Hurricane Maria made landfall on the island of Puerto Rico in the early hours of September 20th, 2017. Hurricane Maria was a storm of unprecedented strength and a devastating blow to the island of Puerto Rico as the 5th strongest storm to ever hit United States territory. The unparalleled level of devastation combined with a slow-moving…
Category: Climate and Environment
Research Spotlight: Finding bright spots of hope for Caribbean coral reefs
Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems on the planet. They are home to an incredible variety of marine life, including many beautiful and brightly colored fish, corals and other organisms, making them popular destinations for snorkelers and SCUBA divers. But coral reefs are not just a pretty place for tourists to…
Research Spotlight: Lead Poisoning Prevention Efforts in High-Risk Environments
Plenty of parents in the post-COVID-19 world are struggling with the prospects of reopening schools amid the virus surge. Many parents feel overwhelmed by concerns about the untested efficacy of planned safety measures within brick and mortar schools and are awestruck by the gaping holes in proposed distance learning curricula. It is difficult for parents,…
Ph.D. Spotlight: Methods to Improve Existing Heat Wave Surveillance Systems
Elevated and prolonged exposure to extreme heat is an important cause of excess summertimemortality and morbidity. To protect people from health threats, some governments are currentlyoperating syndromic surveillance systems. However, a lack of resources to support time- andlabor- intensive diagnostic and reporting processes make it difficult establishing region-specificsurveillance systems. Big data created by social media…
Hindsight 2020: Hurricane Season & Climate Change
The 2020 hurricane season is here and is expected to be a busy one. We’ve already had three tropical cyclones and it’s still June! Forecasts are unanimous in calling for an active season: seven to ten hurricanes, with most of them likely to occur after August 10th. Cold waters across the eastern tropical Pacific ocean…
Research Spotlight: Creating more Sustainable Communities through Planning
For the past several decades, urban planners have been promoting transit-oriented development (TOD) as a paradigm for building sustainable communities. TOD involves building compact, mixed-use, and walkable development around transit stops. This type of development ostensibly provides a place where one can live without a car while maintaining easy access to goods and services. In…
Policy Pub: The Blue Revolution – Marine Aquaculture and the Future of Sustainable Food Systems
It is estimated that by the year 2050, Earth’s population will reach more than 9 billion people, creating serious challenges for meeting global food demand while also addressing environmental sustainability concerns. Seafood consumption has increased steadily over the past four decades, with more than 3 billion people worldwide depending on fish as a major source…
Ph.D. Spotlight: Frank Annie on Structural Health Outcomes in the Appalachian Region
Dr. Annie’s dissertation investigates the overall impact of chemical exposure, health care disparities, and current health care issues facing the Appalachian Region of the United States while adding to the research of human disease ecology and essential health care delivery. His dissertation is structured as three-papers and offers a thorough exploration of theoretical frameworks connected…
COSSPP Faculty Impact on Scholarship: Influence at a Glance
As the spring semester comes to an end, we want to take a moment to celebrate the accomplishments and influence of faculty in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. This series of graphs produced by Dr. Jim Elsner offers a glimpse of the amazing work taking place in the College of Social Science…
Social Science Scholar: Sustainable Fashion
This summer, I did a 9-week long internship with Behno, a sustainable fashion company based in New York. Behno is a sustainable handbag company that uses ethical practices, sustainable materials, and sleek designs to create their handbags. They have two to three factories in which they produce their handbags and have paired with a non-profit…
