Recent Posts

Albert Walker Speaks at VSU 8th Annual Community Forum

Albert Walker, Community-Academic Liaison for the Center on Society and Health, served as a panelist for the 8th Annual Community Forum held Saturday, June 14th at Virginia State University (VSU). The Forum was designed to enlighten the general public regarding issues linked to poverty and school aged children; to enhance the understanding of those tasked with…

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Center Director Testifies on Capitol Hill

By Frances Dumenci, University Public Affairs Appearing before a United States Senate subcommittee for the second time in as many months, Steven Woolf, M.D., director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Society and Health and professor of family medicine and population health in the VCU School of Medicine, is making a habit of lending…

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Intergenerational Effects of Educational Attainment

In my last few posts, I have discussed research highlighting the association between educational attainment and life expectancy, employment status, and other outcomes. A recent report out of the Urban Institute highlights the intergenerational effects of poverty and the educational attainment of parents on their children’s future prospects. In their report “Child Poverty and Its…

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Unemployment risk varies by educational level

Unemployment rates have made headlines since the great recession hit. News headlines generally focus on a single unemployment rate for the country, or sometimes to differences by race and ethnicity. Another way to look at unemployment is by the educational attainment of workers. The figure below presents historical unemployment rates by education.  The figure makes…

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Deaths in the U.S. Attributable to Social Factors (American Journal of Public Health, August 2011)

A study by Galea et al. published in the August edition of the American Journal of Public Health concludes that the estimated number of deaths attributable to social factors in the United States is comparable to the number attributed to pathophysiological and behavioral causes.

Mapping Michigan School and Demographic Data (Grand Valley State University)

An interactive website from the Community Research Institute at the Johnson Center at Grand Valley State University provides custom maps and charts of traditional, charter and private schools along with selected demographic indicators.  Clicking on a specific school brings up school-level data and a comparison tool.   Related information on Michigan education can be found…

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