Media Tip Sheet: Colorado State University Experts Can Provide Back-to-School Tips

Note to Reporters: The following is a media tip sheet that includes information about experts and resources at Colorado State University. The contact information for experts is intended to provide resources to reporters and editors. It is not intended as contact information for the public. To arrange interviews, please contact the person listed with each topic.

Colorado State University has experts available to talk with reporters about back-to-school topics.

Bullying, getting back into a routine, understanding social pressures of school
Rod Lucero, associate director of the School of Education, can talk about many back-to-school topics including: bullying, including helping prevent children from bullying, helping children through being bullied, and helping teachers stop bullying: preparing kids for school after summer break; how parents can successfully interact with teachers and stay in engaged with schools; how parents can enhance learning at home through everyday interactions; and helping parents understand the social pressures their students face at schools, such as having the “right” clothes, technology and friends. To speak with Lucero, contact Dell Rae Moellenberg at dellrae.moellenberg@colostate.edu or (970) 491-6009.

Elementary students with Asperger’s syndrome
Jody Drager, an instructor in the School of Education, can give tips to parents and teachers for helping elementary -aged children with Asperger’s syndrome be successful and happy at school, as well as advice to parents about how to interact with teachers at appropriate levels. To speak with Drager, contact Dell Rae Moellenberg at dellrae.moellenberg@colostate.edu or (970) 491-6009.

Friendships and other relationships
Jennifer Harman, an assistant professor of social psychology, can talk about social psychology research and how our social environments can impact relationship functioning, including friendships, long-distance relationship maintenance and dating. She is a co-author of “The Science of Relationships,” a book that uses scientific research to address everyday questions about relationships. To speak with Harman, contact Emily Wilmsen at Emily.Wilmsen@colostate.edu or (970) 491-2336.

Injury and violence prevention
Lorann Stallones, an epidemiologist in the Department of Psychology, director of the Colorado Injury Control Research Center and director of the graduate degree program in Public Health at CSU, can talk about injury and violence prevention and overall community health and well-being. She can also discuss CSU’s role in the collaborative Colorado School of Public Health along with UNC and CU. The CSU master’s program offers six focus areas: Environmental and Occupational Health, Epidemiology, Health and Exercise Science, Global Health and Human Disparities, Health Communication and Public Health Nutrition. The Colorado School of Public Health provides training, innovative research and community service to actively address public health issues including chronic disease, access to health care, environmental threats, emerging infectious diseases and costly injuries. To speak with Stallones, contact Emily Wilmsen at Emily.Wilmsen@colostate.edu or (970) 491-2336.

Organizational culture
Kurt Kraiger, professor of psychology and chair of the psychology department, can talk about research in organizational psychology related to topics such as virtual work, the recruitment and selection of new workers, training and leadership development, and organizational culture. He is also the director of the psychology department’s online Master’s in Applied Industrial/Organizational Psychology program and can discuss best practices in online education and training. To speak with Kraiger, contact Emily Wilmsen at Emily Wilmsen at Emily.Wilmsen@colostate.edu or (970) 491-2336.

Little Shop of Physics
Little Shop of Physics, a community outreach program based in the Department of Physics, connects college student volunteers with more than 20,000 K-12 students in Colorado each year. The outreach program presents about 100 hands-on science stations at events that illustrate principles from motion to magnetism. In 2011, the American Association of Physics Teachers honored director Brian Jones with the Robert A. Millikan Medal, which recognizes educators who have made notable and creative contributions to the teaching of physics. To speak with Jones, contact Emily Wilmsen at Emily Wilmsen at Emily.Wilmsen@colostate.edu or (970) 491-2336.

STEM Outreach
The CSU STEM Center works to transform science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM activities on campus, contributes to the development of Colorado’s workforce and engages K-12 students and teachers in everything from science field trips to research and professional development. The center serves as a central point of contact for integrating and coordinating CSU’s STEM activities across campus as well as creating partnerships with business and industry, government agencies, informal education entities and workforce centers. The center is designed to promote economic development and collaboration to enhance learning and understanding of career pathways for K-16 education. To speak with researchers involved in the center, contact Emily Wilmsen at Emily.Wilmsen@colostate.edu or (970) 491-2336.

Autism and Social Skills in K-12
Led by Lee Rosen, the Counseling Psychology program in the College of Natural Sciences offers three social groups for elementary-aged children, adolescents and young adults, teaching them everything from basic human interaction to “politeness” skills. Rosen’s doctoral students are so good at helping these children navigate the outside world that they’re going to train others to do the same: This spring, they received a $25,000 grant from Autism Speaks to train health care workers in northern Colorado to create similar programs. To speak with Rosen, contact Emily Wilmsen at Emily.Wilmsen@colostate.edu or (970) 491-2336.

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