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A new model of health care is coming to Wilmington’s Riverside neighborhood and the Kingswood Community Center. ChristianaCare Virtual Health is now available at The Coker Family Resource Center, inside Kingswood Community Center. It offers convenient, personalized, always-accessible care that makes it easier for people to connect with the care they need and stay well. “This is an entirely new model of health care powered by data and technology to make it easier for people to access care when they need it, and one that fosters strong relationships between patients and their care team,” said Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, president and CEO of ChristianaCare. “In our commitment to make a positive impact on health for everyone in the communities we serve, we’re excited to bring this leading-edge model of care to our neighbors at Riverside. We’re grateful for the partnership of The WRK Group and Kingswood Community Center in this collaborative effort that will support the health and wellbeing of the people in this community.” At The Coker Family Resource Center, patients can connect to ChristianaCare Virtual Health for a virtual appointment with a primary care provider or a member of their care team and also receive access to medical services such as vaccines, blood pressure checks and in-person exams. But care doesn’t have to happen at Kingswood Community Center. Patients can have a virtual visit with their care team anytime and from anywhere they have access to the internet with a smartphone, tablet or laptop with a camera. “Throughout the pandemic, many people have learned the convenience of having a video visit with their doctor instead of coming in for an in-person appointment. At ChristianaCare, we’ve actually been developing this kind of care since the launch of our Virtual Primary Care practice for ChristianaCare caregivers in 2018, in addition to our CareVio data-powered care management platform,” said Sharon Anderson, RN, MS, FACHE, chief virtual health officer at ChristianaCare. “What we’re able to provide today is not just video visits, but an entirely new kind of care that’s always on—it enables patients to interact with their care team when they need support through video visits, secure text messages and other ways that provide care in ways that fit into each person’s lifestyle.” Sharon Anderson, RN, MS, FACHE, chief virtual health officer at ChristianaCare In addition to the on-site medical services provided at the Kingswood location, patients can also receive in-person help with the technology so that they can become comfortable with this new model of care, and ask questions or get help when they need it. Kingswood Community Center, a member of The WRK Group (The Warehouse, REACH Riverside, and Kingswood Community Center), has been a pillar of the Riverside community for 75 years and is located at 2300 Bowers St, Wilmington, DE 19802. In-person appointments are available every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30 – 2:30 (times may vary). Information and appointments are available by calling 302-428-2400. Establishing easily accessible health care within the Riverside neighborhood marks a long-time goal of The WRK Group. “We are incredibly thankful for this partnership with ChristianaCare Virtual Health as they become the first primary care service provider that exists within Riverside,” said Logan S. Herring, Sr., CEO of The WRK Group. “ChristianaCare has created a nimble solution for our neighbors that includes valuable in-person services and care as well as virtual appointments. Creating this physical and virtual space is an achievement for our community and one in a series of initiatives The WRK Group plans to bring to the local area.” The WRK’s Group managing partner, REACH Riverside, is currently overseeing a $250M holistic revitalization project which includes building a new and improved community center, developing a mixed income housing community, and investing in physical capital to create a thriving and vibrant neighborhood. Introducing the Coker Family Resource Center The Coker Family Resource Center is a new addition to the Kingswood Community Center, made possible by the generous donation of the Coker family, a pillar in the Riverside and Wilmington community. From matriarch and civil rights leader Beatrice “Bebe” Coker and her activism efforts to daughters Dr. Joan Coker, Laurie Coker Reid, and Julie Coker's collective philanthropic and community work, the Coker family embodies the values of Kingswood Community Center and The WRK Group’s collective mission to empower the community to reach its full potential. “Thank you to the entire Coker family, who have dedicated themselves to bettering our community for decades, as well as for providing the needed funding to create the physical space that ChristianaCare Virtual Health inhabits,” Herring continued. “The Coker family has once again demonstrated the value of believing and investing in their community. As we look to the future and continue to dream big about the new Kingswood Community Center, I am excited by the prospect of what this space will evolve into and what additional services we can offer our community.” For more information about ChristianaCare Virtual Care at Kingswood Community Center, click here. About ChristianaCare Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country’s most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,299 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute. ChristianaCare is nationally recognized as a great place to work, rated by Forbes as the 5th best health system to work for in the United States and by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is rated by HealthGrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals and continually ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and other national quality ratings. