Molly Callahan - News @ Northeastern

Jahari Hughes, 11, writes on a sidewalk during a Juneteenth event on June 19, 2020, in Milwaukee. AP Photo/Morry Gash

How to talk to kids about systemic racism and anti-Black violence

Explaining racism to children is an essential conversation in families, irrespective of race or skin color, says Tracy Robinson-Wood, a professor of applied psychology. She and her colleague Laurie Kramer, also a professor of applied psychology, suggest talking to children in ways that are appropriate for their ages, and giving them opportunities to take action afterward.

by Molly Callahan June 23, 2020

More than a quarter of U.S. residents (27 percent) “describe symptoms in a range that would be considered moderate or severe depression,” according to the report. Photo by iStock

Pandemic takes a toll on mental health of US residents, new national survey shows

As the country enters the fourth month of a “new normal” governed by public health guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19, a new survey by Northeastern and other researchers shows that more than a quarter of U.S. residents “describe symptoms in a range that would be considered moderate or severe depression,” according to the report.

by Molly Callahan June 16, 2020

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Northeastern announces new initiatives to confront anti-Black discrimination

Following discussions among students, faculty, and staff in the wake of protests and demonstrations around the world against racial injustice, Northeastern on Monday announced a number of actions its leadership will undertake immediately to confront bias and improve the experience of Black students, faculty, and staff—as well as other under-represented minorities—at the university.

by Molly Callahan June 15, 2020

The Black Lives Matter movement and protests of police violence played a major role in the 2016 election, and may prove to have a similar effect in 2020, according to new research by faculty from Northeastern University, the University of Massachusetts, Northwestern University, and George Mason University. Photo by Chris Tuite/Sipa via AP Images

Many people who voted in 2016 were motivated by the Black Lives Matter protests. Will the same hold true this year?

A recent study found that the Black Lives Matter movement and its subsequent backlash not only energized people to vote in 2016, but affected which candidate they chose, as well. This year, one thing is clear: Civil rights and racial equality are going to be “really important issues again for this election,” says Kevin Drakulich, a criminologist who helped conduct the study.

by Molly Callahan June 9, 2020

Using American Sign Language while wearing an opaque mask is like “listening to a muffled message,” says Lori Whynot, the new director of Northeastern University’s American Sign Language Program. And for Whynot, who is also part of a team that interprets Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID-19 press conferences, it’s important that the message be totally clear. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

New challenges–and opportunities–for American Sign Language users in a pandemic

The language relies upon facial expressions to convey important linguistic information. So, wearing an opaque mask is like communicating “a muffled message,” says Lori Whynot, director of Northeastern’s American Sign Language Program. And for Whynot, who is part of a team that interprets Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID-19 press conferences, it’s important that the message be totally clear.

by Molly Callahan May 28, 2020

Wearing gloves, a King County Election worker collects ballots from a drop box in the Washington state primary in Seattle in March. AP Photo by John Froschauer

A majority in the US supports making mail-in voting easier, new study shows

The results, which come as states across the country are planning for what could be a drastically different election in November, show that 60 percent of U.S. residents support making it easier to vote by mail.

by Molly Callahan and Laura Castañón May 28, 2020

According to a survey led by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Rutgers, and Northwestern universities, the vast majority (89 percent) of people surveyed oppose the immediate reopening of state economies—though the figure slid 5 percent from late April, when 94 percent of people opposed immediate reopening. AP Photo by Wilfredo Lee

New survey shows growing partisan divide in support for reopening the US

Even as states begin to reopen, a majority of U.S. residents oppose immediate measures. But that opposition is beginning to wane among Republicans, according to new results of a national survey led by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Rutgers, and Northwestern universities.

by Molly Callahan May 22, 2020

Cyclists in Dresden, Germany, cross the Waldschlösschen Bridge in the morning, with the historic old town skyline in the background. Photo by: Robert Michael/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

How will the pandemic change cities?

BERLIN—Pop-up bike lanes and grassroots efforts to turn mostly empty parking lots and residential streets into playgrounds have appeared as this city begins to reopen after the COVID-19 outbreak. Sara Jensen Carr, who studies how epidemics have changed cities, says this may only be the beginning.

by Andrew Curry - contributor May 20, 2020

Pamela Leins, deputy commissioner of the Boston Centers for Youth and Families, unpacks donated art supplies at Matthews Arena to be disinfected and donated to Boston Public School children. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

‘We couldn’t have imagined a better partner’

When Boston city officials got news early this week that a donor was sending an 18-wheeler full of art supplies for families, there was only one problem: Where would they unload and sort the supplies? Northeastern’s Matthews Arena, that’s where.

by Molly Callahan May 13, 2020

‘Zoom fatigue’ is real. Here’s why you’re feeling it, and what you can do about it.

Video calls have become a crucial way to stay in touch from afar, but they can be exhausting. That’s because we're missing many of the nonverbal cues that we typically rely on during in-person conversations, says behavior analyst Laura Dudley.

by Molly Callahan May 11, 2020

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