Union crisis and China’s future development on the U.S. economy. He is fluent in Spanish and Russian. He can be reached at (773) 325-4925 or amorale1@depaul.edu.

 

Michael Miller, professor of economics. He can discuss the unemployment rate and other economic indicators and what they mean for the economy; general macroeconomic issues and business conditions; money, banking and financial markets and interest rates. He can be reached at (312) 362-8477 or mmiller@depaul.edu.

 

Patrick J. Murphy, associate professor of management. He can discuss the effect of proposed policies on entrepreneurship. Murphy can be reached at (312) 362-8487.

 

Kelly Richmond Pope, associate professor, accountancy. She can discuss the crackdown on corporate malfeasance, financial regulation and the Dodd-Frank Act. She can be reached at (312) 362-5821 or kpope2@depaul.edu.

 

Chris Roberts, director, School of Hospitality Leadership. He can discuss the European economic impact on tourism in the U.S. He can be reached at (312) 362-6777 or crober31@depaul.edu.

 

Kevin Stevens, director, School of Accountancy and Management Information Services. He can discuss tax policy and the effect of taxes on retirement planning (including IRAs). He can be reached at (312) 362-6989 or kstevens@depaul.edu.

 

Kenneth Thompson, professor of management. He can discuss social issues related to funding for education, universal health care and social welfare programs, and social impact bond programs. He can be reached at (312) 362-5211, (574) 514-6318 or kthompso@depaul.edu.

 

D. Joel Whalen, associate professor, marketing. He can discuss political campaign operations and media strategy, extreme messaging and polarized opinions. He can be reached at (312) 342-1043 or jwhalen@condor.depaul.edu.

 

 


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DePaul Professor of History Tom Mockaitis is among many faculty who can comment on the 2012 elections