Yaejin Moon

What can those most vulnerable to falls do to better protect themselves?

, assistant professor of exercise science in ���ϲ�����’s Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, is working to answer this question.

Moon’s research focuses on improving mobility and reducing fall-related injuries in people with neurological disorders and older adults. It aims to understand and prevent these injuries by analyzing real-life fall videos using artificial intelligence, and will soon be further explored in publication in the journal Scientific Reports, currently under review.

Moon answers five questions below about why the elderly are more at risk of fall-related injuries and shares tips for safe-falling techniques. She is available for interviews. Video resources are also available demonstrating various types of falls and protection techniques.

Why are falls so dangerous for the elderly?

Falls are particularly dangerous for the elderly due to their high frequency and severe consequences. The dangers of falling for older adults include serious injuries like hip and hand fractures, head trauma and even death.

The combined effects of loss of muscle, bone density, flexibility, and sensory and cognitive function pose a significant threat of falling for older adults. Specifically, the loss of balance due to a trip or slip can often be recovered by quick corrective actions that require fast and powerful muscle responses. However, weaker muscles make it harder to stay balanced and to perform these corrective actions in a timely manner.

Personally, I lost two of my grandparents due to fall incidents—one suffered a hip fracture, and the other sustained head trauma. Both passed away after a year of hospitalization following their falls. Additionally, falls often lead to decreased mobility, loss of independence and a significant decline in overall quality of life. The constant fear and risk of falling can also result in anxiety and reduced activity levels, impacting the well-being of even those who haven’t experienced a fall or have recovered from one.

What are you attempting to find with your research on falls by older and mobility-vulnerable populations?

My research aims to deepen our understanding of daily movements—how we walk, stand and fall—specifically focusing on falls experienced by older adults in real-world scenarios. Traditionally, falls in older adults have been studied through recollection methods such as questionnaires or interviews, as it is not feasible to safely replicate fall accidents. However, just as investigators analyze the black box data from car or airplane accidents to understand the causes and develop preventive measures, my goal is to analyze real-life fall videos captured by security cameras in a long-term care facility.

With advancements in artificial intelligence, we can now automatically identify and analyze human movements captured in these videos. This approach allows us to move beyond the limitations of memory-based data collection, enabling us to develop fall prevention programs grounded in real accident evidence. By comprehending the causes and mechanics of falls as they occur in everyday situations, I plan to create more effective interventions to prevent injuries from falls in older and mobility-vulnerable populations.

What have been the most interesting aspects you’ve discovered in doing your research?

I have interacted with diverse populations with movement disorders, including people with multiple sclerosis and stroke survivors. While falls are a major concern for these populations, a few participants mentioned that they are not afraid of falling because they know how to fall safely. I have also practiced martial arts for the past decade and learned safe falling strategies. Rather than dismissing this as anecdotal, I designed a study to investigate whether older adults could learn a safe falling technique, specifically the ‘tuck-and-roll’ strategy. This technique involves tucking the chin to prevent head injury and rolling along the back to dissipate impact energy.

To start the study, I measured how hard older adults hit the ground when they fell to the side on a crash mat. Then, participants learned the tuck-and-roll strategy for 30 minutes. Surprisingly, after this short training, older adults were able to learn the technique and reduced the impact force by 33 percent. Additionally, even though they were only trained to fall on their right side, they could also perform the technique during left-side falls, an untrained direction. Remarkably, they retained this ability to land softly one week after the training.

Though your work is ongoing, how can this research help caregivers better protect or teach their loved ones about safe falling practices?

First, it is crucial to prevent falls from occurring. Falls happen due to a combination of environmental, behavioral and physical factors. Creating a safe environment is essential. It’s important to take necessary precautions like securing rugs and carpet edges with tape, placing handrails on both sides of staircases and installing grab bars in bathrooms next to toilets and bathtubs. Additionally, ensuring all areas of the home (including hallways and staircases) are well-lit, wearing appropriate footwear and using mobility aids such as canes and walkers can help with fall prevention.

Regular exercise is vital for improving balance, strength and flexibility. Activities such as tai chi, yoga and strength training can be particularly beneficial. In the ���ϲ����� community, several martial arts centers offer senior classes that teach safe falling techniques, which can be an excellent resource for older adults.

Considering the use of fall detection devices could be beneficial as well. Long periods of lying on the floor after a fall can increase the fatality of fall incidents. It’s important for caregivers to be notified immediately if a fall occurs. Wearable devices or smart home systems can detect falls and alert emergency services or family members promptly.

Do you have a few tips or recommendations to better protect oneself if about to fall?

In general, when you begin to fall, don’t resist it by trying to stay rigid, as this can cause you to fall like a stick, which is the riskiest position. Instead, go with the fall by lowering your body into a squat position to reduce the distance to the ground and help control the fall. , published in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, safe falling techniques vary depending on the direction of the fall:

1. Backward Falls: If you are falling backward, tuck your chin to your chest to prevent hitting your head and roll along your back with the fall.
2. Forward Falls: If you are falling forward, use your arms and knees to break the fall. Try to land on your hands and knees to distribute the impact and protect your face and head.
3. Sideways Falls: If you are falling sideways, rotate your body to land on the back of your body and roll with the fall. Remember to tuck your chin in to protect your head.

To get more information on this work or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Keith Kobland
Associate Director of Media Relations
University Communications
M��315.415.8095
kkobland@syr.edu

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Farhana Sultana

is a professor in ���ϲ�����’s Maxwell School. Her areas of expertise include environmental justice, sustainability and political ecology. Professor Sultana co-wrote this about the Cop28 climate conference. She comments below on the sustainability measures around the upcoming Paris games and is available for interview.

Professor Sultana says:

“The Paris Summer Olympics has created a buzz around sustainability, with the goal to half the emissions of prior games. Planners stated goals to reduce carbon footprint and emissions across sectors such as transportation, construction, and operations. Historical lack of transparency, accountability, greenwashing, and tweaking at the margins of sustainability have plagued such massive events.

“What’s often overlooked are justice implications locally and globally, in terms of local social and environmental impacts long-term, as well as global climate injustices via rise in greenhouse emissions, problematic carbon offset programs, resource extraction issues, waste dumping, and ecosystems impacts. Whether Paris offers significant changes remain to be seen.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |
news.syr.edu |

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Matthew Mulvaney

is an associate professor in Human Development and Family Science at ���ϲ�����’s Falk College. Dr. Mulvaney’s research focus examines the determinants and outcomes of parenting processes. He specifically focuses on informal educational practices by parents, parental discipline, and parenting beliefs.

He provides comments below that can be quoted directly. He is also available for interview.

Mulvaney says:

“The considerations by the Los Angeles Unified School District are a positive step forward to improving the academic success and mental health of its students. It indicates that educational policymakers are beginning to respond to the emerging scientific consensus that the use of cellphones (particularly social media on cell phones) is producing negative attentional and educational outcomes for young people. When the surgeon general of the United States is recommending that warning labels be affixed to social media, it is critical that all youth-serving contexts take notice and that school districts, in particular, take into account this emerging challenge to young people’s mental health and schooling success in structuring their schools.

“What is so beneficial about school district approaches is the recognition that individual-level interventions to reduce cell phone use are so challenging. Reducing smartphone usage among individual youth when their friends still have them and use them regularly is near impossible. It really requires intervention at the broader level to produce an environment in which the overall use of social media is reduced and so schools represent perhaps the best context to address this challenge to youth well-being in a unique way.

“While schools can take the lead in reducing screentime, which will have broad-based benefits in terms of mental health, the benefits are even more specific to the classroom learning context. The link between attention and learning is so clear from the research and I would daresay research isn’t even really needed to demonstrate just how reduced attention to the present social context is when people are using their cell phones. As a teacher myself, I see on a day to day basis the challenges that students have in learning when distracted by phones and computers. Education requires being in the present and engaging with complex material and phones work directly against that. Getting them out of schools and classrooms will help our students to engage with the difficult task of learning complex material and being part of an educational community.

“One of the perhaps underappreciated implications of this approach is the potential to reduce ethnic and class disparities in educational outcomes. As noted by Pamela Paul in the New York Times (), African American and Hispanic teens spend much more time on social media and so a wide spread ban may disproportionately serve to support those students who will benefit most from a focus on in-person schooling. Given the diverse student population that the LA Unified School District serves, this may be not only an important step forward in improving education outcomes broadly but in producing a more equitable schooling environment for all. Interestingly, in terms of equity, I think it may also be the students with hidden disabilities that might also benefit the most from the reduction in cell phone usage in school environments and so would go further and suggest that they only include very narrow exceptions to the policy and do so based on research-based work on cell phones and disabilities.

“As with any broad-based change that affects a wide number of students and families, there are likely to be challenges. Parent and student resistance will exist and potentially for very important reasons- that smartphones have become so integrated into our lives that it will require adjusting on some levels and that will be easier for some families. I also think it will be a lot like vaping where there is simply widespread disregard for school rules, which leads to a general pattern of disciplinary elevation (which is also bad for learning environments) and broad-based disregard for school rules.

“On the whole though, this intervention may potentially have long-lasting and substantial beneficial impacts on LA Unified School District students, and particularly among the students who are experiencing the greatest challenges withs schooling. Removing these substantial barriers to education may be a critical intervention that will improve the well-being of the students generally and of more vulnerable students broadly.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

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Why are government agencies more at risk when it comes to cyberattacks and operational vulnerabilities?

Lee McKnight

is an associate professor in the ���ϲ����� School of Information Studies (iSchool) whose research specialty includes cybersecurity. He provides written comments that can be quoted directly. He is available for interviews on future topics related to cybersecurity practices in the public and private sectors.

McKnight says:

“With state-sponsored actors taking advantage more frequently of outdated to non-existent��water supply security practices, it is refreshing -like a glass of (clean) water – that the EPA and CISA have begun to raise the alarm. The fact that 70% of water systems upon inspection failed to demonstrate their ability to maintain basic cyberhygiene is regrettable, but far from shocking.

“It is overdue for the public and private sector organizations supplying and supporting water systems to take these threats seriously. Even if the nightmare worst case scenarios have not happened at scale, the entire sector has to prioritize cybersecurity, just as oil pipelines belatedly did after the successful ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline several years ago precipitated.

“In the case of water supplies, the risks are more local but can be no less devastating if their operational technology is breached.

“Sending the sector’s IT workforce back to school – or at least scaling up online sector-specific training programs –��is��long overdue. Beyond ‘IT’ workers, the wider workforce must have more opportunities for training in basic cyberhygiene as well.

“Since now that it is widely known that cyber-attackers have a 70% probability of finding a soft target when going after a water system – unfortunately, we know the most recent successful cyberattacks on water systems will not be the last.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
���ϲ����� Media Relations

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

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Dana Cusano

is a bioacoustician and behavioral ecologist whose research focuses primarily on the acoustic behavior of marine mammals. Her interests include the use of vocal signaling in animals and the link between vocalizations and behavior. She is a research assistant professor in ���ϲ�����’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Professor Cusano answers five questions below about sei whales. She is available for interviews.

Q: How common it is for sei whales to be swimming near cruise ships?

A: I would say it is probably pretty common for them to be in the same areas. Sei whales up in the Northeast are often found in areas with heavy boat traffic during certain parts of the year, including shipping lanes which are used by cruise ships.

Q: What might the whale have been doing in the location where it was struck (i.e. feeding, migrating, nursing, etc.)?

A: We actually don’t know a lot about sei whale behavior, and we don’t really know where this animal was struck. But sei whales in the Northeast at this time of year, including around New York, are probably migrating further North and stopping to feed along the way.

