ANN ARBOR—The following University of Michigan experts are available to speak to journalists about topics related to back-to-school.

Scott Campbell, associate professor of communication studies, is an expert on the social implications of new media, with an emphasis on cell phones. He can also discuss parents determining if it’s better to get their child an iPad or laptop for school. He can be reached at (734) 764-8106 or [email protected].

Ron Chervin, the Michael S. Aldrich Collegiate Professor of Sleep Medicine and professor of neurology, heads the U-M Sleep Disorders Center and has studied how sleep quality affects behavior in children. He can discuss the importance of sleep to a child’s behavior and performance in school, and give tips on easing children into the school-year sleep schedule. A new mobile app based on his research helps parents assess the quality of their children’s sleep. He can be reached at (734) 936-9068.

David Cohen, the John Dewey Collegiate Professor of Education and professor of public policy, has conducted research on educational policy, the relations between policy and instruction, and the improvement of teaching. He can speak to evidence that charter schools perform no better, and sometimes worse, than public schools. He can be contacted at (734) 763-0226 or [email protected].

Pamela Davis-Kean, associate professor of psychology and associate professor at the Institute for Social Research and Center for Human Growth and Development, can discuss the role that families, schools and significant figures play in the development of children, the development of self-esteem across the lifespan, and gender and math achievement. She can be reached at (734) 647-3877 or [email protected].

Sandra Graham-Bermann, professor of psychology, is an expert on the effects of multiple forms of violence in the lives of pre-school children on their physical and mental health and adjustment, and traumatic stress reactions in children exposed to violence. She can be reached at (734) 763-3159 or [email protected].

Elizabeth Moje, associate dean for research and an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in the School of Education, has research interests revolving around the intersection between the literacies and texts youth are asked to learn in the disciplines (particularly in science and social studies) and the literacies and texts they experience outside of school. She can be reached at (734) 647-9571 or [email protected].

Carla O’Connor, associate professor and an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in the School of Education, is an expert in the areas of African-American achievement, urban education and ethnographic methods. Her work includes examinations of how black identity is differentially constructed across multiple contexts and informs achievement outcomes, and how black people’s perceptions of opportunity vary within space and influence academic orientation. She can be reached at (734) 647-0606 or [email protected].

Daphna Oyserman, professor of social work and psychology and a researcher at the Institute for Social Research, can discuss research she conducted on how cultural mindsets and identities can be used to improve important life outcomes, including academic performance and mental and physical health. She can be reached at (734) 647-7622 or [email protected].

Allison Ryan, associate professor of education, studies students’ transitions from elementary to middle school, specifically looking at differences in students in K-8 schools to students in K-6 who move to middle school for 7-8. She can be contacted at (734) 764-8416 or [email protected].

Ming-Te Wang, a faculty research fellow at the Institute for Social Research, can discuss a recent study he conducted showing that teachers and parents matter more than peers in keeping adolescents engaged in school. Wang can be reached at (734) 615-3440 or [email protected].

Related Links:

• News release and podcast interview: Helping children adjust to the new school year