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Cornell experts on coronavirus - Impact on the economy and industries

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Rebecca Valli

If you are interested in other angles for this story, please find experts on the science and health implications of coronavirusvaccines and healthcare, COVID-19's effects on countries around the globe and broader societal impact of the pandemic


Daniel Alpert

Senior Fellow in Financial Macroeconomics at the Law School

Daniel Alpert is senior fellow in financial macroeconomics and an adjunct professor of law. Alpert says that many Americans who have been forced into low quality jobs over the last few decades are especially vulnerable to the economic distress caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Such heightened economic vulnerability, he says, screams out for far greater government involvement and proactivity.

Elena Belavina

Associate Professor of Applied Economics

Elena Belavina, associate professor of applied economics at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, studies grocery retail and supply chains. She says that there are three potential effects of Covid-19 on grocery supply chains: effects to imported goods, transportation issues within the U.S. and the issue of panic-buying

Kathy Bergin

Adjunct Professor of Law

Kathy Bergin, adjunct professor of law at the Cornell Law School, is an expert in disaster law and legal protections for the displaced. She says that while containment is important for slowing the outbreak, local governments need to find ways to identify and protect those who rely on social services like public school, day-care and community centers as safe-havens from abuse. 

Linda Canina

Professor of Finance, Director of the Center for Hospitality Research

Linda Canina, professor of finance and director of the Center for Hospitality Research, is in day-to-day communications with hospitality leaders in the areas of analytics, operations, performance evaluation, competitive analysis, and valuation, among others. She can discuss the current impacts of COVID-19 on the financial strategy and economic performance of the hospitality industry as well as the balance hotels will need to strike between welcoming service and the health of employees and guests.

Steven Carvell

Professor of Finance

Steven Carvell, professor of finance in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, is an expert in corporate finance; financial strategy and investments; and mergers and acquisitions. He is available for interviews about the financial impact of the new coronavirus on the hotel industry.

Alexander Colvin

Dean of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Alexander Colvin, dean of Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations comments on the impact of the coronavirus on workers and organizations in the global economy. He discusses the topic with New York Times economics reporter Eduardo Porter in an episode of the "WORK!" podcast. Dean Colvin is also available to discuss the large-scale unemployment shift.

Will Cong

Associate Professor of Finance

Will Cong, associate professor of finance at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, can speak about the impact that the virus is having on financial markets across the globe. 

Angela Cornell

Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Labor Law Clinic

Angela Cornell is a Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Labor Law Clinic at the Cornell Law School. She can address the dynamics of labor and industrial relations, workplace rights and liabilities in a pandemic. She has discussed related issues for the Wall Street Journal.

Paul Davis

Assistant Professor of Human Resources

Assistant professor of human resources, Paul Davis, studies the consequences of layoffs for individual attitudes and behaviors, both among the departing employees and among those who remain with the organization, and on the consequences of employee separations for organizational performance outcomes. He says that at times of economic downturn - such as the one caused by the coronavirus pandemic - companies can utilize temporary furloughs, reduced hours and cuts to pay rates to avoid the trauma of mass layoffs. 

Chekitan Dev

Professor of Marketing and Branding

Chekitan Dev, professor of marketing and an expert in hospitality branding, can speak about how hospitality businesses should engage with their guests in new and different ways to navigate the crisis. His study of the hotel business during the 2008 recession, comparing high and low performing hotels, found that high performing hotels invested more in “pay for performance” marketing initiatives and less on general advertising.

Mary Jo Dudley

Director of the Cornell Farmworker Program

Mary Jo Dudley is the Director of the Cornell Farmworker Program and a faculty member of the Department of Development Sociology. She can address pressures that COVID-19 is putting on farmworkers and agriculture production. Here she discusses the emphasis coronavirus has put on the importance of farmworkers.