Q: How can these accidents be avoided?

A: By slowing down. Sei whales mostly feed at the surface, and often this just means swimming with their mouths open to filter feed small zooplankton. You can imagine this puts them at a high risk for vessel collision. Cruise ships travel at somewhere around 20 knots, and up to maybe 25 knots. This is equivalent to up to 29 mph. For a whale that is at the surface and focused on a vital task like feeding, they just don’t have much of a chance to get out of the way.

Q: How do whales communicate with each other in incidents of distress – can they send signals to each other?

A: Sei whales are mostly solitary, and any groups are usually loose associations just for the purpose of feeding. So, although they do communicate with one another to socialize and find mates, they wouldn’t likely communicate distress to each other.

Q: Is there an aspect about this story that you find most interesting, or you will follow more closely?

A: Although we don’t know a lot about sei whale movement and distribution, we are seeing a lot of them in heavily trafficked areas in recent years. Hopefully we don’t start to see an increase in the number of vessel strikes too.

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., 4^th Fl., ���ϲ�����, NY 13202
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In work that was recently published in the ““,�����ϲ����� researchers quantify how much the pandemic measures and economic policies impacted those rates. The findings provide answers to lawmakers and health leaders about future health policies and the unintended consequences that come with certain health measures, even if those measures were intended to save lives.

faculty members and researchers , , , ��and led the study, while former ���ϲ����� postdoctoral student Xue Zhang and National Institute on Drug Abuse program scientist Elyse Grossman also contributed.

Professors Wolf and Monnat sat down to discuss the main findings of the work.

Douglas Wolf

Q: What were the key findings that you discovered in this study?

Douglas Wolf: There are three main conclusions supported by this study:

1. The increases in drug overdose mortality observed in many states during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic appear to have been exacerbated by state policies intended to control the spread of the virus—policies that restricted in-person activities, travel and business;

2. State policies intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic—for example, expanded unemployment benefits—appear also to have reduced drug overdose mortality; and

3. While the two types of policies had opposite effects, no states imposed economic support policies sufficient to fully offset the harmful consequences of the restrictions on individual and business activity.

Q: Did lockdowns have an unintended consequence of increasing drug overdose deaths?

Wolf: Yes, lockdown policies appear to have contributed to an increase in drug overdose deaths. This could have occurred due to loss of employment and income, adverse mental health outcomes, reduced access to treatment and harm reduction services, an inadequate supply of EMS responders, reductions in interdiction of illicit drugs or an increase in solitary drug use.

Q: Do you find any examples of economic support policies that worked better than others in reducing overdose rates?

Wolf: No, we are unable to separate the effects of expanded unemployment benefits and moratoria on evictions and foreclosures, which were the two main types of economic support policies.

Q: How can public health officials best address the needs of people struggling with addiction during public health emergencies like the pandemic?

Shannon Monnat

Shannon Monnat: Crises in general, not just the COVID-19 pandemic, tend to amplify the risk factors for overdose. In the short term, reducing overdose risk among people who are already struggling with substance use disorders requires ensuring widespread and easy access to Narcan–the overdose reversal drug. However, we can’t Narcan our way out of the drug overdose crisis. The most forward-thinking and effective strategy to reduce overdoses in the long term is to reduce the upstream social and economic factors that lead people to use drugs and become addicted. At its core, this means making sure our society is set up in a way that provides opportunities for people to engage in activities–work, family and community–that bring purpose and meaning to their lives.

Q: Four years later–what are the biggest takeaways from your work that could be applied to the next pandemic response?

Monnat: As with all policies, there are tradeoffs. Our finding that restrictive policies were associated with larger increases in drug overdoses must be considered within a broader context of their reductions in COVID-19 mortality. These policies certainly saved lives. People who would have otherwise contracted and died from COVID lived because these policies reduced disease spread. We should all be grateful for that. But we must also acknowledge that some of these policies had the unintended consequence of cutting other lives short. The challenge for policymakers is to find the ideal balance that will save the most lives possible.

You can view and the .

To get in touch with researchers or to get more information, please contact:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
University Communications
315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu��|��

Chris Munoz
Media Relations Specialist
University Communications
315.278.5566
cjmunoz@syr.edu

Ray Wimer

is a professor of retail practice in ���ϲ�����’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management. He leads courses on retail, buying and planning, marketing, sales, and business foundations.

Professor Wimer provides written comments below that can be quoted directly and he is available for interviews.

Wimer says:

“Macy’s recent news of store closings and revamping existing stores while expanding their luxury brands is their latest strategy to turn their fortunes around. Macy’s needs to elevate their in-store experience and focus on their own private label brands to really move the needle for them. If they can instill confidence in their private label brands that they offer superiority or differentiation��to what is in the marketplace and in enhance the customer experience in store it could work. Their focus seems to be opening more Bloomingdale’s and trying to capture the luxury market which is experiencing its own difficulties at this time.”

**

Shelley Kohan

is a retail industry instructor with ���ϲ�����’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management. She is a highly accomplished and driven senior retail executive and consultant with more than 25 years of success in the retail industry.

Professor Kohan also provides comments below and is also available for interviews.

Kohan says:

“Macy’s announcement to close 150 stores is based on its strategy to focus on long-term profits. The goal is to open more Bloomingdale’s stores, Blue Mercury stores,��and its small-format neighborhood Macy’s stores.�� Macy’s sales were down 5.5% in 2023 compared to 2022.

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

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David Althoff

is an associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Biology in ���ϲ�����’s College of Arts and Sciences. He answers six questions about the upcoming cicada season and what it could mean for plants and predators that feed on these insects. He is available for interviews.

Q: Can you talk a bit about what’s expected with the emergence of the two cicada broods this spring?

A: Each brood will produce millions of adult cicadas across their ranges in the Midwest and southeastern U.S. The noise made by calling males will be intense given that males of both broods will be calling for females.

Q: What the commonalities and differences between the rare broods of cicadas hatching this spring, and the annual cicadas we normally see?

A: The periodic cicadas that will emerge have adapted to emerge based on length of time rather than growth rate of their larvae, in contrast to the annual cicadas that emerge once they reach a certain size.�� Otherwise, in terms of their natural history the cicada types are quite similar.

Q: Your research focus includes the interactions among plants and insects. How could this massive awakening of cicadas impact plant life in the affected areas?

A: Adult cicadas will be siphoning nutrients from trees and depending upon how many are on a single tree could cause damage to the tree.�� This could be particularly important for younger and smaller trees.�� Conversely, when the adults die, they fall to the ground and release nutrients back into the soil.

Q: What about the impact on other insects and animals in places where the cicadas will hatch?

A: For the most part, cicadas will not impact other insects much.�� They will, however, fill the bellies of predators that feed on them. In some cases, this can lead population increases in predators in subsequent years following a large emergence.

Q: Has there been any conversation around or evidence that the warming climate is having any sort of impact on these insect events?

A: I haven’t heard of any direct tests of the effects of global warming on periodic cicadas as they emerged based on length of time.�� For annual cicadas, warmer temperatures could potentially lead to faster growth and emergence.��

Q: Based on your own perspective and research – what interests you most about this expected cicada event?

A: Cicada emergences like this always remind about how incredibly prolific insects can be and how they are an integral part of natural communities.�� It is also amazing to think that these millions of cicadas were living most of their lives right under our feet.�� I like how such events really get the public engaged with their natural surroundings and learning a bit about insects in general.

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

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If you’re dreading the thought of navigating a minefield of family drama this season, you’re not alone. According to the , more than a third of Americans are concerned about “challenging family dynamics” this holiday season.

Afton Kapuscinski

is an associate professor of psychology and director of the Psychological Services Center in ���ϲ�����’s College of Arts and Sciences. Kapuscinski’s research relates to the treatment and prevention of mental health issues in adults.

Professor Kapuscinski has talked extensively about navigating family conflict and mental health during the height of the pandemic.

She answers four questions below about how to approach sensitive topics with your family members. She is available for interviews.

Q: You’re sitting at the holiday dinner table and��a sensitive topic comes up.��What is your advice on best ways to approach this type of conversation?

A: “Planning ahead before we get caught in the ‘heat of the moment’ about if and how to engage in conversations on sensitive topics provides an opportunity to clearly identify goals for the interaction with less emotional burden to cloud our thinking. Consider asking yourself, ‘what am I hoping to accomplish through this conversation?’ and ‘what choices on my part will make that outcome more likely?’ Whether your goal is to change another person’s mind, have your perspective heard, or learn more about a differing viewpoint, we often act in ways that are counterproductive to all of those aims when we feel angry or threatened. We may go into offensive mode by raising voices, interrupting, making accusations based on assumptions, and formulating counterpoints instead of listening.

“Demonstrating empathy, approaching the other person’s views with curiosity and speaking in a non-threatening tone increase the likelihood of a productive conversation.”

Q: How can you find common ground on highly divisive topics?

A: “If you are specifically wanting to find common ground through dialogue, it is important to remember that people have a tendency toward confirmation bias in polarized conversations wherein we selectively search for information that supports what we already believe. A more ‘scientific’ approach may be helpful in reaching common ground, which involves using methods that open yourself to the possibility of disconfirming your own beliefs. Humanizing the other person is helpful in reducing bias, and this may be accomplished by asking them to share what about their own experiences and identity led them to a given position, as well as asking genuine questions to clarify aspects of their viewpoint that you do not understand. Openly acknowledging what you are learning from the other party may offer the added bonus of making them more open to your viewpoints as well.”

Q: Is it ever a good idea to make a topic completely off limits?

A: “The capacity for dialogue about controversial topics is generally viewed as a sign of health for a person as well as a group or system because it involves a capacity for self-control, trust and perspective-taking.�� At the same time, from a mental health standpoint, the level of anxiety, anger and relational discord discussions these conversation may cause is too emotionally costly for some people.

“In my clinical experience, I have seen a few instances in which these conversations have actually derailed substantial progress in psychotherapy because the situation became explosive and had long-term, reverberating effects.��Each person should use their own values and priorities as guides to determine when to enter into dialogue on sensitive topics and with whom.”

Q:��Is there any other advice you would offer on this topic?

A: “I recently attended an excellent workshop with Dr. Kirk Scheider focused on a model for discussing contentious issues in a de-polarizing manner.�� Those who are interested in this topic might consider reading his book, ‘’.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

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• associate professor of sociology in the Maxwell School, was quoted in the BBC article “.”
• , associate teaching professor at Falk College, was interviewed for the Bored Panda story “.”
• , David M. Levy Professor of Law and Faculty Director of Online Education in the College of Law, shared her expertise in the USA Today piece “.”
• , professor of sociology in the Maxwell School, was quoted in The New York Times article ““
• , professor of geography and the environment in the Maxwell School, was quoted in the El País article “.”
• , Professor of Law and Director of Bankruptcy Clinic in the College of Law, provided expert commentary for the Moneygeek articles “” and “.” He was also quoted in this article.
• Researchers at the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families co-wrote The Ripon Forum piece “.”
• , retail expert and instructor in the Whitman School, was quoted in articles that ran in , and .
• , associate professor of communications in the Newhouse School, was interviewed for Slate article “.”
• , Managing Director of Programs and Services at the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), was interviewed for .
• , professor in the Maxwell School, co-wrote The Guardian opinion article “.”
• , Trustee Professor of television, radio and film and director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture in the Newhouse School, was quoted in several outlets recently including The , , and .
• , professor of public relations in the Newhouse School, was interviewed for the Inc. piece “.”
• , Professor of Practice and Supply Chain Management and Director of Executive Education in the Whitman School, was interviewed by and .
• , ���ϲ����� College of Law Board of Advisors Distinguished Professor and Emeritus Professor in the College of Law, was interviewed by��.

