Robin Jeffrey, a visiting Research Professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore, and Patrick Heller, Professor of Sociology and International and Public Affairs at Brown University in the U.S., will speak at a session on Kerala economy.
Population Studies and Training Center
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A Community-Driven Project to Analyze Local Drug Supply
As part of the TestRI research project, PSTC epidemiologist Alexandra B. Collins worked alongside RI community partners to better understand and mitigate local overdose risk.
Math test scores show some recovery from pandemic learning loss; reading scores stagnant
The scores offer among the most comprehensive national pictures of student learning, pointing to some progress but persistent challenges.
How to smash the class ceiling in the workplace
We like to think of the workplace as a meritocracy, but is it really?
New Report Identifies Policies to Reduce Intergenerational Poverty in the U.S.
Implementing a portfolio of programs and policies to reduce intergenerational poverty would yield a high payoff for children and the entire nation, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Youngkin wants tutors for many students. Where will they come from?
Virginia educators say that it will be difficult to find enough tutors to implement Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s new plan to boost test scores for elementary and middle school students.
Education, Growth, and Religion
Dayo Sobowale argues that religion has a way of interfering with states’ capacity for sustainable growth.
They moved to Vermont for climate safety. Then came floods.
In the past few years, Vermont has earned high rankings for its relatively low climate risk. A 2020 ProPublica report classified four Vermont counties as part of the top 10 across the country that are least likely to suffer from climate change effects like wildfires, extreme heat, and sea level rise.
Can Teachers and Parents Get Better at Talking to One Another?
Families are more anxious than ever to find out what happens in school. But there may be value in a measure of not-knowing and not-telling.
Big Tech and Its Discontents
Does technology still have what it takes to make life better?
PSTC Researcher Investigates Social Determinants of Gender Differences in Dementia
Assistant Professor of Population Studies Meghan Zacher explores potential link between educational inequality and women’s increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
The U.S. had more than 9 million open roles in June, and while that’s down from the peak of 12 million in March 2022, it’s still among the highest number of openings we’ve had since before 2000.
Declining birth rates and falling enrollments prompt school consolidation concerns
Concerns over school closures in Rhode Island are being sped up by a rapid drop in public school students. The state has 17,000 fewer students enrolled in public schools than it did in 1999.
Drivers on the 405 Freeway in O.C. could pay $10 tolls, get extra lanes. Would it help with traffic?
Critics of freeway expansion projects cite the need to combat climate change and air pollution, the legacy of displacing and polluting communities of color, and research that shows that expanding freeways doesn’t alleviate traffic congestion.
The roots of cultural diversity
Societal diversity fosters creativity and cultural cross-pollination, but can also hinder social cohension. This column uses data on oral traditions and folkloric motifs across the world to examine the impact of the prehistoric migration of humans out of Africa on cultural diversity.
A digital ‘atlas’ of the refugee imprint in Greece
Is the trauma of displacement enduring? What is its impact – on the economy, on electoral behavior, on art – even decades later? How is a society affected when it suddenly needs to take in a large number of refugees?
Elevated Office Blood Pressure: Exploring the Effect of Adapted Mindfulness Training
About 46% of Americans have hypertension, among whom more than 75% do not have it under control. “Hypertension is a primary cause of cardiovascular disease, which is the leading killer in the United States and worldwide,” says Eric B. Loucks, PhD.
Ending health disparities requires full federal government, National Academies panel says
To narrow the nation’s deeply entrenched health disparities, a permanent entity with regulatory powers should be created by the president to oversee health equity efforts across the entire federal government, says a report issued by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.
We must invest in behavioural economics for the HIV response
Effective HIV prevention and treatment are widely available, but services are underused and underdelivered. Behavioural economics offers insights into why this is and shows us cost-effective interventions to change behaviours.
PSTC Researcher Uncovers Educational Disparities among Africa’s Largest Religious Populations
In his recently published paper, PSTC economist Stelios Michalopoulos investigates why Christian populations experience higher rates of educational mobility throughout Africa.
Professor Oded Galor Awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Athens University of Economics and Business
On July 6, 2023, members of the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) community gathered in the Amphitheater “Leonidas Zervas” of the National Research Foundation in Athens to award an Honorary Doctorate of the Department of Economics, of the School of Economics, to Professor Oded Galor.
A new study shows how Medicaid coverage policies shape maternal health disparities
Medicaid is an essential source of maternal and postpartum care for low-income Americans, covering 42% of births in the U.S. But many immigrants don’t have access to this coverage, making them more vulnerable to maternal health problems, as highlighted by a new study of nearly 73,000 postpartum people across 19 states and New York City between 2012 and 2019.
Study of Elite College Admissions Data Suggests Being Very Rich Is Its Own Qualification
Elite colleges have long been filled with the children of the richest families: At Ivy League schools, one in six students has parents in the top 1 percent. A large new study, released Monday, shows that it has not been because these children had more impressive grades on average or took harder classes.
The teaching profession is facing a post-pandemic crisis
Dire warnings of teacher shortages are nothing new, especially during the pandemic, and are sometimes overblown. But a confluence of warning signs suggest that the country is at a post-pandemic inflection point.
In Poorer Countries, Obesity Can Signal Financial Security
It’s not surprising that in places where food is scarce, obesity serves as a significant marker of wealth. But what the new study points out is that in poor countries, information is also scarce. And in those situations, loan officers use whatever bits of evidence they can find to help make critical economic decisions.
