Please contact experts directly during this period. Availability is noted under their contact information.
HOW WILL A TIGHTENING ECONOMY IMPACT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS AND HOLIDAYS THIS SUMMER?
Associate Professor, Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management, La Trobe Business School
Contact E: e.frew@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0412 503 490
Not available 24 December 2024 – 5 January 2025
Topics include:
- How cost-of-living pressures are changing Victorians’ summer holidays, with the majority likely to take only short stays and breaks (i.e. more than two nights, less than five nights) and stay within three hours’ drive of Melbourne
- On average, it costs $120 to $160 per person per day for accommodation, petrol, and food and beverages. For an average family four, that’s almost $650 per day
- Why pet-friendly Airbnbs, caravan parks and campsites in regional Victoria are in high demand this summer, along with free activities such as national parks and beaches
- The huge growth in agri-businesses becoming family friendly, such as wineries and distilleries
A SUSTAINABLE CHRISTMAS
Associate Professor in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, Department of Engineering
Contact E: I.Kong@latrobe.edu.au M: 0434 108 498
Available until 17 December 2024 and after 7 January, 2025
Topics include:
- In Australia, waste production spikes by about 30 per cent during the festive season, with increased packaging, single-use plastic cutlery and discarded decorations all adding to this rise.
- A “green Christmas” encourages thoughtful choices that reduce waste and environmental harm. Simple steps, such as choosing gifts with minimal packaging, supporting locally made or upcycled items and opting for experience-based gifts over material goods can make a significant difference.
- Avoiding single-use plastic cutlery by using reusable options also contributes to a more sustainable holiday. By prioritising these eco-friendly practices, we can celebrate joyfully while reducing our holiday footprint and setting a positive example for the future.
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
Adjunct lecturer, School of Public Health and Psychology, La Trobe University Melbourne
Areas of expertise: laughter, positivity, humour, resilience
Contact E: r.ben-moshe@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0413 592 030
Topics include:
- Starting 2025 with a positive mindset: why it’s important and how to achieve it
- In times of global unrest and countless personal challenges, laughter can feel out of reach. Yet, how and why might laughter be essential for supporting mental health, fostering wellbeing and strengthening community connection?
- How effective are New Year’s resolutions? Do we need them and how many people actually stick to them?
- What are the most common New Year’s resolutions?
- How can we craft more sustainable and meaningful New Year’s resolutions?
OLDER PEOPLE, ELDER ABUSE AND LONELINESS AT CHRISTMAS
Director, Care Economy Research Institute (CERI)
John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing Research (Albury-Wodonga-based)
Contact E: i.blackberry@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0410 626 880
Topics include:
- Christmas is a time to care about older people who are often alone and struggling financially
- How to navigate Christmas and care for ageing relatives
THE IMPACT OF ALCOHOL OVER CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR
Director of the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research
Contact E: E.Kuntsche@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0477 190 655
Topics include:
- Why is alcohol such a traditional part of Christmas and New Year festivities and should it be like this?
- Why is it so hard to change drinking habits, even if we experience the negative consequences of it?
- Why is it so hard to stick to a New Year’s resolutions to drink less?
- How alcohol and hangovers affect swimming and drowning
Associate Professor Anne-Marie Laslett
NHMRC Emerging Leader, Centre for Alcohol Policy Research
Contact E: A.laslett@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0408 338 093
Limited availability over Christmas and New Year. Text request in the first instance
Topics include:
- Increased alcohol and drug use over the Christmas and New Year period
- The impact of increased alcohol and drug use on the care economy, including hospitals and emergency services
- How does alcohol affect our social occasions?
- Violence, harms to children and relationship strains in families when alcohol is involved
- Cleaning up after Christmas, other big events and everyday alcohol-related amenity harms
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SUMMER OF CRICKET
Senior Lecturer – Exercise Science
Contact E: K.Middleton@latrobe.edu.au M: 0422 280 631
Topics include:
- The biomechanics of fast bowling, including development of bowling speed and back injuries
- The aerodynamics of bowling (e.g. swing)
- Illegal bowling actions and how they are assessed
- What might the future be for technology in cricket (and what we can learn from baseball)
HOW TENNIS PROFESSIONALS GET THE BEST OUT OF THEIR GAME
PhD candidate and lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science
Contact E: N.Busuttil@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0401 468 784
Topics include:
- Integrating movement technology for tennis training and match play
- Sports biomechanics and skill development for tennis
- Specialist support for coaching teams and players
- What might the future be for technology in tennis
Lecturer Exercise Science (Bendigo based)
Contact E: stephen.cousins@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0450 318 190
Topics include:
- How we can keep active, healthy and eat well over the summer period and why it’s important
- Exercise for weight loss and how to prevent excessive weight gain
- The benefits of and best types of exercise for older adults
SAFETY AND MINORITY GROUPS OVER THE FESTIVE SEASON
Researcher, Reducing Gender-Based Violence Research Group
Contact E: J.Ison@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0481 880 596
Available most days, although limited availability over the New Year’s period
Topics include:
- For some, Christmas is far from the season of cheer, with family violence incidents increasing over the festive season
- The summer of ‘fun’ – drink spiking, sexual assault and harassment. How does it impact on women and LGBTQ communities?
