Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

Being a college student can be stressful enough, but when you’re an undocumented immigrant, there are many additional hurdles in your way. Dr. Sayil Camacho unpacks what it’s like to be an undocumented student at our nation’s colleges and universities, what more university administrators and faculty can do to support them, and how DACA and the upcoming Supreme Court decision on the program factor into it all. For More on This Topic: Read the report Camacho worked on with Roberto Gonzales, Kristina Brant, and Carlos Aguilar, “The Long-Term Impact of DACA: Forging Futures Despite DACA’s Uncertainty” Check out the webinar Camacho put together on Scholar Allyship with and for the Undocumented Community Find the essay by Itziri Gonzalez-Barcenas mentioned in the episode, Growing Up Undocumented

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, it’s widely accepted that without a vaccine, life cannot go back to normal. But as it turns out, not everyone is on board. Over the last several years, an anti-vaccine movement has gained steam in the United States, with more and more people deciding to skip vaccines for themselves and their children. In this archive episode, Dr. Matthew Woodruff dives into the science and history behind vaccines and how we can better educate people on their value. This episode originally aired on August 8, 2017. For More on This Topic: Read Woodruff’s brief, Why "Personal Belief" Vaccine Exemptions Place Many Vulnerable Americans at Risk Check out his former podcast, Audiommunity

The scene is so common it’s almost cliche: two beautiful young people meet at a rowdy college party and drunkenly fall into bed together. American pop culture is fascinated by college hookups, but is casual sex really as widespread as it seems? Professor Lisa Wade breaks down who participates in hookup culture, what they get out of it, and as more students speak up about the problem of on-campus sexual assault, what role universities have to play in shaping their sexual cultures. For more on this topic Check out her book, American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus Read her opinion pieces in The Guardian, Time, and The Conversation  

In any sense of the word, the COVID-19 crisis can be considered a disaster. Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives, millions have lost their jobs, and nearly everyone is experiencing a sense of shock at how quickly our world was turned upside down. But of course, the current crisis is also dramatically different from previous disasters, like hurricanes or wildfires. Professor Susan Sterett dives into how COVID-19 follows the same patterns of previous disasters and how it diverges, what we can learn from previous disasters to inform our current efforts, and how we can prepare for a future where the coronavirus will inevitably collide with other disasters. For more on this topic: Read Sterett’s paper, “Disaster assistance and legal accountability: care and surveillance” Check out the book she edited, Disaster and Sociolegal Studies

Every Thursday since America started locking down to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus, a tragic new number is released: the latest unemployment claims. Tens of millions of Americans have already filed for unemployment, and that number is likely to keep going up. Professor Anna Gassman-Pines lays out who is most affected by the dramatic economic downturn we’re seeing, what job losses mean for children, families, and entire communities, and how policymakers can help buffer against some of the worst effects of this economic crisis. For more on this topic: Check out Gassman-Pines’ memo with Professor Elizabeth Ananat for Econofact, Snapshot of the COVID Crisis Impact on Working Families Read her previous opinion piece for NJ.com, Long-term unemployment assistance helps families, communities

With the COVID-19 crisis spreading rapidly across the US, much attention has been paid to the hospitals on the front lines of this pandemic. But there is another set of healthcare providers that also has a crucial role to play in managing this outbreak: community health centers. Professor Peter Shin unpacks what exactly community health centers are, why they were established and who they serve, what role they have to play in the COVID-19 pandemic, and how policymakers can ensure their survival during this unprecedented time. For more on this topic: Check out Shin’s SSN policy memo, Invest in Community Health Centers Read his analysis of the current situation for the Milken Institute School of Public Health

We’re in April, as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. Today, the U.S. has more reported cases than any other nation on earth - a fact that may in part be due to testing levels, but could also be due to a series of massive public policy mistakes. In the U.S., the federal response has been chaotic, to say the least. And here’s one reason: President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi don’t talk to each other. The intense anger and distrust between Republicans and Democrats could literally be costing our nation lives. Lee Drutman explains how we got into this mess and how we can get out of it.  For more on this topic: Check out Drutman’s book, Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America Read his opinion pieces in The Atlantic, Vox, and The New York Times

