Featured Post from University of Delaware

Holiday shopping season set to begin with questions about Black Friday, consumer behavior

Nov 19, 2024

2 min

Is Black Friday still a thing? Online sales have been outpacing brick-and-mortar sales for years, resulting in shorter lines and less of a frenzy at stores on the day after Thanksgiving. Many stores have also gone online with deals to compliment in-person shopping. University of Delaware experts can comment on this and other topics related to the holiday shopping season and gift-buying behavior.

Andong Cheng: Can provide tips on what to prepare for during this unique holiday shopping season. Her research focuses on defining and identifying the picky consumer segment, and explores how pickiness impacts other judgments and decisions. She advises consumers to consider the phenomenon of double mental discounting, where shoppers experience a “mental accounting phenomenon” when offered promotional credit.

Jackie Silverman: Research examines several facets of judgment and decision making and consumer psychology. According to Silverman, there are many potential benefits of online shopping for consumers, including some unconventional approaches to gift giving this season.

Philip Gable: Can talk about the science behind the art of gift-giving that goes beyond the material exchange — emotional nuances that also can be applied to charitable work and philanthropy. He says that significance contributes to the happiness we experience in gift-giving.

Matthew McGranaghan: Studies the economics of consumer attention and the indirect effects of marketing interventions. He explains that there is a difference in how businesses are innovating and utilizing online retail methods to connect with consumers this holiday season.

Bintong Chen: Can discuss the systematic nature of supply chain issues. He recommends shoppers use major retailers like Amazon and Walmart, whose companies use their own shipping fleets to minimize disruptions.

Caroline Swift: Examines supply chain transparency and the interactions between regulation and business performance.

Connect with:

Matthew McGranaghan

Assistant Professor, Marketing

Prof. McGranaghan studies the economics of consumer attention and the indirect effects of marketing interventions.

Business AdministrationNeuroscienceApplied EconomicsManagementMarketing

Bintong Chen

Professor, Business Administration; Director, Institute for Financial Services Analytics

Prof. Chen's cross-disciplinary expertise includes knowledge of both business management practices, data science, and systems engineering.

OptimizationMachine LearningGame TheoryBusiness LogisticsCustomer Service Management

Philip Gable

Professor, Psychological and Brain Sciences

Prof. Gable has expertise in emotion and motivational science; our sense of time, and neuroscience

Emotional TheoryMotivationNeuroscienceSocial PsychologyAutism

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Feb 10, 2026

1 min

Epidemiologist: Winter Olympics fortunate to dodge norovirus outbreak

Finland's Olympic women's hockey team overcame a norovirus scare last week, but they couldn't get past Team USA, who shut them out 5-0 Saturday in Milan. The University of Delaware's Jennifer Horney can discuss the difficult-to-contain virus, which also hit the Winter Games in 2018. - Horney, a professor of epidemiology at UD, said that the outbreak – which forced Finland to cancel its first game after 13 players had either been infected or quarantined – is not surprising. Norovirus spreads rapidly in crowded environments through direct contact with surfaces or airborne droplets. - It is difficult to limit the spread of norovirus, as witnessed by the major outbreak that spread at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. - Consideration is often given for the potential of these types of outbreaks being intentional, which requires public health to work closely with law enforcement. To reach Horney directly and arrange an interview, visit her profile and click on the "contact" button. Interested journalists can also send an email to MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Feb 9, 2026

1 min

How ACL injury derailed Lindsey Vonn's heroic return to Olympic competition

An ACL rupture couldn't keep skiier Lindsey Vonn off the slopes to start this week's Olympics. But according to the University of Delaware's Dr. Karin Silbernagel, the injury likely contributed to her inability to land safely Sunday on the downhill course in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The crash ended her heroic return to competition Dr. Silbernagel, a professor of physical therapy, studies tendon injuries in the ankle and knee in elite athletes, especially Achilles ruptures and ankle function. She was quoted in an ESPN story about the rash of such injuries in the NBA and can specifically address the impact they could have on competition now and for the rest of an athlete's career. Her research shows that even after successful surgery, many athletes return to competition but not many among them return to peak explosiveness or durability. The impact a major injury would have on a fresh injury like Vonn's is obvious, she said. Dr. Silbernagel's research on ankle and knee injuries dates back to the early 2000s. She consults with professional sports teams relating to tendon injuries and is a consultant to the NFL's Musculoskeletal Committee. To connect directly with Dr. Silbernagel and arrange an interview, visit her profile and click the "contact" button. Interested members of the media can also send an email to MediaRelatons@udel.edu.

Feb 3, 2026

2 min

What makes the NFL's biggest game so Super?

Why would someone pay $10,000 for a Super Bowl ticket? Why does the big game serve as a reason for a party – perhaps the only event to do so on a national level? How do teams lock in and play their best while the whole world is watching? University of Delaware experts can deliver answers to those and other questions long before the first chip hits the dip. Amit Kumar, an assistant professor of marketing and expert on happiness, said that part of the reason people derive hedonic benefits from buying tickets to sporting events like the Super Bowl is because of the memories they provide and the conversational value they generate. He pointed to his study on consuming experiences, which found that consumers derive more happiness from purchasing experiences than from buying possessions. Kumar can also talk about the benefits of Super Bowl parties and the psychology behind the social connections that take place at sports-related gatherings. Other UD experts who can comment on the Super Bowl include: • Kyle Emich, professor of management: The inner-working of teams, decision-making and how emotions influence cognitive processing. • John Allgood, instructor of sport management: Fan engagement and the economics of sports. • Nataliya Bredikhina, assistant professor of sport management: Athlete branding and event sponsorships. • Tim Deschriver, associate professor of sport management: Topics related to sports economics, finance and marketing. • Karin Sabernagel, professor of physical therapy: Specializes in lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries, sports medicine and tendon injuries (ankle, knee). To reach these experts directly and arrange interviews, visit their profiles and click on the "contact" button. Interested reporters can also contact MediaRelations@udel.edu.