In the News

  1. May 15, 2020
    • Headshot of Kathryn Dominguez

    “There will be lots of different kinds of data that will give us different pictures of the post-COVID economy, but one of them will be how prices adjust,” said Kathryn Dominguez, professor of public policy and economics. “It is quite possible that the basket of goods that the average American purchases, even after the lockdowns are all over, differ from what they were before the lockdowns.”

    Marketplace
  2. May 14, 2020
    • Photo of Donald Grimes

    “You do run this risk of sort of a permanent damage, because we can do this once. I don’t know if we can keep shutting down the economy on a repeat basis,” said economist Don Grimes of the Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics, who believes that the country could get mired in another depression if the economy is reopened too quickly and the coronavirus surges back with deadly force.

    WXYZ-TV (Detroit)
  3. May 14, 2020
    • Photo of Barbara mcQuade

    “Gov. Gretchen Whitmer … has taken swift, decisive action to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent hospitals from exceeding capacity, responding nimbly to ever-shifting circumstances,” wrote Barbara McQuade, professor from practice at the Law School. “Republican lawmakers have filed lawsuits challenging Whitmer’s emergency orders. These lawsuits lack merit and seem designed more to score political points than to achieve legal remedies.”

    The Detroit News
  4. May 14, 2020
    • Headshot of Geoffrey Barnes

    Experts say it will be years until it is understood how COVID-19 damages organs and how medications, genetics, diets, lifestyles and distancing impact its course. “This is a virus that literally did not exist in humans six months ago. We had to rapidly learn how this virus impacts the human body and identify ways to treat it literally in a time-scale of weeks,” said Geoffrey Barnes, assistant professor of internal medicine.

    The Washington Post
  5. May 13, 2020
    • Photo of Ben Winger

    “For people who are looking for things to do right now, (birding is) a great way to connect with the natural world and understand the place where you live better. Birding is not just about the birds; you’ll go to places that are really beautiful or interesting that you otherwise wouldn’t know about,” said Ben Winger, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and curator of birds at the Museum of Zoology.

    MLive
  6. May 13, 2020

    “Right now, there’s exactly one economic problem — leaving the house isn’t safe. It’s a bit of bad news for consumers because they’re not going to go out and spend. It’s also bad news on the supply side of the economy, which is, no one wants to go into work and responsible companies don’t want to be seen taking risks with their workforces, so they’re staying shut as well,” said Justin Wolfers, professor of economics and public policy.

    MSNBC
  7. May 13, 2020

    “It’s time to admit that, for the vast majority of students, online learning and work sheets are no substitute for trained teachers in classrooms. For most children, the school year effectively ended in March. If the country doesn’t recognize this fact and respond accordingly — with large federally funded programs to reverse the losses — we will do great harm to a generation of children who will learn less than those who went before them,” wrote Susan Dynarski, professor of education, public policy and economics.

    The New York Times
  8. May 12, 2020
    • Photo of James Devaney

    “As schools contemplate the possibility that students may not be allowed on campus in traditional ways for extended periods of time, risk mitigation will become an … important driver of digital transformation and allow universities to continue enrolling — and serving — students,” co-wrote James DeVaney, associate vice provost for academic innovation.

    Harvard Business Review
  9. May 12, 2020
    • Headshot of Sandra Levitsky

    “Our research found that it is possible to devise procedures that promote the goals of Title IX while simultaneously affording students (accused of sexual assault) the opportunity to be heard. Rather than promote these models, however, the new regulations compel schools to allow cross-examination — putting a sizable thumb on the scale in favor of the due-process rights of the accused. If lawyers are brought in to conduct cross-examination, professional ethics require zealous advocacy in defense of the accused. Wealthy students are more likely to be able to hire skilled attorneys, well-versed in strategies to destroy witness credibility and distort the campus process,” wrote Sandra Levitsky, associate professor of sociology; Elizabeth Armstrong, professor of sociology and organizational studies; and Kamaria Porter, doctoral student in higher education.

    The Washington Post
  10. May 12, 2020
    • Headshot of Adam Lauring

    The ability of a virus to evade detection makes it difficult to treat with medications, says Adam Lauring, associate professor of internal medicine, microbiology and immunology, and ecology and evolutionary biology: “The earlier you take the drugs, the better, but by the time someone comes into a clinic, there’s already been a lot of growth of the virus, so drugs may slow the virus down, but it may be too late to stop the damage at that point.”

    NBC News