The Conversation

The backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion in business is in full force − but myths obscure the real value of DEI

Written by Adia Harvey Wingfield, Professor of Sociology, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

Inclusive workplaces are good for morale as well as the bottom line.Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Few ideas in business are as misunderstood as DEI.

While opposition to DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion – has a long history, it has picked up steam recently.

In 2023, when Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, detractors claimed t...

How jurors will be selected in Trump’s legal cases - a criminal law expert explains

Written by Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., Professor of Law, Harvard University

Donald Trump appears outside a Manhattan criminal court on March 25, 2024. Mary Altaffer-Pool/Getty Images

Every defendant is entitled to a fair and impartial jury.

But the process to find one can be long and taxing, particularly in a high-profile trial such as the one in New York, in which Donald Trump stands accused of fraud in his efforts to...

Starbucks seeks Supreme Court protection from being preemptively ordered to rehire baristas who say they were fired for union-promoting activities

Written by Michael Z. Green, Professor of Law and Director, Workplace Law Program, Texas A&M University

A group of fired Starbucks employees celebrate the result of a vote to unionize a Memphis shop on June 7, 2022.AP Photo/Adrian Sainz

What factors must a court consider when the National Labor Relations Board requests an order requiring an employer to rehire terminated workers before the completion of unfair labor practice proceedings?

That’s...

I spent a decade helping Afghan girls make educational progress − and now the Taliban are using these 3 reasons to keep them out of school

Written by Enayat Nasir, Research Assistant in Educational Policy, University at Albany, State University of New York

Education for girls in Afghanistan is banned after the sixth grade.Omer Abrar via Getty Images

Before the collapse of the Afghan government in August 2021, girls’ access to education was steadily improving.

In 2019, the Ministry of Education introduced the country’s first Girls Education Policy, known as the GEP. This policy sought to...

Elephant tourism often involves cruelty – here are steps toward more humane, animal-friendly excursions

Written by Michelle Szydlowski, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Project Dragonfly, Miami University

A tourist on National Elephant Day in Thailand.oneclearvision/Getty Images

Suju Kali is a 50-year-old elephant in Nepal who has been carrying tourists for over 30 years. Like many elephants I encounter through my research, Suju Kali exhibits anxiety and can be aggressive toward strangers. She suffers from emotional trauma as a result of prolonged,...

Domestic violence survivors seek homeless services from a system that often leaves them homeless

Written by Nkiru Nnawulezi, Associate Professor of Community Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Sometimes emergency housing programs encourage domestic violence survivors to use unsafe alternatives to public programs − even staying with their abusive partner.Claudia Wolff/Unsplash

About 1 in every 3 women, and 1 in 4 men, will experience domestic violence over their lifetime. Since domestic violence can escalate to the point of serious...

Personalized cancer treatments based on testing drugs quickly leads to faster treatment, better outcomes

Written by Diana Azzam, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Florida International University

Identifying the most effective cancer treatment for a given patient from the get-go can help improve outcomes.Leslie Lauren/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Despite many efforts to find better, more effective ways to treat cancer, it remains a leading cause of death by disease among children in the U.S.

Cancer patients are also getting younger. Cancer...

Newly discovered genetic variant that causes Parkinson’s disease clarifies why the condition develops and how to halt it

Written by Matthew Farrer, Professor of Neurology, University of Florida

Multiple gene variants are linked to Parkinson's disease, but which ones are the most relevant?dra_schwartz/E+ via Getty Images

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative movement disorder that progresses relentlessly. It gradually impairs a person’s ability to function until they ultimately become immobile and often develop dementia....

PFAS ‘forever chemicals’: Why EPA set federal drinking water limits for these health-harming contaminants

Written by Kathryn Crawford, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health, Middlebury

Scientists test drinking water for PFAS at an EPA lab in Cincinnati.AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel

The more scientists learn about the health risks of PFAS, found in everything from nonstick cookware to carpets to ski wax, the more concerning these “forever chemicals” become.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now believes there is no...

Infections after surgery are more likely due to bacteria already on your skin than from microbes in the hospital − new research

Written by Dustin Long, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, University of Washington

Genetic analysis of the bacteria causing surgical site infections revealed that many were already present on the patient's skin.Ruben Bonilla Gonzalo/Moment via Getty Images

Health care providers and patients have traditionally thought that infections patients get while in the hospital are caused by superbugs they’re exposed to while...