Molly Callahan - News @ Northeastern

“You see the beauty of this diversity is that each of you is looking at issues, challenges, and opportunities in a different way,” President Joseph E. Aoun told the thousands of freshmen and transfer students who filled Matthews Arena for the President’s Convocation on Tuesday. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

‘You are the model of what society can be’

Students in Northeastern’s 122nd entering class, who hail from 140 countries, offer fresh perspectives on some of the globe’s most challenging problems, Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun said at the President’s Convocation.

by Molly Callahan September 3, 2019

stock image of people standing on a hospital-like floor

Could medicine be the next industry to come under scrutiny in the #MeToo era?

Women who are physicians are more likely to experience depression and burnout, and more likely to encounter harassment at work, says Timothy Hoff, a professor of management, healthcare systems and public policy at Northeastern.

by Molly Callahan August 30, 2019

Lights illuminate the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 21, 2018. The budget deficit—the gap between what the government spends and what it takes in through taxes and other sources of revenue—is expected to reach $960 billion for this fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30. The deficit will widen to $1 trillion by fiscal year 2020. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

The federal deficit is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2020. Here’s what that means.

The good news, says Alan Clayton-Matthews, an associate professor of economics and public policy at Northeastern, is that the growing national debt “never has to be paid off.” The bad news? The federal government is running out of tools it can deploy to bolster the economy when it dips into a recession.

by Molly Callahan August 28, 2019

What’s really at stake in the trade war between the US and China?

The tariffs that leaders in the United States and China imposed upon each other’s countries likely won’t have a huge effect on either economy, according to Northeastern economics professor William Dickens. But, he says, the underlying political brinkmanship could.

by Molly Callahan August 26, 2019

Here’s the secret to unlocking our compassion in the face of mass suffering

The amount of suffering in the world today, from natural disasters, violent political uprisings, or mass migration, is broadcast all day, every day online and on TV. People tend to feel overwhelmed in the face of such mass suffering, but David DeSteno, a psychology professor at Northeastern, found that people who believe they can help are resistant to such paralysis.

by Molly Callahan August 22, 2019

Stock photo of the The New York Times Magazine on Aug. 20, 2019. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

What we can learn from the backlash to the The New York Times history of slavery in the United States

“There has been a sustained campaign to erase the experience of enslaved people and the consequences and legacy of slavery in America,” says Margaret Burnham, director of Northeastern’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project. “But this is American history, and you have to face it to fix it.”

by Molly Callahan August 21, 2019

State and regional law enforcement records likely reflect less than 10 percent of trafficking victims in the area, according to new research by Amy Farrell, a Northeastern University professor who studies human trafficking. Photo by iStock

Human trafficking in the US is a much bigger problem than we think

New research by Amy Farrell, a Northeastern University professor who studies human trafficking, shows that obstacles at nearly every level of the reporting process have likely resulted in crime statistics that are much lower than reality.

by Molly Callahan August 16, 2019

The story behind the data on mass murder in the United States

News coverage after two recent mass shootings relied upon a common source for context: The AP/USATODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killing database. That’s because it’s the most comprehensive, most up-to-date repository of information on U.S. mass killings.

by Molly Callahan August 13, 2019

Will ‘red flag’ gun laws prevent mass shootings?

The “red flag” gun laws supported by President Donald Trump and, increasingly, members of Congress, are a step toward reducing gun violence and gun deaths, but they’re only part of the solution, says Matthew Miller, a Northeastern professor who studies firearm-related violence.

by Molly Callahan August 12, 2019

Toni Morrison’s groundbreaking novels about black history and identity helped to advance issues of civil rights and racial justice. The author was the keynote speaker at an event at Northeastern University in 2013, and afterward, she met with families who’d lost a relative to racial violence. Photo by Mary Knox Merrill/Northeastern University

Toni Morrison’s influence extends beyond literature

Morrison, whose groundbreaking novels about black history and identity opened the door for scores of authors who followed, also helped to advance issues of civil rights and racial justice.

by Molly Callahan August 9, 2019

Posts by Molly Callahan