September 3, 2019

UOW expert commentary this week (3 - 7 September)

UOW academics provide expert comment, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing and breaking news stories.

UNREST IN WEST PAPUA

Dr Cammi Webb-Gannon can speak about the current unrest in West Papua. Dr Webb-Gannon is an early career researcher and decolonisation ethnographer focusing on the Pacific Islands region with a long-term interest in West Papua’s independence movement. She recently wrote about the riots in West Papua for The Conversation.

US-TALIBAN PEACE TALKS

Professor Theo Farrell is available for interviews about peace talks underway between the US and Taliban. Prof Farrell is Professor and Executive Dean of Law, Humanities and the Arts at the University of Wollongong. Previously he was Dean of Arts and Social Sciences at City, University of London. Prof Farrell has published several books on military and strategic affairs. 

IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON WOMEN

Professor Katina Michael says women are 30 percent more likely to become depressed after using social media, than men. This week is Women’s Health Week and Prof Michael says more and more people are being negatively impacted by social media and the health and wellbeing of women is suffering. Prof Michael researches on the socio-ethical implications of emerging technologies in the School of Computing and Information Technology.

EARWORMS - WHY DO SONGS GET STUCK IN OUR HEAD?

Dr Timothy Byron can explain why songs get stuck in our head. He recently spoke to the ABC about the link between music and our minds. Dr Byron is from the School of Psychology and has devoted his career to exploring the relationship between music and memory.

MEDIA RESOURCES

The University of Wollongong has an in-house Globelynx camera for TV interviews. This means we can facilitate reliable, live and high-quality television interviews from our Wollongong campus.

MEDIA CONTACT

Kate Mayhew, UOW Media & Public Relations Coordinator

M: +61 475 388 887 | E: kmayhew@uow.edu.au 

UOW academics exercise academic freedom by providing expert commentary, opinion and analysis on a range of ongoing social issues and current affairs. This expert commentary reflects the views of those individual academics and does not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the University of Wollongong.