NEW YORK, July 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that 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/alertswire.

EXPERT ALERTS

• Student Loan Discharge a Question of Public Policy
• Highly Anticipated Launch of Jet Tests Future of Fee-Based Shopping

EXPERT ROUNDUP

• National Bullying Prevention Month

MEDIA JOBS

• Media Partnerships Editor – NerdWallet (CA)
• Promotions Producer – WHYY (PA)
• Freelance Writer/Producer – WABC-TV (NY)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• White Papers: Seven Challenges (and How to Overcome Them)
• Seven Cool Blog Tools Every Blogger Must Try
• Steps to Self-Publishing Your Book

EXPERT ALERTS:

Student Loan Discharge a Question of Public Policy
Sid Scheinberg
Bankruptcy Attorney
Godwin Lewis, PC, Dallas
With public support for student loan forgiveness gaining momentum, many people drowning in debt have newfound hope. However, true reforms cannot happen without a change in public policy. Says Scheinberg: "In creating the bankruptcy laws, the federal government gave itself preferred creditor status, where its interest has greater protections than other creditors. There are very few means currently where you would be able to have your pre-2010 federally backed student loan discharged in a bankruptcy. There is a specific three-prong test that you must prove, and those standards are very hard to prove even for those in what you would consider a 'dire' financial situation. When the guaranteed loan program ended, it created a large group that may never be able to repay their loans, but making the payments, while painful for them, is still possible. So until the federal government is willing to compromise on its preferred status, a lot of people with student loans are going to have very limited options."
Contact: Rhonda Reddick, rhonda@androvett.com

Highly Anticipated Launch of Jet Tests Future of Fee-Based Shopping
Dennis Armbruster
Managing Partner
LoyaltyOne Consulting
"Clinging to the notion that shoppers cringe at the idea of paying to play is, to put it kindly, old-fashioned. Consumer data shows consumers' open-mindedness to paying a fee if the rewards are relevant to their needs. The interest in fee-based loyalty programs is particularly strong among millennials."
Armbruster is managing partner of LoyaltyOne Consulting, experts in helping companies create differentiated loyalty programs that drive loyalty ROI and maximize customer value. He can talk about LoyaltyOne's nationwide survey results showing that 75% of 18- to 24-year-olds and 77% of 25- to 34-year-olds say they'd consider joining a fee-based rewards program if their favorite retailer offered one, compared to 62% of the general population.
Website: http://www.loyalty.com
Contact: Tim Sansbury, Tim@forza-marketing.com

EXPERT ROUNDUP: National Bullying Prevention Month

With National Bullying Prevention Month coming up in October, we put together a roundup of experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss bullying. Following are experts who can discuss bullying in the workplace specifically. You can also view the full roundup here: http://prn.to/bullyingexperts

Joan Kingsley
Psychotherapist
"In the hierarchical organization of the brain, the main drivers are contained in systems at the bottom. Evolution built the brain from the bottom up, not from the top down. No matter how brilliant, gifted and educated a person may be, if the internal milieu is flooded with fear and loathing, those destructive emotions have the potential to cause mayhem and havoc -- internally and externally. Bullying bosses may rise through the organization on their cunning and know-how, but oh, the damage these people do to anyone who gets in their line of fire. Nerds have feelings too, and safety in cyberspace is continually threatened by angry techies bent on destruction and acting out their rage on a global scale. At its extreme, bullying and abuse carve emotionally painful wounds from which many people never properly heal. The wound is there to be reopened under stress. There should be zero tolerance for bullying, brutish and belittling behavior, which is fairly easily observed, difficult to deal with though it is."
Kingsley has spent the past 25 years researching the links between brain systems and our psychological lives. Together with clinical and organizational psychologist and executive coach Dr. Paul Brown and oil and gas professional Sue Paterson, Kingsley wrote "The Fear-Free Organization: Vital Insights from Neuroscience to Transform Your Business Culture." The book gives people insight into the destructive force of fear; how fear affects our personal lives and permeates business environments. Kingsley also has a private practice in London, is Honorary Consultant Psychotherapist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, and is on the Psychotherapist register at the School of Life. She practices as an executive coach and has a vast amount of experience of working with businesses in supporting their staff. She is a member of The New York Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, and a member of the Royal Academy of Medicine and is registered with the UKCP.
Contact: Carole Claps, carole@merylmossmedia.com

