Episode 265: Dissecting the 2024 Presidential Election
Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon
The re-election of President Donald J. Trump is certain to be scrutinized for years to come, but for many voters, the immediate aftermath brings emotions that are complex and deeply felt. In a candid conversation, Dr. Christina Greer, a political science professor at Fordham University, shares her reflections on the 2024 presidential election as an expert on American politics, Black ethnic politics, and campaigns and elections. Dr. Greer discusses the deep-seated forces—such as white supremacy and patriarchy—that cut across racial and gender lines to shape how people vote, and dives into...
info_outline
Episode 264: Threats, Opportunities, and the Future of U.S. Elections
Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon
With the 2024 presidential election just around the corner, Professor Paul Gronke joins us for a conversation about the U.S. voting system. He shares insights into the challenges of election security, the increasing harassment faced by officials on the front lines, and how the "Stop the Steal" movement has shaken public trust. Can the current voting system handle threats to the election? And what reforms are needed to rebuild trust in our elections? Professor Gronke dives into these complexities and discusses what’s at stake for democracy in 2024. For more on this topic: Visit the for...
info_outline
Episode 263: How SSN Transforms Academic Research into Policy Action
Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon
For this special guest episode of No Jargon, we’re diving into how the Scholars Strategy Network helps scholars turn research into impactful policy. SSN executive director Pao Maynard-Moll spoke with Robert Perkinson, an associate professor of American Studies at the University of Hawaii Manoa and co-leader of the Hawaii SSN chapter, for his Better Tomorrow Speaker Series podcast at the university. They explore how SSN connects academics with policymakers and communities, using real examples from Alabama and Maine to show the power of research in driving change. For more on this topic:...
info_outline
Episode 262: America’s Student Attendance Problem
Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon
During the COVID-19 pandemic, students and parents faced a lot of disruptions in their education experience, but student attendance has been a longstanding issue, especially in some urban areas. Factors like poverty, housing instability, and transportation issues contribute to high absenteeism rates. Professor Sarah Winchell Lenhoff discusses some of the reasons why some students miss so much school, the ways in which the pandemic has intensified these challenges, and shares some innovative strategies that are being implemented to address them. For more on this topic: Read Lenhoff’s SSN...
info_outline
Episode 261: Disaster Management in the Era of Climate Change
Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon
The first major storm of the 2024 season, Hurricane Beryl, made history by breaking multiple records and causing widespread devastation along its path. Many of these records were previously set in 2005, a year infamous for storms like Hurricane Katrina, which severely impacted New Orleans. Professor Elizabeth Fussell, a resident of the city at the time, was compelled to study the impact of Katrina. Drawing on this research, she shares insights on how extreme weather events impact communities and what we can learn from this storm, and others like it, to improve our responses as climate change...
info_outline
Episode 260: Exposing America’s Mental Health Care Inequities
Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon
The dual challenges of mental illness and lack of affordable housing are pressing issues in this election year. In March, California voters narrowly approved Proposition 1, which allocates $6.4 billion to construct new housing and treatment facilities for people with mental illness statewide. But will this measure truly benefit this vulnerable population? Professor Neil Gong delves into the history of mental health treatment in the U.S. and how it has shaped our current system and policy conversations. He tells stories of people he met through his research to highlight the stark differences...
info_outline
Episode 259: Countering the Spread of Misinformation
Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon
Misinformation seems to be everywhere. From falsehoods about the coronavirus to lies being spread by political leaders and their followers, in recent years it feels like it’s getting harder and harder to discern fact from fiction. And with social media and AI permeating our lives, new technologies only seem to be making the situation worse. Professor Ray Block dives into the world of misinformation, sharing lessons from his new position as the Michael D. Rich Distinguished Chair for Countering Truth Decay at the RAND Corporation about what’s behind the problem and what can be done to...
info_outline
Episode 258: The Past and Future of Big Tech
Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon
In March, the Justice Department filed a major antitrust complaint against Apple accusing the tech giant of maintaining a monopoly over the smartphone market. This is just the latest action the government has taken against Big Tech in recent years, marking a clear shift from the cozy relationship the industry long had with Washington. What’s behind the love/hate relationship between Big Tech and our government? And what can Silicon Valley’s past reveal about the way this might all play out going forward? In this archive episode, originally recorded in September 2021, Professor Margaret...
info_outline
Episode 257: Supporting the Needs of Refugees
Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon
Border crossings coming into the United States are at some of their highest levels in recent history. Cities like Chicago and New York are struggling to provide services while the immigration system is running out of funding and faces a massive backlog of asylum applications. The situation is looking tough for many asylum seekers, but what happens when individuals make it through the system and are granted refugee status? Enter refugee resettlement agencies – organizations that provide food, shelter, and of course, job placement to newly arrived refugees. But according to sociologist Dr....
info_outline
Episode 256: MLK's Contested legacy
Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon
Martin Luther King Jr. holds a special place in the American consciousness and is one of the few people to have a federal holiday celebrating his legacy. But what exactly is MLK’s legacy? From immigrants rights groups to gun rights activists to politicians, the history of the civil rights movement and MLK’s work and words have long been used, and contested, by many different people. Drawing from her new book, Professor Hajar Yazdiha explained why MLK holds such a prominent place in our shared memory, how politicians and social movements have used his legacy for their own causes, and how...
info_outlineWith the midterm elections around the corner, all eyes are on the record-breaking number of Black female candidates on the ballot. We spoke to professor of government Nadia E. Brown, who shared her research on what’s contributing to the rising numbers of Black women seeking office. During the conversation, Professor Brown explored what the combined identity of being Black and female means for those who enter into politics and ways in which prior political participation becomes a key motivator for them to run for office.
For more on this topic:
Check out Nadia E. Brown’s book, Sisters in the Statehouse: Black Women and Legislative Decision Making.
Read her paper, coauthored by Jamil Scott, Lorrie Frasure, and Dianne Pinderhughes: Destined to Run?: The Role of Political Participation on Black Women’s Decision to Run for Elected Office.
Read her SSN brief: What’s Hair Got to Do With It? Black Women’s Bodies and the Traditional Look of Success in American Politics.