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With its groundbreaking Center for Virtual Health and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care. About The WRK Group The WRK Group, which is comprised of three organizations and over 130 employees, shares a collective mission to empower the community to reach its full potential by eliminating the barriers of structural racism and revolutionizing teen engagement. REACH Riverside, overseeing a $250M holistic revitalization, also serves as the managing partner for Kingswood Community Center, a pillar of the Northeast Wilmington neighborhood for 75 years, and The Warehouse, an educational and recreational oasis for teens. The Warehouse: Developed "For Teens, By Teens" - Innovative, one-stop center serving ages 13 to 19 Teen-driven programming focused on recreation, education, arts, career, and health Collaborating with over 140 youth-serving organizations Three goals: safety, educational support, and workforce readiness REACH Riverside: Developed "With the Community, For the Community" Member of the national Purpose Built Communities Redevelopment: Up to 600 units of high quality, mixed-income housing Education: cradle-to-college and career readiness pipeline Community Health: health, wellness, safety services, and programming Kingswood Community Center Empowering the Community of Riverside and Northeast Wilmington since 1946 Early Learning Academy: high quality, evidence-based programming (ages one through five) School-age services (ages six through twelve): before, after-school, and summer programming Jimmy Jenkins Senior Center: activities to remain healthy and self-sufficient Kingswood Academy: alternative school, located at The Warehouse (seventh through twelfth grade) Preparing for the development of a new, state-of-the-art facility that will replace and enhance the current community center ####
Tennis Pro Naomi Osaka Elevates the Conversation on Athletes and Mental Health
Though Naomi Osaka's announcement of her dropping out of the French Open and German Open tournaments came as a surprise to many of her followers, there has been plenty of support from fans and corporations for the 23-year-old tennis pro who chose to take time off because of mental health concerns. One company, the Calm App, offered to pay fines for tennis players skipping press briefings. And Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton—who, when he was 22 years old, found it difficult to deal with media commitments—offered encouragement to Osaka. "When you’re young and you're thrown into the limelight, it weighs heavily, and most of us are not prepared," Hamilton told The New York Times. Guy Weissinger, PhD, an assistant professor in Villanova's M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing whose research focuses on mental health, says, "Elite athletes are people. They have mental health struggles—good days and bad days—and it's important that we recognize that mental health is complicated, not just 'doing well' or 'not doing well.' One may be capable of doing one thing (i.e., playing tennis) but not other things (i.e., being peppered by reporters with questions). It saddens me that she needed to withdraw from the tournament rather than the tournament organizers reaching out to find ways to accommodate her mental health needs." He noted that the 23-year-old Osaka is an amazing athlete who rose to global prominence beating Serena Williams in a match that got a lot of negative attention. "While no one was saying that she did not deserve her victory, the conversation was mostly focused on Serena, and Osaka was a teenager caught in a media firestorm. I could see how that would create a high level of baseline anxiety around the Opens and media interactions for her, in addition to the already stressful situation of participating at that elite level of sports. Combine that with the high level of stress that everyone has been experiencing over the last year and a half, with COVID, I'm surprised that she isn't the only person who has said that they would be unable to do media appearances." He says this is a great opportunity for discussion of mental health and how it's a concern for everybody. "Too often, we think of people that are successful as being immune to mental health struggles, but we have to acknowledge that people can be both successful and struggling. Sometimes they will be able to manage (as Naomi has in many circumstances), but sometimes even their best coping mechanisms are not enough." Weissinger hopes that we can find ways for people to 'tap out' of the things that overwhelm their ability to cope. "It's not fair or ethical to only wait until people are not just struggling but completely drowning before trying to support or accommodate them. Like with physical health, prevention before things get bad is better for everyone than trying to fix things when they get really bad."
