Expert Alert
November 2006

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Walmart goes India
Nov. 30, 2006

Although Walmart has been unsuccessful with its attempt to move into German and South Korean markets, it has announced Monday that it will be moving into India's. Given Walmart’s recent announcement of decline in sales for only the second time in 27 years, what can be expected of this move? A University of Minnesota expert who can comment on the issue is:

Srilata Zaheer, Carlson School Professor of Strategic Management and Organization
Zaheer says that Walmart should not expect quick returns from entry into India. On the plus side, Walmart has teamed up with one of the most dynamic and entrepreneurial mobile communications firms in India: Bharti. At the same time, however, running a retail chain is quite different from running a mobile-phone operation.
Zaheer is the chair of the Strategic Management and Organization Department at the U's Carlson School. Her expertise includes international mergers and acquisitions. Zaheer has written about the organization of the multinational enterprise, identity and culture in cross-national mergers and the migration of Indian business to the new economy.

To interview Zaheer, contact Asim Dorovic at (612) 624-0214 or dorovic@umn.edu; or Drew Swain at (612) 625-8962 or dswain@umn.edu.

Video game craze in full swing
Nov. 17, 2006

Eager gamers, young and old, have been camping outside the doors of electronics stores for days to get their hands on Sony’s new Play Station 3 video game console. It is a growing trend in the United States that has seen its revenues surge past movie ticket sales. From the fanatics who create online game cults to the casual player, Americans have come a long way from the days of Pac-Man to state of the art graphics that rival reality. What impact have these technological advances had on society? And are people spending too much time in front of the TV, caught up in fantasy worlds? A University of Minnesota expert who can comment on these issues is:

John Riedl, computer science professor, University of Minnesota
Riedl can discuss the evolution of video games over the past two decades and how they have been more and more integrated into our culture. He can also go into some of the technological depth of the advanced consoles on the market today. At the university, his research focuses on understanding how to create and use computer technology to solve the problems of increasingly complex human organizations.

To interview Riedl contact Drew Swain at (612) 625-8962 or dswain@umn.edu; or Asim Dorovic at (612) 624-0214 or dorovic@umn.edu.

Rumsfeld’s resignation
Nov. 8, 2006

President Bush announced today that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is stepping down from his post. Is this a consequence of Rumsfeld's performance? Did the White House heed the military’s calls for Rumsfeld’s resignation? Or is this the first response to the election results? University of Minnesota experts who can comment on Rumsfeld's resignation are:

Jason Roberts, professor of political science, University of Minnesota
Roberts says that this is the "first sign of effect of yesterday's election" and this is signaling that the people's voice has been heard by the White House. Roberts specializes in congressional elections.

Colin Kahl, professor of political science, University of Minnesota
Kahl can comment on Rumsfeld's handling of the war in Iraq and what else might have prompted the decision to have Rumsfeld step down. Kahl teaches courses in international relations, American foreign policy, and terrorism. He has recently completed a Council on Foreign Relations fellowship at the Department of Defense in Washington, D.C. and visited Baghdad earlier this year doing research for the Department of Defense.

To interview Roberts or Kahl, contact Asim Dorovic at (612) 624-0214 or dorovic@umn.edu; or Drew Swain at (612) 625-8962 or dswain@umn.edu.

Minnesota Elections
Nov. 7, 2006

Minnesota’s much anticipated elections are tomorrow, and the barrage of TV ads, negative spars, debates and polls is finally peaking. Politicians are feverishly getting in their last minute campaigning as tomorrow may bring a new governor or even the first Muslim in the United States Congress. University of Minnesota experts who can cut through the clutter and talk about the election, trends, results and implications are:

Greg Thorson, political science professor, University of Minnesota, Morris
Professor Thorson is an expert on Minnesota politics. His primary research is done on legislative politics and public policy. He has done numerous interviews on elections and comment on what tomorrow’s results will mean.

Jason Roberts, professor of law and political science, University of Minnesota
Roberts’ current work focuses on the parties and procedures in the U.S. Congress and historical congressional elections. He recently hosted the “Conference on Party Effects in the United States Senate.”

William Flanigan, political science professor, University of Minnesota
Flanigan can comment on what type of voting behavior may come out and the importance and rapid change of public opinion preceding and during an election. He has also studied the effects of electoral change on political systems such as Minnesota’s.

Guy-Uriel Charles, University of Minnesota Law School professor
Charles is a professor at the U’s Law School and the director of the Institute for Law and Politics. Charles can offer commentary on the legal perspective of the election, i.e., whether lengthy legal challenges are likely if some of the races end up very close.

To interview any of the experts above, contact Asim Dorovic at (612) 624-0214 or dorovic@umn.edu; or Drew Swain at (612) 625-8962 or dswain@umn.edu.

Saddam's sentence and what it means for Iraq
Nov. 6, 2006

On Sunday, Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death by hanging - a sentence that has major implications for Iraqis and Iraq’s future. What does the sentence mean to the Iraqi people? What does it represent to the different ethnic groups in Iraq? Will this calm things down or rather incite more violence? A University of Minnesota expert who can comment on the death sentence and analyze what this means for Iraq politically is:

Colin Kahl, professor of political science at the University of Minnesota
Kahl teaches courses in international relations, international security, American foreign policy, civil and ethnic conflict, and terrorism. He has recently completed a Council on Foreign Relations fellowship at the Department of Defense in Washington, D.C., where he has worked on a variety of “War on Terrorism” issues. Kahl currently teaches a class at the U called “War on Terrorism and American Foreign Policy,” and has visited Bahgdad earlier this year where he did research for the Department of Defense.Other issues Kahl can also comment on are:
• U.S strategy, policy, and military conduct in Iraq
• Current U.S. policies related to the war on terrorism
• Application of the Geneva Conventions and other aspects of the law of war in Iraq and the broader war on terrorism

To interview Kahl, contact Asim Dorovic at (612) 624-0214 or dorovic@umn.edu; or Drew Swain at (612) 625-8962 or dswain@umn.edu.

A U of M peak through the Hubble Telescope
Nov. 1, 2006

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that it would coordinate a mission to make vital repairs to its prized Hubble Space Telescope. Over its 16-year life, the instrument has been used by scientists from around the world to peer further into galaxies and learn more about our universe. A University of Minnesota professor who has been one of those lucky scientists and can discuss his work and the importance of the telescope is:

Evan Skillman, professor of astronomy, University of Minnesota
Skillman is currently the primary investigator for seven Hubble Space Telescope projects. One of these focuses on “astro-archeology” which observes present star formations in order to determine how stars are created. His other projects involve ultraviolet spectroscopy that analyze what actually is in those huge, burning masses millions of miles away.Media Note - professor Skillman is only available for phone interviews.

To interview Skillman contact Drew Swain at (612) 625-8962 or dswain@umn.edu; or Asim Dorovic at (612) 624-0214 or dorovic@umn.edu.