Faculty Experts & Current Events

Photo Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

2 masks are better than 1 to protect against new COVID-19 variants

Fit is paramount when it comes to face masks, according to two Northeastern professors who study how airborne particles travel through different facial coverings. Layering surgical masks under cloth masks can decrease the amount of particles that reach the nose and mouth.

by Emily Arntsen - contributor January 29, 2021

Trump rallies and social justice protests may have driven a big year for gun sales, study says

Record gun purchases last year may have been fueled by both Black Lives Matter protesters and pro-Trump supporters, according to a new survey by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers. The study shows a correlation between gun purchases and protests on the political left and right.

by Peter Ramjug January 28, 2021

From top left: Rod Brunson, Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Chair of Public Life; Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Political Science; Director of Graduate Mentoring and Diversity Initiatives, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Costas Panagopoulos, Professor and Department Chair of Political Science, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Brooke Foucault Wells, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, College of Arts, Media, and Design and Pat Williams, University Distinguished Professor of Law and Humanities, School of Law and College of Social Sciences and Humanities. Screenshots by Northeastern University

One way to root out racial injustice on the ground and on social media? Consequences, say Northeastern experts.

“Our gravely fractured nation is at a crossroads once again and does not have the luxury of waiting,” says criminology professor Rod K. Brunson in the aftermath of riots at the Capitol. He discussed the ideological forces behind the siege with fellow Northeastern faculty members.

by Hillary Chabot January 28, 2021

Boxes containing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are prepared to be shipped at the McKesson distribution center in Olive Branch, Miss., Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. AP Photo by Paul Sancya, Pool

Here’s a 4-step plan to rescue the US vaccination program

The U.S. must create a national system for delivering and administering COVID-19 vaccinations, says Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply chain management at Northeastern.

by Ian Thomsen January 28, 2021

Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

Want to encourage vaccinations? Don’t use politicians, says this new study.

Partisanship could backfire and trigger a reluctance to get vaccinated, a survey from researchers at Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers found. Appeals to patriotic duty were the least effective while advice from the family doctor had the most influence. “If vaccinations of public figures are to be strategically utilized, it is preferable to emphasize those who are not overtly political,” researchers wrote.

by Peter Ramjug January 26, 2021

Could the emergence of a small labor union at Google help transform the tech industry? Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Here’s why the new union at Google could be good for Silicon Valley

The unionization by a relatively small number of workers may launch a labor movement throughout the tech industry that could help companies struggling to regulate themselves, predicts Usama Fayyad, executive director for Northeastern’s Institute of Experiential Artificial Intelligence.

by Ian Thomsen January 25, 2021

President Joe Biden signs his first executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Advice for Biden’s first 100 days: Bring in new perspectives and focus on the possible

President Joe Biden’s to-do list is long and his goals are ambitious. We asked Northeastern professors to suggest what’s most important—and most practical—on the economy, healthcare, and social justice.

by Peter Ramjug January 21, 2021

Washington state is counting on the expertise of its local coffee giant, Starbucks, for help with its COVID-19 vaccines rollout. Photo Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

How Starbucks could speed up the vaccine rollout

In need of a pick-me-up for its struggling COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Washington state has turned to a familiar resident: Starbucks. It’s an example of how the supply-chain expertise of businesses can help rescue U.S. vaccination efforts, says Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply chain management at Northeastern.

by Ian Thomsen January 21, 2021

Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Jill Biden holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021, as their children Ashley and Hunter watch. AP Photo by Andrew Harnik, Pool

In a divided Washington, Biden has some paths to unity, Northeastern experts say

“America First” became “America United” as Biden charted an optimistic course for the country in his first presidential speech, Northeastern faculty experts say. Biden pledged to help the nation bridge an ever-widening political divide to face numerous challenges, including a raging pandemic and high unemployment. The political tide may work against him but early wins are possible, faculty predict.

by Peter Ramjug January 21, 2021

Margaret Burnham, university distinguished professor of law at Northeastern, receives a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Cabot Testing Center. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

Northeastern ramps up COVID-19 vaccination rollout on the Boston campus to protect the community

After vaccinating hundreds of people already, the university received a new shipment of 2,000 vaccine doses and started rolling them out immediately. Tuesday’s vaccinations previewed the launch of Northeastern’s “Vax the Pack” campaign, a university-wide push to promote the vaccine as a safe and important step in protecting the community by inoculating as many people as possible against COVID-19.

by Hillary Chabot January 19, 2021