PSTC Economist Explores Link Between World War II Labor Policies and Racial Wage Gap
PSTC researcher Anna Aizer and her colleagues identify heightened wartime labor demand as source of increased economic opportunity for Black families.
Interview with bestselling 'The Journey of Humanity' author Oded Galor
Renowned economist and Nobel candidate Oded Galor spoke with RTL ahead of an event at Neumünster Abbey in late June to discuss his bestseller 'The Journey of Humanity.'
Americans are older than ever
The nation’s median age reached 38.9 in 2022, according to new Census data; that’s the highest it has ever been.
The Mount will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its Summer Lecture Series with a weekend of panel discussions
David Kertzer will be a featured speaker at The Mount's 2023 Summer Lecture series. Now in its 30th year, the annual 8-part series brings leading biographers and historians to the Berkshires.
"It's clear from national data that there was a large decline in student learning during the COVID-19 pandemic," says study co-author Emily Oster.
Papay named Annenberg Institute’s permanent director
Brown University’s Annenberg Institute for School Reform’s interim director will now lead the institute on a permanent basis.
“Immigrant Student Research Project” Creates Living Record of Immigrant Graduate Student Experience
PSTC researchers are creating a new national database to record the triumphs of immigrant graduate students and highlight the remaining barriers to educational equity.
How important was your favorite teacher to your success? Researchers have done the math
For the lucky among us who have formed connections with a teacher, a school counselor or a coach, their value can seem immeasurable. That has not deterred a trio of researchers from trying to quantify that influence.
Education gap remains among religions in West Africa
Over the last three generations, Christian children in Africa have surpassed their parents’ level of education at a much higher rate than Muslim and traditionalist children there have, research shows.
A crazy idea worth considering: more school
Minnesota children spend fewer hours and days in the classroom than their peers nationwide. Among states with mandated instructional time, only Colorado requires fewer days than Minnesota, according to the Education Commission of the States.
Congratulations to our 2023 PSTC Graduates!
On Thursday, May 18, members of the PSTC community gathered to celebrate the graduation of 10 PSTC trainees who will receive PhDs from the Brown University Graduate School this month.
Chinese Doctor Who Sounded the Alarm on SARS Dies
Katherine Mason offers commentary on the legacy of Jiang Yanyong.
Providence safe injection site will be studied by Brown, NYU — what they're looking for
In 2021, Rhode Island became the first state in the nation to authorize centers for people to consume illegal drugs under supervision, and now lessons learned in the Ocean State could help pave the way for similar harm-reduction efforts elsewhere.
13 parents share the best reasons to have children
In honor of Mother's Day, Washington Post columnist Alyssa Rosenberg shares her favorite anecdotes from parenting writers and experts, including one from PSTC economist Emily Oster.
What if Health Insurance Covered Mindfulness?
A $3.1 million NIH grant supports Professor Blair T. Johnson and collaborators from Brown University in analyzing the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) interventions.
More than 'thoughts and prayers:' Dr. Megan Ranney on actionable ways hospitals can help stop gun violence
If you are looking for a silver lining from the COVID-19 pandemic, it's this sad short-lived truth, Megan Ranney, MD, deputy dean at Providence, R.I.-based Brown University School of Public Health, told Becker's: "During the pandemic there were no school or workplace shootings."
Forward Thinking: People on the move and the technological progress and productivity they bring, with Dany Bahar
Why are some countries rich and some poor? A leading economist finds the answer in the interactions of economies with the rest of the world, through trade, capital flows, and—notably—migration.
Women Have 30 Percent Less Savings Than Men When They Retire. Here’s How to Change That.
A recent survey of 1,586 women conducted by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) in partnership with YouGov, an international research organization, and economist Emily Oster found only 26 percent of respondents feel good about their retirement savings.
What Happens When AI Attains Self-Interest?
Behavioral science may have a role to play in making AI an aid, not a threat, to humanity.
PSTC Research Project Traces Spatial Trajectory of Racial Segregation
The most recent undertaking of the Urban Transition Historical GIS Project, the Century Project seeks to create a geographical database of historically segregated urban communities.
Many days, it feels impossible to envision an America without rampant gun violence. Living in anticipation of when and where the next shooter will walk into a crowd and open fire is an all too familiar anxiety for most citizens.
What’s Behind the Decline in Teen Mental Health?
The past several weeks have seen somewhat widespread discussion of a truly upsetting trend in adolescent and teen mental health. In the most recent CDC data, 40 percent of high school students indicated that during the previous year they had experienced sadness severe enough that it impeded their ability to do their normal activities for at least two weeks.
More Research Needed on Climate Change’s Impact on Health and Health Care
Climate change disasters’ impact on population health, health disparities, and the national health care delivery infrastructure are subjects of too little academic research at a time when policymakers’ need for such data has never been greater. That’s according to five top academic research experts convened in a virtual seminar at the University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI).
Teacher shortage in Providence persists despite bonus spending but there are bright spots
The Providence Public School District is still struggling to attract enough applicants and retain them, with interest limited in jobs serving high-needs students, a new Brown University report shows.
Using journals and texts, exhibit takes visitors back to the early moments of the pandemic
Kate Mason — a Brown University anthropology professor who co-founded the Pandemic Journaling Project with Sarah Willen, a University of Connecticut anthropology professor — said the writings, submitted anonymously, had two things in common: "a lot of deep loneliness" and "a lot of fear and uncertainty."