ANN ARBOR—Pope John Paul II, who helped inspire the revolt that overthrew communism through much of the world and greatly changed the Catholic Church, marks his 25th anniversary this week.

The University of Michigan has several experts who can comment on the pope and changes he has helped bring to the church and to the world. U-M experts can talk about any pope-related story, ranging from the church, Europe, Poland, Italy, post-communism or the Parkinson’s disease the 83-year-old Pontiff suffers from.

Some of the U-M experts include:

Brian Porter, associate professor of history, has conducted extensive research on the history of Poland and the Catholic Church and is well-versed on the pope’s influence on his native land, where the first successful open revolt against communism occurred, helping to inspire a collapse of communism around the world. Porter can comment on the life and work of the pope and other issues concerning the church today. He follows current events in Poland closely and can provide a cultural and historical context for them. He can be reached at (734) 764-6803 or e-mail him at baporter@umich.edu. Or visit his web site at: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~baporter/ or http://ipumich.temppublish.com/public/experts/ExpDisplay.php?ExpID=614

Michael Kennedy,director of the International Institute and vice provost for International Affairs, is a former director of the Center for Russian and East European Studies. Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski presented Kennedy with the Gold Cross of Merit to recognize the contributions he has made to scholarship and education about Poland. He has written books on Poland and post-communist Europe and can comment on the pope’s impact on European and world affairs as well as the end of the Cold War. He can be reached at (734)763-9200 or email him at midake@umich.edu. For more on Kennedy, visit: http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/iisite/director.html

Dario Gaggio, an Italian-born assistant professor of history, specializing in modern European history and European economic history as well as the history of Italy in the 20th Century. He can comment on the changing relationships between Catholicism and Italian/European societies and the pope’s influence on those changes. He can be reached at (734) 761-3289 or email him at dariog@umich.edu. For more on Gaggio, visit: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/history/facstaff/facultydetail.asp?ID=67

Genevieve Zubrzycki, an assistant professor of sociology, has focused on Poland and Eastern Europe looking at religion, nationalism, culture and politics as well as social change and Poland’s leading role in the transition from communism to capitalism and democracy. She can be reached at (734) 764-7501 or email her at genez@umich.edu. For more on Zubrzycki and her work, visit: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/soc/show-person.asp?PeopleID=107

Dr. Roger Albin, a professor of neurology, specializes in Parkinson’s disease. He is co-director of the U-M Movement Disorders Clinic, which sees Parkinson’s patients at the U-M Health System. The University is helping to develop advances in battling the disease, including surgical options such as implanting deep-brain electrical stimulators that deliver electrical pulses directly to brain tissue. To arrange an interview, please contact Nicole Fawcett at (734) 764-2220 or email her at nfawcett@umich.edu. For more on Albin and his work, please visit: http://www2.med.umich.edu/Guide/PhysicianDetail.cfm?individual_id=7947&um_department=Neurology, http://www.umich.edu/~neurosci/faculty/albin.htm, http://www.med.umich.edu/neurosurgery/movement/index.htm.

baporter@umich.eduhttp://www-personal.umich.edu/~baporter/http://ipumich.temppublish.com/public/experts/ExpDisplay.php?ExpID=614midake@umich.eduhttp://www.umich.edu/~iinet/iisite/director.htmldariog@umich.eduhttp://www.lsa.umich.edu/history/facstaff/facultydetail.asp?ID=67