Featured Experts

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  Simon Bronner

  Social Sciences and Business, College of General Studiesbronners@uwm.edu262-521-5213

  Simon Bronner is a renowned expert in folklore who can speak about rituals and holidays, including New Year’s resolutions.

  

  Simon Bronner

  Social Sciences and Business, College of General Studiesbronners@uwm.edu262-521-5213

  Simon Bronner, who wrote the entry on New Year’s customs for the Encyclopedia of American Folklife, can speak about the social psychology of making New Year’s resolutions. He can also talk about other traditions and symbols associated with the holiday around the world. Bronner is the author or editor of more than 40 books on folklore and folklife, cultural history and ethnology.

  The Practice of Folklore Essays toward a Theory of Tradition
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  Chris Cantwell

  History, College of Letters & Sciencecantwelc@uwm.edu

  Chris Cantwell can discuss the origins of the term “fundamentalist” and how the use of the term has evolved.

   

  

  Chris Cantwell

  History, College of Letters & Sciencecantwelc@uwm.edu

  The term “fundamentalist” turns 100 next year, and Chris Cantwell is finding new ways to talk about an old term used to describe conservative religions. Cantwell can discuss how the word initially emerged to describe a subset of Protestants. He can also speak about how the term “fundamentalism” grew to apply to conservative religion more broadly, and how the fundamentalist appeal to history unleashed what he calls a “politics of nostalgia” affecting today’s political landscape.

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  Purush Papatla

  Marketing, Lubar School of Businesspapatla@uwm.edu(414) 229-4439

  Purush Papatla can talk about Black Friday, Cyber Monday and holiday shopping all season long.

   

   

  

  Purush Papatla

  Marketing, Lubar School of Businesspapatla@uwm.edu(414) 229-4439

  Purush Papatla can talk about the holiday shopping season. His research is in digital marketing strategy, including online retailing, consumer reviews, online promotions and pricing. He also models Big Data to determine how consumers respond to marketing in social media.

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  Mark Peterson

  Philosophy, College of General Studiesmcep@uwm.edu(262) 335-5200

  Mark Peterson can speak about the philosophical and mythological underpinnings of “Star Wars.”

  

  Mark Peterson

  Philosophy, College of General Studiesmcep@uwm.edu(262) 335-5200

  The final installment of the latest “Star Wars” trilogy arrives in theaters in December. Mark Peterson can talk about the parallels of characters like Luke Skywalker and Rey to the “Hero’s Journey” story arc by the late author Joseph Campbell. Star Wars creator George Lucas has cited Campbell’s work as an inspiration for the sci-fi movie franchise. Peterson, who co-teaches a course on superheroes and mythology, can also speak about how symbolic structures of “good vs. evil” have been depicted through pop culture and why it resonates with moviegoers.