To get in touch and learn more about ���ϲ����� faculty members available for interviews, please contact��media@syr.edu.

Lynne Vincent

is an assistant professor of management in ���ϲ�����’s Whitman School of Management with an expertise in labor and industrial relations. Since the strike started in mid-September, Professor Vincent has spoken with several news outlets about about the unfolding strategy and impact on automakers and workers, including with , ��and .

She provides comments below reacting to the latest news developments. She is also available for interviews.

Professor Vincent says:

• , associate professor in Maxwell, was interviewed by ABC News Chicago for the story “”
• , associate professor in the School of Architecture, was featured in the NHK World Japan story “.”��
• , professor of political science and director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute in the Maxwell School, was interviewed for the CNY Central story “” and the Washington Examiner story “.”
• Bill Werde, director of the Bandier Program in the Newhouse School, was quoted in the Marketwatch story “.”
• Dwayne Murray, deputy director of the Office for Veteran and Military Affairs, was interviewed for the WSYR Radio story “.”
• , associate professor of public health in Falk College, was quoted in The City story, “.”
• , a professor in the Department of African American Studies in the Maxwell School, was quoted in the Newsweek story “”
• , director of digital engagement and communications for Alumni Engagement & Giving, spoke with Dave Allen on WSYR Radio about the .
• , associate professor for the Maxwell School, was quoted in the Boston Globe story “
• was interviewed for the Washington Examiner story “.”
• , associate professor in the Newhouse School, was interviewed for the Morning Brew story “”
• , University Professor in the Maxwell School, was interviewed for The Washington Post story “.”
• , professor in the College of Law, was quoted in the BBC piece “.”��
• , professor of French and Francophone Studies in College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed by WPLG Local 10 News (Miami, FL) for the story “.”
• , Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, was interviewed by in its��coverage of the D.E.I.A. Symposium.
• , Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in the College of Law, was interviewed on the MSNBC Show “Reid Out” about the Trump Corporation .��
• , director of the Bandier Program in the Newhouse School, was interviewed by The Wall St. Journal for the story “.”
• , professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment at the Maxwell School, was interviewed by The World for the story “.”
• Gregory Germain, a professor in the College of Law, was interviewed for the MoneyGeek article

To get in touch and learn more about ���ϲ����� faculty members available for interviews, please contact��media@syr.edu.

Gretchen Purser

is an associate professor of sociology at ���ϲ�����’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She is co-director of the and coordinates the Labor Studies Working Group for the

When the New York State Nurses Association went on strike in January, Professor Purser provided these comments and spoke with several media outlets about the labor efforts.

Professor Purser provides written comments below that can be quoted directly. She is also available for interviews.

Purser says:

“This is an exciting time for labor, as workers across a wide range of industries continue to go out on strike to demand that their employers compensate them adequately given both rising profits and escalating costs of living.

“Workers at Kaiser Permanente, who made extraordinary sacrifices throughout the global pandemic, are overworked and are – similar to the strikes by healthcare workers we’ve seen in recent years – demanding increased staffing. Sufficient staffing is not only crucial to workers’ day-to-day lives, but it’s also crucial for patients and their loved ones, who rely upon health workers for care.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications
M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |
news.syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

• , professor of geography and the environment in the Maxwell School, was quoted in the Yahoo story ““
• , assistant teaching professor in the Maxwell School, was published in The Fulcrum: “”
• , associate professor of public health in Falk College, was interviewed for the Newsday article “.” He was also quoted in a second Newsday story “.”
• , professor of practice in the Newhouse School and director of the ���ϲ����� Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, was interviewed by the NPR show “Up To Date” for the piece “” She also spoke with Spectrum News for the story “.”
• , professor of marketing practice in the Whitman School, was quoted in WalletHub: “”
• , incoming director of the Disability Law and Policy Program and associate professor in the College of Law, was quoted in the New York Post story “.”
• , director of the Bandier Program at the Newhouse School, was quoted in the Vanity Fair article “” and the Los Angeles Time article “.”
• , Trustee Professor of television, radio and film and director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture in the Newhouse School, quoted about the death of Bob Barker in , , ��and the��.
• , director of research and associate teaching professor, was quoted in the Newsweek piece “.”
• , professor of political science in the Maxwell School, was quoted in the International Business Times article “.”
• , professor of food studies in Falk College, wrote an op-ed in Albany Times Union “”
• , associate professor in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, was quoted in the Lifewire story “.”
• , adjunct professor in the Maxwell School in Washington D.C., was quoted in the USA Today story ““
• , professor of law in the College of Law, was quoted in The Hill article “.”

To get in touch and learn more about ���ϲ����� faculty members available for interviews, please contact��media@syr.edu.

• , assistant professor of television, radio, and film in the Newhouse School, was quoted in the LA Times article “.”��
• , professor of law and director of the Bankruptcy Clinic in the College of Law, was interviewed for the Moneygeek.com piece “.” He was also featured in a about junk fees.��
• , the David B. Falk Endowed Professor in the Falk School, was published in the Sports Business Journal article “” and the Yahoo Sports story “”
• , professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, had research featured in the Genome Web article “.”��
• , professor of practice and supply chain management and director of executive education in the Whitman School, was interviewed for a and a .��
• , professor of advanced media in residence in the Newhouse School, was quoted in the Spectrum News story “.”
• , associate professor in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, was quoted in the Lifewire story “.”
• , Vice President of Community Engagement and Government Relations, and , associate professor and director of the Aphasia Research Lab, were spotlighted in this month’s .
• , associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in the Activist Post article “.”
• , professor of practice and director of the Newhouse Sports Media Center in the Newhouse School, was quoted in stories that ran in the and��.
• , assistant professor of geography in the Maxwell School, was quoted in the Bloomberg story “.”��
• , Retired Vice Admiral and deputy director of the ���ϲ����� Institute for Security Policy and Law, was quoted in the POLITICO piece “.”
• , professor of marketing practice in the Whitman School, was interviewed for the WalletHub story ““
• , associate professor and chair of the Human Development and Family Science Department in Falk College, was quoted in the Parents Magazine piece “.”
• , professor of magazine, news and digital journalism and associate dean of graduate programs in the Newhouse School, was interviewed for the CBC story “.”��

To get in touch and learn more about ���ϲ����� faculty members available for interviews, please contact��media@syr.edu.

Tripti Bhattacharya

Thonis Family Professor in ���ϲ�����’s�� focuses her research on understanding the sensitivity of regional rainfall to global climate change. In 2022 published , she led a team that used ancient climate data to predict how the summer monsoon may change in the North American southwest.

Bhattacharya says:

“This summer has seen a number of high impact weather events that highlight the impact of extremes on infrastructure.

“Tropical Storm Hilary represents an unprecedented event in the historical record. Few storms tend to propagate north over Baja into California, typically because ocean temperatures off the coast of southern California are relatively cool. These cool temperatures lower the amount of fuel available for tropical storms, causing them to dissipate rapidly if they do travel north. However, this year we are seeing record warmth over much of the global ocean, including the northeast Pacific. An El Nino event in the equatorial Pacific likely plays some role in this record warmth, but further work is needed to disentangle the potential role of climate change vs. other factors.

“Because this type of event is unprecedented in the historical record, it is hard to study a one-off event. But we know from climate models and theoretical predictions that rainfall is likely to increase in intensity in a warmer world. And we can study past warm climate states, when ocean temperatures off California were much warmer than during the pre-industrial interval, to understand how the statistics of rainfall and tropical storms might change in the future. As a paleoclimatologist, I use molecules in ancient rocks as well as climate models to understand these past warm climate states.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Media Relations
M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |
���ϲ�����

• , David M. Levy Professor of Law and Faculty Director of Online Education in the College of Law, was quoted in the USA Today story “’” also included Prof. Kohn in coverage of the story.
• , research associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and director of research at the Forensic & National Security Sciences Institute at ���ϲ�����, was quoted in the BBC story “”
• , teaching professor and the Executive Director of the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, was quoted in The Hill story “.”
• , associate professor in the School of Information Studies, was quoted in the Washington Post story “”��
• , professor of advanced media in residence in the Newhouse School, was interviewed for the CBS News Radio story “.”��
• , professor of newspaper and online journalism in the Newhouse School and director of the Tully Center for Free Speech, was interviewed for the Verify This story “,” and the Masslive story “”
• , assistant professor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, was interviewed for the WRVO-FM story “.”��
• , professor of African American studies and political science in the Maxwell School, was a featured guest on the Democracy Now segment “.”
• , Trustee Professor of television, radio and film and director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture in the Newhouse School, was quoted in the Yahoo Entertainment article “.” Prof. Thompson was also interviewed by , (San Francisco), , (Los Angeles), (), , and (Spain).

To get in touch and learn more about ���ϲ����� faculty members available for interviews, please contact media@syr.edu.

• , professor and chair of political science in the Maxwell School, was quoted in the Christian Science Monitor story “.”
• , associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in the Inside Climate News piece “.”
• , Trustee Professor of television, radio and film and director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture in the Newhouse School, was quoted in USA Today: “”
  
• professor of marketing practice and Whitman Master’s Program Board of Advisors in the Whitman School of Management, was quoted the wallethub.com story “.”
• , professor of finance in the Whitman School of Management, was interviewed by
• , an associate professor of managerial statistics in the Whitman School of Management and the co-founder and co-director of the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), was interviewed by KRGV-TV for the story “.”
• , assistant professor in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, wrote the Forbes op-ed “.”
• , professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in the Associated Press news story “.”

To get in touch and learn more about ���ϲ����� faculty members available for interviews, please contact media@syr.edu.

Led by , Ph.D., M.P.H., the Falk Family Endowed Professor of Public Health in the Falk College, the research group considered arsenic exposure and health data of 245 children in the ���ϲ�����, New York, metropolitan area. It is the first study to directly measure the associations between arsenic exposure and precursors to cardiovascular disease in children.

The study’s findings are important because they highlight the need to reduce arsenic exposure in children. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that can be found in soil and water. It can also be released into the environment from industrial activities.

Brooks Gump

In this ���ϲ����� Q&A, Professor Gump shares details about how this research can contribute to safer public health standards, and how arsenic exposure in children potentially accelerates the development of cardiovascular disease in adults.

Q: Can you briefly explain your research findings related to arsenic exposure and the health impacts on children?

A: Arsenic was measured in urine as well as several measures of subclinical cardiovascular disease. This arsenic exposure was significantly associated with some of the health outcomes, including increasing vascular “thickness” and heart changes. These particular cardiovascular changes can predict later disease. Given this was not a clinical trial (it would be unethical to purposively expose children to arsenic), we made a point of controlling for many other factors, such as poverty.

Q: How do you measure “arsenic exposure”?

A: Arsenic exposure is best assessed using urine, as we did in this study. These levels are considered an indicator of cumulative but relatively recent arsenic exposure.

Q: How do the results found in children compare to adults who have been exposed to similar conditions?

A: Adults have shown some of the same associations between arsenic and cardiovascular disease—this is the first study to document these associations in a group this young. However, it should be made clear that this is not actual disease but rather a risk factor for future disease (such as elevated cholesterol),

Cardiovascular disease develops very slowly, beginning at a very young age and potentially developing into a diagnosable disease later in life.

Q: From a prevention standpoint, what can parents and caregivers do to protect their kids?

