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Originally published on June 8, 2021 on Medium   ///   The National Intelligence Council warned in the recent Global Trends 2040 report that societies will need to adapt to deal with global challenges, “including climate change, disease, financial crises, and technology disruptions.” In the U.S., these challenges come on top of societal challenges, foremost […]

Originally published on April 19, 2021 on Medium   ///   Expectations are high that we will be able to return to normal in a few months now that, soon, all adults will be eligible for the vaccine, and the vaccination rate is exceeding expectations. A recent article by McKinsey & Company even predicts that

Originally published on October 12, 2020 on Medium   ///   We heard the good news. Two (or perhaps three) vaccines that appear to be highly effective are around the corner. This may spell the end of the pandemic or at least reduce the infection level enough to return to some version of normalcy. This

Originally published on August 22, 2020 on Medium   ///   With school starting in the US and the pandemic far from being under control, we are now facing the dilemma we dreaded all summer: If we offer face-to-face instruction, we invite the virus back into our classrooms. If we stick with remote instruction, learning will

Originally published on June 15, 2020   ///   The coronavirus pandemic hit, well, not exactly without warning, but not with a whole lot of time to prepare. Within days, mid-spring semester, universities and colleges pivoted from the traditional in-class lectures to online education. Millions of students, many of whom paid high tuition, all of

Originally published on April 27, 2020 /// A little over a month ago, Universities across the world rapidly ramped down their research as Stay Home orders became a reality. Some did so within less than 24 hours. Labs were shut. Staff were sent home. Labs that had Continuity of Operation plans in place were better

Originally published on February 12, 2020 /// For years, we kept hearing about the need to increase the percentage of students who complete college to meet workforce needs. Students were told that a college degree results in higher earnings [i], more career opportunities, and even better health [ii]. And parents and students bought into this

Originally published on February 02, 2020   ///   To say that we live in exciting times would be an understatement. As Steve Pinker recently pointed out [1], “over the past seven decades, humans have become (on-average) longer-lived, healthier, safer, richer, freer, fairer, happier and smarter, not just in the west, but worldwide.” Despite these

Originally published on December 9, 2019 /// Free exchange of ideas created a global community of scholars We have enjoyed and benefited from decades of relative tranquility in academia where the focus on fundamental science created a global community of scholars that came with a free and unrestrained exchange of ideas. Research thrived in …

Originally published on October 21, 2019 /// SOFT SKILLS—WE HAVE HEARD IT BEFORE With cooler weather across much of the nation, opinions about higher education are heating up again as students return to our colleges and universities. Campuses continue to wrestle with free speech and how to create welcoming and inclusive environments for all students