The sand dunes of Tybee Island have taken a beating in recent hurricane seasons. Georgia Southern University biology graduate student Shannon Matzke is researching ways to combat the destruction of the dunes for her restoration project by collecting data on the effects of various planting techniques to see which technique best increases the longevity of the dunes. As a part of the project, Matzke collects monthly data on the growth and survival of plants, as well as on the sand accumulation associated with different planting densities and groups of species. She also spends time analyzing data, exploring new techniques and tools to use in the field, researching dunes and vegetation, and conducting outreach for the project. “Working on the beach has been such a fun experience,” Matzke said. “It has also been rewarding to learn new techniques and how to use new equipment to answer more questions about the success of the restoration project. Perhaps my favorite part though has been the outreach associated with my project. The overall dune construction and beach nourishment is so important to island locals, and I’ve enjoyed being able to explain how my work fits in with the larger project.” Of the plants surveyed, 95% survived the first growing season. On average, plants doubled in height and canopy cover when compared to their size when initially planted. Matzke is also collecting data in areas of the constructed dune that were left bare to compare against the vegetated sites. Unlike the vegetated dunes, bare sites are experiencing erosion, which further relates the importance of adding native vegetation to any new dune construction. Matzke said she was drawn to Georgia Southern and the biology department because of proximity to the coast. She also appreciated her advisor Lissa Leege, Ph.D., who has worked with native and endangered plant species. “I am so glad that I chose to earn my master’s at Georgia Southern because I have been able to make connections with researchers inside and outside of my department, as well as with industry and government professionals,” she said. “I have also enjoyed being able to work on Tybee and the convenience of having the Armstrong campus close to where I live in Savannah.” Matze, who will graduate in fall 2021, hopes to continue her work with native plant ecology. “After I graduate from Georgia Southern, I’d like to work for a state or local agency continuing in the natural resources management field,” Matzke said. “I am interested in continuing working on invasive species research, endangered plant conservation and habitat restoration using native species. My research at Georgia Southern is the perfect introductory experience to the type of work that I would like to continue doing.” If you're a journalist looking to learn more about this exciting research — simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu.
A leading London based architectural metalwork company, specialising in the design, fabrication and installation of bespoke metal products has entered into a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Aston University, with the aim of developing antimicrobial coatings as a way to reduce infection in high risk environments. The Aston University research team will work with John Desmond Limited to develop high end metallic products that can be used where there is a high risk of the spread of bacteria. The antimicrobial coating will be developed for use in communal areas on products such as handrails, balustrades, push plates, door handles and faceplates, – all of which are common in high traffic areas such as hospitals, doctors surgeries, dental practices, schools and transportation hubs. A Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is a three-way partnership between a business, an academic partner and a graduate, called a KTP Associate. The UK-wide programme helps businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills. Aston University is the leading KTP provider within the Midlands. Microbiologists from Aston University’s College of Health and Life Sciences and materials scientists from its College of Engineering and Physical Science will establish the effectiveness of the antimicrobial coatings against a panel of bacteria under a range of conditions to further optimise the surface performance. The team will support John Desmond Ltd to establish an in-house microbiology laboratory to enable extensive testing of the developed coatings which will be carried out under lab conditions. Information from the lab tests will provide supporting evidence to prospective clients of the antimicrobial coating’s efficacy, expected lifespan and performance under varying conditions. Ian Desmond, owner of John Desmond Ltd, said: “We are very excited to be working with Aston University on this ground-breaking project to develop industrial coatings capable of reducing the spread of infection within public spaces. “We are confident that with the expert knowledge and experience that the Aston University team brings to this collaboration, we will succeed in formulating a potent cost-effective means to protect all of us from the threat of micro-organisms, and their impact on the environment in which we live and work.” The Aston University academic team consists of Dr Tony Worthington, associate professor in clinical microbiology and infectious disease; Professor Anthony Hilton, and executive dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences, and Dr Richard Martin from the Aston Institute of Materials Research in the College of Engineering and Physical Science. Professor Anthony Hilton said: “I’m delighted to be able to work on this exciting project with John Desmond Ltd, bringing together a multi-disciplinary team of scientists and engineers from across Aston University to work with an industry partner. “Knowledge exchange between academia and industry is a core element of Aston University’s strategy and it is exciting to be part of a team developing a product which has the potential to have real impact in preventing and controlling infection.” Dr Richard Martin, Aston Institute of Materials Research, said: “Over the past year, we have all become aware of just how important it is to limit the spread of microorganisms. This project is an exciting opportunity to develop new antimicrobial coatings that will significantly reduce the transmission of microorganisms from touchpoint surfaces such as door handles and handrails." The research team have found that claims for the effectiveness of the anti-microbial properties of products already on the market are not always backed with scientifically rigorous evidence. As a result of this, these products have not been able to penetrate markets such as healthcare, where generic claims are not sufficient for buyers to change suppliers. This KTP will establish a body of testing and efficacy data which will support the application and use of antimicrobial coatings in a range of settings where control of bacteria on environmental surfaces is critical for infection prevention and control. You can visit our website for more information about The College of Health and Life Sciences and The College of Engineering and Physical Science at Aston University.
