ANN ARBOR—The U.S. presidential debates, which begin Oct. 3, will address various issues, such as the economy and health care. University of Michigan experts are available to lend their insights.

DEBATES

Aaron Kall, director of the U-M Debate Program and Debate Institute, can discuss the debates and the impact on the voters. His expert profile is available at http://ns.umich.edu/new/experts/experts-list/20728-aaron-kall. He can be reached at (734) 239-3996 or akall@umich.edu.

University of Michigan debate team coach Aaron Kall says this year’s presidential debate is important for both candidates to capture the independent vote.

Colleen Seifert, the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Psychology, is an expert on memory retrieval, problem solving, judgment and decision-making. Her recent research examined factors that cause people to resist correcting misinformation, including those about politicians and government. She can be reached at (734) 763-0210 or seifert@umich.edu.

ECONOMY

Donald Grimes, senior research associate and economist at the Institute for Research on Labor, Employment, and the Economy, specializes in economic forecasting and regional economic development, especially in Michigan and the Midwest. He can be reached at (941) 225-1304 or dgrimes@umich.edu.

HEALTH POLICY/LAW

Nicholas Bagley, assistant professor at the U-M Law School, teaches and writes in the areas of administrative law, regulatory theory and health law. He can be reached at (734) 615-7049 or nbagley@umich.edu.

A. Mark Fendrick, M.D., professor in the department of Internal Medicine and Health Management and Policy and co-director of the U-M Center for Value-Based Insurance Design, is an authority on the clinical and economic assessment of medical interventions, with special attention to how technological innovation influences clinical practice, benefit design and health care systems. Fendrick serves on the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee. He can be reached at (734) 647-9688 or amfen@umich.edu.

Richard Hirth, professor and associate chair of the Department of Health Management and Policy at the U-M School of Public Health, can discuss how the bill may or may not function with or without the mandate. Hirth’s expertise is the general economics of health insurance, and he’s also a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine. He may be reached at rhirth@umich.edu.

Peter Jacobson, the director for the Center for Law, Ethics and Health at the U-M School of Public Health, can discuss any of the legal or policy implications of the health reform case. Jacobson, an attorney, is a professor of health management and policy. His research focuses on the relationship between law and health care delivery, law and public health systems, public health ethics, and health care safety net services. He can be reached at pdj@umich.edu.

Marianne Udow-Phillips, lecturer at the U-M School of Public Health and director of the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation, a nonprofit partnership between the U-M Health System and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, can discuss public and private health insurance markets and coverage. Her expertise is in health care access, coverage, quality and efficiency issues. She can be reached at (734) 998-7555 or mudow@umich.edu.

POLITICS

Michael Heaney, assistant professor of organizational studies and political science, examines the organizational dimensions of American politics. His research focuses on the role of intermediary institutions—especially interest groups, political parties and social movements—in shaping the political process and policy outcomes. He can be reached at (202) 236-3369 or mheaney@umich.edu.

Vincent Hutchings, associate professor at the U-M Institute for Social Research’s Center for Political Studies, is an expert in elections, public opinion, voting behavior and African American politics. He can be reached at (734) 764-6591 or vincenth@umich.edu.

Arthur Lupia, political science professor and senior research scientist at the ISR Center for Political Studies, deals with questions regarding voting and elections, civic competence, parliamentary governance and the role of the media and the Internet in politics. He can be reached at (734) 647-7549 or lupia@isr.umich.edu.

Michael Traugott, professor of communication studies and senior research scientist at the ISR Center for Political Studies, is an authority on political communication, public opinion, media polling and campaign surveys. He can be reached at (734) 763–4702 or mtrau@umich.edu.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Joshua Pasek, assistant professor of communication studies, has done research exploring how new media and psychological processes each shape political attitudes, public opinion and political behaviors. He can be reached at (734) 763-3185 or jpasek@umich.edu.