Sept. 30, 2020

Marquette In the News

University works with Black Student Council to boost inclusion  
Marquette is working with the Black Student Council to create a more welcoming and inclusive space for Black students on campus and in the city. Plans include scholarships, a permanent cultural center for Black students, and programs to raise awareness of the bias, harassment and discrimination students of color face.

Story aired on WUWM-FM (89.7), Sept. 23, 2020

Dr. Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law Poll, discussed how former Vice President Joe Biden is trailing President Trump when it comes to support from Catholic voters. Franklin said he does not believe abortion is the dominant issue for many Catholics, given that Law Poll results show a majority of voters support abortion rights to some degree. 

Story appeared in The Washington Post, Sept. 22, 2020 

Franklin also spoke with The Hill for a Sept. 25 story about how tightening polls in key swing states like Wisconsin increases pressure for the Biden campaign. Franklin was also a guest on Channel 3000’s (WISC-TV) Live at Four to talk about how both major presidential candidates were faring in the polls prior to last night’s presidential debate.

Dr. Risa Brooks, Allis Chalmers Associate Professor of Political Science in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, discussed the approaches past presidents took when working with the Pentagon. Brooks said military leaders felt as if President Obama handled issues with the Pentagon the wrong way and were initially pleased to see President Trump’s approach. "But now I think we're in a whole other level,” Brooks said. “I think what is going on is that you see some of the stuff Trump is doing is a challenge to the core organizational interests and integrity of the military." 

Story appeared on Reuters, Sept. 23, 2020

Dr. Sandra Hunter, professor of exercise science in the College of Health Sciences and director for the Athletic and Human Performance Research Center; and Mike Haischer, AHPRC research lab manager, discussed their new observational study on mask wearing compliance in the weeks preceding mask mandates from corporations or local governments. “We need (mask wearing) rates of at least 80-90% to quell the spread of the disease and when people are just left to their own devices, rates are more like 40%, and that’s just not adequate,” Hunter said. Haischer added that “women are about 1.5 times more likely than males to wear a mask, which is particularly concerning because we have evidence that men are at greater risk for more severe outcomes from COVID-19.” 

Story aired on WUWM-FM (89.7), Sept. 24, 2020 

Hunter also spoke with The Washington Post for a Sept. 26 story about women gaining ground in ultramarathons and other long-distance races. 

Marquette President Michael R. Lovell discussed how Scaling Wellness in Milwaukee (SWIM) — the community-wide effort he and his wife, Amy Lovell, created to address impacts of generational trauma — plans to create a nonprofit hub in Milwaukee’s Near West Side. “It’s about giving these community leaders who are working tirelessly the space they deserve,” Lovell said. “If you have a small nonprofit — and I say this from starting one — you don’t have the budget to hold a fundraising event or to hold a training. So, if we build this space, now what they have is a space that is equitable." 

Story appeared in the Milwaukee BizTimes, Sept. 25, 2020

Dr. Kevin D. Thomas, assistant professor of strategic communication in the Diederich College of Communication, discussed the need to dismantle racist stereotypes and how marketing and advertising imagery can be a powerful catalyst. “On average, each day, each of us sees about 5,000 imprints of advertisements,” Thomas said. “I would say that all advertisement is racialized. The idea behind what messaging is really going to resonate with the vast amount of the population, which is white folks in America, is that of ‘we are the champions,’ ‘we are the heroes,’ ‘we are on the ones that are going to save the world’ and steward the folks whether that be native Americans, African American, immigrants. It’s our job to be the stewards of those folks.” 

The documentary, "Speaking Frankly | Symbolic Justice," aired on CBS News, Sept. 24, 2020 

Thomas also spoke with BBC World News for a Sept. 23 story about Uncle Ben’s rebranding to “Ben’s Original.”

Dr. Meghan Stroshine, chair and associate professor of social and cultural sciences in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, discussed the importance of public trust in police. “When people don’t trust the police, when people don’t have confidence in the police, they don’t call the police,” Stroshine said. "When people don’t call the police when they have conflicts, those conflicts get dealt with in other ways. The relationship between the police and the public are playing into these numbers."

Story aired on Wisconsin Public Radio, Sept. 28, 2020

Dr. Sergio M. Gonzalez, assistant professor of Latinx studies in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, wrote about the significance of Hispanic Heritage Month, especially during the pandemic. “Perhaps more than any other year, 2020 has clarified what Milwaukeeans consider ‘essential.’ This word, and the accompanying term ‘essential worker,’ have developed new connotations during a global pandemic,” Gonzalez said. “Before we break out nachos and turn up the merengue for what would only be a shallow celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we should instead start with some self-examination and work toward actually respecting the dignity and humanity of Latinx communities that have called Milwaukee home for a century.”

Opinion piece appeared in the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, Sept. 24, 2020

Dr. Debbie Perouli, assistant professor of computer science in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, commented on President Trump’s move to ban the social media app TikTok — and potentially WeChat — over national security concerns. “These apps are not unique in every single aspect if we compare them to other apps. Some of these apps are owned by American companies, it is just that we are seeing collectively that there are privacy concerns. In the past, we have seen some information that is being collected that is being done in secret off the device of the user.” 

Story aired on Wisconsin Public Radio, Sept. 22, 2020

Dr. Thomas Kaczmarek, director of the Center for Cyber Security Awareness and Cyber Defense, discussed cybersecurity education and how the Center for Cyber Security Awareness and Cyber Defense is working against the idea that those who work in cybersecurity are stuck behind the scenes in the workplace. “There are lots of roles in cybersecurity that are important and involve a lot of interaction with business,” he said. This will help students understand more about what positions in cybersecurity look like and figure out what they would want their role in computer science to look like. 

Story appeared in USA TODAY’s 2020 Homeland Security special edition

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