Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

Latest Episodes:

Episode 99: Funding Foster Care Sep 12, 2017

Show notes

Foster parents and social workers help children in difficult situations, but too often they lack the resources they need. Professor Antonio Garcia describes how this impacts foster children and what a focus on prevention could look like.

For More on This Topic:

Read Garcia's brief, To Counter Child Abuse, Administrators and Case Workers Need Support to Implement Evidence-Based Improvements

Further Reading:

Why U.S. States Vary in Their Responses to Child Abuse and Neglect, Frank Edwards, Cornell University
How America's Head Start Program Improves the Lives of Children and Families, Anne Day Leong, National Institutes of Health

Episode 98: The Cost of College Sep 05, 2017

Show notes

High costs are making college unaffordable, or even impossible, for many Americans. Professor Nicholas Hillman outlines why student loan debt has become such a major issue. Professor Laura Perna highlights a potential solution -- free tuition programs.

For More on This Topic:

Read Hillman's brief, Designing Better Ways to Regulate Colleges with Too Many Students Who Default on Federal Loans
Check out Perna's research project on college promise programs.

Further Reading:

Episode 52: Paying the Price, Sara Goldrick-Rab, Temple University
Episode 4: The Student Debt Crisis, Nicholas Hillman, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Making Loans Work for Today's College Students, Susan Dynarski, University of Michigan

Episode 97: Who Has the Right to Vote? Aug 29, 2017

Show notes

Voting is a pillar of American democracy, but for many, the vote has been out of reach. Professor Doug Spencer explains the past and present of the right to vote in America, and how debates about voter fraud are missing the mark.

For More on This Topic:

Read his brief, How Surveys Can Strengthen the Voting Rights Act

Further Reading:

The Dismantling of the Voting Rights Act, Dewey M. Clayton, University of Louisville
Restoring the Voting Rights Act Will Not Do Enough to Ensure Fair Elections, Amel Ahmed, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Episode 96: Informing Policy Aug 23, 2017

Show notes

How do policymakers sort through all the information they get? Jenni Owen discusses how she and the office of North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper engage with research, and offers do's and don'ts for researchers and advocates who want to inform policy.

Episode 95: Who is Affirmative Action For? Aug 15, 2017

Show notes

Colleges highlight how affirmative action increases diversity on campus. Professor Natasha Warikoo discusses new investigations into school admissions and how focusing on diversity ignores the real reasons for affirmative action.

For More on This Topic:

Read her brief, How the Ways College Authorities Talk about Diversity Can Undercut Efforts to Fight Racial Inequality
Check out her recent piece for The Boston Globe
Read this article for an in-depth look at the effects of the affirmative action ban on the University of California system

Further Reading:

Can Universities Maintain Diversity without Directly Considering Race in Admissions?, Mark C. Long, University of Washington
Will U.S. College Aid Continue Its Proud Track Record of Enlarging Opportunity and Reducing Inequality? Deondra Rose, Duke University

Announcing: No Jargon live show! Aug 11, 2017

Show notes

Come to the first-ever LIVE taping of the Scholars Strategy Network's podcast, No Jargon.

To celebrate No Jargon's 100th episode, Avi will be joined by researchers from across the country to talk about America's divided politics, how we got here, and what comes next. Buy tickets at scholars.org/liveshow.

In three acts, Avi and his guests will explore our nation's politics today, and then zoom in on battleground North Carolina and bright blue Massachusetts. Audience members will have the chance to ask the researchers their own questions.

Guests for the show include: Sandy Darity, René Flores, Erin O'Brien, Gunther Peck, Theda Skocpol, and Peter Ubertaccio.

Episode 94: Vaccination Education Aug 08, 2017

Show notes

Fueled by misinformation, some parents are wary of vaccinating their kids. But this seemingly personal choice can cause disease outbreaks. Dr. Matthew Woodruff explains the science behind vaccines and how we can better educate people on their value.

For More on This Topic:

Read his brief, Why "Personal Belief" Vaccine Exemptions Place Many Vulnerable Americans at Risk
Check out his podcast, Audiommunity

Further Reading:

Assessing the Effectiveness of the U.S. Vaccine Injury Compensation Court, Anna Kirkland, University of Michigan
Restoring Trust in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mark A. Rothstein, University of Louisville School of Medicine
The Harm Done By Media Coverage of Political Disputes about Public Health Measures, Erika Franklin Fowler, Wesleyan University, Sarah Elizabeth Gollust, University of Minnesota School of Public Health

Episode 93: Melting Pot, Boiling Pot Aug 01, 2017

Show notes

A decade ago, the immigration debate divided Hazleton, PA when the mayor blamed a wave of immigrants for crimes and passed a harsh bill against them. Professor René Flores lays out what happened and how laws like this can actually lead to more violence.

For More on This Topic:

Read his brief on Hazleton and Arizona, How Restrictive Laws Can Influence Public Attitudes towards Immigrants
Check out the NPR story about the history of the town and how it has transformed.

Further Reading:

Why Does Immigration Arouse Deep Feelings and Conflicts?, John D. Skrentny, UC San Diego
How Restrictive Immigration Measures Undermine the Mental Health of Latino Migrants, Whitney L. Duncan, University of Northern Colorado

Episode 92: A Seat at the Table Jul 26, 2017

Show notes

Residents are experts on their neighborhoods, but their voices often go unheard in local decision making. Professor Tia Gaynor discusses initiatives that bridge the gap between local governments and citizens – and explains how some have fallen short.

For More on This Topic:

Read her article for the PA Times on the Los Angeles Fire Department
Check out her brief, The Unmet Challenge of Fighting Racially Discriminatory Practices in Local U.S. Law Enforcement Agencies

Further Reading:

Episode 16: Local Agents of Democracy
Varieties of Civic Engagement in Contemporary America, Paul Lichterman, University of Southern California
How Emergency Managers and Community Organizations Can Cooperate to Handle Disasters, Scott E. Robinson, University of Oklahoma

Episode 91: Heat or Eat Jul 18, 2017

Show notes

Millions of Americans struggle to pay their utility bills, and some families are even forced to choose between groceries or energy bills. Professor Tony Reames lays out energy's unequal burden on low-income Americans and suggests ways to move forward.

For More on This Topic: