Tanner Stening

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

People are receiving unapproved extra COVID-19 vaccine doses. Is it a problem?

The break with CDC guidelines doesn’t present a huge ethical concern in situations where immunocompromised patients are, in consultation with their physicians, receiving additional shots, several Northeastern experts say.

by Tanner Stening January 6, 2022

Northeastern community members receive a first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Cabot Testing Center. Photo Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Do I need another COVID-19 booster?

Given the rise in omicron cases, U.S. officials have been talking about the need for a second booster, or a fourth shot. Which begs the question: Is it possible to overstimulate the immune system with too many shots? Theoretically, yes, say Northeastern pharmacy and public health experts.

by Tanner Stening January 4, 2022

Author and cultural critic bell hooks poses for a portrait on December 16, 1996 in New York City, New York. Photo by Karjean Levine/Getty Images

The transgressive role of education: bell hooks’s legacy

hooks, whose writing spanned gender, race, education, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, masculinity, love, joy, capitalism, among a host of other topics and concerns, died on Dec. 15.

by Tanner Stening January 3, 2022

A view of downtown Manhattan as seen from Governors Island, where Northeastern University is looking to build a facility to combat climate change. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images

Northeastern University selected as finalist in global competition to build premier climate hub in New York Harbor

The competition invited universities and research institutions from around the world to submit proposals for an anchor institution on Governors Island. It will be dedicated to conducting climate research and combating the broader environmental crisis, with particular emphasis on shoring up New York City’s climate resilience.

by Tanner Stening December 22, 2021

Head of Special Collections and University Archivist at Northeastern University, Giordan Mecagni looks through the Snell library stacks at The Boston Phoenix photo archives. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

An ode to the (now digital) Boston Phoenix newspaper

Thanks to a joint agreement by Northeastern University and the Internet Archive, a nonprofit library dedicated to making a variety of media accessible to the public, most of the Boston Phoenix archives now live on the web in searchable form.

by Tanner Stening December 22, 2021

China's Peng Shuai serves to Japan's Nao Hibino during their first round singles match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 21, 2020. AP Photo/Andy Brownbill

Peng Shuai and the obstacles facing China’s growing #MeToo movement

The growing crackdown on #MeToo in China is yet another example of how progressive forces are clashing with the country’s authoritarian governance, where narratives around social issues are carefully filtered, and state propaganda is rampant, says Hua Dong, senior academic specialist in Chinese and coordinator of the Chinese program at Northeastern.

by Tanner Stening December 17, 2021

California Gov. Gavin Newsom. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Texas used citizens as bounty hunters in its abortion ban enforcement. Can California do the same for gun control?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to utilize the Texas framework to tackle gun control may encounter greater difficulty because the Constitution so clearly articulates gun protections, whereas abortion rights are not explicitly stated, says Martha Davis, university distinguished professor of law at Northeastern.

by Tanner Stening December 15, 2021

Northeastern University wins competitive federal grant to help broaden job opportunities in biotech across New England

The university was selected among a competitive pool of 529 applicants to receive a federal grant as part of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge—a program designed to boost pandemic recovery and rebuild communities across the country.

by Tanner Stening and Molly Callahan December 13, 2021

How ‘fitness’ gaming is impacting our health, from WiiFit to Pokemon GO

Pandemic shifts in how we occupy our time while at home helped fuel a surge in video game use, including increased interest in virtual reality and so-called “fitness gaming,” or games designed to keep us moving.

by Tanner Stening December 9, 2021

What does justice look like for those exonerated after decades? A case for Black reparations

A recent string of high-profile exonerations, including those of Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam, two men wrongfully convicted in the 1966 killing of Malcolm X, has many asking the question: What is justice for people who have been failed by the criminal system?

by Tanner Stening December 7, 2021

Posts by Tanner Stening