As policymakers on Capitol Hill work to expand America’s safety net in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn, it’s becoming increasingly clear that it might not be enough. So where can we look for guidance on what more needs to be done? Perhaps another deadly virus, HIV, where a separate and robust safety net has been established to support those who have been diagnosed. Professor Celeste Watkins-Hayes explains what the HIV/AIDS safety net looks like, what we can learn from this previous effort to combat a deadly virus, and how the inequalities of the HIV/AIDS epidemic are playing out with coronavirus. For more on this topic: Check out Watkins-Hayes’ book, Remaking a Life: How Women Living with HIV/AIDS Confront Inequality Read her SSN brief, How Neighborhoods Can Help Poor Black Women Fight AIDS

With governments rushing to put in place policies and guidelines to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, it’s important to look to the past to inform the present. And we don’t have to look far. Just 5 years ago, the world was concerned with a completely different outbreak: ebola. Professor Lily Tsai and Dr. Ben Morse examine how governments at the epicenter of the ebola outbreak responded to the spread of the disease, what the role of trust is in ensuring that people comply with government recommendations, and how leaders can build trust and buy-in both during and before a crisis. For more on this topic: Check out Tsai and Morse’s SSN brief, Why Citizen Trust in Government Matters — Especially when Crises Strike Read a ScienceDaily article about their research

Around the United States, schools are shutting down due to coronavirus. For some Americans, this means setting up a home office and learning to work with children underfoot. But others are facing a far more serious crisis: with school cafeterias closed indefinitely and employment increasingly precarious, how will they manage to put food on the table? Professor Daphne Hernandez lays out the problem of food insecurity in America, how coronavirus is affecting the situation, and what policymakers can do to help families in need -- now and in the future. For more on this topic: Check out Hernandez’s OpEd on what coronavirus means for food insecurity in The Hill Listen to our previous episodes on food insecurity and hunger among college students

Money. Power. Knowledge. Health. Education. When you look around the world, when it comes to resources and opportunities, there are massive imbalances between countries and even inside countries. In the name of making the world a better place, people and institutions with great wealth often donate some of their money around the world through philanthropy. Rakesh Rajani shares stories and lessons learned from years of work in global philanthropy and outlines what changes are needed to make this work more effective and meaningful. For more on this topic: Check out Co-Impact and The Ford Foundation Read Rakesh’s interview with CNN on his work in Tanzania

With the 2020 primary in full swing, college campuses are full of conversations about politics, policy, and the future of American democracy. But many of these college students don’t turn out when it actually matters, on Election Day. In fact, in the last presidential election, only around half of all young voters came out to the polls. In this archive episode, Dr. Nancy Thomas explores what gets students to vote and how college administrators, faculty members, and students can improve voting rates on their campuses.   This episode originally aired on October 11, 2018.   For more on this topic: Check out the report co-authored by Thomas, Election Imperatives Read her interview with The Chronicle of Higher Education, Here’s How Colleges Can Get More Involved in Elections -- and Not Just the Midterms Visit the website for the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University Check out a Washington Post story about their 2018 midterm election report showing that rates among college students

Social media has permeated countless aspects of our daily lives. But perhaps no platform has influenced the media like Twitter, shaping not only what many journalists cover, but also how they cover it. Professor Shannon McGregor dives into the role of Twitter in today’s media environment, why the platform is an imperfect measure of public opinion, and how social media can become a better tool for journalists working with limited resources at their disposal.  For More on this Topic: Check out the book McGregor co-edited with Dr. Talia Stroud, Digital Discussions: How Big Data Informs Political Communication Read her opinion piece in The Washington Post, Conservatives Say Google and Facebook are Censoring Them. Here’s the Real Background.

