The Conversation

These are the students free community college programs help the most

Written by Amy Li, Assistant Professor of Educational Policy Studies, Florida International University

'College promise' programs increase Black and Hispanic female college student enrollment the most. FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

College programs that help cover tuition and fees significantly increase how many Black, Latino and white students enter college, according to...

What a squeezed rubber ducky suggests about the lingering effects of vaccine misinformation

Written by Xingru Chen, Ph.D. Candidate in Applied Mathematics, Dartmouth College

Believe it or not, this little guy has inspired new scientific thought about the COVID-19 vaccine.Peter Dazeley via Getty Images

The mutations in the coronavirus indicate that the virus is working hard to survive, with transmissible COVID-19 variants being detected around the world. These mutations have increased the urgency of vaccinating hundreds...

Citizen scientists are filling research gaps created by the pandemic

Written by Theresa Crimmins, Director, USA National Phenology Network, University of Arizona

A volunteer looks for waterbirds at Point Reyes National Seashore in California during the National Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count.Kerry W/Flickr, CC BY

The rapid spread of COVID-19 in 2020 disrupted field research and environmental monitoring efforts worldwide. Travel restrictions and social distancing forced scientists to cancel...

The US government's $44 million vaccine rollout website was a predictable mess – here’s how to fix the broken process behind it

Written by Tinglong Dai, Associate Professor of Operations Management & Business Analytics, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing

A health system in Virginia stopped using the federal website after only a few days, complaining that it was slow and crashed.Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been a nightmare for many Americans as they struggle through multi-step registration and appointment systems.

The federal government...

Can an employee object to mandatory COVID-19 vaccines on religious grounds?

Written by Debbie Kaminer, Professor of Law, Baruch College, CUNY

Many employers are hoping vaccines provide 'a shot in the arm,' but can staff opt out?David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The rollout of vaccines across the U.S. has finally given hope to many employers of a return to some form of normality.

Although the program has gotten off to a faltering start, the promise that hundreds of millions...

Living with natural gas pipelines: Appalachian landowners describe fear, anxiety and loss

Written by Erin Brock Carlson, Assistant Professor of Professional Writing and Editing, West Virginia University

Pipeline construction cuts through forests and farms in Appalachia.Provided by Erin Brock Carlson, CC BY-SA

More than 2 million miles of natural gas pipelines run throughout the United States. In Appalachia, they spread like spaghetti across the region.

Many of these lines were built in just the past five years to carry natural gas from the...

5 ways the Biden administration may help stem the loss of international students

Written by David L. Di Maria, Associate Vice Provost for International Education, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

President Biden's rollbacks on former President Trump's travel restrictions signal new opportunities for international students. Brothers91/E+ via Getty Images Plus

Over the past four years, the Trump administration made it increasingly difficult for students from other countries to study in the United States.

In 2017, the number of new...

One year on, Muslim women reflect on wearing the niqab in a mask-wearing world

Written by Anna Piela, Visiting Scholar in Religious Studies and Gender, Northwestern University

Muslim women say they are having an easier time wearing the niqab during pandemic times.hjrivas/Pixabay, CC BY

One year into the pandemic, protective face masks have come to signify different things for different groups of people.

To some it’s an issue of protest, while for some others it’s a statement of social responsibility. Some...

To defuse political violence across US, conflict mediators apply lessons from gang disputes and foreign elections

Written by Joseph G. Bock, Director, School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding and Development, Kennesaw State University

The U.S. isn't the first country to suffer election-related violence. Activists are learning from other countries how to keep the peace. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

After a violent American election season, activists are trying to keep the peace using technologies and techniques more often applied in unstable democracies.

As inflamed...

What The Weeknd's changing face says about our sick celebrity culture

Written by Alvaro Jarrin, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, College of the Holy Cross

The Weeknd performs at the 2020 American Music Awards on Nov. 22 in Los Angeles.AMA2020 via Getty Images

You might have seen The Weeknd’s altered face on the internet lately – either bloodied and covered in bandages or transformed by faux plastic surgery. With the 30-year-old singer set to perform at the Super Bowl LV halftime show on...