Experts Matter. Find Yours.
Connect for media, speaking, professional opportunities & more.
It was a news story that shook America and shattered the lives of many in Boston. Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev set off two bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line. The ensuing manhunt and standoff had America on edge for days. Augusta University’s Dr. Craig Albert was front and center on national news during that time, helping journalists and audiences understand the motivation behind these horrible acts. His interview with Fox's Megyn Kelly is available below: Dr. Craig Albert is director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University. He is a leading expert on war, terrorism and American politics, and he testified before U.S. Congress regarding the threat from Chechnya following the deadly bombing. With this story now back in the headlines after a federal appeals court overturned the death sentence for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Albert is available to speak with media – simply click on his name to arrange an interview today.
It has been the talk of the political town for months now – just who will Joe Biden pick to be his running mate and potentially the vice president of America after this November’s election? Biden’s victory over President Donald Trump is far from guaranteed, and odds are Democrats are a little wiser from 2016, when the polls showed Hillary Clinton had the race all but sewed up in October only to be shocked once all the votes were counted. But the polls are favorable for Biden and who he chooses to join him on the ballot could help drive his victory a lot closer to home. Biden has signaled his running mate will be female, which narrows the fields, but there are other factors to consider. Here are just a few: Race: Black voters represent almost one of four members of the Democratic base and getting those voters to show up like they did for former President Barack Obama will be essential. Appeal: Biden did well with older voters in the primaries but had dismal support of younger voters. Age: At 77, Biden will be the oldest candidate in history. He may need a substantially younger partner to balance the ticket. A lot of names are being thrown around and time is ticking. If you are a journalist covering the election, that is where our media-ready experts can help. Dr. Mary-Kate Lizotte is an expert in political behavior and the implications of gender differences in public opinion, including society’s views of female candidates of color. She is available to talk about the upcoming election and all aspects surrounding each campaign. Click on her name to schedule an interview.
Back to school anxiety - How can parents prepare kids as the time to go back to school gets closer?
The new school year is usually an exciting time for kids and a time to celebrate for parents who have been keeping busy all summer long. A new grade and new adventures at school await. But this year, with children heading back to class in just a few short weeks, anticipation has been replaced by anxiety as a lot of kids are stressed about the idea of returning during COVID-19. For most children, predictability can play a major part in being comfortable and feeling secure. As well, with children seeing the news, having spent months in lockdown and knowing that they’ll likely be wearing a mask all day, the pressure of the ‘unknown’ may be enormous. “It is normal for kids to feel nervous about returning to school, especially if they have been learning from home for months,” said Dr. Meredith Rausch, a leading counselor education expert and associate professor in the Department of Advanced Studies and Innovation in the College of Education at Augusta University. “To help ease their anxiety, I encourage parents to reassure their children about the safety measures in place to keep them safe and remind them about the positives, such as being able to see their friends and teachers.” Rausch also recommends the following tactics parents can do at home to help ease the back-to-school anxiety. Wear a mask at home: Wear one while playing a game, reading a book or having some screen time. Normalizing life in a mask may be the new normal. Share how you feel: Parents who can share their feelings will likely prompt children to share their own. Let kids know that adults are nervous and are sometimes afraid too, and encourage young ones to open up and express any lingering or pent up emotions. This coming school year will be like no other in memory, and as parents get kids ready to head back into the classrooms – there are still a lot of questions remaining. If you’re a journalist covering this topic – then let our experts help. Dr. Meredith Rausch is a leading expert in counselor education, and her research focuses on underserved populations, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals and women. Rausch is available to speak with media regarding this important subject. Simply click on her name to arrange an interview today.
