UNC-Chapel Hill experts available to discuss 2018 Winter Olympics
With the 2018 Winter Olympic Games approaching, UNC-Chapel Hill experts are available to discuss a variety of Olympic-related topics including historical links in history and the Olympics, athletic training, the consequences of traumatic injury specific to the Winter Games and more
To set up discussions and interviews with these experts, please email mediarelations@unc.edu or call (919) 445-8555.
Jonathan Jensen is an assistant professor in the Sport Administration program in the College of Arts & Sciences. An expert on sport sponsorship, Jensen can discuss what motivates corporations to sponsor the Olympics and the return on their investment. In February, Jensen will travel to the Olympics to present research at the International Sports Business Symposium at Kangwon University in South Korea.
Anthony Hackney is a professor of exercise physiology and nutrition in the department of exercise and sport science in the College of Arts & Sciences and the department of nutrition in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Hackney worked with research development programs for the 1998 (Nagano) and 2006 (Turin) Winter Olympics and currently works with Estonian and Finnish Olympic coaches and athletes. He can discuss the physiology of Olympic athletes and impacts of performance enhancing drugs.
Kristen Kucera is an assistant professor in the department of exercise and sport science in the College of Arts & Sciences and the incoming director of the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research. As an epidemiologist and certified athletic trainer, Kucera can discuss catastrophic injuries that occur in sport.
Claudio Battaglini is a professor of exercise and sport science in the College of Arts & Sciences and researches exercise oncology. Previously, Battaglini coached triathlon, marathon and mountain bike athletes who competed at the 2000 (Sydney), 2004 (Athens) and 2008 (Beijing) Olympics. Battaglini can discuss training methods for high-level athletes and physiology of sports performance.
Charlie Tuggle is a senior associate dean and distinguished professor in the School of Media and Journalism. Attending the summer games in 2008 (Beijing) and 2016 (Rio), Tuggle can provide insight on media reporting of the games. His most recent article on winningest athletes and the Olympic medal system can be found here.
Johna Register-Mihalik is an assistant professor in the department of exercise and sport science in the College of Arts & Sciences and a research scientist at both the Injury Prevention Research Center at UNC-Chapel Hill and the Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center. Register-Mihalik can discuss both the treatment and management related to traumatic brain injuries in addition to the cultural biases around those injuries.
Jason Mihalik is an associate professor in the department of exercise and sport science in the College of Arts & Sciences and Co-Director of the Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Trauma Brain Injury Research Center. Mihalik can discuss the dangers of winter-sport related head traumas and how recent research in concussions and head traumas applies to winter sports.
Dr. Christopher Hurt is an assistant professor of medicine in the UNC School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases. He can discuss the threat of the flu and similar communicable illnesses in the Olympic village.
Matthew Andrews is a teaching assistant professor in the history department in the College of Arts & Sciences where he teaches a course titled “The Olympic Games—A Global History,” exploring issues of nationalism, amateurism, and the political meanings of international athletic competitions. Andrews can discuss how sports reflect and affect politics, race/gender identities and social reform movements.
P: (919) 445-8555 | E: mediarelations@unc.edu