- How can you get home from the party safely? Public transport and sexual harassment
CARING FOR OUR PETS OVER CHRISTMAS AND SUMMER
Senior Research Fellow, School of Psychology and Public Health
Contact E: t.howell@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0450 298 745
Not available 21 December 2024 to 5 January 2025
Topics include:
- Got a pet for Christmas? How to care for them and how to ensure they remain a life-long friend
- Why do we buy gifts for our beloved pets at Christmas?
Sonya McDowall
PhD Candidate, School of Psychology and Public Health
Contact E: s.mcdowall@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0422 083 551
Available throughout the summer period
Topics include:
- The key reasons people hand their pets to shelters
- The number of pets handed to shelters each year and what we can do to prevent it
- What we need to consider when getting a pet
- Crises happen over the festive period – why it’s important to keep the human-animal relationship together
EATING WELL, THE MEANING OF FOOD IN OUR LIVES AND THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON WHAT WE EAT
Director, La Trobe Institute of Sustainable Agriculture and Food (LISAF)
Professor of Plant Biology
Contact E: t.bacic@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0409 855 852
On leave 23 December to 17 January
Topics include:
- Summer food production – how climate change is affecting what we eat
- Is climate change affecting the traditional Christmas lunch?
- How Australia is changing the way we grow and produce food in a changing climate
School of Psychology and Public Health
Contact E: m.ruby@latrobe.edu.au, P: 03 9479 1632
Availability: Generally available via phone
Topics include:
- The meaning of food in people’s lives
- How does food embody cultural values?
- Veganism/vegetarianism
La Trobe Institute of Sustainable Agriculture and Food (LISAF)
Contact E: K.Johnson@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0418 858 465
Topics include:
- What will we be eating in a changing climate?
- Sustainable food production in a changing climate
JUST MOVED TO A NEW AREA? HOW GRASSROOTS SMALL-SCALE EVENTS CAN HELP YOU FIND YOUR TRIBE
Associate Professor, Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management, La Trobe Business School
Contact E: e.frew@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0412 503 490
Not available 24 December 2024 – 5 January 2025
Topics include:
- How building connections can help people settle into to a new area, or overcome loneliness
- How small, local events can play an important role in pursuing hobbies and meeting like-minded people
- The benefit of online event guides in enabling people to find connections in their local area
EDUCATION, BACK TO SCHOOL
Associate Dean Research and Industry Engagement, School of Education
Contact: M 0403 457 316, E T.Keane@latrobe.edu.au
Not available 6-9 January
Topics include:
- How VCE students can prepare for the year ahead.
- Tips and tricks for more successful study. (For example, read novels and understand the study designs to know what the year ahead will require; and how a clear workspace, a pin board and a large calendar can make a difference)
- Back to school: Don’t leave buying uniforms too late
- Bring Your Own Device (BYOD): Should you buy the most expensive technology or the cheapest?
AUSTRALIAN POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Professor of International Relations, Director, La Trobe Asia
Contact E: B.Strating@latrobe.edu.au, M: 0400 287 758
Not available 25 December
Topics include:
- International relations in Asia
- Maritime security, Australian foreign and defence policy
HOW WILL AUSTRALIA’S RURAL HEALTH WORKFORCE COPE OVER SUMMER?
Professor of Public Health at La Trobe’s Rural Health School
Contact E: e.spelten@latrobe.edu.au, OR via media advisor Jess Whitty: 0481 383 817
Availability: Limited availability between 24 December to 10 January.
Topics include:
- Workforce shortages and strains on the health system in regional and rural areas over the Summer and festive period.
- How the Community Paramedicine project – a Canadian CP@clinic program currently being trialled by La Trobe in the Mallee region – is alleviating pressure on workforce shortages in healthcare, including reducing ambulance callouts and ED presentations.
- How community paramedics are reshaping the delivery of healthcare to traditionally underserved regional communities.
- The Rural Health Consumer Panel.
Professor Spelten can provide paramedic, client and stakeholder quotes on request.
AUSTRALIAN BUSHFIRE SEASON
For a full list of experts available to provide analysis and commentary on the Australian bushfire season, please see the separate Bushfire Expert Alert Season 2024/25.
For a full list of academic staff, search Scholars La Trobe
