Challenge
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly all aspects of life – from livelihoods and the way we interact with one another in public spaces, to the way we provide essential functions such as educating children and caring for the sick. The trajectory of the pandemic remains uncertain and will vary around the world, but its impact is unquestionably global and will be felt for years to come.
As a result of the crisis, an estimated 1.5 billion children are out of school, and the global economy is expected to shrink by over five percent in 2020 alone. According to some forecasts, COVID-19 is likely to cause the first increase in extreme global poverty since 1998. The pandemic is also taking a colossal toll on mental health. Evidence has emerged of a rise in depression, anxiety and other forms of psychological distress in response to the crisis caused by COVID-19, with certain groups facing especially high risk, such as health professionals, socioeconomically-disadvantaged populations and critically ill people and their loved ones. The problems associated with the pandemic are exacerbated by misinformation and disinformation, which are being spread at a time when accurate and accessible information is indispensable to helping people stay healthy and advocate for their needs and rights. The distrust this sows will prove especially challenging to upcoming efforts to vaccinate against the COVID-19 virus. While the pandemic’s reach is global, its burden has not fallen equally on all people. The virus has disproportionately impacted communities based on race, socioeconomic status and other factors, exacerbating deep and long-standing inequities in our societies.
Active Projects
Two projects that emerged from our COVID-19 Forum are currently underway. More information on the project from the Forum that is currently in development, Tools and Connections: Strengthening Support for COVID-19 Bereavement in Black Communities in Harlem, will be posted soon.
The Forum
Over the week of June 22, 2020, Columbia World Projects (CWP) held an online Forum with about 35 experts from inside and outside Columbia University. The goal of the meeting was to deepen understanding of the challenges associated with COVID-19 and identify promising projects that CWP could implement to address these challenges. Before the meeting, experts worked with CWP staff to generate 19 project proposals, which were discussed and evaluated during the Forum. CWP’s COVID-19 projects will be implemented over the course of two years, rather than on the five-year timeline typical of our other projects.
What is a Forum?
Working Groups and Project Proposals
Forum participants were split into five working groups organized by theme: Testing, Social Distancing and Density; Adapting Public Health Systems, Models and Approaches; Information, Justice and Civil Society; Mental Health and Emotional Resilience; Education. Subject matter experts were assigned to the groups based on their knowledge, background and different views on the topic.
Each working group had to evaluate several project proposals generated in advance of the Forum by participants and CWP staff.
Read more about the project proposals and the working group discussions in our Forum report.
COVID-19 Working Groups
- Testing, Social Distancing and Density add
- Adapting Public Health Systems, Models and Approaches add
- Information, Justice and Civil Society add
- Mental Health and Emotional Resilience add
- Education add
Forum Participants
Participant biographies are current as of February 10, 2020
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Lee C. Bollinger
President, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altLee C. Bollinger became Columbia University’s nineteenth president in 2002. Under his leadership, Columbia stands again at the very top rank of great research universities, distinguished...
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Claire Ankuda
Mount SinaiRead Full Bio arrow_right_altClaire Ankuda is a palliative medicine physician and health services researcher in the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
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Caitlin Baron
Luminos FundRead Full Bio arrow_right_altCaitlin Baron is the inaugural CEO of the Luminos Fund, a philanthropic initiative dedicated to advancing education innovations for the world’s most vulnerable children.
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Michael C.C. Benhamou
ScoreOne TechnologiesRead Full Bio arrow_right_altMichael C.C. Benhamou specializes in the GDPR, data privacy and PR strategies. By the age of 23, he completed 3 independent master degrees in France, Ireland and China.
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Courtney Bender
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altCourtney Bender is Professor of Religion at Columbia University. A sociologist and ethnographer by training, her research investigates a range of religious and entanglements in American social and public life.
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Susan Birch
Washington State Health Care AuthorityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altSusan Birch was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee in January 2018 to oversee efforts to transform the health care system, helping ensure Washington residents have access to high-quality, affordable health care.
