Research

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Institute for Public Good

C2i is dedicated to staying up-to-date on crises facing higher education. 

Below is a highlight of synopses written by our research team.

Satellite image of Fiona becoming a hurricane in the Caribbean south of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican Colleges and Universities Respond to Hurricane Fiona

by Tej Munshi, Alexa Frain, and Amelia Solum

Situated between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is well-acquainted with tropical storms and hurricanes. Hurricane Fiona hit the island of Puerto Rico on Sunday, September 18, 2022. President Biden has since declared a state of emergency on the island and ordered federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Guard.

Stock image of students walking down the stairs on a college campus wearing masks

Financial, political motives explain colleges’ COVID-19 reopening decisions

by Sophie Eldridge, Prof. Richard Startz and Danny Klinenberg

C2i Team Lead, Sophie Eldridge, collaborated with UC Santa Barbara Professor Richard Startz and Ph.D. candidate Danny Klinenberg to produce this article on factors explaining COVID-19 reopening decisions, published by the Brookings Institution.

Brown flood waters in Jackson, Mississippi

Jackson Water Crisis and Higher Education

by Claire Pearce and Drew Sheldon

The Jackson water crisis began in late August of 2022 when major flooding damaged a pump at the O.B. Curtis Water Plants, leaving nearly 150,000 residents of Mississippi’s capital city without drinkable water.