Racial and LGBT bias persists in ridesharing drivers despite mitigation efforts
Despite efforts by ridesharing companies to eliminate or reduce discrimination, research from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business finds that racial and LGBT bias persists among drivers. Platforms such as Uber, Lyft and Via responded to drivers' biased behavior by removing information that could indicate a rider's gender and race from initial ride requests. However, researchers still found that biases against underrepresented groups and those who indicate support for the LGBT community continued to exist after drivers accepted a ride request -- when the rider's picture would then be displayed. In other words, their efforts shifted some of the biased behavior until after the ride was confirmed, resulting in higher cancellation rates. Understanding whether bias has been removed also is important for ridesharing companies as they not only compete against each other but also with traditional transportation options. "Our results confirm that bias at the ride request stage has been removed. However, after ride acceptance, racial and LGBT biases are persistent, while we found no evidence of gender biases," said Jorge Mejia, assistant professor of operations and decision technologies. "We show that signaling support for a social cause -- in our case, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community -- can also impact service provision. Riders who show support for the LGBT community, regardless of race or gender, also experience significantly higher cancelation rates." Mejia and co-author Chris Parker, assistant professor in the information technology and analytics department at American University in Washington, believe they are the first to use support for social causes as a bias-enabling characteristic. Their article, "When Transparency Fails: Bias and Financial Incentives in Ridesharing Platforms," is published in Management Science. They performed a field experiment on a ridesharing platform in fall 2018 in Washington, D.C. They randomly manipulated rider names, using those traditionally perceived to be white or Black, as well as profile pictures to observe drivers' behavior patterns in accepting and canceling rides. To illustrate support for LGBT rights, the authors overlaid a rainbow filter on the rider's picture profile. "We found that underrepresented minorities are more than twice as likely to have a ride canceled than Caucasians; that's about 3 percent versus 8 percent," Mejia said. "There was no evidence of gender bias." Mejia and Parker also varied times of ride requests to study whether peak price periods affected bias. They found that higher prices associated with peak times alleviated some of the bias against riders from the underrepresented group, but not against those who signal support for the LGBT community. They believe that ridesharing companies should use other data-driven solutions to take note of rider characteristics when a driver cancels and penalize the driver for biased behavior. One possible way to punish drivers is to move them down the priority list when they exhibit biased cancellation behavior, so they have fewer ride requests. Alternatively, less-punitive measures may provide "badges" for drivers who exhibit especially low cancellation rates for minority riders. But, ultimately, policymakers may need to intervene, Mejia said. "Investments in reducing bias may not occur organically, as ridesharing platforms are trying to maximize the number of participants in the platform -- they want to attract both riders and drivers," he said. "As a result, it may be necessary for policymakers to mandate what information can be provided to a driver to ensure an unbiased experience, while maintaining the safety of everyone involved, or to create policies that require ridesharing platforms to monitor and remove drivers based on biased behavior. "Careful attention should be paid to these policies both before and after implementation, as unintended consequences are almost sure to follow any simple fix."
MEDIA RELEASE: CAA study reveals a majority of Ontario drivers favour provincial towing oversight
A recent study conducted on behalf of CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) indicates that 90 per cent of Ontario drivers agree with regulations such as tow truck licensing, certification and provincial oversight. The study, commissioned in April 2020, revealed that only 1 out of 5 Ontario drivers feel “very protected” under the current system. “Consumers should have the confidence that they will be protected regardless of where in the province they are and what kind of towing services they may require,” says Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice-president of government and community relations. The study also showed that half of Ontario drivers believe that tow trucks in Ontario are licensed. This is not the case. A lack of provincial oversight in the towing industry has led to a municipal patchwork of bylaws, which includes inconsistent towing rates, processes, and standards. It has also left motorists unsure on what the rules are, and how to protect themselves from fraudulent activities particularly when it comes to collision tow services. At present, only 18 of Ontario’s 444 municipalities have bylaws regulating towing. That is less than five percent of all communities across the province. “Provincial oversight should provide consistent levels of training for operators, ensure the vitality of an important service on Ontario roads, establish penalties for those that do not follow the rules and recognize people drive outside of cities boundaries.” Some other interesting facts from the study are: An overwhelming majority (91%) of the respondents oppose the idea of anyone driving a tow truck without specific tow truck driver education or training. More than 4 out of 5 respondents agree that the cost of towing and related fees can be misleading. In June, the Ontario government announced its commitment to assemble a task force to review and reform the towing industry. For over a decade, CAA has been advocating for changes to the towing industry. The announcement of a provincial task force is a strong step in the right direction. As part of the journey toward a fair towing framework, please join CAA, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario (PTAO) for a virtual discussion on the challenges of the towing industry and an overview of what the future of towing could entail. The virtual townhall will take place on Wednesday, August 12, 2020 from noon to 1:30 p.m. To register and for more information, visit: https://www.caasco.com/blog/News/government-focuses-on-the-towing-industry-have-your-say The statistically representative study, commissioned by CAA SCO and conducted by Campaign Research between April 21st to 24th, 2020, surveyed 5,003 Ontarians that hold a valid driver’s license. The study was conducted through online surveys. A probabilistic sample of a similar size would have a margin of error of plus or minus 1.4%, 19 times out of 20.
