Panel analysis, expert perspective, and the Biden-Drew connection
November 2020 – Drew University will continue its coverage on the 2020 Presidential Election as we navigate the aftermath of the news that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been declared President-elect and Vice President-elect, respectively.
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This Thursday at 7 p.m., Drew political science and international relations professors will discuss the election from various standpoints in the panel Analyzing the U.S. Presidential Elections 2020 (join via this Zoom link).
Professors Jason Jordan, Patrick McGuinn, Phoebe Tang, and Carlos Yordan will look back at the closing days of the campaign and toward the future of American democracy, international relations, and more.
As the election fallout continues, one thing we do know is the Biden administration has moved quickly to create a COVID-19 task force.
Naturally, we checked in with Drew’s resident virology expert, Brianne Barker, associate professor of biology, for some perspective.
“Biden’s naming of the task force is a very positive sign,” said Barker, who took the Drew community through not one but two virtual presentations on the pandemic last semester.
[The naming of the Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board] indicates that controlling this virus is a priority." Drew Associate Professor Brianne Barker, who cohosts the podcast "This Week in Virology"
“The task force contains 13 individuals who are well-respected by scientists and public health officials and who have extensive experience with public health-related policy. This suggests that there will be use of our best scientific knowledge going forward in controlling this virus.
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“While this task force won’t be able to make any official policies until after the inauguration, their naming indicates that controlling this virus is a priority and that the new administration plans to act quickly on it as they are making such preparations already.”
While the current moment and times ahead are serious, we can still acknowledge the fun connection between The Forest and the White House.
In 2018, President-elect Biden spoke at Drew, still uncertain about a presidential run, but keen on denouncing what he called trends in “naked nationalism” and “senseless populism.”
You can read about his speech and Q&A here.
