Three first-year students in the Neumann University honors program have researched COVID-related topics this fall, focused on issues that connect to their current majors: nursing, math, and education.

Madison Lipford, a nursing major who wants to be a pediatric nurse, has investigated whether children should receive a coronavirus vaccine when one is available.

She notes that hundreds of thousands of cases have already occurred in children (those under 18) and that experts agree that children need a vaccine that is developed specifically for them.

“The virus has taken over the whole country, and it could be around for years,” she admits. “I may have to give the vaccine when I’m a nurse, so I want to learn as much about it as I can.”

A mathematics major, Maria Ramunno plans to make biostatistics her career because she wants to generate information that can help healthcare professionals.

This semester, Ramunno has read medical journal articles that focus on the severity of the disease and the association of severity with gender (statistics indicate that the virus affects males more severely).

She is concerned that “public distrust of a coronavirus vaccine has grown since May” and believes that “until a vaccine can be released to the public in a proper time frame, we need to listen to our experts who have real concerns for the common good.”

Joseph Kendrick has been researching the inequalities of virtual learning and has found that the achievement gap between low-income and other children is becoming wider because of the pandemic. Among the causes of this achievement gap are lack of technology and the absence of internet access.

“This disparity will still exist after COVID, but the pandemic has made it worse,” he concludes.

All three have impressed Professor Jim Kain, their honors program instructor.

“These are freshmen doing their first semester of college under strange and challenging circumstances, yet they have shown an amazing amount of self-discipline, responsibility, and purpose,” he says.  “And they have each picked research topics that are not only relevant but driven by a sense of concern for others and for the truth.”

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