Lawrence Glickman

Professor of History

Larry Glickman, professor of history, is an expert on consumerism in the United States and recently authored the book “Free Enterprise: An American History.” He says the sudden interest in direct payments as part of a coronavirus economic relief package signals a shift from conservative to liberal ideas, and writes in this op-ed that the conservative impulse to restart the economy is misplaced.

Miguel Gómez

Associate Professor of Applied Economics and Management

Miguel Gómez, professor of applied economics and management at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, is able to address food markets and supply chains in regards to food availability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gómez says food supply chains must become more flexible so that goods can be more easily directed to either supermarkets or food service establishments. Gómez is available for interviews in Spanish.

Ian Greer

Senior Research Associate at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Ian Greer is a senior research associate at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations where he teaches a course called “The Fight Against Unemployment: Policy and Advocacy.” Greer says that shared work programs, such as the ones championed by Germany during times of economic downturn, may be a way to avoid mass unemployment.   

Erica Groshen

Visiting Senior Scholar at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Erica Groshen is senior extension faculty member at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, From 2013 to 2017, she served as the 14th Commissioner of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Groshen, who also served as Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, has written extensively on how economies can recover from recessions.

Michael Huyghue

Visiting Professor of the Practice at the Law School

Michael Huyghue is visiting professor of practice at the Law School and an expert in the professional sports industry. He comments on the impact that tournaments cancellations will have on sports leagues, their financial situation as well as that of the athletes they employ.   

Louis Hyman

Professor of Labor Relations, Law and History, Director of NYC Institute for Workplace Studies

Louis Hyman is a historian of work and business at the ILR School of Cornell University. He has published two books on the history of personal debt (Debtor Nation and Borrow) and one on the history of the rise of consultants, temps, freelancers, and day laborers in our businesses (Temp). Hyman can comment on the impact of Covid-19 on personal debt, the gig economy and care work. 

Thomas Jungbauer

Assistant Professor of Strategy and Business Economics

Thomas Jungbauer, professor of strategy and business economics at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, studies tech firms, entrepreneurship and the economy. He says smartphones can be a serious contributor to the spread of germs, undermining even hand washing, and that the threat of infectious disease outbreaks may force us to rethink our relationship technology — opening up a new landscape for tech innovation.

Heeyon Kim

Assistant Professor of Strategy at the School of Hotel Administration, management and organization area faculty member in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

Heeyon Kim focuses on creative industries including feature films, fashion, and music. She can comment on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the entertainment industry, including both traditional channels such as movie theaters and cable companies, and new media companies such as streaming providers. 

Sheryl Kimes

Professor of Operations Management at the School of Hotel Administration

Sheryl Kimes, professor of operations management at the School of Hotel Administration, is conducting a survey on how hotels around the world are responding to the coronavirus emergency. She says that hotel operators have some rough times to go through for the next few months. Given that the coronavirus is rapidly spreading throughout the world, it's no longer just a problem of the Chinese not traveling anymore. 

Kevin Kniffin

Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations

Kevin Kniffin, assistant professor of management and organizations in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, can speak about the impact that coronavirus is having on the sports industry.

Robert Kwortnik

Associate Professor of Marketing and Management Communication

Robert Kwortnik, associate professor at Cornell University’s Hotel School, studies tourism and hospitality with a focus on the leisure cruise industry. He says that the industry is already feeling the economic impacts from the coronavirus crisis and that "ironclad reassurances around health and safety" should be a top priority moving forward.

Aija Leiponen

Professor of Economics

Aija Leiponen, professor of applied economics and an expert in the telecommunication industry, says American's shift to remote work in response to COVID-19 will increase demand for digital technology, opening the door for innovation and a market boom.

Neil Lewis, Jr.

Assistant Professor of Communication

Neil Lewis, Jr. is an assistant professor of communication and social behavior at Cornell University and assistant professor of communication research in medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. He is available to discuss how racial and economic disparities in coronavirus cases reflect a persistent problem throughout U.S history and may exacerbate the pandemic we are currently facing.