Quarterly Tech Brief - Your Canadian digital resiliency guide for the post-pandemic era
June 2021 Editor's Comments There's cautious optimism brewing in Canada as we enter the Summer months. Life-saving vaccines are finally getting into the arms of millions of Canadians and the COVID-19 case counts are starting to decline. We can see a path to the national and provincial economies opening again very soon. What does all of this mean for Canadian businesses and organizations? Hopefully, you've weathered the worst of the pandemic storm, and are coming out of it stronger and more prepared for the digital era that lies ahead. Although the pandemic forced many Canadian organizations further along their digital transformation journey than they had planned out of necessity, it appears that those digital preferences will continue over the foreseeable future. In this edition of IDC Canada's Quarterly Tech Brief, we explore more real-life best practice digital transformation stories from Canadian CIOs and technology leaders through our recent and upcoming events. We also reveal the most up-to-date Canadian survey results, market forecasts and market trends through our new research reports, blogs and IDC Directions Canada event. Finally, we explore IDC's new Digital Resiliency Framework to help organizations evaluate their readiness, risks and prioritize technology projects. Find out why so many organizations trust IDC to be their technology research advisor through this sampling of our research. FEATURED: Looking for ideas on how to simplify your own company's digital transformation journey or those of your customers? Join us on June 16! Hear from industry-leading tech executives in the June session of our IDC CIO Panel Series, Accelerate & Simplify Your Canadian Digital Transformation Journey. This CIO Panel Series is designed to help you better enhance your digital strategy programs and understand your customers to deliver more impactful experiences. In this 90-minute live webinar, you’ll learn about the impact of the pandemic in major industry sectors in Canada, digital resiliency trends, and new customer expectations. You’ll also hear best practices from Canadian IT leaders as they unpack how 2020 accelerated their digital transformation journey, and what we should be prioritizing in 2021. Check out the stellar CIO panelist lineup and save your virtual seat for June 16. It's going to be a fabulous event - register now to save your spot. Stay tuned for information on our next CIO Panel Session in September. Your Canadian Research Checklist Here are some of our most popular Canadian reports of the quarter to help you understand changing market conditions and succeed in 2021. ✓ Canadian Tech Market Update: 2021 Outlook ✓ IDC Survey: Canadian Organizations on the Road to Recovery Revisited ✓ Brand Perceptions of Managed Security Service Providers in Canada, 2021 ✓ East Meets West: Canada's Rogers Communications Agrees to Buy Shaw Communications ✓ Canadian Communication Services Market Shares, 2020: Who's Who in the Zoo 20 IDC THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: NEW FRAMEWORKS Explore IDC's new Digital Resiliency Framework IDC’s digital resiliency framework shows CEOs, CIOs, and other business leaders how technology can support the entire organization through the different stages of any business crisis. Understanding the Digital Resiliency Framework is critical not just for organizations working to improve their resiliency, but for their technology partners as well. IDC recognizes the challenges organizations are looking to solve and can help demonstrate how technology solutions can help overcome these obstacles in our new eBook: IDC THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: BLOG HIGHLIGHTS Enabling Digitally Resilient Organizations in Canada: A New Approach - Learn how to leverage IDC's new framework to help your customers thrive in the next normal with IDC Canada's George Bulat. Read More → Cloud Adoption and Usage is Growing in Canada, But Cloud Maturity is Not -Explore how cloud adoption and maturity have changed in Canada during the pandemic with IDC Canada’s Jason Bremner. Read More → Growing at the Edge - In 2024, the Canadian edge computing market will reach C$7.5 Billion. Explore what’s driving growth in edge computing and the opportunities it offers to end-users and tech suppliers with IDC Canada’s Tarun Bhasin. Read More → Consumer Device Refresh Rates – Why Demographics & Psychographics Matter PC & tablet refresh rates were lower in 2021 than in past years. See how consumer demographics and psychographics contextualize refresh rates with IDC’s David Myhrer. Read More → ICYMI: IDC DIRECTIONS 2021 CANADA Didn't get a chance to attend our IDC Directions Canada 2021 virtual event live back in April? Now's your chance to catch up on our uniquely Canadian perspectives. On the afternoon of April 22, IDC's thought leaders, Rick Villars, Tony Olvet, Megha Kumar, Nigel Wallis, and Jason Bremner presented their expert insights, intelligence, and guidance for finding success in the next normal. Learn about the future enterprise, digital resiliency, digital innovation, and the future of digital infrastructure in this session. Watch Now On-Demand → ICYMI: IDC FIRESIDE CHAT: CREATING SEAMLESS CONTENT EXPERIENCES Did you miss this insightful webinar on streamlining your content experiences a few weeks ago? Now’s your chance to catch up! The live IDC Fireside Chat webinar may be over, but you can still watch this enlightening event on-demand. Hear Barry Hensch, SVP & Head of Technology Enablement at ATB Financial, share his content management successes and challenges and why they're critical to senior IT leaders in Canada. While Barry’s experiences and tips steal the show, you can also hear insights from IDC Canada’s cloud and collaboration expert, Megha Kumar and seasoned content management leader, Varun Parmar as they share insights to help you move forward on your path to seamless digital experiences in the post-pandemic era. Watch Now On-Demand → Thanks for reading this IDC Quarterly Tech Brief Newsletter. Don’t forget to subscribe to be notified quarterly when the next issue comes out.
