Archive - News @ Northeastern

‘Good trouble’ came to Northeastern on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Northeastern’s annual MLK celebration paid homage to the late John Lewis, who took pride in stirring things up when he saw unfairness and injustice. “John Lewis’s life and mission exhorted us to be good troublemakers in order to build a society without racism,” said Joseph E. Aoun, Northeastern’s president.

by Peter Ramjug January 19, 2021

People attend the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 2020, in Washington, on the 57th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s

Why this year’s MLK tributes take on a new sense of urgency

Observances of Martin Luther King Day at Northeastern and around the country are the first since George Floyd’s death ignited calls for policing reforms, says the director of Northeastern’s Institute on Race and Justice. The nation’s political and racial upheaval underscores the need for meaningful change as much now as in the heyday of the civil rights movement.

by Peter Ramjug January 18, 2021

Recent alum Tarik Jones, poses for a portrait in the Studio Theatre. Jones was recently awarded a two-year fellowship from the Miranda Family to pursue a career in the arts. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

This actor and Miranda Family Fellow is opening up performing arts for people of color

Tarik Jones, a Northeastern graduate and actor, wanted to expand access to hands-on experience in the performing arts for people of color, so he co-created the New Renaissance Theatre Company devoted to doing just that. And, with a fellowship created by playwright and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jones has the tools to expand the company even further.

by Hillary Chabot January 17, 2021

Damian Lee, who studies Africana Studies and Political Science, performs “Bridge over Troubled Water” for the upcoming MLK event, in Blackman Auditorium on Jan. 13, 2021. Photo Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

With help, he confronts the troubled water

Damian Lee, a third-year student in Africana studies and political science, will be drawing from life experiences as he performs Bridge Over Troubled Water at a university event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

by Ian Thomsen January 17, 2021

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Jump into the new semester, and don’t miss these January events

Get inspired by urban design. Gear up for the Super Bowl. Analyze the modern technologies of the music industry. These and other virtual events are on the schedule for the second half of January.

by Alison Booth January 15, 2021

Left, supporters of President Donald Trump are confronted by Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington. Right, demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd on June 3, 2020, near the White House in Washington. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers. AP Photos by Manuel Balce Ceneta

Pictures tell the story of police response to the Black Lives Matter protests and Capitol riots

Videos and pictures have played a pivotal role in the Black Lives Matter movement, providing a visceral context to the descriptions of excessive police force and brutality decried by many Black Americans. Criminal Justice professor Rod K. Brunson said the powerful images of underprepared Capitol officers overwhelmed at last week’s breach provided a new perspective on who is perceived as dangerous in this country and who isn’t.

by Hillary Chabot January 15, 2021

A new study shows that people with elevated levels of PFAS in their blood—most often a result of exposure to contaminated drinking water or food—could have more severe cases of COVID-19. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

Chemicals found in everyday objects could cause more severe cases of COVID-19

PFAS chemicals are nearly inescapable. They’re found in everything from lotion to raingear, and 97 percent of Americans have elevated levels of them in their blood. Phil Brown, a university distinguished professor of sociology and health sciences at Northeastern, explains how these chemicals could cause more serious cases of COVID-19 and potentially interfere with the efficacy of the vaccine.

by Emily Arntsen January 14, 2021

A no trespassing sign is displayed outside the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Ind on Aug. 28, 2020. After a 17-year pause in federal executions, Donald Trump is on track to execute more prisoners than any U.S. president in 130 years. AP Photo by Michael Conroy

As Trump leaves office, the future of federal executions is likely to change

President Donald Trump has overseen the executions of 11 prisoners—all put to death since July. In a span of seven months, Trump has presided over the largest number of federal executions since 1896, when 16 inmates were killed under President Grover Cleveland.

by Ian Thomsen January 14, 2021

Greg Dowling, left, moves his son Cole Dowling into his dorm in West Village for the spring semester. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

Move-in is a big moment for Northeastern parents, too

Tillie Kopec is one of many parents juggling the excitement of sending their children off to college with the logistics of moving onto campus amid COVID-19 precautions. But she and other parents were reassured by Northeastern’s push to vaccinate the community.

by Hillary Chabot January 13, 2021

When it comes to predicting the transmission of infectious diseases, a lot of factors need to be considered. A new model from the MOBS Lab at Northeastern can account for specific interpersonal behaviors. Photo courtesy of Northeastern’s MOBS Lab

Diseases spread differently, region by region. This mathematical model shows how.

In an attempt to reflect the complex reality of disease transmission, Northeastern’s MOBS Lab has developed a new model that factors in patterns of interpersonal behavior down to the state or province level, enabling epidemiologists to get a closer look at how diseases spread.

by Emily Arntsen January 13, 2021