Faculty Experts & Current Events

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

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

The ‘murder hornet’ is out to get bees, not humans. So why are people still freaking out over it?

The arrival of the Asian giant hornet in the U.S. has sparked an outcry on social media, but entomologists say that people should not worry about the oversized wasps. Still, some people may be concerned, as the underlying nature of fear isn’t the same for everyone, says neuroscientist Ajay Satpute.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa May 22, 2020

A Black man was killed in Georgia. Should the case be tried as a hate crime?

Earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that labels conspiracies to commit hate crimes as lynchings, which would make them a federal crime if the measure is signed into law. Margaret Burnham, university distinguished professor of law, says the people charged with killing Ahmaud Arbery should be brought to justice accordingly.

by Khalida Sarwari May 21, 2020

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

Does containing COVID-19 mean surrendering our privacy?

Public health officials are scrambling to rapidly ramp up contact tracing, which involves tracking down people who may have come in contact with someone who…

by Adam Fischer and Benjamin Bertsch May 20, 2020

Unemployed in the pandemic? Here’s how to start your own business.

An organization headed by J.D. LaRock, a professor of the practice in Northeastern’s doctor of law and policy program, has launched an online course to teach people who have lost their jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic how to turn an idea for a business—or a passion or hobby—into a profitable startup.

by Khalida Sarwari May 19, 2020

The person walking past you isn’t wearing a mask. What should you say?

It’s best to avoid hostility and communicate with empathy when it comes to helping people understand why covering their faces can slow the spread of the virus, say Northeastern researchers.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa May 15, 2020

‘A network is crucial to describe how infectious disease spreads, and this is what we do’

On Thursday, Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, joined Alessandro Vespignani, who directs the Network Science Institute, to discuss where we are now in the COVID-19 crisis, where we’re headed, and what policymakers can do to prepare for the next pandemic.

by Laura Castañón May 14, 2020

Models can predict how COVID-19 will spread. What goes into them, and how can we use what they tell us?

On Thursday, Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, will sit down for a conversation with Alessandro Vespignani, the director of Northeastern’s Network Science Institute, who is leading one of the major efforts to model this disease.

by Laura Castañón May 13, 2020