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Jase Bernhardt, associate professor of geology, environment, and sustainability, was interviewed by WCBS-TV News about the poor air quality across parts of the United States, caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires. These conditions have prompted many summer camps to bring activities indoors.
“Children are more vulnerable to low air quality because their lungs are still developing,” said Dr. Bernhardt. “They have to breathe in more air to replenish their body and kids are likely to be more active outside.”
There's a new tick establishing itself across the region, and it's not the one most people are used to watching for. The Asian longhorned tick, first detected in the U.S. in 2017, has been steadily expanding its range along the East Coast — including into the backyards, parks, and preserves of Long Island. Unlike the blacklegged tick most associated with Lyme disease, this invasive species reproduces asexually, meaning a single tick can start an entire population, and it's showing up in numbers that are hard to ignore.
Russell Burke, professor of biology at Hofstra University, has spent more than a decade studying the ecology of Lyme disease on a continental scale — including how tick host diversity affects disease risk across the eastern U.S. That work has now expanded to track a newer arrival: the Asian longhorned tick, and how its invasion and spread is reshaping the tick communities long dominated by the blacklegged tick, the primary vector of Lyme disease.
What he can speak to:
How the Asian longhorned tick got to the U.S., and why its ability to reproduce without mating makes it uniquely fast at colonizing new areas What the tick's expansion means for the local ecology of ticks on Long Island, and how it may be competing with or displacing established blacklegged tick populations Why the Asian longhorned tick is not currently considered a significant carrier of Lyme disease itself, but why its presence still raises concerns for public health and agriculture What residents, hikers, and pet owners should know about identifying and avoiding exposure to this new tick species The broader pattern of invasive species establishing themselves on Long Island, and what that signals about changing ecosystems Connect with: Russell Burke Professor of Biology Dr. Burke's current research involves diamondback terrapins at Jamaica Bay, wood turtles in northern NJ, ticks and Lyme disease, and the coyote invasion of Long Island. Key Topics: Ecology · Conservation Biology · Herpetology · Urban Ecosystems Reach Professor Burke through the Contact button on his profile below.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is bringing one of the world’s oldest and most influential stories back to the big screen. Beyond the monsters, battles and epic-scale adventure, Homer’s story asks questions that still feel immediate. What happens after a long war? What makes a leader legitimate? How do displaced people find their way home? Can violence ever truly restore order?
Luke Madson, visiting assistant professor in Greek and Roman Studies at Hofstra University, can help audiences look beyond the spectacle. Madson teaches Greek and Roman epic, mythology, tragedy, comedy and the literature and culture of the ancient world. His research into ancient Greek politics, political identity and historical storytelling also provides insight into the power struggles, competing loyalties and contested ideas of leadership found throughout the epic.
An Epic Shaped by War The Odyssey is a story about what comes after war. Odysseus survives Troy, but his journey home reveals the toll of conflict on soldiers, families and societies. In Ithaca, his absence creates a power struggle as the suitors compete to replace him.
Drawing on his expertise in ancient Greek politics, Luke Madson can explain how early audiences understood this crisis and why it resonates amid displacement, political instability and contested leadership.
Strangers, Stories and Power The epic repeatedly asks how societies treat outsiders. Through the Greek tradition of xenia, Odysseus encounters communities where strangers are welcomed, exploited or attacked, connecting the story to modern debates about migration, refugees and borders.
Odysseus also changes identities and carefully shapes his story for different audiences. Madson can explore how persuasion and reputation shaped authority in the ancient world, and how these themes relate to propaganda and misinformation today.
A Source for Stories Beyond the Screen Journalists covering Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Greek mythology or the modern relevance of ancient stories can connect with Luke Madson for expert commentary and interview support. He can provide historical, political and cultural context on topics such as:
The lasting appeal of Odysseus and the hero’s journey War, displacement and the challenges of returning home Leadership, legitimacy and political instability Hospitality, migration and the treatment of outsiders Storytelling, propaganda and political identity Revenge, justice and cycles of violence How modern adaptations keep Greek mythology relevant The political and cultural world behind Homer’s epic As Nolan brings The Odyssey to a new generation, Madson can help audiences understand the ancient ideas and conflicts behind the spectacle, and why they continue to resonate today.
