
Since mid-March, the at UNH has been responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by moving classes online, conducting and publishing research on new and emerging trends related to coronavirus, helping in the policy response, and by assisting communities to safely continue civic life during this period of individual isolation, while also preparing for re-engagement when limitations are lifted.
âAs with the rest of UNH, the Carsey School is now teaching its classes online and staff and faculty are working from home,â said , Director of Carsey. âLong-term projects have continued, but much of our effort has shifted.ÌęWe are working with policymakers and helping inform the response to COVID-19 by conducting research related to the policy, political, health, and social implications. And, through New Hampshire Listens, weâre providing a resource and virtual meeting place that helps to answer how we get through this in our communities and what happens next.â
"We are working with policymakers and helping inform the response to COVID-19 by conducting research related to the policy, political, health, and social implications."
Carsey and work with Congress contributed to provisions in the latest stimulus bill that will help address the difficulty faced by smaller small businesses, and women and minority small business owners, in accessing the first round of government subsidized lending.
has run the gamut from surveys examining how individualsâ news sources and political affiliation affect their behavior in response to the crisis and their perceptions of government responses, to the current and potential impact on rural areas, to the state level economic impact. In all, researchers have produced ten briefs and projects that look at demographic, economic, social, and political trends related to COVID-19.
âIn this time of uncertainty, people are seeking answers,â said , research assistant professor at Carsey. âSharing data-driven insights into the pandemicâs effects on different kinds of communities and families is a responsibility that my Carsey colleagues and I take seriously.âÌę
Some recent Carsey COVID-19 briefs include:
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Screenshot of a recent NH Listens online Roundtable. |
Through the civic engagement program , the Carsey School has engaged with community members throughout New Hampshire and the Northeast. NH Listenâs online Roundtables have provided a venue for people to discuss such topics as how to socially distance while still maintaining a sense of community and how to show appreciation toward essential workers.
âLike most organizations dealing with this crisis, we had to pivot quickly,â describes , Director of NH Listens. âAfter canceling a series of in-person training events, we launched . We found a real need to provide a place for people to share ideas on things like âHow do we stay connected while quarantining?â and âHow should we prepare for when the quarantine ends?ââ
âItâs important that we support New Hampshire communitiesâ focus on equity and engagement, especially during a pandemic,â Holt-Shannon added. âOur events, and the work of Carsey overall, continue that mission.â
âThese are very difficult times where we are all dealing with isolation, many are dealing with tragedy, the public policy response is chaotic, and there is much that is unknown,â said Ettlinger. âThe Carsey Schoolâs mission is to take on tough societal challenges. We have no medical doctors at the Carsey School and we donât know how to make ventilators, but we are contributing in the ways we can: offering policy guidance in our areas of policy expertise, both publicly and privately; researching the impact of COVID-19 and response of individuals and society so that decisions can be better informed; and bringing people together, virtually, to strengthen their communities.
âWe all hope that we get to the end of this soon with as little personal tragedy and economic and societal damage as possible,â he added. âUntil then, we are contributing through continuing our classes online, our policy and research response, and helping communities continue to be communities.â
You can find additional information on the Carsey Schoolâs COVID-19-related research and outreach initiatives on its .
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Written By:
Nicholas Gosling '06 | COLSA/NH Agricultural Experiment Station | nicholas.gosling@unh.edu