A: Given arsenic is now so commonly found in our environment, one of the best actions we can take is to first lower what is considered a “normal” level (<50 mcg/L; although CDC now states that any level is considered too much). This will automatically move many children into “elevated” levels which should precipitate a federal response to address this “new” public health issue. We are also planning new research to consider specific foods we could eat to reduce arsenic in the body.

Q: Your findings suggest an area southeast of Onondaga Lake could be a sort of “hotspot” for arsenic exposure, potentially tied to past industrial pollution. Can you explain how pollutants persist in the environment?��

A: Because metals such as arsenic are elements (not chemical compounds), they cannot degrade in the environment. As such, they may move around or recombine in the environment but do not disappear over time. Although water in some geographic areas has harmful but naturally occurring arsenic, arsenic is also used in industry and agriculture and thereby has spread into the community.

Q: Your findings were specific to ���ϲ�����, but the infrastructure features and historic pollution of ���ϲ����� are conditions seen in many other U.S. cities. How could your research provide answers for other locations?

A: Although arsenic urine levels in our cohort were slightly elevated relative to national averages—there are numerous such hotspots around the country and therefore it is very likely that other communities in the U.S. would also show similar associations between arsenic and disease.

Q: Was there anything that truly surprised you during the research process or in the findings?

A: Although hypothesized, we were still struck by the effect of arsenic being seen at such a young age (9-11 years old). There are many risk factors for cardiovascular disease, even in children, including stress, diet, lack of exercise and cholesterol. Perhaps arsenic should be added to this list of risk factors that should be monitored and addressed.

To get more information or connect with researchers, please contact:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations

University Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu��|��

news.syr.edu��|��

���ϲ�����

Air quality advisories are in effect for many areas, and officials are urging people to stay indoors and avoid strenuous activity.

Two ���ϲ����� experts are available for interview. They provide comments below that can be quoted directly.

Robert Wilson

is an associate professor in the Geography and the Environment Department at ���ϲ�����. Professor Wilson says:

“The burnt smell in the air and hazy skies we are experiencing this week shows us there’s no safe place from wildfire smoke. Massive blazes in the boreal forests of northern Quebec are sending smoke into New York. And Canada is having one of its worst wildfire seasons ever.

“But the effects of those fires and others this summer won’t remain north of the border. The smoke from these climate-change worsened wildfires will continue to travel south and cause watery eyes and scratchy throats. Those with asthma and other respiratory problems will fare far worse.”

Eric Schiff

is a physics professor at ���ϲ����� and indoor air quality expert. Professor Schiff offers advice below about best practices to protect your indoor air quality. He is available for interview.

Q: Can wildfires impact indoor air quality?��

A: “Yes, absolutely. Wildfires can make a neighborhood uninhabitable due to poor air quality.”

Q: Can closing your window help when air quality outside is poor?��

A: “Closing windows is the first step in regulating indoor air quality when outdoor air is polluted. When local authorities warn about poor air quality, windows should be closed. Note that some outdoor air always seeps in, and in fact it’s needed to limit the buildup of carbon dioxide and unhealthful gases that originate indoors.”

Q: Can air purifiers help improve indoor air quality?

A: “Yes, standard room or building air filtration and purification devices are useful in reducing the buildup of small particles and unhealthful gases. These devices can be small appliances or can be integrated into central heating and air conditioning systems. They don’t help with carbon dioxide, however.”

Q: Are there other measures people should take when the outdoor air quality is poor?

A: “Outdoor exercise or activity should be limited if the air quality is bad.”

Q: Do any extra precautions need to be taken for children or pets?

A: “I’m not an authority, but generally the advice is to maintain a higher standard of air quality for kids than for adults. While I personally wouldn’t take extra measures for healthy dogs and cats, some other pets are more sensitive to air pollution than people. Canary birds are more sensitive than people and were actually used in mines to warn miners about dangerous underground air quality.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., 4^th Fl., ���ϲ�����, NY 13202
news.syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

If you’ve been on the market for a new home, properties with a natural gas-powered stove were probably promoted as especially valuable. How Americans heat and cook in their homes is facing a major potential energy shift as more states explore natural gas and other fossil fuel bans.

Ian Shapiro

Ian M. Shapiro, an award-winning engineer and author, is the new associate director of Building Science and Community Programs with . He will serve as the leader for the new ���ϲ�����CoE Building Assessment Center, and will also begin teaching in the fall semester as professor of practice at the ��in its Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Shapiro, who is a leading expert on building electrification, recently spoke with about the building industry’s readiness to electrify.

He answers six questions below about the future of fossil-fuel-free buildings, and is available for interview.

Q: For years, the gas-powered stove was often featured as an attractive selling point for homeowners. Break it down for us – is my gas-powered cooktop, oven or furnace making my home unhealthy?�� �� ��

A: Yes, in several different ways. Many people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning, and many more are hospitalized, per the��.��This is not hypothetical, I have served as an expert witness for a family that was hospitalized with extreme symptoms of illness, due to a malfunctioning gas furnace.�� Many of us will remember the tennis champion Vitas Gerulaitis who was killed by carbon monoxide poisoning. There are other risks, including gas explosions, fires, and more, contributing to many more deaths, per the�� (NFPA).�� A variety of other pollutants also come from the combustion of fossil fuels, including particulates, oxides of nitrogen, and more, contributing to variety of other health problems.�� There are also burn safety risks, especially for children, seniors, and the disabled.

Q: New York state has become the first state to ban natural gas stoves and furnaces in new buildings starting in 2026. What is your take on this development?����

A: This is a great development and shows New York to be a leader in the fight for safety, protecting people from unnecessary fire/explosion/carbon-monoxide/burn accidents and deaths, and eliminating the carbon emissions that place our planet at such great risk.

Q: Can you talk about the larger environmental impact of gas-powered appliances, especially in residential buildings?������

A: The carbon emissions from these fossil fuels are a leading cause of climate change, and the existential risk it poses to all of us.����

Q: What are some of the best alternatives to gas powered stoves and furnaces?����

A: Chefs are increasingly being won over by high-efficiency electric induction cookstoves, according to the��NY Times.�� These cook extremely quickly and are very safe (cool to the touch). Standard electric stoves are another well-proven option. If a homeowner wants to keep the option of gas-cooked food, and does not care about the environment, gas grills are always an option.

Q: If I already have this sort of appliance in my home, are there steps I can take to improve the indoor air quality?

A: An exhaust fan or hood above a stove will reduce indoor pollutants but will not eliminate risk from explosion or fires.

Q: As a building scientist, what are you paying most attention to or think is not being discussed enough in the conversation about gas-powered items in our homes?��

A: The risk of accidents (fires, burns, explosions, carbon monoxide poisoning, and other fatal risks), quite aside from the existential risk to the planet.��These risks of accidents are getting very little coverage. The focus of the debate has mistakenly been cooking convenience versus the environment.��There is much more to the issue than just that.��And we need to be talking about how to get these fossil fuels out of existing buildings, not just not having them in new buildings.��Separately, the role of the fossil fuel industry in the debate is not getting enough coverage. Most of the debate on the “keep gas” side is being financed by the fossil fuel industry.��We have seen ads on the little TVs at gas stations, we have seen full page ads even in local papers, and I believe virtually all of these are traceable to the fossil fuel industry.��

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

Shubha Ghosh

is the Crandall Melvin Professor of Law at ���ϲ����� and director of the (SIPLI). He provides preliminary comments below and is available for further analysis as the regulatory process moves forward and more countries map out their own Big Tech regulations.

Ghosh says:

“Bill C-11 is open ended regulation that gives the Canadian government potentially unlimited control of the content of media on existing and emerging digital platforms. National content may be difficult to define in industries with cross-national and multicultural production and talent.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |
news.syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

Elizabeth Carter, assistant professor

, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, is a leading expert on disaster mitigation and climate risk management. She is passionate about finding solutions that will help communities become more resilient to climate change and views the climate crisis from both an environmental and societal aspect.

“I study natural disasters that happen at the intersection of where bad weather meets the water cycle,” Carter says. “Any event that results in a flood or a drought would be the impacts that we’re trying to ameliorate.”

Floods and droughts have increased in the last 10 years, according to the and a recently published study in the journal . Scientists have found that the number of flood and drought events has increased by 50% since 2010, and the intensity of these events has also increased.

Recent findings attribute the increase in floods and droughts to climate change. Rising global temperatures are causing more extreme weather events, including heavier rains and longer dry spells. These extreme weather events are having a devastating impact on people and communities around the world.

Carter, like many climate scientists, is working to help communities become more resilient to climate change by developing tools and strategies that can help them prepare for and respond to extreme weather events.

On this climate-focused “’Cuse Conversation,” Professor Carter discusses why the work around disaster prevention, mitigation and prediction is a necessary focus for the global health of our world. A transcript [PDF]��is also available.

Tracey Marchese, Professor of Practice

is a professor practice in the School of Social Work in ���ϲ�����’s Falk College. Her research specialties include trauma, PTSD, mental health and mind-body wellness.

She answers three questions below with advice on best ways to discuss traumatic events. She is available for additional questions and interviews.

Q: How should I approach the topic of a school shooting with my child or teen?

A: Children/adolescents may react differently to the news of a school shooting depending upon their age and previous exposure to news of school shootings. Younger children (those younger than about the age of 7) may not have as much awareness or understanding about the impact of a school shooting. Children that are about the age of 8 and older would benefit from having a discussion about it, especially if there is large-scale news coverage and the child will most likely hear about it in school. Adolescents may be more likely to want to talk about it more in depth.

You may simply ask the child if they’ve heard about it and take it from there. After initiating the discussion, adults should take on more of a listening role to see what the child needs instead of talking to the child about what they think the child needs to know. Addressing the needs that the child expresses – whether for more information, comfort, safety planning – will lead to more positive outcomes. Telling the child what the adults think they need to know can actually cause the child more anxiety.

Q: What should parents and caregivers keep in mind in how they talk about the event?

A: Adults need to be mindful about how they address their children’s safety concerns. We do not want to negate the child’s fears – telling the child that they shouldn’t feel scared will only serve to shut down communication. It is not appropriate to tell the child that they will never experience a school shooting because we do not know that. At the same time, we want to help them to feel safe enough so that they do not become fearful of going to school. It is okay to share that you may be feeling scared, too, and that you can work together on creating a plan to feel safer. Taking a proactive stance will help the child feel more in control.

Q: Do you have any other advice to offer?

A: One of the most important things to address��before��speaking to children is for the adults to first address their own feelings/fears/concerns. If the adult is visibly anxious or even just feeling uneasy, the child will pick up on that, regardless of what the adult tells them. Concerns can be addressed in a number of ways: getting support from friends and family, becoming educated about their local school district’s safety protocols, engaging in relaxation techniques to help regulate their feelings, and/or seeking help from a mental health professional if they are having ongoing trouble managing their feelings/concerns.

It is also important to check in with children to see how they are doing and to keep an eye out for any changes in behavior that may indicate that they are struggling. If a child is struggling, parents can reach out to the child’s guidance counselor, pediatrician, or a mental health professional for assistance.

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

news.syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

Robert Wilson

is associate professor of director of undergraduate studies in the Geography and the Environment Department at ���ϲ�����’s Maxwell School.

He teaches classes on animals and society and environmental history and talks (below) about the role of animals, pathogens, and pandemics.

Wilson says:

“Covid-19 took a terrible toll on Americans, and the origins of the virus remain clouded in mystery. We are understandably weary and eager to move on with our lives.

“But as a country, we have failed to learn some fundamental lessons from the pandemic. One of the most basic is that we, too, are animals and we are radically changing the world of other species. Climate change is driving animals in search of new habitats, which increases the likelihood of viruses jumping to different species or to people. In doing so, we risk the future spillover of viruses and a new, possibly worse, pandemic.