Cancellation of non-conference college football games may lead to a new battle in the courtroom
The Big Ten Conference's decision to cancel all non-conference football games for the upcoming season -- and the possibility that schools in other major conferences may soon follow -- raises a number of potential legal issues, says Nathaniel Grow, associate professor of business law and ethics at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. “Depending on the terms of the schools' college football scheduling agreement, the university cancelling the game may still owe the other school some level of compensation for breaking the agreement,” Grow said. “If the cancelling university refuses to pay, then it would not be surprising if the other school would elect to file a lawsuit.” A nationally recognized expert in the field of sports law, Grow studied has studied this issue, the subject of a 2010 article in the Journal of College and University Law. "The ultimate outcome of such a lawsuit would hinge largely on the specific terms of two affected schools' contract. In general, though, two provisions of the contract would likely prove to be the most important. First, most scheduling agreements will include some sort of liquidated damages provision, a clause that specifies that one side of the agreement must pay the other party a certain amount of money should the contract be broken. Often times, these contracts will provide that the breaching party must only pay the other school in the event that the opponent is unable to replace the cancelled game on its schedule with one against a sufficiently suitable alternative opponent. "The other relevant clause in these scheduling agreements is likely to be the force majeure provision, sometimes referred to as an ‘Act of God’ clause. Under these provisions, schools may be excused from cancelling a game without penalty if circumstances arise that make playing the game unduly difficult or impossible (for instance, a hurricane or other major weather event). The applicability of such a provision will also vary depending on the specific wording employed in the contract, and whether the clause permits a team to cancel a game on the basis of either a pandemic or a change in conference policy regarding the playing of non-conference games." Grow can be reached at 812-855-8191 or grown@iu.edu.
Joke or not – could Kanye play spoiler in the 2020 election?
It’s set the internet abuzz – and as rap superstar Kanye West (with the help of his wife Kim Kardashian West and billionaire Elon Musk) took to Twitter to declare his intentions to run for president this November. One small problem – West has missed several key deadlines to get on the ballot. However, if he is determined to run, he can ‘t run in key states like Texan, New York or North Carolina. This all seems silly right now, but if the sometimes controversial and very unpredictable celebrity makes a run, in the end – who would it help and who would it hurt? Could West’s popularity siphon off votes from Joe Biden key battleground areas? Or would a West campaign steal the attention and airtime away from Donald Trump leaving him to pitch policy and drastically reducing his reach? In a year that knows nothing normal, if you are covering Kanye West and the 2020 election – let our experts help. Mark Caleb Smith is the Director of the Center for Political Studies at Cedarville University. Mark is available to speak with media regarding this topic and any aspects about the upcoming election. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
Is there a path to a successful and productive life after imprisonment?
