An increase in open and frank dialogue about racial and ethnic diversity will begin as Barack Obama’s presidential administration gets underway in the coming year, predicts a University of Alabama rhetorical studies expert.
More figure-flattering cuts, belts and dresses that emphasize the waist will replace bulky tops as the hottest styles in 2009 as fashion trends move away from the focus on volume of the last few seasons, a University of Alabama expert predicts.
Interactive books that use Web pages and CDs to help tell their stories and keep kids guessing will continue to hold children’s and young adults’ attention in 2009, a University of Alabama children’s literature expert predicts. These new multi-platform books include Richard Riordan’s “The 39 Clues” series, which features extensive new media enhancement.
The incoming Obama administration will make good on pledges regarding the ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2009 even as those nations pose huge challenges, says Dr. Douglas Gibler, associate professor of political science at The University of Alabama and an expert in international relations.
Dr. Benton Gup, author of “Too Big to Fail: Policies and Practices in Government Bailouts,” is often sought by various media for comments on the current economic state of the United States.
After a year in which oil prices fluctuated from record highs to the lowest prices in the last five years, a University of Alabama engineering professor predicts that oil prices will remain low during 2009, thanks of the struggling national economy.
Whether or not Congress decides to bail out the ailing auto industry, Dr. James E. Cashman, John R. Miller Professor of Management at The University of Alabama, expects substantial changes in the nation’s auto industry next year.
The economic downturn in 2009 will force the federal government and some state governments to face critical funding decisions when it comes to prisons, says Dr. David Forde, professor of criminal justice at The University of Alabama. In fact, states like Alabama may be forced to choose between funding the prison system or schools.
Look for President Obama to pursue his electoral mandate to fix the economy and health care in 2009 in a historic moment nearly comparable to the beginning of the Roosevelt administration in 1933, says Dr. David Lanoue, chair of the political science department at The University of Alabama. Jumping into these issues during the first 100 days in office will be a key to Obama’s presidency.
Don’t expect the nation’s retailing picture to improve through most of 2009, says Dr. Kristy Reynolds, Bruno Associate Professor of Marketing in the Culverhouse College of Commerce at The University of Alabama.