http://web3.unt.edu/news News for UNT en-us Copyright 2002, University of North Texas rwolper@unt.edu cbunata@unt.edu http://web3.unt.edu/news/story.cfm?story=11100 From Aug. 15 through 17 (Friday through Sunday), Texas will observe its annual sales tax holiday. Shoppers in the state will not pay state and local sales tax on most clothing and footwear priced under $100, as well as backpacks priced under $100 that are used by elementary and secondary school students. Shoppers could save about $8 on every $100 that they spend. http://web3.unt.edu/news/story.cfm?story=11094 As you plan your "back to school" coverage, please consider these relevant University of North Texas experts:Math and science teacher shortage; teacher attrition/retention: Dr. Mary M. Harris is the Meadows Chair for Excellence in teacher education and professor of teacher education and administration.  She leads the North Texas Regional P-16 Council, which studies gaps in student achievement and regional and national trends in teacher quality and teacher supply and demand.  Formerly dean of the College of Education at the University of North Dakota, she is active in the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.  As co-director of Teach North Texas, she helps lead UNT's efforts to address the current national shortage of math and science teachers. Office Phone: (940) 565-4327E-mail: mary.harris@unt.edu New teacher experience; school district growth, teacher quality: Dr. Jo Murphy, coordinator of field experiences for the College of Education, has had extensive experience in the public schools of North Texas.  She worked as an elementary teacher for 19 years and as an elementary administrator for 10 years.  She served as both assistant principal and principal in the Frisco ISD, the fastest growing school district in the history of the state of Texas. She can discuss the changing faces of school districts as they deal with fast growth, economic issues, and the challenges of putting the very best teachers possible in classrooms of the future.  As the coordinator of field experiences, Murphy and her staff place about 1,000 students in classrooms annually.  Murphy also can provide contact information for recent UNT graduates who are starting their teaching career in the DFW area this fall.  Office phone number: (940) 565-3589Email address: Jo.Murphy@unt.edu Child development; coping with children starting school; balancing education and extracurricular activities: Dr. Arminta L. Jacobson is the director and founder of the UNT Center for Parent Education.  She also is a professor in College of Education's department of Counseling Development and Higher Education.  Jacobson has received more than $2 million in grants to study family relations and child development.  Her areas of expertise include parent involvement in schools; infant and early childhood education and care; work-family relations and parent-child relationships.  Two topics that she could discuss are: coping with children starting school and striking a balance between education and extracurricular activities.  Office phone:  (940) 565-2432Home phone: (940) 387-4801Email: arminta.jacobson@unt.edu Back to school and the heat: Dustin Hill has served as UNT's director of sports medicine since August 2001.  He is a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association and licensed as an athletic trainer by the state of Texas.  He can discuss the effect of heat on athletes, as well as the precautions that should be taken when participating in outside activities during the heat of the summer. Office phone number: (940) 565-2371E-mail address: Dustin.Hill@unt.edu Student money management programming and services:Paul F. Goebel is the founding and managing director of the UNT Student Money Management Center. He has more than 15 years of experience in program development and project management, which he used to establish and expand a dedicated center of financial literacy services on campus.  He has been quoted in US News & World Report, Chronicle of Higher Education and Public Purpose  the magazine of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.  He has been a featured speaker at international and national conferences presenting workshops on financial literacy programming for college students.  "In uncertain economic times, we all have to remind ourselves to reprioritize our financial lives.  We need to redefine needs and wants, and then budget for needs and plan for wants," said Goebel. Cell phone number: (512) 695-0262 (first option)Office phone number: (940) 369-7281E-mail address: goebel@unt.edu http://web3.unt.edu/news/story.cfm?story=11093 As you plan your coverage for the Summer Olympics in Beijing Aug. 8-24, consider these University of North Texas experts who can discuss a variety of topics related to the event.Sleep adjustment in different time zone:With Beijing time 12 to 15 hours ahead of all of the time zones in the continental United States -- noon Dallas/Fort Worth time is 1 a.m. Beijing time -- the U.S. Olympic athletes and coaches, as well as members of the media and tourists from the U.S. who are attending the Olympics, will need to reset their circadian clocks once they arrive.