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Paulo Blikstein
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altPaulo Blikstein is an Associate Professor of Education, Technology and Design at Teachers College, an Affiliate Associate Professor of Computer Science and Affiliate Faculty at the Data...
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Craig D. Blinderman
Columbia University Irving Medical CenterRead Full Bio arrow_right_altCraig D. Blinderman is the Director of the Adult Palliative Medicine Service at Columbia University Medical Center/New-York Presbyterian Hospital and an Associate Professor of Medicine...
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Carri Chan
Columbia Business SchoolRead Full Bio arrow_right_altCarri Chan is an Associate Professor of Business in the Decision, Risk and Operations Division at Columbia Business School. Her research is in the area of healthcare operations management.
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Henia Dakkak
UNFPARead Full Bio arrow_right_altHenia Dakkak is the Head of Policy and Liaison Unit with The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Humanitarian Office. Dakkak provides UNFPA country and regional offices with advice...
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Anjanette Delgado
Detroit Free PressRead Full Bio arrow_right_altAnjanette Delgado is the senior news director for digital at the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA Today Network, and a contributor to the Norman Lear Center's Media Impact Project.
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Katherine Fischkoff
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altKatherine Fischkoff, MD is an Assistant Professor of Surgery and Critical Care. She is an Acute Care Surgeon and intensivist at Columbia University and is the Medical Director of the Surgical Step Down Unit.
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Marco G. Giometto
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altMarco Giometto received his BS and MS degrees in civil engineering from the University of Padua, and a joint PhD in civil and environmental engineering from Braunschweig...
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Henry Goldschmidt
Interfaith Center of New YorkRead Full Bio arrow_right_altHenry Goldschmidt is a cultural anthropologist, community educator, interfaith organizer, and scholar of religion. He is currently the Director of Programs at the Interfaith Center of...
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Johnnie Green
The Mount Neboh Baptist Church, Harlem, New YorkRead Full Bio arrow_right_altA native of Dallas, Texas, Dr. Johnnie Green is the son of Deacon Johnnie M. Green, Sr. and the late Mrs. Earmer J. Green. Green earned his Doctor of Ministry from Drew University...
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Avril D. Haines
Former Deputy DirectorRead Full Bio arrow_right_altAvril Haines was the Deputy Director of Columbia World Projects from 2017-2020. She now serves as director of national intelligence in the Biden administration.
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Mark Hansen
Columbia Journalism SchoolRead Full Bio arrow_right_altMark Hansen joined the faculty at Columbia Journalism School in July of 2012 and took on the position of inaugural director of the east coast branch of the Brown Institute for Media Innovation.
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Thomas Hatch
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altThomas Hatch is a Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University and Co-Director of the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching (NCREST).
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Shunichi (Nick) Homma
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altShunichi Homma is the MM Hatch Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center where he serves as the Deputy Chief of Cardiology Division. He is also the CMO for Columbia’s...
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Harrison Hong
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altShunichi Homma is the MM Hatch Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center where he serves as the Deputy Chief of Cardiology Division. He is also the CMO for Columbia’s...
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Malo Hutson
Director, Project DevelopmentAssociate Professor of Urban Planning and Director of the Urban Community and Health Equity Lab, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altMalo is an associate professor in Urban Planning and founder and director of the Urban Community and Health Equity Lab at Columbia University. He is also an associate member of the Earth...
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Roberta Lenger Kang
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altRoberta Lenger Kang was a high school English teacher for eight years in Denver, Colorado and New York City. She wrote several district wide curricula for Denver Public Schools and the...
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Dylan Kolleeny
New York City Department of EducationRead Full Bio arrow_right_altDylan Kolleeny is the Director of STEM Assessment Design for the Office of Periodic Assessment in the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE). She helps design and oversee the formative...