“Avian flu is harbored by wild birds that travel along migration routes known as flyways. When waterfowl encounter domesticated birds such as chickens, they can pass the virus to them. Avian flu is not only sloshing back and forth between wild birds and poultry but has also leapt from birds to mammals such as minks, seals, and bears.

“To deal with the threat of a future pandemics, we need better surveillance of wild animals and an ability to produce vaccines for novel diseases if a new pandemic strikes. But we also must recognize that the border between cities and the wild—and between people and animals—is an illusion. The more we disrupt the habitats of wildlife, the greater the future threat of pandemics.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

is an assistant professor of seismology in ���ϲ�����’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. He provides comments below that can be quoted directly and is available for interview.

Russell says:

“The magnitude 7.8 earthquake and subsequent earthquake sequence that occurred near Gaziantep, Turkey was indeed tragic. Turkey is a tectonically active region located on the Anatolian plate, which is being squeezed westward about 2 cm/yr. by the northward collision of the Arabian plate with the Eurasian plate — like pinching a watermelon seed between your fingers. Although earthquakes are quite common in this region of the East Anatolian Fault Zone, one of this magnitude is rare. To give a sense, only three earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater have occurred within 150 miles of this earthquake within the last 50 years. As of this writing, there have already been five such earthquakes within the last 24 hours. A magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred 9 hours after the 7.8 on a different fault strand to the north.

“More work is needed to understand the potential relationship between these two powerful earthquakes, but it is plausible that the larger magnitude 7.8 earthquake changed the stress state on the neighboring fault segment, which pushed it to rupture in the magnitude 7.5 earthquake. Aftershocks (smaller earthquakes following the main shock) will continue to occur over the next several weeks to months.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |
news.syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

BioInspired Institute director and Kenan Professor of Physics, , and assistant professor were interviewed for the piece. “There are so many fun and unique and interesting ways” that animals have evolved “to solve problems, and some of these solutions are ones humans never thought of,” says Manning.

Tristan Martin, assistant teaching professor

Beyond the material items, Feb. 14 can be a pleasant or painful reminder about the relationships in your life. From romantic partnerships to deep friendships, the hyper-focus around how we connect with others is on full display.

is an assistant teaching professor of marriage and family therapy in ���ϲ�����’s Falk College. Clinically, in private practice, Professor Martin provides support for the LGBTQ community, with specialization in supporting gender transition. He teaches classes in family therapy and has a research focus on transgender sexuality within the intersection of relational and erotic diversity.

Professor Martin answers five questions about relationships, approaching the topic of therapy with your partner and dealing with loneliness around Valentine’s Day.

**

Tripti Bhattacharya

is the Thonis Family Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences in ���ϲ�����’s College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding the sensitivity of regional rainfall to global climate change. Her work focuses on a paleoclimatic perspective, whereby past instances of climate change can be used as “natural experiments” to understand the response of the atmosphere-ocean system to external forcing.

Bhattacharya would be able to answer your questions and discuss the following points:

• California’s highly variable climate, put into context by its paleoclimatic record
• Predictions that individual storms will become stronger due to warmer atmosphere
• Impact of extra snowpack and higher spring temperatures
• Compounding risks to people living in impacted areas – extreme rain, wildfires, and increased mudslides

**

Sam Tuttle

is an Earth and Environmental Sciences assistant professor in ���ϲ�����’s College of Arts and Sciences. As a hydroclimatologist, he studies the distribution of the three phases of water at the Earth’s surface and in the atmo­sphere, and how it affects hydrological, atmospheric, and land surface processes. This includes moisture and energy exchanges, floods and droughts, and their different physical and biological causes and effects. Professor Tuttle is primarily interested in terrestrial water availability, and how it will change across time and space with climate change and land use.

Tuttle would be able to answer your questions and discuss the following points:

• Extreme rain that follows severe drought
• Weather’s impact on groundwater resources
• Below normal reservoir levels
• Spring snowmelt

To request interviews with either professor or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

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Lender Center Co-Director and Associate Professor of Sociology Gretchen Purser

, associate professor of sociology and the co-director of the at ���ϲ�����, provides reaction to the news which can be quoted directly. She can also be reached for interviews.

Purser says:

“This is an important piece of legislation, signed into law precisely at a time when warehouse workers across the state are working furiously to process the crush of last-minute holiday purchases. This bill would amend state labor law to offer protection to workers from unreasonable production quotas.

“Amazon workers, for example, have long complained that they are held to unreasonable quotas that make even going to the bathroom difficult, lest they are clocked for too much time ‘off task.’ This bill underscores the fact that workers must be able to meet their basic human needs by taking a break to eat or to use the bathroom.

That such legislation is even necessary is revealing of the disposability and lack of decency with which far too many workers are treated on the job.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., 4^th Fl., ���ϲ�����, NY 13202
news.syr.edu |

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Shubha Ghosh

is the Crandall Melvin Professor of Law at ���ϲ����� and director of the (SIPLI). He provides preliminary comments below and is available for further analysis as the Supreme Court case moves forward.

Ghosh says:

“The Supreme will decide two important cases this term that engage with the First Amendment, art, and commerce: the Warhol case and the Jack Daniels case. In the Jack Daniels case, the trademark bar is asking the Court to limit First Amendment protections to artistic works and not extend its protections to commodities that may only incidentally communicate. This recommendation is inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s recent rulings extending First Amendment protections to trademarks. Such an approach ignores the reality that art and commerce are intertwined.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |
news.syr.edu |

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Jeffrey Karson

is Professor Emeritus of Earth and Environmental Sciences at ���ϲ����� and extensively researches lava flow and interaction with various materials. Professor Karson is one of the directors of the , which allows geologists to create and experiment with 2200°F lab-created lava in a massive outdoor furnace. Karson has spoken with dozens of news outlets about volcanic eruptions and lava flow including , and .

He provides detailed information and commentary below about the Mauna Loa volcano and the latest eruption, which you are welcome to quote.

Karson says:

“Mauna Loa is by far the biggest volcanic mountain on Earth. It is 4,000 m above sea level but there is an additional 6,000 m below sea level, in this deep part of the Pacific Ocean, but also in part because it is so heavy that it has depressed the underlying seafloor, like placing a bowling ball on a mattress. But regardless of its size, it is not the most dangerous volcano. Eruptions that form shield volcanoes are generally small flows of basalt, the most common volcanic rock on Earth (and in the solar system). This is the same type of lava that we experiment with in the . There can be some fire fountaining (lava sprayed upward on the order of 100m) but it will most likely be just lava flows as seen in the 2018 Kilauea eruption or last summer’s Iceland eruption.

“Small eruptions like these incrementally build up giant volcanic masses like the big island of Hawaii or Iceland or other ocean islands. Far more dangerous are the large explosive volcanoes of the Pacific rim (Ring of Fire) that occur above subduction zones where ocean lithosphere is shoved back down into the Earth’s interior, or continental calderas, like Yellowstone. The good news is that basaltic eruptions in places like Hawaii are frequent and not very explosive. The bad news is that larger, more explosive volcanoes erupt less frequently so that we tend to forget about how dangerous they can be.

“Mauna Loa is just one volcanic center that formed about a ‘hot spot’ of rising, hot, solid mantle material that protrudes upward the Earth’s surface. As the Pacific plate moves northwest over this hot spot and the volcanic centers it produces, a line of individual seafloor volcanoes (seamounts) to form the Hawaii-Emperor seamount chain that can be traced from the big island to the Aleutians. Each volcano erupted in turn for about 1 million years before becoming inactive and sinking below sea level and being carried along on top of the Pacific plate. Continuing movement will shift the big island to the northwest and a new volcano will emerge to its southeast. We already see a small volcano – Loihi – forming there.

“For now, the main hazards are the lava near the summit and tephra (volcanic ash) that falls like heavy, hot rain sometimes many miles downwind from the eruptive center. Hot poisonous gases, like sulfur dioxide can also pose a significant hazard. The eruption is in a remote, mostly uninhabited area, so that risk to infrastructure and lives is low. However, lava can flow rapidly (few km per hour) and long distances (10s of kilometers) along new or re-activated rift zones and reach population centers, as we saw in 2018.

“We have been experimenting with the way lava flows over different materials at ���ϲ����� – clay, sand, wet sand, ice, and snow – so it will be interesting to see how the lava behaves in this eruption where lava may encounter any of these materials.

“Every eruption is an opportunity to learn about how volcanoes work and how to prepare for the next eruption. Afterall, it is just a question of��when, not��if��the next eruption will occur.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |
news.syr.edu |

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Ray Wimer

is an assistant professor of retail practice at ���ϲ�����’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

He predicts holiday sales growth (November – December) will be up 6 to 8% this year. He points to several positive signs for growth including expectations that consumers will spend more this year, increased hourly wages and low unemployment numbers. But he says there are some factors pushing against that growth including high inflation, drops in disposable income, and higher energy costs and interest rates.

He provides additional expectations below, which you are welcome to quote. He is also available for interviews.

Professor Wimer says:

“Holiday shopping started in early October with Amazon’s Prime Day. Target and Walmart sales, as well as others, have offered early discounts and sale days. Many retailers are still dealing with too much inventory from delayed orders and/or softening consumer demand over the summer and fall. Retailers are also trying to slow down the ever-increasing flow of returns. Retailers are shortening the return window, charging for online returns and giving refunds as store credit.

“The value holiday shopper maybe rewarded this year as the inventory issues have led to retailers discounting earlier (note not in all categories). Promotions will be at the same level or higher than last year. The consumer must be willing to compare prices to get the best deal. The consumer will also want to understand updated return policies, especially if purchased online.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

Katherine McDonald

Scientific breakthroughs aren’t possible without the painstaking process of clinical trials. So what happens when many of those trials leave out large portions of the population?

Katherine McDonald, a professor of public health and associate dean of research in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, set out to answer that question in her latest research paper: “” ��published in the Disability and Health Journal. Co-authors include Ariel E. Schwartz, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Mass General Brigham Institute of Health Professions, and Maya Sabatello, associate professor in the Departments of Medicine and Medical Humanities and Ethics at Columbia University. The work was funded by the Collaboration for Unprecedented Success and Excellence (CUSE) Grant Program at ���ϲ�����.

McDonald focuses her research around the theme of creating inclusive communities. In this SU News Q&A, she answers questions about how this discriminatory practice surfaces in studies and underscores the importance of representation from all segments of society in scientific work.

Micron Technology plans to build a semiconductor fabrication facility in Central New York over the next 20 years, investing up to $100 billion to construct the megafab factories. Those megafabs are actually tiny computer chips that help various devices like cell phones, computers, cars and washing machines hold electronic memory to carry out their functions.

Shiu-Kai Chin

electrical engineering and computer science professor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, answers five questions about the semiconductor manufacturing process and why it’s especially significant to have them produced here in Central New York.

Q: Can you talk about the importance of semiconductor memory? What technology uses these sorts of chips?

A: The only things that are real in cyberspace are people and hardware. Chips are the electronic DNA of cyberspace. ��The ability to store information, i.e., remember, is at the heart of computing. From simple math to artificial intelligence, memory is key.

If you’ve seen something before and can remember it, you will react and compute faster. If you learn (remember) from experience, you make better decisions. Memory, and knowing what to remember and what to ignore, is what makes people and machine smart. It is a keystone of adaptability and resilience.

Q: What is the significance of bringing another manufacturing operation online in the U.S., specifically in the Central New York region?