On July 8, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson announced the formation of a new task force focused on helping those formerly incarcerated or with a criminal history seek productive futures when they return to society. The Advocates for Restorative Communities in Savannah (ARCS) will bring together experts, including formerly incarcerated people, who currently work with those in the justice system. The goal is pooling their collective experiences to best serve those returning to Savannah from prison and help them toward a path of success. Georgia Southern University's Maxine Bryant, Ph.D., senior lecturer, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, is playing a lead role in the task force. According to Bryant, about 4% of all those in Georgia’s prisons call Chatham County home. Bryant says last year Georgia’s Department of Corrections reported there were around 53,000 people inside their prisons. “Four percent, that’s about 2,000 people, people who are currently incarcerated are probably going to be returning back to Chatham County,” said Bryant. “You add that year after year after year, and then it becomes clear that if we don’t do something, we are a part of the problem, and not the solution.” Bryant added two out of every three people who are released are rearrested within three years. “Not all of those arrests are new crimes,” she said. “Some of them are technical difficulties, technical violations. They couldn’t pay a fine because they didn’t have a job.” June 08 - WTOC TV If you are a journalist and would like to learn more about this program or this topic – then let our experts help. Maxine Bryant’s research interest specifically focuses on factors contributing to the successful community reintegration of released prisons. Specifically, she has written and presented on transitional jobs for newly released prisoners, the role of the Black church in successful offender reintegration, the impact of unaddressed childhood trauma and barriers to successful offender reintegration. She is available to speak with media any time – simply click on her icon to arrange an interview today.
Clarifying the electoral college before this November’s election – let our experts explain
With a divisive and hyper-charged election on the horizon in America, the Supreme Court may have done the country a favor and avoided a constitutional crisis before it happened. The court delivered a unanimous opinion on faithless electors and how those who represent states are to cast their votes in the electoral college. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that a state may require presidential electors to support the winner of its popular vote and may punish or replace those who don’t, settling a disputed issue in advance of this fall’s election. Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the court as it considered for the first time the issue of “faithless electors” and whether the Constitution sees members of the electoral college — whose votes ultimately elect the president — as representatives of the intent of their state’s voters or as independent thinkers. The Washington state law at issue “reflects a tradition more than two centuries old,” Kagan wrote. “In that practice, electors are not free agents; they are to vote for the candidate whom the State’s voters have chosen.” In layman’s terms, it simply means representatives to the electoral college are not casting a vote of conscience, but a vote that follows the will and intentions of the popular vote of each specific state. Popular votes and the electoral college have been hotly debated topics during this century’s elections, and if you are a journalist covering this Supreme Court decision or have questions about the upcoming elections – then let our experts help. Dr. Craig Albert is an expert in American politics and he is available to speak with media – simply click on his name to arrange an interview today.
As China clamps down on Hong Kong – Is Taiwan next?
As protests erupt again across Hong Kong against the recent imposing of new security laws essentially giving Beijing unprecedented powers – it has some worried about what is next as China pursues it’s One-China policy. In Taiwan people are watching, and concern is growing. Professor Elizabeth Freund Larus teaches political science at the University of Mary Washington and is an #expert on China and the field of Asian studies. She has also been interviewed by media such as CNBC, The Diplomat and CBN News regarding this topic. She has noted that the developments in China, especially with regards to Hong Kong and Taiwan are catching global attention and will impact economies and governments across the globe. Beijing has taken an especially hard line towards Taiwan since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), ramping up military, economic and diplomatic pressure. Tsai views Taiwan as a de facto independent nation and not part of "one China". But the pressure campaign has done little to endear China to Taiwan's 23 million people. In January, Tsai won a second term with a historic landslide and polls consistently show a growing distrust of China... Social media is filled with messages of support for Hong Kong's democracy movement. Some back Taiwanese independence, or highlight China's rights abuses in regions such as Tibet and Xinjiang. Wendy Peng, a 26-year-old magazine editor who said she often shared pro-Hong Kong democracy messages on social media, said she would now avoid visiting the city. "The national security law makes me wonder how far would China go. Right now I don't see a bottom line and there's probably none. I think it's possible they will target Taiwan next," she said. July -7 Yahoo! New/AFP If you are a reporter covering this progressing story – then let our experts help. Elizabeth Larus is available to speak to media, simply click on her icon to arrange an interview.