Suzanne Mettler

Professor of American Institutions

Suzanne Mettler is a professor of government and an expert on social welfare policies and the congressional stimulus package. She can talk about how the response to the coronavirus relates to American's low sense of confidence in government and concerns about democracy.

Jamila Michener

Assistant Professor of Government

Jamila Michener is an assistant professor of government and an expert on poverty and racial inequality. She says during times of public health crisis the consequences of inequalities surface and it’s going to be a huge challenge to support K-12 students facing school closures at home and also in their communities.

Douglass Miller

Lecturer in Food and Beverage Management

Douglass Miller, a lecturer in food and beverage management at the SC Johnson College of Business, School of Hotel Administration can speak on how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the beverage industry.

Andrew Novakovic

E. V. Baker Professor of Agricultural Economics Emeritus

Agricultural economist Andrew Novakovic can address aspects related to the food supply amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including agricultural production, food processing, and transportation systems. He also can talk in-depth about the pandemic is impacting the dairy industry.

Dana Radcliffe

Senior Lecturer in Business Ethics

Dana Radcliffe, senior lecturer in business ethics at Cornell University SC Johnson College of Business, studies ethical issues in business, politics, and public policy. He says that in times of civil emergency, such as a pandemic, those who jack up prices to maximize profits are exploiting their fellow citizens. 

Richard Stup

Agricultural Workforce Specialist

Richard Stup is an agricultural workforce specialist who works to addresses challenges facing the agricultural industry. He can talk about the impact of COVID-19 for farmworkers and how to prevent the spread of coronavirus on farms. 

David Sherwyn

Professor of Hospitality Human Resources

David Sherwyn is professor of hospitality human resources and professor of law at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. He is also the director of the Cornell Center for Innovative Hospitality Labor & Employment Relations (CIHLER). Sherwyn can discuss issues of union/management relations at this time of crisis, and other issues that have arisen in the hospitality workforce due to the Covid-19. 

Alex Susskind

Associate Professor of Food and Beverage Management

Alex Susskindprofessor of food and beverage management at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, can speak to how the coronavirus has impacted the food and beverage industry and strategic thinking needed to reopen businesses. 

John Tobin

Professor of Practice at the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

John Tobin is professor of practice at the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University, an expert on environmental and energy economics and a faculty fellow at the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. He says that the pandemic, combined with falling oil prices, is detrimental to renewables in the short term, but that the sector will recover with the help of long-term growth in market demand.

Mildred E. Warner

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Architecture, Art and Planning

Mildred Warner, expert in gender dynamics in the work place, is available to discuss gender bias at the office even when people work remotely.  She says while both men and women balance child care and work from home, men are considered special for doing so, and women are considered slackers. 

Kim Weeden

Professor of the Social Sciences, Director of the Center for the Study of Inequality

Kim Weeden, director of the Center for the Study of Inequality at the College of Arts and Sciences, studies inequality in advanced industrial societies and how it is changing over time.  She can speak to how the pandemic response is affected by existing economic, racial and gender inequalities. She also warns against the belief that rural areas will not be hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Lower density may slow the spread of the virus, she says, but the scarcity of health and other services makes rural America equally at risk.

Arthur Wheaton

Director of Labor Studies, ILR School

Arthur Wheaton, professor of labor and an expert on the automotive sector, is available to speak about how manufacturers are shifting production towards safety gear to help during the coronavirus pandemic.

Nicolas Ziebarth

Associate Professor of Policy Analysis and Management

Nicholas Ziebarth, professor of policy analysis and management, studies the interaction of social insurance systems with labor markets and population health. His recent work explores the impact of paid sick leave on broader societal welfare. The rapid spread of the coronavirus, he says, underscores the benefits of emergency paid sick leave policies. 

Cornell University has television, ISDN and dedicated Skype/Google+ Hangout studios available for media interviews.