Media advisory: UW-Madison experts ready to offer a cornucopia of Thanksgiving tips

Experts from the UW–Madison can talk turkey, Black Friday and a variety of other Thanksgiving-related topics.

Turkey time

• Barbara Ingham, a professor of food science, can talk about food safety during the holidays, particularly how to thaw and cook your turkey safely as well as making sure your leftovers are still safe and delicious. Tips can be found at https://fyi.uwex.edu/safepreserving/. Contact: 608-263-7383 or bhingham@wisc.edu.

Black Friday

• Cliff A. Robb, an associate professor of consumer science in the School of Human Ecology and faculty director of the Consumer Finance & Financial Planning, can discuss strategies to stick to a budget. Contact: carobb@wisc.edu.

“The holidays and New Years are great areas for consumer financial behavior,” Robb says. “We can certainly consider the stressors of managing our expectations and how this can put a strain on budgets. Consumers should have a well-articulated plan for how much they can afford to spend on gifts and work within that framework. For the coming new year, making the decision to improve one’s financial fitness is always a good resolution, as we can take stock of where we are financially and think about starting new, positive habits.”

• Liad Weiss, an assistant professor of marketing with the Wisconsin School of Business, can discuss consumer psychology and branding during the holidays. Contact: 608-265-2736, lweiss@bus.wisc.edu.
• Jerry O’Brien, executive director of the Kohl’s Center for Retailing, can talk about the big business of Black Friday and holiday shopping. Contact: 608-263-7996 or Jerry.OBrien@wisc.edu.
• Nancy Yee Ching Wong, Kohl’s Chair in Retail Innovation and chair of the Department of Consumer Science at the School of Human Ecology, can discuss the trend of retailers seeming to start selling holiday merchandize a bit earlier each year. Contact: 608-265-5954, nywong@wisc.edu.

“There seems to be a fair amount of consumer resentment about retailers moving the shopping season forward to start before Thanksgiving, perhaps in an attempt to lengthen the Christmas shopping season to start before Black Friday, since many shopping activities have now shifted to Cyber Monday,” Wong says.

Consuming happiness

• Christine B. Whelan, a clinical professor in the Department of Consumer Science at the School of Human Ecology, can discuss how to consume happiness this holiday season as well as offer tips on how to talk about money with your significant other. Contact: 608-262-7794, cwhelan2@wisc.edu.