Infotrak

Beth Macy, journalist, and author of Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America discussed her investigation into the origins of America's twenty-plus year struggle with opioid addiction and how this national crisis has become so firmly entrenched. She talked about the most promising methods of treatment for opioid addiction and why some are considered controversial. She also outlined several grassroots efforts to fight the epidemic.

Justin Lee is a social activist, and author of Talking Across the Divide: How to Communicate with People You Disagree with and Maybe Even Change the World America is more polarized than ever. Mr. Lee talked about his years of experience in trying to bridge the gap between the homosexual community and the Christian church. He explained how to communicate with people who have opinions that are diametrically opposed from your own, how to empathize with them, and how to possibly change their minds. He outlined five key barriers that make people resist differing opinions.

Diane Mullins is founder of Deborah’s Voice, a national non-profit women’s advocacy organization. Pastor Mullins said that child trafficking has become the 2nd largest criminal activity in the world behind illegal drug sales. She said most Americans are unaware of the existence of human trafficking and forced prostitution in their own towns, but it is surprisingly prevalent – not just on dimly lit street corners, but at music concerts, VIP dinners, and sporting events. She talked about techniques used by human traffickers to select their victims.

Susie Vanderlip is a teen counselor, and author of 52 Ways to Protect Your Teen. Ms. Vanderlip has conducted school assemblies for more than 1 million teens and adults, aimed at helping youth make wise choices and seek help. She talked about the motivations of today’s teenagers and why parents may be fearful of their kids. She offered tips to improve communication in a parent/teen relationship.

Dawn Graham, PhD is a psychologist, employment and career expert, Director of Career Management for the Executive MBA Program at The Wharton School, and author of Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers -- and Seize Success. Dr. Graham offered job search advice, particularly for those in middle age who are considering career changes. She said a job search in a new field or occupation requires much more work than a typical job search. She offered suggestions on how to tailor a resume to sidestep age biases and other potential hurdles.

David Michael Slater is a teacher, and author of We're Doing It Wrong: 25 Ideas in Education That Just Don't Work―And How to Fix Them explained why he believes that many current approaches in education simply aren’t working―for students, for teachers, and for society at-large. He explained how teacher evaluations could be improved and why anti-bullying programs in schools don’t work.

Maryanne Wolf, PhD, Professor of Child Development and Director of the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University, and author of Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World discussed the latest research into the human brain as we become increasingly dependent on digital technologies, rather than the printed word. She expressed concerns for both children’s and adults’ ability to “deep read,” as the brain is literally rewired by huge amounts of short bursts of information. She offered suggestions for how the nation’s education system needs to adapt.

More than one million American children now live with grandparents, primarily because of their parent's addiction to opioids and other drugs. Bacall Hincks, Family Advocate and Program Coordinator at Children's Service Society of Utah said this growing trend is causing grandparents to put off retirement and plow through savings to rescue their grandchildren from dangerous situations. She discussed how these difficult experiences can negatively affect children’s mental and physical health.

Noreen Springstead , Executive Director of WhyHunger, a non-profit organization that focuses on grassroots solutions to end hunger and poverty discussed the current scope of the hunger problem in the U.S. She explained why, even in a booming economy, the issue of hunger and food insecurity rarely changes. She outlined how people can get assistance if they are in need, and how volunteers can get involved in their local communities.

Caitlin Cavanagh, Assistant Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University led a study at Michigan State that found that mothers don’t lose hope to see their sons graduate from high school, get married, find a good job and so on– even if they are arrested as a minor. Her findings were consistent, even for higher income families.

Catherine Hodder is an estate planning attorney, author of Estate Planning for the Sandwich Generation: How to Help Your Parents and Protect Your Kids. Ms. Hodder explained the importance of estate planning for those who are caring for both kids and aging parents. She outlined the critical documents that everyone should have in addition to a basic will. She also talked about the importance of communication with aging parents, and the usefulness of an emergency binder that organizes important documents in one place.