Dr. Jackie Gilbert, Ph.D.
Professor of Management
Middle Tennessee State University College of Business
Gilbert is available to discuss bullying in the school system and the workplace: "Bad behavior occurs at work because people are not educated on its consequences, its impact on other people or, more essentially, on what constitutes bullying."
Gilbert received her BBA in management from the University of Texas at Austin, and her MBA and Ph.D. degrees in management from the University of Houston. Her research interests include cross-cultural studies, civility, diversity, and gender issues. She is a founding fellow of the U.S. Academy on Workplace Bullying, Mobbing, and Abuse.
Press/Research: http://mtweb.mtsu.edu/jgilbert
Contact: Jackie.Gilbert@mtsu.edu

Jonathan Alpert
Psychotherapist
A Manhattan psychotherapist, Alpert specializes in bullying -- at work, school, in relationships, and beyond. Here's a link to a recent article he wrote on bullying: http://tinyurl.com/olczfpe. He's also the author of "Be Fearless: Change Your Life in 28 Days," and a contributor to the Huffington Post, where his column addresses a wide range of topics, including mental health, lifestyle and hot-button issues, sex, dating, relationships, and current events. He also writes a column for Inc.com on business-related topics, including entrepreneurship, branding, motivation, success, workplace issues, and more. He previously penned a column for Metro newspaper called "No More Drama," which ran from 2006 to 2013 and reached over 1 million readers in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. He holds an advanced degree in psychology and is licensed in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., as a Professional Counselor. He started his career in emergency care, later worked in academia, did a stint at the FBI, then a major corporation, and currently has a thriving practice in New York.
Bio: http://jonathanalpert.com/about/
Contact: jonathan@jonathanalpert.com

Carrie D. Ali, M. Ed.
Regional Operations Consultant
Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies
With 15 years of teaching experience in the area of general education and special education, Ali can speak to the following topics: what is bullying; types of bullying; how to identify bullying (school/workplace); how to address and resolve bullying (school/workplace). She holds a B.A. degree in English from Montclair State University, and completed a state-approved program in the area of special education from Bloomfield College, where she obtained eligibility to become certified to teach students with disabilities in an inclusive setting. She completed her master's degree in education from Capella University, and is set to begin her doctoral program in the area of higher education and leadership. She is an approved Beginning Level l Trainer for the state of Georgia and a Master Level Trainer for the state of Texas.
Contact: Elayne Sommers, esommers@fish-consulting.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/

• Media Partnerships Editor – NerdWallet (CA)
• Promotions Producer – WHYY (PA)
• Freelance Writer/Producer – WABC-TV (NY)

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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.

• WHITE PAPERS: SEVEN CHALLENGES (AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM). White papers have become an important marketing tool, particularly in the B2B sector. Not only do they showcase a company's thought leadership, they can also influence the decision-making processes of existing or prospective customers. White papers are more comprehensive than other editorial content, and require substantially more time and effort to complete. If you're new to writing a white paper, you will likely come up against a few roadblocks along the way. Here are some of the challenges you may experience, as well as a few tips on how to overcome them: http://prn.to/1fjR0l6
• SEVEN COOL BLOG TOOLS EVERY BLOGGER MUST TRY. If you're looking for new ways to spruce up your blog, here are seven cool blogging tools you should give a try: http://prn.to/1eh5Wzp
• STEPS TO SELF-PUBLISHING YOUR BOOK. We recently hosted a Twitter Q&A with Adam Boretz, editor of PW Select, Publishers Weekly's monthly self-publishing supplement, and BookLife, PW's website dedicated to indie authors. Boretz shared tips on where to find editors/illustrators, writing as a first-time self-publisher, finances involved in the process, and much more: http://prn.to/1gOOWCv

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