The COVID-19 Pandemic struck the world in early 2020 and resulted in a shutdown of the state of Colorado on March 25, 2020. The stay-at-home order not only impacted the University of Colorado Denver, but dramatically affected retail businesses, restaurants, community events, and other vital main street institutions that drive the economy of our state. A cross-section of these impacts comes into play when Randy Harrison’s ‘Economic Development’ class (PUAD 5630) and its partners Downtown Colorado, Inc. (DCI) shifted their work with five Colorado communities entirely online and helped transition these communities into the recovery process.
Jongeun You, who is pursuing a doctoral degree in public affairs at the CU Denver School of Public Affairs, recently had his article “Lessons from South Korea’s Covid-19 Policy Response”published in The American Review of Public Administration. Jongeun reviewed South Korea’s public health policy approaches, by using documents and materials written in Korean and English, to learn how the country managed the coronavirus from January through April 2020. In the article, he proposes some lessons about country-level responses in South Korea that can potentially be applied in other contexts. We interviewed Jongeun to learn more about his research in this area.
The CU Denver School of Public Affairs Colorado Education Policy Cohort has accepted 10 people into its 2020-21 program. The program provides 10 months of professional development to individuals whose work record reflects strong leadership abilities and a concern for issues important to children and education. Participants in the cohort hold full-time positions in diverse organizations at the local, state, and national levels, and are endorsed and supported by their employing agencies.
No issue has more national attention right now than police and community relationships and related racial inequities, after the brutal killings of George Floyd and others by police officers. Massive protests and calls for police reform continue across the nation, even as we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The CU Denver School of Public Affairs hosted a webinar on June 30, delving into the topic of improving police and community relations.
Dr. Deserai Crow shares her thoughts on the positive effects of nature on physical and mental health during a pandemic, as well as inequities in access to nature.
CU Distinguished Professor and School of Public Affairs Emeritus Professor Peter deLeon passed away on May 19. Prof. deLeon was a giant in the field of policy studies and policy sciences. He was the professor, turned mentor, turned friend, turned family to so many at the CU Denver School of Public Affairs. His legacy lives on through the many accomplishments of his career, the achievements of his students, and the gifts he leaves to generations to come at the university.