In the News
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November 16, 2020
“I fear that we’re going to have multiple epicenters,” said Mahshid Abir, associate professor of emergency medicine, who warns that there won’t be flexibility to shuffle around resources to the places in need because everywhere will be overwhelmed by COVID-19. Christina Cutter, lecturer in emergency medicine, said “It’s really hard to make sure you’re leveraging all the resources and that one hospital is not overburdened compared to another hospital, and that may have unintended loss of life as a consequence.”
National Public Radio -
November 16, 2020
Ethan Kross, professor of psychology, and management and organizations, says that when overcome by frustration and negativity, people who use self-distancing techniques see their stress levels and physical health indicators improve, and are better able to solve problems and resolve conflicts: “Introspection is a good thing. … But it requires us to take a step back and deal with our emotions.”
The New York Times -
November 13, 2020
“Once he’s no longer president, when everything he says is a matter of public interest, then you get into a fairness argument. If he’s abusing the platform, why give him more opportunities for abuse than anyone else gets?” said Len Niehoff, professor from practice at the Law School, on President Trump’s use of social media to peddle misinformation and promote conspiracy theories.
The Atlantic -
November 13, 2020
Elizabeth Popp Berman, associate professor of organizational studies and sociology, said corporate funding for research and other academic pursuits comes with strings attached, but colleges are more open to such partnerships as budgets are squeezed and student debt loads rise: “It’s hard to reject this support outright because of the position the students are in.”
The Wall Street Journal -
November 13, 2020
“The idea that this is anything but sort of a last gasp strategy to throw up some smoke and maybe try to get some delays is ludicrous. There’s no way that this strategy can change the outcome of the election,” said Samuel Bagenstos, professor of law, on the election lawsuits brought by President Trump and his desire to involve the Supreme Court to overturn election results.
MLive -
November 12, 2020
“Concern about privacy is one of the things that’s suppressing adoption,” said Christian Sandvig, professor of information and director of the Center for Ethics, Society, and Computing, on people’s unfounded fears that contact-tracing apps are tracking their location or other personal information.
TIME -
November 12, 2020
“I think it is surprising where in big cities where the YMCA is literally across the street and they have a relationship and are running their afterschool program, that they haven’t used this,” said Samantha Keppler, assistant professor of technology and operations, on schools’ infrequent use of churches and other community organizations to add space to make students safer.
The Associated Press -
November 12, 2020
“The Pfizer announcement is unmitigated good news. But it would be a tragic mistake to relax our vigilance. Instead, continue to mask up, stay home and consider canceling or limiting your Thanksgiving plans. This is still a marathon, but the end is much closer than before,” co-wrote Nicholas Bagley, professor of law, on the news that the drugmaker’s coronavirus vaccine had a 90 percent success rate.
The New York Times -
November 11, 2020
Making sure babies get plenty of vitamin D in the first year of their lives could protect them from heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes later in life, suggests research by Eduardo Villamor, professor of epidemiology: “We can never tell from an observational study if there is causation but at least from a predictive point of view, the fact that a single measure of vitamin D in early life predicts cardiovascular risk over such a long period is compelling.”
The Street Journal (Nigeria) -
November 11, 2020
There’s a perception that virtual school is easier for older students since they’re more independent and can be left alone to do school work, but older students can easily disengage from class, said Elizabeth Birr Moje, dean of the School of Education: “Parents are trying to work, they’re trying to manage and help their younger children. They are just so thankful when their older kids can fend for themselves. That’s a dangerous place to be.”
MLive