Sarah J. Clark, M.P.H., Associate Research Scientist, Department of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital co-authored a poll that found that 62 percent of parents report difficulties finding childcare facilities that meet their health and safety standards. The poll also found that only half of parents considered themselves “very confident” at discerning which childcare options were truly safe and healthy. She outlined the most important questions that parents should ask when evaluating childcare providers. She said 82% of parents would be in favor of a national standard for health and safety for childcare centers and in-home childcare providers

Jill Gonzalez, contributing editor at Popular Mechanics magazine, author of Big Ideas: 100 Modern Inventions That Transformed Our World discussed her report that examined today’s at-risk youth. She said about one in nine young Americans today is neither working nor in school, exposing them to greater risk of poverty, violence, drug abuse and homelessness. She explained how these risk factors follow young people into adulthood. She discussed the importance of education and social services.

Medical errors cause roughly 250,000 deaths per year in the U.S. Benjamin H. Schnapp, MD, Assistant Professor, Assistant Emergency Medicine Residency Program Director in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health co-authored a study that examined errors in Emergency Rooms. He found that, even in chaotic ERs, doctors typically have the right medical information but might not act on it in the best way. He talked about the patterns he found in patients who are most vulnerable to errors. He offered suggestions for patients who want to prevent errors when they visit an ER.

Irwin Reyes, a Researcher in the Usable Security and Privacy Group at the International Computer Science Institute led a study that found that more than 3300 Android apps from the Google Play Store are improperly tracking kids and are potentially violating federal law. He outlined the types of data that is being collected and what is being done with it. He believes similar results are likely with iPhones, but Apple’s closed system prevents a similar study of its users. He offered advice to parents who are concerned about their children’s privacy.

Thomas Lickona, PhD, is a Developmental Psychologist, Professor of Education Emeritus at the State University of New York at Cortland, author of How to Raise Kind Kids: And Get Respect, Gratitude, and a Happier Family in the Bargain. Dr. Lickona has led the character education movement in schools for forty years. He outlined the tools that parents need to foster peace and cooperation at home. He explained how changes in our culture have made it harder than ever to raise kind kids. He offered suggestions for parents to deal with technology and the use of media by kids.

Over the last sixty years, women’s roles at home and on the job have radically changed, and the question of whether they can really “have it all” is still debated. Elizabeth Wallace, co-author of The Ambition Decisions: What Women Know About Work, Family, and the Path to Building a Life outlined three distinct paths where a woman’s life and career choices may lead. She talked about the importance of the support of husbands when ambitious women move into high-level corporate positions. She offered advice for women who are facing today’s complex career choices.

Evan Rufrano was leader of the winning team from State University of New York College at Old Westbury, which recently won the sixth annual Up to Us Campus Competition. The competition was intended to raise awareness among Millennials about the $21 trillion national debt. He explained why such a massive national debt is so dangerous for his generation, no matter what their political leanings. He outlined ways that younger people can make their voices heard by politicians and others in decision-making positions.

W. Chris Winter, MD is board-certified and internationally recognized sleep medicine specialist, board certified neurologist, author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It. Dr. Winter said the state of sleep in America is better than typically portrayed in the media, but he also noted it has gotten slightly worse because of all of the distractions available today. He said shift workers are at greatest risk of sleep related health issues. He suggested that people should try to wake up at the same time every day, even if their bedtime varies

John Hooker, PhD is the T. Jerome Holleran Professor of Business Ethics and Social Responsibility, and Professor of Operations Research, at Carnegie Mellon University, author of Taking Ethics Seriously: Why Ethics Is an Essential Tool for the Modern Workplace. Dr. Hooker discussed common ethical dilemmas that occur in workplace environments, and how employers and employees should react. He explained how the advent of social media and the #MeToo movement has affected ethical decisions in the workplace. He listed factors than an employee should weigh before risking their job by blowing the whistle on misconduct.