#Experts in the Media – UMW’s Miriam Liss explains to BBC why 'quirky' people are attractive
What could make a face worthy of launching a thousand ships? For thousands of years, and likely long before Helen of Troy, beauty and what makes us attracted to others has been a mystery. There have been studies, theories and tons of experiments – and like a cure for the common cold, finding an easy answer or remedy for the riddle behind beauty is always illusive. However, University of Mary Washington’s Miriam Liss was recently featured on the BBC and explain how sometimes the small things – make the biggest impressions. Recumbent on her chaise lounge, peacock-feather fan in hand, the model casts her gaze over her shoulder towards the artist. It's the early 19th Century, and Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres is painting La Grande Odalisque, a nude oil-on-canvas of a Turkish chambermaid. The painter has captured her allure, but something is not quite right. When it is shown to the public, the painting is heavily criticised – she has a weirdly long back and her body points in too many different directions. A 2004 analysis by French doctors, including one who specialises in vertebral pain, suggests that not only would it be impossible for her to contort her body in this way, she would have needed five extra lumbar vertebrae for her back to look as long as it does. The Romantic style of art from this period is filled with nude women, back to the observer, with tiny waists and wide hips. An "hourglass" figure was thought to be the height of beauty. Whether Ingres had intended to distort her proportions quite so much is debated – though no model could ever have posed like this. Maybe Ingres was exaggerating her slender back, narrow waist and wider hips to add a little more sexiness and slightly overdid it. Subtle differences in our appearance can make a big difference. Slight changes in dress make women seem more trustworthy, competent or attractive. As psychologist Miriam Liss of the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and her co-authors found, to look honest and competent in a career setting, or even electable as a politician, a woman must dress conservatively and not sexily. May 31 – BBC If you are a journalist looking to cover this topic or speak with an expert, then let us help. Miriam Liss is a professor of psychological science and international known expert in the areas of feminism, body image and objectification. She’s available to speak with media; simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
Republicans are facing a political dilemma: Embrace former President Donald Trump and enjoy full party support, however, expect to lose favor with "never Trumpers" and moderate voters. Or … reject Trump to appeal to voters but face the sling, arrows and potential primary challenges of a vengeful Trump base. It seems like a lose/lose situation for the GOP, and it has been the topic of much conversation and media coverage. In Virginia, the stakes are high politically and The Washington Post recently spoke with UMW’s Stephen Farnsworth about this very situation. Virginia Republicans who oppose or criticize Trump are being shunned or sidelined within the party, said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, while those who embrace him struggle to win statewide elections or suburban swing districts. The next test in Virginia will come this fall, when GOP gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin, who embraced Trump and won the former president’s endorsement, will compete against the winner of the June 8 Democratic primary. “At the moment, these three former members of Congress are more like voices crying in a Republican wilderness,” Farnsworth said. “Will the party come around to their way of thinking? I think a lot depends on the success or failure of Republican candidates who are all in in their support of former president Trump. If Republicans get swept again in statewide elections, the arguments offered by Riggleman and Comstock and Rigell may make more sense to some of the die-hard activists.” May 22 – Washington Post There’s never a dull day inside or outside of party politics in America. And with mid-terms on the horizon and high expectations for 2024, the moves Republicans make with or without Trump could carry high consequences. And if you are a journalist following these developments within the Republican Party in Virginia or throughout the country, then let us help. Dr. Stephen Farnsworth is a sought-after political commentator on presidential politics. He has been widely featured in national media, including The Washington Post, Reuters, The Chicago Tribune and MSNBC. Dr. Farnsworth is available to speak with media any time. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.