Over the last couple of years, states have passed increasingly restrictive laws in an effort to reduce access to abortion. And this year, the Supreme Court is deciding on new cases that could validate some of the harshest laws, potentially opening the door for an end to Roe v. Wade. But at the forefront of this fight over abortion access are providers few people know about: independent abortion clinics. PhD candidate Amy Alterman explains what exactly these independent clinics are, how they are affected by anti-abortion stigma, and how comedians are helping to lift up and support their work. For More on this Topic: Check out Abortion Access Front, the comedy group mentioned in the episode Find your independent abortion clinic at the Abortion Care Network Find your local abortion fund at the National Network of Abortion Funds

In 2009, Barack Obama was sworn in as the first African American president in this country’s history after a momentous election. But for many in this country, that election was anything but joyous. Soon after, a movement that became known as the Tea Party took shape on the right in opposition to this president and his policies. Fast forward 8 years and a very familiar story seemed to play out, but this time on the left. It became known as The Resistance. PhD candidate Leah Gose explains what similarities and differences exist between these two groups and what we can learn by looking at the two of them together. Check out the Upending American Politics book Read the SSN brief by Theda Skocpol and Vanessa Williamson, Making Sense of the Tea Party

Over the last few decades, minority enrollment at America’s colleges and universities has increased exponentially. These institutions, many predominantly white, like to tout enrollment rates as evidence of their commitment to racial diversity. But do these numbers tell the whole story? Professor Bedelia Richards details how black students still frequently experience discrimination on campus, what this means for their education and wellbeing, and how universities can make change to help create more inclusive campuses. For More on this Topic: Read Richards’ brief, How to Create Inclusive Environments for Black Students on Predominantly White College Campuses Check out her post for Inside Higher Ed, Is Your University Racist?

America is getting more diverse, and that means more children of color are students in our schools. But teachers are still overwhelmingly white, so many of these students rarely see teachers who look like them. Professor Michèle Foster tells the little-known story of why America lost many of its black teachers, what that means for students, and what can be done to change things. For More on this Topic: Read Foster’s brief, Why America Needs More African-American Teachers and How to Recruit and Retain Them Check out her feature in an episode of Revisionist History on black teachers after Brown v. Board of Education. This episode originally aired on June 14, 2018.

We are living in the midst of an epidemic. Over the past 15 years, the number of Americans dying from opioid-related overdoses has skyrocketed by more than 200%. Facing a mounting death toll, policymakers have proposed solutions from needle exchanges to reducing the availability of prescription opioids. But the crisis seems to rage on. Professor Keith Humphreys digs into how we got here, what we know about which policy responses actually work, and what might be next in the never ending fight against addiction. For more on this topic: Check out his SSN brief, How America Can Effectively Fight the Opioid Crisis Read his opinion pieces for The Washington Post Find the Vox article mentioned in the episode on the rise of meth and cocaine overdoses

What should the next 10 or 20 years look like in the United States? Many Americans say we need to go back to the future. They want to restore something, or protect something they’re worried the United States is losing. And that’s not just the Make America Great Again crowd. But others argue that it’s not time to restore democracy -- it’s time to realize democracy. Dr. K. Sabeel Rahman explains what it would take to make America’s democracy work for everyone  and why the time for big, structural change is now. For more on this topic: Check out Rahman’s article, Realizing Democracy Demands Addressing Deeper Structural Roots of Failure and Possibility of Shared Power, and the full Realizing Democracy series in the Stanford Social Innovation Review Visit the Demos website

Last year, climate change took center stage. With presidential candidates releasing bold plans to tackle the issue, massive protests organized by young people across the globe, and ever more dire reports coming out of the United Nations, this issue is getting attention unlike ever before. Doctor Fernando Tormos-Aponte discusses where climate organizing stands now, how some organizers are focusing on justice and equity in their work, and how this is all playing out in Puerto Rico after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017. For more on this topic: Check out Tormos-Aponte’s SSN brief, How Social Movements Build Power through Intersectionality Listen to Leah Stokes’ interview mentioned in the episode, Episode 172: The Battle over Clean Energy