Marquette University In the News

Marquette University Law School Poll was cited in numerous stories nationwide for its latest results that found 49% of registered voters support Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, while 41% support Republican incumbent President Donald Trump. Ten percent say they would vote for neither, don’t know how they would vote or declined to say.

Dr. Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette University Law School Poll, also spoke with NBC News for a July 5 story about voter attitudes toward President Trump in Wisconsin.

Departments recognized for action on racial justice, election integrity
Leaders from the university’s Africana Studies Department joined leaders from several other Catholic universities and colleges in signing a letter calling for institutions to address systematic racism. The Les Aspin Center for Government joined a group of bipartisan congressional centers in sending a letter to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence urging the release of information to the public should foreign influence be detected in the 2020 election.

Marquette partners with Herzing University for new pathway program
Marquette has partnered with Herzing University, an accredited, private nonprofit institution, to create Marquette Horizons at Herzing — an academic pathway program that gives prospective Marquette students from across the country a chance to start their college experience online through Herzing.

Dr. Paul Nolette, associate professor and chair of political science in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, discussed Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s prospects as a vice presidential candidate. “Democratic voters do get excited about firsts,” Nolette said. “Having the first LGBT individual on the ticket would be an advantage. A senator from a very important swing state electoral wise will be on anyone’s list. Wisconsin keeps coming back as one of most likely tipping point states — it could decide the election.”

Dr. John Baworowsky, vice president for enrollment management, spoke about the university’s plans for the fall semester amid the coronavirus pandemic. “We are working on plans for social distancing in the classroom,” Baworowsky said. “It will necessitate moving some classes to larger rooms and other adjustments.”

Dr. Cedric Burrows, assistant professor of English in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, discussed how some common phrases, euphemisms, clichés and individual words carry serious racial impacts for people of color. Burrows said he hopes current events can serve as examples for societal change.

Dr. David Clark, professor of economics and executive associate dean in the College of Business Administration, commented on the economy with regards to the challenges presented by the pandemic. “The longest economic expansion in U.S. history is now over, and the economy is officially in recession,” Clark said. “While the re-opening of the state economically has helped, we still have a long way to go to return to pre-recession levels of employment, the unemployment rate dropped slightly in May to 12% down from 13.6% in April.”

Clark also spoke with WisBusiness for a June 25 podcast about the housing market.

Dr. Bryan Rindfleisch, Dr. James Marten and Dr. Kristen Foster, professors of history in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, spoke separately with various news outlets for stories about the historical accuracy of Hamilton the musical and the history of the Fourth of July.

Dr. David Baker, professor and associate chair of biomedical sciences in the College of Health Sciences, discussed the cause for increased drinking habits during the pandemic. "The reason people drink — the stress, the frustration, the free time — all of those are in abundance right now,” Baker said. “You lose some element of control over it.”

Rev. Gregory J. O’Meara, S.J., rector of the Jesuit Community at Marquette University and associate professor of law, discussed the role cell phone videos can play in prosecutions. "The cellphone has substantially changed (the way cases are handled in the criminal justice system)," Father O'Meara said. “The public saw (the video of George Floyd's death), and it's a pretty rough thing to witness,” adding prosecutors still need to establish the evidence to lay the foundation for the tape and have witnesses say whether the video is a fair depiction of what they saw.

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Marquette In the News