This summer I interned remotely as a Youth Development Intern for the Nashville After Zone Alliance (N.A.Z.A) Program at Conexión Américas. Conexion Américas is a nonprofit, which promotes the social, economic, and civic advancement of Latino and immigrant families in Middle Tennessee. The N.A.Z.A. program is designed to provide quality afterschool learning opportunities for middle…
Tag: COVID-19
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…
Relief Packages Needed to Prevent Hundreds of Thousands Falling into Poverty
This post first appeared on Tallahassee Democrat. The Senate began its month-long recess on August 13 without a completed deal on legislation that could help the millions of Americans still struggling with the economic effects of the pandemic. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Florida’s unemployment rate was 11.3% in July, more than four…
Once lockdown was over, Germans on lower incomes went out while others stayed at home
This piece first appeared on LSE School of Public Policy. During the lockdown, Germans of all income levels stayed at home. But what happened once it was lifted? Amanda Driscoll (Florida State University), Jay Krehbiel (West Virginia University) and Michael Nelson (The Pennsylvania State University) discuss a study that finds people on lower incomes are much more likely to…
Welcome Back!
To the returning and new students, staff, and faculty of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (COSSPP), welcome to what I’m going to call The Year Like No Other. I am pleased and honored that you have chosen to be a part of COSSPP at what I believe to be an important moment…
The Rich Say: Tax Us More to Fight COVID-19
The piece first appeared on The Beacon. More than 80 wealthy individuals are petitioning for higher taxes on the rich to help pay for the billions in new government programs made necessary by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is petition is disingenuous at best. If the wealthy want to pay more to help fight COVID-19, they can choose…
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,…
Gendered Consequences of COVID-19 Emergency Measures
This piece first appeared on Medium. One of the most common measures across the globe to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and reduce public health systems’ stress is the implementation of restrictions on citizens’ mobility and stay-at-home orders. While this measure has proven effective in containing COVID-19 contagion, it has gendered implications because…
How to Fix the Nursing Home Crisis, Now and After the Pandemic
This piece first appeared in the Tampa Bay Times. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused tens of thousands of deaths and more than three million infections, with predictions of many more to come. Nursing home residents have been among the most affected by the pandemic. In some states, half or more of all COVID deaths have…
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…
