The Conversation

Diversity pledges alone won't change corporate workplaces – here's what will

Written by Kimberly A. Houser, Assistant Clinical Professor, Business and Tech Law, University of North Texas

Words alone won't make corporate America more diverse. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Dozen of companies, from Apple to Zappos, have reacted to George Floyd’s killing and the protests that followed by pledging to make their workforces more diverse.

While commendable, to me it feels a bit like deja vu. Back in 2014, a host of tech companies ma...

How one community improved COVID-19 nursing home care with collaboration and communication

Written by Laurie Archbald-Pannone, Associate Professor Medicine, Geriatrics, University of Virginia

At a Midwest nursing home, a healthcare worker opens a glass panel to allow a visitor to safely talk with a resident. Getty Images / wanderluster

Nursing home residents worldwide are particularly vulnerable to the ravages of COVID-19. In the U.S. as of Aug. 2, 2020, nearly 46,000 nursing home residents had died from the virus. In addition, deaths...

Rapid screening tests that prioritize speed over accuracy could be key to ending the coronavirus pandemic

Written by Zoë McLaren, Associate Professor of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Broad and frequent screening could catch coronavirus cases before they can spread to others Vaidas Bucys/EyeEm via Getty Images

Broad access to testing is one of the most powerful tools to keep the COVID-19 pandemic under control until there’s an effective vaccine in use. Diagnostic testing, which is used in medical settings to determine...

Political forecast models aren't necessarily more accurate than polls – or the weather

Written by John A. Tures, Professor of Political Science, LaGrange College

As the old joke goes, it's difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.Tetra Images via Getty Images

As the presidential election approaches, everyone wants to know who will win.

But nobody wants to wait until the election is actually over and the votes are all counted up and double-checked.

In an effort to predict the winner weeks,...

Tweets show what hinders reports of sexual assault and harassment on campus – and why the new federal Title IX rules may be a step back

Written by Jason Whiting, Professor of Family Therapy, Brigham Young University

Definition of harassment is now more narrow.KLH49/GettyImages

“The nurse at the clinic said, ‘he did not mean it.’ He drugged my drink. How could he not ‘mean it?’ My grades plummeted. I quit college. I lost my dignity. I lost me.”

That statement is just one among the thousands of tweets with the hashtag #WhyIDidnt...

The COVID-19 virus can spread through the air – here's what it'll take to detect the airborne particles

Written by Suresh Dhaniyala, Bayard D. Clarkson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson University

Researchers are working on handheld devices that can signal the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the air.fotograzia/Moment via Getty Images

A growing body of research shows that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can spread from person to person through the air. Indoor spaces with poor ventilation in areas where the virus is prevalent are...

Honey bees can't practice social distancing, so they stay healthy in close quarters by working together

Written by Rachael Bonoan, Assistant Professor, Providence College

The complex interactions that maintain group health inside a bee hive offer lessons for humanity during pandemics. Rachael Bonoan, CC BY-ND

As many states and cities across the U.S. struggle to control COVID-19 transmission, one challenge is curbing the spread among people living in close quarters. Social distancing can be difficult in places such...

Israel suspends formal annexation of the West Bank, but its controversial settlements continue

Written by Dov Waxman, Director of the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies and The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair in Israel Studies, University of California, Los Angeles

Israeli security forces clash with a Palestinian protesting the construction of Jewish settlements and a 'separation wall,' village of Ramallah, West Bank, Aug. 7, 2020. Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Editor’s note: In a historic agreement announced by President Trump on Aug. 13, Israel has suspended its plan to formally annex...

The US economy is reliant on consumer spending – can it survive a pandemic?

Written by Halina Szejnwald Brown, Professor Emerita, Clark University

The U.S. spends the most money on advertising in the world. Marketing and advertising spending in 2020 is projected to reach nearly $390 billion. Dan Mewing/Moment via Getty Images

The COVID-19 pandemic has radically affected the American economy, reducing spending by American households on materials goods, air travel, leisure activities as well as...

Almost half of US teens who date experience stalking and harassment

Written by Emily Rothman, Professor of Community Health Sciences, Boston University

Social media makes dating-related harassment and stalking that much easier.smartboy10/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

CC BY-ND

Falling in love for the first time can be a thrill, and teen dating is important to adolescent development. But according to the results of a study that my research team recently conducted, these early forays into...