Climate Change-Related Natural Disasters Impact Short-Lived Assets and Interest Rates
For decades, scientists across the globe have warned about the effects of climate change. Given that these changes—global warming, rising sea levels—happen over time and that their disastrous results may not be obvious for decades, studying the effects of climate change on financial markets has posed a problem. According to Christoph Herpfer, assistant professor of finance, Goizueta Business School, most of the existing literature that deals with the effect of climate change on financial markets considers “indefinitely lived assets,” such as owning stock or owning a home—assets that “don’t have an expiration date,” explained Herpfer. To evaluate the effect of climate change in the long run on these assets then requires discount models—ways to value something today based on what it could be worth decades from now. Herpfer, a banking and corporate finance specialist, studies short-lived assets that, on average, expire after 4.5 years. Herpfer wondered if there could be “an alternative channel in which climate change already impacts companies today,” he explained. One that didn’t have to deal with all the “challenges associated with long run discount rates,” he added. In “The rising tide lifts some interest rates: climate change, natural disasters, and loan pricing,” Herpfer and his colleagues—Ricardo Correa, deputy associate director, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Ai He, assistant professor of finance, University of South Carolina, and Ugur Lel, associate professor, Nalley Distinguished Chair in Finance, University of Georgia, Terry College of Business—consider this question by studying corporate borrowing costs. In 2020, the paper received the best paper award at the Boca Corporate Finance and Governance Conference. The foursome had a novel idea: In recent years, there has been scientific consensus that climate change fuels natural disasters. So Herpfer and his fellow authors wondered if financial institutions took climate change-amplified natural disasters into account when pricing short-term loans. Their answer was, unequivocally, “yes.” Their work and research is captured in a recent article in Emory Business - it's attached and well worth the read. If you're a journalist looking to know more - then let us help. Christoph Herpfer is an assistant professor of finance at Goizueta Business School. He is also a financial economist working at the intersection of banking, law, and accounting. Christoph is available to speak with media about this research - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Stress and pressure go hand-in-hand when it comes to college students across America looking to succeed and make the grade. But with the added anxiety of COVID-19 and students forced out of classrooms and lecture halls – the opportunity to cheat is now easier than ever and numbers are trending upwards. UMW’s Professor of Psychological Science David Rettinger, president emeritus of the International Center for Academic Integrity, was recently interviewed about this alarming trend by NBC News and lent his expert opinion on why more students may be making the choice to cheat and what professors and schools can do to make sure everybody stays on the honest path. If you are a journalist looking to cover this subject, then let us help with your stories. Dr. David Rettinger is available to speak with media regarding this issue of cheating and academic integrity. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Weight stigma is a burden around the world – and has negative consequences everywhere
Rebecca Puhl, Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences and Deputy Director, UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, University of Connecticut was recently featured in The Conversation discussing this very important topic. An excerpt of her article is included with the full piece attached. It's an excellent article and well worth the read. Lazy. Unmotivated. No self-discipline. No willpower. These are just a few of the widespread stereotypes ingrained in American society about people who have a higher body weight or larger body size. Known as weight stigma, these attitudes result in many Americans being blamed, teased, bullied, mistreated and discriminated against. There is nowhere to hide from societal weight stigma. Decades of research confirm the presence of weight stigma in workplaces, schools, health care settings, public accommodations and the mass media, as well as in close interpersonal relationships with friends and families. It’s everywhere. I’m a psychologist and researcher at the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut. For 20 years my team has studied weight stigma. We’ve examined the origins and prevalence of weight stigma, its presence across different societal settings, the harm it causes for people’s health and strategies to tackle this problem. We conducted a recent international study that clearly shows that weight stigma is widespread, damaging and difficult to eradicate. This societal devaluation is a real and legitimate experience for people across different countries, languages and cultures. June 01 – The Conversation The issue of weight stigma and shaming is having a devastating impact on all facets of American society – and if you are a reporting looking to cover this topic or to learn more, then let us help. Dr. Rebecca Puhl is Deputy Director for the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity and Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at UConn. She is responsible for identifying and coordinating research and policy efforts aimed at reducing weight bias. Dr. Puhl is available to speak with media regarding this important subject – simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