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Boyana Konforti
Howard Hughes Medical InstituteRead Full Bio arrow_right_altBoyana Konforti joined Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in November 2017 as director of scientific strategy and development where she leads and collaborates on a variety of strategic...
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Nicholas Lemann
Former DirectorJoseph Pulitzer II and Edith Pulitzer Moore Professor of Journalism; Dean Emeritus of the Faculty of Journalism; Director, Columbia Global ReportsRead Full Bio arrow_right_altNicholas Lemann was the director of Columbia World Projects from 2017 through February 2021. He directs Columbia Global Reports, a book publishing venture that commissions reporting...
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Anne Liu
Lecturer, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altAnne Liu is an innovations expert focused on digital solutions for disease surveillance and health systems strengthening. She currently serves as Technical Adviser at the Clinton Health...
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Terry McGovern
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altTerry McGovern currently serves as Harriet and Robert H. Heilbrunn Professor and Chair of the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health and the Director of the Program on Global...
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Dr. Yuval Neria, PhD
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altYuval Neria, PhD, is Professor of Medical Psychology at Columbia University, Departments of Psychiatry and Epidemiology, and Director of Trauma and PTSD at the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI).
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Lena Moraa Obara
University of NairobiRead Full Bio arrow_right_altLena Moraa Obara is an incoming Doctoral student at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She currently works as a Research Manager in Kenya for projects addressing issues concerning...
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Orriel Richardson
United States House of RepresentativesRead Full Bio arrow_right_altOrriel Richardson is an attorney and health policy expert licensed to practice law in Maryland and Washington, DC. In 2020, the National Minority Quality Forum named her a 40 Under 40 Leader in Health.
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Kai Ruggeri
Columbia University Medical CenterRead Full Bio arrow_right_altKai Ruggeri is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy & Management. He joined Columbia from the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge, where he...
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Katherine Shear
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altKatherine Shear is the Marion E. Kenworthy Professor of Psychiatry and the founding Director of the Center for Complicated Grief at Columbia School of Social Work.
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Michael Shelanski
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altMichael Shelanski is a cell biologist and neuropathologist. He attended Oberlin College and received his MD and PhD degrees from the University of Chicago. He served on the faculties of...
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Kathleen J. Sikkema
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altKathleen J. Sikkema, Stephen Smith Professor and Chair of Sociomedical Sciences in the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, conducts community based intervention research focused...
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Samuel Sia
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altSamuel Sia, a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, has developed novel technologies for point-of-care blood tests, both in an academic and industry setting.
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Dr. Thomas E. Smith
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altThomas Smith oversees clinical and quality aspects of the New York State public mental health system with a focus on improving access to prevention, recovery and rehabilitation services...
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Michael S. Sparer
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altMichael S. Sparer, J.D., Ph.D. is Professor and Chair in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.
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Nik Steinberg
Deputy DirectorRead Full Bio arrow_right_altNik is the Deputy Director of Columbia World Projects. He previously served as the Counselor and Chief Speechwriter for Samantha Power, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
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Dennis Yi Tenen
Columbia UniversityProject LeadRead Full Bio arrow_right_altDennis Yi Tenen is an associate professor of English Literature, Digital Humanities, and New Media Studies at Columbia University. A long-time affiliate of Columbia’s Data Science Institute...
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Bruce Western
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altBruce Western is the Bryce Professor of Sociology and Social Justice and Co-Director of the Justice Lab at Columbia University. His research has examined the causes, scope, and consequences...
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Samantha C. Winter
Columbia UniversityRead Full Bio arrow_right_altSamantha Winter is an Assistant Professor in the Columbia School of Social Work at Columbia University. Her research focuses on women’s health and well-being, violence against them...
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Susan Yee
Community Healthcare NetworkRead Full Bio arrow_right_altSusan Yee currently serves as Vice President of Clinical Operations and Programs at Community Healthcare Network, a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides primary care and specialty...
