Are you a journalist seeking expert insight on all-things holidays? University of Maryland experts in shopping, travel, health, wellness, fire safety and more are available for immediate requests.
Please contact mediainfo@umd.edu for more information or help setting up an interview.
Staying healthy and navigating mental health, wellness:
- Don Milton - staying healthy this holiday season with tips to avoiding COVID, the flu
- Sushant Ranadive - how to make long travel days easier with simple stretches right from your seat
- Mia Smith-Bynum - navigating family relationships, communicating and mental health around the holidays, particularly post-2024 elections
- Tiara Fennell - practicing mental health self-care as we consider Trump ’47 and the post-holiday blues
- Jennifer Dixon Cravens - healthy substitutes for your favorite traditional comfort foods and drinks
- Jen Golbeck - shares the positive side of social media, connecting with others and sharing joy, while understanding what to know to be safe
Where to shop, retail trends and what to expect this season:
- Jie Zhang - Black Friday deals and best shopping tips for the holidays
- Wilbur Chung - why have the stores we shopped at last year for the holidays disappeared?
- Jessica Vitak - there’s a new Amazon Fresh in Glen Burnie, here’s what to know about the new smart tech and dash carts
Holiday safety and fire prevention FAQs:
- Isaac Leventon - alum, fire researcher at NIST and adjunct lecturer on tips on how to safeguard your Christmas tree - and home - from deadly accidental fires
- Understanding how and why fast-spreading fires and wildfires happen with experts from the Department of Fire Protection Engineering Shuna Ni, Peter Sunderland and Arnaud Trouvé