COVIDCalls

#56 COVIDCalls 6.1.2020 - Mutual Aid in Compound Disasters

Today is June 1^st, or the first day of the hurricane season. In the coming months, many areas around the world will deal with concurrent disasters. Emergency response in natural disasters oftentimes requires the gathering of people, so how will these communities comply with pandemic guidelines while responding to natural disasters? Tune in to this conversation with Aaron Clark-Ginsberg, of the RAND corporation, and Miriam Belblidia, of Imagine Waterworks, to gain a better understanding of how different populations experience disasters in different ways and how resilience planning and hazard mitigation play a huge role in concurrent disasters. Their information can be found here: https://www.rand.org/about/people/c/clark-ginsberg_aaron.html and https://www.imaginewaterworks.org/who-we-are/.

#51 COVIDCalls 5.25.2020 - State Violence, Discrimination, and Humanitarian Aid in the Pandemic

How is the pandemic opening the way for state violence or discrimination within states? And how do these situations compare with the situations in previous disasters? Join us in this discussion with Malka Older, who is a writer, aid worker, and academic, and Vivian Choi, who is an assistant professor of Anthropology and Sociology at St. Olaf College to learn more about how immigrants and migrant workers are being treated, the anti-Muslim sentiments in Sri Lanka, and what international human rights watchers should and should not do. More information can be found here: https://malkaolder.wordpress.com/ and https://www.stolaf.edu/profile/choi7.

#54 COVIDCalls 5.28.2020 - Public Health Update + Disaster Research w/ Tricia Wachtendorf

People make plans for disasters so that they can be prepared for what is to come. However, if plans worked every time, then you might as well say that unicorns are real. What is disaster improvisation, and where are we seeing that right now during the pandemic? Let’s sit down with Tricia Wachtendorf, the co-director of the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware, to hear about examples of disaster improvisations that have gone well and failed and some of the emerging issues with the pandemic. Also, listen as public health expert Esther Chernak provides and update on the current state of Philadelphia. Their information can be found here: https://www.udel.edu/faculty-staff/experts/tricia-wachtendorf/ and https://drexel.edu/dornsife/academics/faculty/Esther%20Chernak/.

#53 COVIDCalls 5.27.2020 - Graduating in a Pandemic Year

The last semester for seniors in high school and college often means bittersweet last’s--last time with peers, last time on campus, last time as a student where you spent the past few years studying in. So, what has the abrupt switch to online school been for our seniors? Let’s sit down with Olivia VanBuskik, a recent graduate from Central Michigan University, Apoorva Selvaraj, a senior at Drexel University, and Elizabeth Whiteside, a senior at Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas to take a deeper look into how COVID-19 has impacted the Class of 2020. More information about Class of 2020 seniors can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-vanbuskirk-91a66a159/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/apoorvaselvaraj/.

#52 COVIDCalls 5.26.2020 - High School Students in the Pandemic: Philadelphia

COVID-19 has caused schools across the country to change their teaching styles in a matter of days. What is it like being a high school student, especially a high school senior during remote instruction? What obstacles do teachers face? How will the pandemic change teaching and learning as we know it? Sit down with Science Leadership Academy’s founding principal Chris Lehmann, teacher John Henkel, and high school senior Serenity Baruzzini to hear how the pandemic has impacted school. Their information can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislehmann/, https://scienceleadership.org/people/jhenkel, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/serenity-baruzzini-a5b60411b/

#49 COVIDCalls 5.21.2020 - COVID-19 in Singapore w/ Sulfikar Amir

Today, let’s tune into a conversation with Sulfikar Amir, of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, to talk about his experience in creating three documentary films about disasters and to take a deeper look into how he “pictures” this pandemic. Along with this, learn about the COVID-19 situation in Singapore, the media and the public’s reaction, and the responses of neighboring countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. More information about Sulfikar Amir can be found here: http://research.ntu.edu.sg/expertise/academicprofile/pages/StaffProfile.aspx?ST_EMAILID=SULFIKAR.

#55 COVIDCalls 5.29.2020 - Two Pandemics: Racism & COVID-19 + Chile Update

Since the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, many people, businesses, and institutions have denounced systemic racism and police brutality. However, the property damage and looting that have co-existed with the peaceful protests have left some American reluctant to support the movement. To gain a better understanding of the current unrest, join us in this discussion with Rashawn Ray, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow at the Brookings Institution. His information can be found here: https://www.brookings.edu/experts/rashawn-ray/. We will also be getting an update on the pandemic situation in Chile from Gonzalo Bacigalupe, who leads the Citizen Education & Governance Team at the Research Center for Integrated Disaster Risk Management in Santiago, Chile. His information can be found here: https://bacigalupe.wordpress.com/.

#46 COVIDCalls 5.18.2020 - Information Infrastructures in Disaster

The pandemic has brought about a renewed appreciation for workers who are considered to be essential to core functions of society. Among these, have been postal service workers who serve the important role of delivering essential objects to where they need to go, whether it be paychecks, medicines, or PPE (Protective Personal Equipment). However, does this renewed appreciation show in their workers’ benefits and protections? Along with the topic of the postal service, let’s talk about infrastructure orders and computer security professionals with Ryan Ellis, an assistant professor at Northeastern University, and Megan Finn, an assistant professor at the University of Washington. Their information can be found here: https://camd.northeastern.edu/faculty/ryan-ellis/ and https://ischool.uw.edu/people/faculty/profile/megfinn.

#45 COVIDCalls 5.15.2020 - Race & Face Masking in COVID-19

There is a historical notion in society that people who wear masks or face coverings always have something to hide. I mean, think about it—thieves, the Ku Klux Klan, etc. In the inherently racist America we know today, it is not uncommon for Muslim women to be seen as a threat when they wear their hijabs. Today, let’s talk about the struggles of minorities such as Black Americans and Muslim Americans that have become compounded by face mask requirements brought about by the current pandemic. Our guests are Sharrona Pearl, an associate professor of medical ethics at Drexel University, and Rashawn Ray, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Their information can be found here: http://www.sharronapearl.com/?page_id=11 and https://www.brookings.edu/experts/rashawn-ray/.

#44 COVIDCalls 5.14.2020 - COVID-29 in Jefferson County, Texas

With different guidelines from the President of the United States, the Governor of Texas, and local communities, how are the communities of Southeast Texas dealing with some of the pandemic-related tensions that have risen? Join us in this discussion with Kaitlin Bain and Jacob Dick, both reporters for the Beaumont Enterprise, and with John Beard Jr, former city councilman for Port Arthur, to learn more about how COVID-19 is affecting recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey, how local governments are planning to re-open the economy, and more. Their information can be found here: https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/author/kaitlin-bain/, https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/author/jacob-dick/, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-beard-jr-a1259b12/.