NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area.

You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network – it's easy and free. Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform

EXPERT ALERTS

• California's Gas Tax and Vehicle Registration Fee Program
• The High Cost of College Course Materials
• Teaching Empathy
• STEM Fills the Gap

MEDIA JOBS

• US Culture Writer – The Independent (NY)
• Story Editor – Barron's (NY)
• Money & Politics Reporter – MarketWatch (DC)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• News in a Snap: 11 News Agencies to Follow on Snapchat
• Be Your Own Editor: 5 Tips for Expertly Editing Your Own Work
• Blog Profiles: Vegetarian Blogs

EXPERT ALERTS:

California's Gas Tax and Vehicle Registration Fee Program
Art Hadnett
West Division President
HNTB
Hadnett is available to offer commentary on reasons to keep Senate Bill 1 (gas tax) in place: "A measure to repeal Senate Bill 1, California's gas tax and vehicle registration fee program, is a dangerous and extremely short-sighted proposition, effectively crippling California's ability to address the backlog of $130 billion in deferred road and bridge maintenance."
Based in Los Angeles, Hadnett is West Division president with HNTB, an infrastructure solutions firm with more than a century of service in California. He can provide specific data and funding numbers to back up/provide perspective to his support of SB1, and also supports the Fix Our Roads coalition.
Website: http://www.hntb.com/ThoughtLeadership/Bio/Art-Hadnett
Contact: Kelsey Frost, kfrost@finemanpr.com

The High Cost of College Course Materials
Michael Hansen
CEO
Cengage
A newly released survey conducted by Morning Consult identifies buying course materials as the top source of financial stress after tuition for college students. The survey of 1,651 current and former college students also shows that students routinely sacrifice basic needs, such as food and spending time with their family, to afford their course materials. For more key survey findings, view the full infographic (link below).
Says Hansen: "The survey's results should be a wake-up call for everybody involved in higher education. This is especially true for the publishing industry, including our own company, as we historically contributed to the problem of college affordability. The data is clear: High textbook costs pose barriers to students' ability to succeed in college. Too many learners today are making painful tradeoffs between course materials and bare necessities like housing and meals. Our industry must embrace what students are telling us."
Hansen is CEO of Cengage, an education and technology company that has developed a new subscription model that lowers costs for students.
Infographic: https://news.cengage.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/CengageMC-Affordability-Survey-letter.pdf
Website: www.cengage.com
Contact: Lindsay Stanley, lindsay.stanley@cengage.com

Teaching Empathy
Vonya Womack
Co-Director, Center for Global Learning; Instructor, Business Administration
Cabrini University
"In a vast, interconnected marketplace, there is a compelling need for students to empathize with others, value the dignity of all persons, and understand diverse perspectives to better examine their own contributions as professionals. Through awareness training, students can make a positive impact to improve society, whether it be locally or globally, and ultimately solve problems that transcend borders."
An international presenter and University professor, Womack's work stems from her research on leadership and followership in conflict zones. Her research has provided new ways for academic and training programs to examine interpersonal complexities within large groups based on people's fundamental need to be social. Womack is available to speak on topics including leadership practices focusing on sustainable leadership models in current and post-conflict zones; developing models to promote governance and public policy changes in conflict regions; women's rights and the power of protest and marketing propaganda in North African regions; and cultural awareness training.
Website: www.cabrini.edu/global
Contact: Lori Iannella, lni723@cabrini.edu

STEM Fills the Gap
Anissa Kalinowski
President of the Board of Directors
Ignited
"Eighty-five percent of jobs that will exist by 2030 have not yet been invented*. Summer fellowships with top companies help teachers inspire students to learn teamwork, communication, exploration, and innovation -- skills critical for their future."
Kalinowski is a biotech professional and president of the board of directors at Ignited. The Silicon Valley nonprofit awards teachers fellowships at top companies and universities so they can inspire and prepare students to become the next generation of innovators. Kalinowski is a master's candidate in epidemiology and clinical research at Stanford University and an experienced life sciences professional with a passion for transforming healthcare markets, products, and processes for patients. Skilled in marketing, global business operations, and team leadership, Kalinowski has worked in biotech for more than 20 years and has been a member of the Ignited the board of directors since 2009. She has also served in director-level roles in functions spanning commercial, medical affairs, and regulatory affairs at companies including Genentech, Hoffman-La Roche, and, Biogen. Kalinowski earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.
*Source: https://tinyurl.com/ybr5u4g2
Online Press Kit: http://ignited.onlinepresskit247.com
Website: www.igniteducation.org
Contact: Michelle Tennant, Michelle@WasabiPublicity.com

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MEDIA JOBS:

Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/

• US Culture Writer – The Independent (NY)
• Story Editor – Barron's (NY)
• Money & Politics Reporter – MarketWatch (DC)

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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at profnetalerts@prnewswire.com

• NEWS IN A SNAP: 11 NEWS AGENCIES TO FOLLOW ON SNAPCHAT. You might think Snapchat is just for kids and teens, but with more than 180 million daily active users, traditional news outlets have begun creating content for Snapchat's audience. Here are some journalists and news organizations to keep on your Snapchat radar: https://prn.to/2uRQt4b
  
  
• BE YOUR OWN EDITOR: 5 TIPS FOR EXPERTLY EDITING YOUR OWN WORK. Here are five things we've learned about editing our own work: https://prn.to/2JZGP4e
  
  
• BLOG PROFILES: VEGETARIAN BLOGS. Each week, PR Newswire's Audience Relations team selects an industry/subject and profiles a handful of sites that do a good job with promoting and contributing to the conversation. This week, they look at a few vegetarian blogs: https://prn.to/2v5l5j0

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