A: It’s hugely significant. Central New York will now have what we call a vertically integrated capability from hardware up through and including major systems such as radars, medical devices, and weapon systems that defend the U.S.

Within Central New York, we will have the capability to design and produce the core components of every digital system, starting from the transistors that make up chips, the software which runs on chips, the networks that connect them, and the perspective gained from over 60 years of experience designing major systems for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. We have the engineering and public policy expertise to make sure that the right systems are being built and that they are being built right.

Q: What do you think engineers will be doing over the next 18 months to get this operation up and running?

A: Semiconductor processing plants are intricate and require precisely calibrated environments. For example, the chemical content of water must be precisely controlled to prevent impurities from being introduced. The air circulating in the processing facilities must be precisely controlled to make sure there are very few dust particles in the air that can ruin a chip.

I imagine engineers will be looking at the operational requirements for the facility and deciding how best to use the actual site. The logistics of moving and sequencing building materials and construction alone is a huge task. Fortunately, all these things have been done before.

Q: What will be the biggest impact for domestic and international consumers once this new operation is fully running?

A: Memory is used everywhere. Memory prices and availability affect all portions of the supply chain. The facility should help ease the chip shortages once it’s up and running. It also helps secure the supply chain for the U.S., which is important in building systems that can be secured from hardware on up.

Q: What do you see as the most significant point of a new semiconductor manufacturing operation?

A: The only things that are real in cyberspace are hardware and people.�� To be an exceptional, we must be able to do more than move money around. We need to build exceptional things that benefit society through innovation. Chips are at the heart of all digital devices. The people we have in Central New York are already excellent in terms of what we can do. Adding chip making to the mix makes us even better. Our foundation for innovation has just doubled.

Kevin Antshel

���ϲ����� psychology professor is a clinical psychologist and director of the clinical psychology program in the College of Arts and Sciences at ���ϲ�����. He has provided extensive commentary on topics around anxiety during the pandemic.

Professor Antshel talked with our team about why the topic of mental health continues to dominate headlines and national conversations, and the challenge of tackling this issue on a deeper level.

Q: Since the start of the pandemic, there seems to be a growing recognition of the importance of mental health. In what ways do you think COVID-19 forced us to focus more on this issue as a collective society?

A: In my opinion, one of the few positive derivatives of the COVID-19 pandemic is the reduction in mental health stigma. While still present, mental health stigma – stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination towards those with mental health conditions – has been weakened over the past 31 months. This is likely due to at least two factors. First, COVID-19 has increased our contact with people with mental health conditions. Decades of stigma research has indicated that lack of contact with stigmatized groups creates fear and discomfort. By virtue of the significant increases in mental health conditions, we have had increased contact with others who have mental health conditions. Second, COVID-19 has also increased our own personal experiences with mental health symptoms and conditions. Thus, many of us now have improved knowledge of mental health and know more about the impact of mental health.

Having improved mental health literacy and increased contact with others who have mental health conditions has likely synergistically reduced mental health stigma. With lower mental health stigma, mental health is discussed more openly. The universal experience of managing uncertainties associated with a global pandemic left many of us with the same emotions. This shared experience, when coupled with reduced mental health stigma, has allowed us to collectively focus more on mental health at the societal level.

Q: How has social media played a role as well?

A: Social media has quickly become a central health communication tool. This is not surprising given that many of us are online for significant portions of the day. The user-generated nature of social media permits mental health experiences and information to be shared. For example, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter offer opportunities to obtain peer support and mental health information online. (There are more than 20 billion views of #mentalhealth on Tiktok.) At the same time, there are also unmistakable mental health challenges associated with social media use (e.g., cyberbullying can lead to increased depression, mental health mis/disinformation, etc.). In this way, social media is a rather paradoxical mental health promotion tool, possessing both a positive and negative side.

Q: Celebrity endorsement and acknowledgment has also added to the growing discussion around mental health. Rapper Meghan Thee Stallion launched a mental health website recently featuring��links to free therapy organizations and other mental health resources like helplines. Do the news headlines and conversation signal there’s a real shift around people’s approach to their mental health? Or does this feel like a catchy phrase without much substance?

A: Within the past 31 months, I have been invited to give talks at multiple local schools about pediatric mental health. There is certainly more awareness and conversations around mental health. In my opinion, awareness and conversations are a nice start but in and of themselves are insufficient for truly changing how our society views people with mental health challenges and mental health disorders. At the individual level – especially in younger generations such as Gen Z and Millennials – mental health is now considered much like physical health. Celebrities like Rapper Meghan Thee Stallion and broader celebrity culture are particularly influential for younger generations. In this way, more celebrities could help to facilitate mental health promotion and encourage mental health to be considered much like physical health. Efforts to continue the focus on mental health should also not fall entirely on the feet of today’s younger generations. Health care professionals – not just those focused on mental health but also those working in primary care settings – could become stronger and more vocal advocates on social media to further educate the public about mental health conditions and challenge mental health stigma.

To continue this seismic shift in attitude, individuals need to continue to press for policy level initiatives to provide improved access and availability of evidence-based and culturally competent mental health treatment. To truly move this issue forward in a meaningful way, mental health stigma reduction should not focus on simply public education and attitude change. Rather, legislative and policy level changes are likely required to further people’s approach to their own mental health.

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |
news.syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� engineering professors Qinru Qui and Bryan Kim provide commentary below about what this technology enables and why it’s a challenge to manufacture. Both are available for future interviews.

***

Qinru Qui

is a professor and EECS Graduate Program Director in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. The goal of her research is to provide machine intelligence to today’s computing platforms to achieve autonomous resource management with energy and thermal awareness.

Professor Qui says:��

“A semiconductor chip is the brain of almost everything that we use in everyday life, from washers and dryers to cars and cellphones. To fabricate a chip, we use photolithographic technology to ‘print’ circuits onto silicon wafers. The ‘printing’ has very high resolution, such that the size of an object (i.e., a transistor or a piece of wire) on the chip is only 1/10,000 of a hair. A typical chip may have billions of transistors. The semiconductor manufacturing process needs to be carried out in an extremely clean environment with no dusts and it takes many complicated steps.”

Bryan Kim

is an assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science. His current research directions include capacity-variant storage systems, self-learning systems, and next-generation key-value storage.

Professor Kim says:

“Dynamic random access memory or DRAM is such a central component in modern computing, so much so that it is called ‘main’ memory. When we think of computers, we first associate them with the verb compute, but ‘compute’ is meaningless if the computed values are not stored in memory. DRAM is that very component that stores the program’s data.

“Today’s data-intensive applications such as artificial intelligence and machine learning consume a tremendous amount of data and produce large models to capture hidden details in the data, all of which are stored in DRAM. Advances in DRAM technology will continue to enable next-generation computing systems and applications.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

With the federal rate hike recently increased, how might consumer spending shift as the holiday shopping season gets closer?

Shelley Kohan

���ϲ����� Whitman School faculty member and retail expert expects the rate hike to impact holiday shopping, especially those shoppers that are more reliant on credit cards. Kohan is a highly accomplished and driven senior retail executive and consultant with more than 25 years of success in the retail industry. She is available for interviews and her comments below can be quoted directly.

Kohan says:

“For most of 2022, demand has remained strong for consumer goods with the total fiscal retail sales up 9.9% through August. While higher prices are part of the sales increase, the rate of increased sales is higher than that of inflation. Simply put, consumers are still sending money.

“The most recent rate hike may have an impact on holiday shopping.��Theoretically, higher interest rates will slow down consumer spending, lessening the demand for goods and services. Less demand means greater supply and would lead to lower prices. This may directly impact retailers discounting holiday goods earlier and taking deeper markdowns to ensure inventory is being sold.��There is definitely a tricky balance in finding market equilibrium.

“The higher interest rates will more deeply impact consumers that are reliant on credit cards to make purchases (and don’t pay them off) or have secured a variable mortgage rate. The higher interest rate will impact the disposable income of these consumers, especially in discretionary categories.��Rising interest rates can also lead to a recession which results in workers losing jobs and less income.

“Holiday spending will also be negatively impacted by consumers spending less than last year, higher home heating costs, and possible recession.��Holiday sales last year were up 14.1% and while no formal forecasts have been made, the increase this year will not be as robust.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |
news.syr.edu |

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David Popp

is a professor in the Public Administration and International Affairs Department in ���ϲ�����’s Maxwell School. Popp’s research interests are in environmental policy and the economics of technological change. Much of his research focuses on the links between environmental policy and innovation, with a particular interest in how environmental and energy policies shape the development of new technologies that may be relevant for combatting climate change.

Popp says:

“While I support efforts to increase the use of electric vehicles, I worry that an all-out ban on gasoline-powered vehicles would be going too far.��Electric vehicles are great for day-to-day commutes, for example, but many consumers are still concerned about the lack of range batteries have for a family road trip.��The California policy appears to provide some leeway by allowing hydrogen powered vehicles. But hydrogen vehicles are still an expensive option and fueling stations are limited.

“Whether manufacturers will work to improve the viability of hydrogen vehicles is not clear.��The cost of producing hydrogen fuel is a limiting factor, which requires investments from energy producers as well.��Automakers have already committed to producing more electric vehicles. A mandate like this helps reassure them that there will be a market for these vehicles. Improvements are likely, but limits on range and charging time may be difficult technical challenges to overcome.��It does appear that plug-in hybrid vehicles would be allowed under the California regulation. If so, that could provide an alternative for consumers concerned about range, assuming manufacturers choose to make such vehicles available.

“The 17 states that currently follow California’s vehicle emissions standards face a challenging choice. A policy change like this cannot be adopted in a vacuum.��New charging infrastructure will need to be built, particularly for people who don’t live in single-family homes and can simply plug in a vehicle when they return home.�� Charging infrastructure will also be needed along interstates and other places where drivers may go on longer road trips.��Will states not participating upgrade their infrastructure as well?��Additional charging stations mean new electric grid capacity will be needed. For consumers choosing hydrogen vehicles, refueling stations need to be built. And there is no guarantee hydrogen is a clean fuel.��Hydrogen can be produced using renewable energy, but it can also be made using fossil fuels.

“Any state choosing to follow California’s lead will must be prepared to make the necessary investments to make electric and hydrogen vehicles work in their states. Simply mandating their sale will not be enough.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |
news.syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

Elizabeth Carter

is an assistant professor of civil engineering and earth sciences at ���ϲ����� whose research specialty includes the study of hydroclimatic extremes.

Professor Carter says:

“The drought that is surfacing old bodies in Lake Meade is triggering a humanitarian crisis in northern Mexico right now, and I am really frustrated by the news coverage of it for two reasons. First, there is almost no news coverage. More than half of Mexico’s municipalities are currently facing water shortages, major cities are bussing water in, and it’s barely registering on U.S. news outlets. Second, I take issue with how the crisis is being framed. Mexican news outlets are blaming corruption in policing, corporate water use, failure of the Mexican government to enforce a new constitutional amendment declaring water to be a human right. ��focuses on climate change, which is definitely at play here, but this is not purely a natural disaster.

“There is an elephant in the room.��This crisis is about international water law.��Most of northern Mexico’s major freshwater sources, like the Rio Grande, the Colorado River, and most major aquifers, flow across the US/Mexico border…at least they used to. Massive engineering interventions in the US, including the Hoover Dam, Glenn Canyon Dam, and the Central Arizona Project (Colorado River),��the Closed Basin Project, the San Juan-Chama trans-mountain diversion project, the Middle Rio Grande Project, and the Rio Grande Project (Rio Grande) have northern Mexico’s major rivers running dry before they reach the border, even in humid years. With surface water, at least there are treaties in place to manage allotments.�� There are no international agreements about the use of shared groundwater resources, and US groundwater law has created a corporate feeding frenzy that is draining shared aquifers so rapidly that the southwest is actually sinking.

