COVID-19 in Florida: Disparities in the Black Population

This article was first posted October 19th, 2020. After the COVID-19 pandemic caused statewide shutdowns and social distancing regulations across the nation in March 2020, the State of Florida reopened on May 18, 2020. Shortly after its reopening, hospitals and testing centers reported a drastic increase in positive COVID-19 tests. In July 2020, Florida became…

Teach Talk: Remind, Routine, Randomize.

Like all of my colleagues, I was forced to move class content to an online format when the pandemic hit.  I encountered a few stumbles along the way and learned some valuable lessons.  While the conversion was far from perfect, I think I got a few things right.  Here are my 3 R’s of teaching online during…

Teach Talk: Creativity, Flexibility, and Support During COVID-19

As I look back on the Fall 2020 semester, I recognize that this has been one of the most challenging semesters that I have had as an educator. Navigating and juggling remote classes for 200 students has been a unique experience. I know my fellow educators in COSSPP have felt the weight of the many…

Gun Sales, Well-being, and COVID-19

Gun sales have reached record highs since the spring of 2020. Current estimates suggest that 2020’s year-to-date gun sales exceed all of 2019’s sales by one million units (Grant 2020). Even August, which saw the smallest growth in gun sales so far in 2020, had a 57.8% year-over-year increase in gun sales (Grant 2020). Breaking August’s numbers…

Coronavirus fatigue is the biggest threat to Germany’s success story in this pandemic

The post first appeared on The Loop. Changing German attitudes to the coronavirus, as measured in original survey data, are the key to understanding how long the country’s success in tackling the pandemic may last, write Jay N. Krehbiel, Amanda Driscoll, Michael J. Nelson and Taylor Kinsley Chewning Despite the country’s initial successes and the warnings of political leaders and health officials, Germany, along with…

COVID-19 in Florida: Disparities in the Black Population

After the COVID-19 pandemic caused statewide shutdowns and social distancing regulations across the nation in March 2020, the State of Florida reopened on May 18, 2020. Shortly after its reopening, hospitals and testing centers reported a drastic increase in positive COVID-19 tests. In July 2020, Florida became the “New Epicenter” of COVID-19 in the United…

Telemedicine Saved My Life

This piece first appeared in the Orlando Sentinel. Tragically, COVID-19 has already claimed the lives of over 2,000 Floridians. The virus is contagious and deadly, especially to the elderly and those with underlying conditions. But for me, the pandemic and the rules created to stop its spread created an odd confluence of events that likely…

DeSantis’ Coronavirus Leadership Reflects the Prudence Florida Needs Overall

This piece first appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat. Six months into America’s COVID-19 crisis and, remarkably, the virus continues to confound experts. Nevertheless, Gov. DeSantis continues to be attacked as if the best approaches are obvious and clear. In fact, DeSantis, like his peers in other states, is being forced to make severe policy trade-offs…