“U.S. policy and infrastructure have played a major role in propagating this crisis. It feels important that people in the U.S. hear that side of the story right now.

Gladys McCormick

is an associate professor in the history department at SU and an expert on Mexico-U.S. relations.

Professor McCormick says:

Brittany Kmush

For your continuing coverage related to the monkeypox virus, ���ϲ����� public health expert is available for interviews.

Kmush is an assistant professor in the at ���ϲ�����’s Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. Her areas of specialization include vaccines, infectious diseases, epidemiology, global health, and immunology and environmental exposures, particularly within the context of risks for infectious diseases.

Kmush has been interviewed by the media multiple times for stories about monkeypox. Her comments have recently appeared in . She also can speak about COVID-19, anti-vaccination trends, and measles outbreaks. Her comments have been featured in outlets that include , , , and many others.

For more information or to request an interview:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications
M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

Patrick Penfield

Penfield says:

“Back-to-school supplies will be in stock, but unfortunately cost more than they did last year. High energy prices, increased labor and transportation costs, and supply chain disruptions are impacting the price of school supplies this year.

“Parents will experience sticker shock on clothing, sneakers and school supplies this year. In addition to higher prices, parents will also see ‘shrinkflation’ where they will be getting less of the school supplies they have purchased in the past at the same cost they paid last year. Expect to see ‘shrinkflation’ with tissues, pencils, paper, markers, and many of your other school supplies.

“There will be plenty of food in the U.S. food supply chain, but there will be shortages of certain food and packaging supplies. We are already seeing issues and shortages of glass, aluminum, mustard, popcorn, and chickpeas. You may not see the variety of food you are accustomed to seeing for back-to-school lunches in the fall.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |
news.syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

is a mathematics professor at ���ϲ�����’s College of Arts and Sciences. Though he doesn’t plan to buy a ticket himself, he does offer his perspective below about the odds of other people getting the big prize.

He is available for questions and interviews ahead of the next drawing on Friday.

Q: If someone is looking at the overall odds of winning this major prize, what are they?

A: The odds are one out of 302,575,350.

Q: What other astronomical odds can you compare a lottery win to?

A: From the web, I got that the odds of getting struck by lightning in a given year are about one out of one million. That is about 300 times more likely than winning the Mega Millions jackpot with one ticket. Of course, you can increase your odds by buying multiple tickets.

Here is another comparison: There are one billion different possible social security numbers. So, if you try to randomly guess someone’s social security number, your chances of getting it right with one guess are one out of one billion. That is about three times harder than winning the Mega Millions jackpot with one ticket.

Q: Do you have better chances of winning by getting a computer-picked number or choosing your own digits?

A: As all numbers are equally likely the chances of winning are the same whether you make the choice yourself or have the computer do it. There is one more thing to consider: you not only would like to win you would like to be the only winner so you do not have to split the jackpot. If you choose it yourself, unless you are careful, you might fall into some patterns and choose a number that other people have chosen. If the computer has a good random number generator, it would be less likely to choose the same number as someone else. On the other hand, if you do a study on which numbers people tend to choose, perhaps you could do better than the computer. Remember I am discussing trying to increase your chances of being the only winner if you win, not increasing your chances of winning.

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |
news.syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

Two ���ϲ����� professors provide insight below that you are welcome to quote. Both are also available for interviews.

Linda Ivany

, professor and associate chair of Earth and Environmental Sciences at ���ϲ�����’s College of Arts and Sciences. Professor Ivany’s research lies at the intersection of paleoecology and paleoclimatology.

Ivany says:

“This is a short-sighted and seemingly politically motivated decision.��The mission of the EPA is to ‘protect human health and the environment’, and they accomplish this in part by ensuring that ‘national efforts to reduce environmental risks are based on the best available scientific information’.

“The scientific consensus here is overwhelmingly clear on what is happening and why.��I don’t understand the logic behind Chief Justice Roberts’ claim that the EPA, a regulatory agency, does not have the authority to regulate emissions in such a way that will indeed protect human health and the environment in myriad substantial and universal ways.”

Charles Driscoll

Charles Driscoll is University Professor of Environmental Systems in ���ϲ�����’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. He has extensively researched air pollution, climate change and the health implications of power plant emissions.

Driscoll says:

“This ruling is disappointing but not unexpected.��Prior courts had deferred to the administration in complex technical matters because the agencies have the technical expertise to address these issues.�� Often legislation in is not written in specific terms or circumstances change or evolve and the administration needs to adapt to address these changes.

“This will have huge implications for the ability of agencies to address complex technical challenges.��Climate change is the issue for this specific case, but the ruling also has implications for other matters such a public health and safety. The administration had limited tools to address climate change, but this ruling really puts them in a box.��What would be required going forward would be a legislative approach but that seems unlikely.

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

news.syr.edu |

���ϲ�����

Melissa Luke

is Provost Faculty Fellow at ���ϲ����� and Dean’s Professor in the Department of Counseling & Human Services at ���ϲ�����.

Professor Luke says:

“As an ally for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and questioning persons, among other marginalized identities (LGBTIQ+) and an advocate for LGBTIQ+ youth communities in particular, I recognize that that LGBTIQ+ youth experience stigma and face barriers that impact their well-being (Dragowski et al., 2016; GLSEN et al., 2019; Luke et al., 2022) despite laws (e.g., Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, Safe School Improvement Act, and Equality Act) to protect LGBTIQ+ youth from gender- and sex-based harassment and bullying (Hinduja & Patchin, 2020). Moreover, I am acutely aware of the overt and covert mechanisms through which counseling training programs, as well as educational organization professional development initiatives, have contributed to this harmful context, but as importantly, how they can redress and begin to ameliorate it as well.

“Given that youth access the majority of their counseling services through public school contexts (Goodrich & Luke, 2016), there is particular importance for school counselors’ and other school-based mental health providers’ competence in working with LGBTIQ+ youth. Nevertheless, “researchers found that between 25.7% and 37.4% of participating school mental health providers received no training related to working with LGBTIQ+ youth in their graduate program” (Luke et al., 2022). Exacerbating this, additional research has identified that two-thirds of providers observed that their graduate training only provided fair preparation in working with LGB students, while 73.7% specified fair or poor preparation working with transgender students (GLSEN et al., 2019). It is no wonder that LGBTQI+ students continue to encounter high rates of hostile school environments that include bullying, biases, harassment (GLSEN et al., 2019, negative attitudes or behaviors of the school community and ecological context (Bruner et al., 2019; Luke & Goodrich, 2015), and absence of best practice within school counseling programs (Luke et al., 2011; 2013). Yet, counselor training programs, as well as organizations through which post-graduate professional development training takes place, have an obligation to ensure the clinical and cultural competence of the professional counselors and other professionals working with LGBTIQ+ youth, their families, and allies across their ecological contexts (Bruner et al., 2019; Goodrich & Luke, 2016; Luke et al., 2022).

“Over the past year, however, we have seen increasing numbers of state legislation challenging professional counselors’ and other school providers’ culturally responsive interventions with LGBTIQ+ youth through so called Don’t Say Gay bills and other attempts to ban Social Emotional Learning (SEL). That said, counseling organizations (i.e., American Counselor Association [ACA], American School Counseling Association [ASCA], American Mental Health Counseling Association [AMHCA]) are united in agreement that counselors have both clinical and ethical responsibilities to create and maintain safe, inclusive, and supportive counseling environments for LGBTIQ+ youth. Concurrently, counselors also called to monitor and continually expand their own multicultural knowledge, awareness, and skills to promote a socially just counseling context that brackets their own values and reflects their client’s cultural, religious worldview (Gilbride et al., 2016; Luke et al., 2013a; 2013b); Luke et al., 2016) as part of their ethical responsibility. Such efforts include counselors’ recognition of the impact of privilege, prejudice, and oppression on themselves and their clients, particularly those who are LGBTIQ+ (ASCA, 2016; Asplund & Ordway, 2018; Goodrich & Luke, 2009). Thus, counselors who are not competent at supporting LGBTIQ+ + youth and neglect to provide supportive and affirming spaces, as well as responsive counseling interventions recognized as best practice, are not meeting their ethical obligations (Luke et al., 2022).

“As a first step to redress potential deficiencies within graduate training (GLSEN et al., 2019; Jennings, 2014), professional counselors and other providers working with LGBTQI+ youth should consult the growing literature identifying the efficacy of systemic and advocacy‐focused interventions (Beck et al., 2017; Goodrich et al., 2018; Luke & Goodrich, 2015; Luke et al., 2022; Simons et al., 2018). For example, perspectives on LGBTIQ+ youth development and best practices for working with LGBTIQ+ youth in schools can also be informative (Luke et al., 2017; Goodrich et al., 2013; Singh et al., 2017) for professional counselors and supervisors, as well as the programs, organizations, and institutional contexts in which they work with LGBTIQ+ youth. In addition, Supporting Safe and Healthy Schools (Kosciw et��al., 2020) illuminates how selected school mental health professionals created accessibility for LGBTIQ+ youth, maintained support, improved safety, and created inclusive spaces. Clinical and ethical competence in working with LGBTIQ+ youth is not conceptual or aspirational in nature, rather recognized best practice in working with LGBTIQ+ youth, including responsive intervention, often has life-changing implications (Goodrich & Luke, 2016).”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
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Division of Communications

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dalovell@syr.edu |

The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., 4^th Fl., ���ϲ�����, NY 13202
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Duncan Brown

is the Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics at ���ϲ�����’s College of Arts and Sciences. Brown was a member of the physics team that detected gravitational waves by LIGO. Brown provided comments when the first supermassive black hole was captured back in 2019. He provides fresh comments below that can be quoted directly. He is available for interviews.

��Brown says:

“Taking a picture of the black hole at the center of our galaxy is an incredible achievement. It shows that Einstein was right, once again.”

“The image shows hot gas swirling around the black hole at the heart of our galaxy. The gas is moving almost as fast as the speed of light. Capturing the image is an amazing feat for the Event Horizon Telescope team.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications

M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., 4^th Fl., ���ϲ�����, NY 13202
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Ray Wimer

is an assistant professor of retail practice at ���ϲ�����’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management. Professor Wimer has spoken extensively about retail industry trends, bankruptcy proceedings, and retail company mergers. He provides comments below and is available for interviews.

Professor Wimer says:

“This is the fourth or fifth bid offer I have seen for Kohl’s. The activist investors that hold Kohl’s stock are pushing for this merger.

“It does not seem to make much sense from a retail standpoint as Kohl’s strategy is on track moving forward and that includes having Sephora in stores. This merger would stop the Sephora in-store piece.

“Since it is not JCPenney, but Simon and Brookfield behind this acquisition, I see it as more as a real estate push over a strategic play in the retail industry.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

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“I’ve always been concerned about the environment and pollution. I realized that water—being one of the most essential resources—would be the most important one to take care of,” Todorova says.

Professor Todorova’s class is collecting water samples at Green Lakes State Park.

Taking care of water systems and finding ways to fight mercury contamination has become the life work of Todorova. As a professor of practice in the civil and environmental engineering department in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, she is most proud of her theoretical and experimental work mitigating mercury contamination in lake sediment.

“Mercury is everywhere. It’s in the Earth’s crust, and that’s why it’s found in air, it’s found in water, it’s found in soil. However, when it exceeds certain levels, or there are conditions that are conducive to the transfer of mercury to its organic form, that’s when we have a concern about mercury contamination,” Todorova says.

Mercury is very easy to ingest, but harder to get out of the body. Especially methyl mercury, which is a very poisonous form of the element. Being at the top of the food chain, humans are usually exposed to mercury through fish and meat consumption.

Through her research, she discovered aquatic mercury contamination can be mitigated by utilizing nitrate environments, which decreases aquatic life’s exposure to mercury. She even played a key role in the development of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, an international agreement that addresses human activity that leads to widespread mercury contamination.

“The big issue is the transfer of mercury from soil or its aquatic ecosystems into the food web,” Todorova says. “This is how it’s exposed to humans and wildlife.”

Calling her work a drop in the big ocean, Professor Todorova hopes her research contributes to the overall global mission to protect and improve aquatic systems.

“I don’t think I’m doing anything great, but I’m contributing to the whole knowledge that we all need to be able to take care of the Earth,” Todorova says.

Sam Tuttle

This month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations released a new report detailing the biggest climate concerns for countries all over the world. Some of the report’s main conclusions centered around steadily rising emissions and continued global warming, which will have a catastrophic impact on our climate if levels continue to increase.��

���ϲ����� assistant professor and hydrology expert provides six takeaways from the report that he views as the most important elements ahead of Earth Day (April 22). He is available for future interviews and questions. ��

Professor Tuttle says:��

1. We know what needs to be done – we just have to do it.�� The technology is available to reduce global carbon emissions to avoid catastrophic climate change.
   
2. We have to move very fast if we are to avoid major climate-related impacts. The report says that we must massively cut down on fossil fuel use by 2030 in order to keep warming below the commonly accepted 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial temperature, which will allow us to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.�� Global carbon emissions have not slowed in the past 10 years. We no longer have the luxury of trying to make incremental changes. We need transformational change, and we need it as soon as possible.
3. Climate change is impacting everyone.��Wealthy countries are responsible for a majority of carbons emissions, but developing countries will suffer the most from future climate change.
   
4. Change must come from all levels, including the top. Individual actions are not enough to make the necessary change at this point.�� We also need changes to infrastructure, which needs to come from government policies and initiatives, as well as businesses.�� It will not be cheap nor easy to change our energy infrastructure, but we need governments to act, and boldly!
5. However, there does not seem to be a political will nor urgency to do what is needed to reduce carbon emissions.�� Current climate commitments made by countries generally fall well short of what is needed, and it seems like most countries are not meeting even their modest goals.
   
6. Every little bit counts!�� The sooner we reduce emissions, the better for our future.�� Even if we miss the 1.5 degrees C target, our safest future is with as little global warming as possible. There is no future date where it’s no longer worth it to reduce carbon emissions. We need to do as much as we can, as soon as we can!��

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For more information:��

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations��

University Communications��

M 315.380.0206������
dalovell@syr.edu | ��

The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., 4th Fl., ���ϲ�����, NY 13202
news.syr.edu | ��

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George Theoharis

is a Professor of Educational Leadership and Inclusive Elementary/Early Childhood Education at ���ϲ�����. He has extensive experience as a principal and teacher. His research specialties include equity, social justice, diversity, inclusion, urban education, and school reform. Professor Theoharis wrote the Washington Post op-ed, , focused on closing the education gap between poor and affluent school districts, even when student spending numbers are comparable.����

Theoharis says:����

“It is widely known that living in poverty is hard, and we have systemic barriers that maintain (not alleviate) the struggles of poor families impacting millions of kids. The hyper segregation of poor families, like we see in ���ϲ�����, is part of these systemic problems. All kinds of barriers to moving out of poverty are present here – lack of access to healthcare and childcare, lack of living wages and meaningful employment, segregated housing for poor families, etc.����

“We know lifting families out of poverty requires a much broader approach than schools can fix. It requires systemic safety nets that include healthcare, childcare, child tax credits (which we saw make a real impact on poverty during the pandemic), economic development of living wage jobs, etc. This requires policy solutions beyond schools and education.����

“We know our policy solutions that built and maintain the accountability systems placed on schools over the past 20 to 40 years of testing, monitoring and sanctioning low performing schools have resulted in schools with higher concentrations of poor students being forced into constant disruption…constantly forced to change principals and curriculum and teachers. They have been forced into a revolving door of new mandates and new program after new program after new program. This has created a churn that does not lead to robust and better schooling for poor kids. Despite dedicated leaders and teachers, this churn, at best, has led to treading water – where teachers, kids and leaders struggle to keep their heads up. This struggle makes school much harder on the kids and much harder and more taxing on the teacher and leaders.����

“We know high concentrations of poverty make education and learning much harder. One policy solution that has shown success is to intentionally desegregate schools to avoid hyper concentrations of poverty. In many areas of the Northeast and Midwest – and specifically ���ϲ����� – this requires a county or regional solution to alleviate the intense and dire concentrations of poverty.”��

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To request interviews or get more information:��

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications����

 M 315.380.0206   
dalovell@syr.edu | ��

The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., 4th Fl., ���ϲ�����, NY 13202
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Shubha Ghosh

Shubha Ghosh is the Crandall Melvin Professor of Law at ���ϲ����� and director of the (SIPLI). He provides written comments on the news below and is available for interviews and additional questions as the Digital Markets Act progresses in Parliament.��

Ghosh says:����

“With the Digital Markets Act, the European Union introduces a more regulatory approach to deal with the perceived excesses of large technology companies working in various digital markets, which include online sales, digital distribution of entertainment, social media, and communications interfaces. The goal is to make the large technology companies more responsive to the privacy and economic needs of their customers through rules that respect the goals of competition.”��

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To request interviews or get more information:��

Daryl Lovell
Associate Director of Media Relations
M 315.380.0206   
dalovell@syr.edu | ��

The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., 4th Fl., ���ϲ�����, NY 13202
news.syr.edu | ��

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Abigail Caselli

Abigail Caselli is a social psychology doctoral candidate at ���ϲ�����’s College of Arts and Sciences. She answers a few questions about the impact of relationships on health, how V-Day is about more than love connections, and how the pandemic has shifted the way we meet and maintain romantic partnerships.

Q: Can you tell us briefly about your current research and what questions you’re working to answer or learn more about?

A: In my first line of research, I examine processes that buffer against the negative effects of discrimination among people in interracial relationships. For example, I found that people who engaged in perspective-taking (i.e., the ability to consider another person’s worldview) with their partner reported less discriminatory-related stress and better relationship quality.��My second line of research explores ways in which a person’s relationship can impact their overall sense of self (i.e., a person’s conceptualization of who they are, including their characteristics, beliefs, values, and identities).

Q: Do you believe the Valentine’s Day holiday recognition is limited to romantic relationships, or is it broader than that?

A: Great question! In our current culture, it seems as if the holiday is targeted towards people in romantic relationships. However, researchers know that romantic relationships are not the only type of close relationships that people create. For example, friendships are another avenue for people to form social bonds and connections.

Q: How does a romantic relationship impact your mental and physical health in positive or negative ways?

A: Romantic relationships can have an impact on people’s mental and physical health. Generally, we see that people in healthy relationships tend to report better physical and mental health (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2008;��Braithwaite et al., 2010). This trend is for college students and married couples. For example, married couples who are satisfied in their relationships report lower blood pressure and less stress. In college students, people in committed relationships reported fewer mental health concerns compared to their peers in non-committed relationships.

Q: In your opinion, how has the pandemic changed the way we meet new people and seek out romantic partnerships?

A: I was talking to my students about this same question last week. I certainly think the pandemic has affected relationship initiation (i.e., how people meet a new partner) and relationship maintenance (i.e., how people stay in their relationship). Many researchers are tackling these questions currently.

Some research has found that stressful events like Covid-19 create difficulties within the relationship (Pietromonaco & Overall, 2021). Pietromonaco and Overall (2021) found that stress from the pandemic is associated with greater harmful relationship processes, such as hostility, withdrawal, and less responsive support.

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Media Relations Manager
Division of Marketing and Communications

T��315.443.1184 ����M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., 4^th Fl., ���ϲ�����, NY 13202
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These biomaterials—easy to use and highly effective—could control bleeding within wounds, especially critical in instances where time is of the essence such as on the battlefield, in an ambulance or in rural locations, far from the nearest hospital.

Monroe, an assistant professor of biomedical and chemical engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), and her lab work extensively with shape memory polymers (SMPs). These smart materials can be shaped into a temporary shape when a stimulus, such as heat, is applied to them. Monroe compares the materials to a kitchen sponge in terms of feel and flexibility.

ECS assistant professor Mary Beth Browning Monroe holds shape memory polymers, a material that can be used for wound healing.

“You can imagine if you have a big sponge and you cool it down in a really small shape, you can then stick that into a gunshot wound. It would be easy to fit in there because it’s really small,” Monroe says. “But then once it reheats to body temperature, it expands out and fills up that wound. It hits all the wound walls and is there for the healing process.”

Monroe’s SMP research is a continuation of the work she started years ago. Now in her own lab at ���ϲ�����, she works to give back to other students by connecting with women graduate students and instructors and participating in campuswide peer mentoring opportunities for those in the STEM fields.

Mentorship opportunities and connecting women with other scientists that look like them are important steps to close the gender gap that has existed in STEM fields for years. That persistent gap is one of the reasons that the International Day of Women and Girls in Science was established in 2015 by the United Nations. Celebrated each year on Feb. 11, the annual effort recognizes the role of women and girls in science not only as beneficiaries, but also as agents of change.

“I’ve been very lucky to have a lot of strong female mentors in my life throughout all my training,” Monroe says. “That’s kind of rare in engineering because there aren’t a whole lot of women. I love the idea that I could be that to even just one woman in my lab group.”

Professor Monroe shows an example of SMPs inside her lab.

Monroe sees endless possibilities for the biomaterials she’s working with. Applicable uses include making the materials degradable so they can disappear in the body, engineering material that’s anti-microbial to reduce infection risk, and formulating a smart material with pain reliever components to provide comfort to a patient before they’ve reached the hospital. She hopes the wound healing technology could be in clinics or in the field in the next five to 10 years.

“Harnessing the body’s natural ability to heal itself is really the goal of tissue engineering,” says Monroe. “What drives me and makes me really excited is thinking about how these can be applied and make a difference in patients’ lives.”

Kal Alston

is a professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at ���ϲ�����’s School of Education. Alston is trained in philosophy of education. Her most recent publications have focused on ethics and community responsibility, the phenomenal experience of race in philosophical practice, and the connection of the Brown decision to contemporary educational experience.

Below, she talks about the current outbreak of book bans and their connections, often, to well-funded political operations. She is available for interviews.

Alston says:

“The latest actions of parent activists at school board meetings to ban collections of words, concepts, books, and historical facts about America’s racial past and present, inspired by cynical conservative wordsmith Christopher Rufo, focus on an empty understanding of critical race theory.

“Of course, the current outbreak over fear of emotional and political harms to white youths should they encounter a complete story of America that includes slavery and colonialization, that implicates capitalism, is not the first such incitement of local anxieties that flows across generations and communities.��We are still in masks in schools fistfights; a long series of federal court cases regarding trans students’ rights in school bathrooms only ended in 2021; sex education battles reignited across the nation with the advent of AIDS in the 1980s.

“With each of these, the claim was stated as a movement for protection of young minds. In most of them, there has been a (well-funded) political operation behind the scenes not overly concerned with either students or parents, but rather with public discourse and political capital.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Media Relations Manager
Division of Marketing and Communications

T��315.443.1184 ����M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., 4^th Fl., ���ϲ�����, NY 13202
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