In this episode of Machiavelli in the Ivory Tower, hosts Sarah and Hanna speak with Nicholas Miller, associate professor in the Department of Government at Dartmouth College. Their conversation focuses on the proliferation implications of Russia’s war against Ukraine one year on. With Professor Miller, they examine the evolving discourse around proliferation cascades over time and assess whether concerns about the emergence of such a cascade following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have been exaggerated. In so doing, they discuss insights Professor Miller has derived from his work relating to the factors that drive or inhibit proliferation, the degree to which some appear to matter more than others, and the relationship between arms control and nonproliferation regimes. Toward the end of their discussion, they touch upon the concept of “nuclear learning” and speculate about the kinds of lessons policymakers globally might draw from the current crisis. At the conclusion of the conversation, Professor Miller offers his view on the interactions between the scholarly and policy communities, what they can gain from interacting with one another, and techniques and approaches to make these interactions more productive.
Discussion topics:
Implications of the war in Ukraine for nonproliferation
Should we be concerned about further proliferation in the Middle East?
Is the discourse around proliferation “cascades” different now than in the past?
Factors that slow proliferation
The link between arms control and proliferation
Could the demise of arms control empower advocates for nuclear weapons?
Concerns about Russia enabling nuclear proliferation
Lessons learned
Recommendations for bridging the gap between scholars and policymakers
In this episode of Machiavelli in the Ivory Tower, hosts Sarah and Hanna speak with Dr. Siegfried Hecker, former director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and current Distinguished Professor of Practice at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS). Their conversation centers on Dr. Hecker’s forthcoming book, Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2023). Dr. Hecker offers insights into the DPRK’s dual-track strategy of diplomacy and nuclear development and highlights missed opportunities when Washington might have been able to channel Pyongyang toward the elimination of nuclear weapons and did not. He shares insights gleaned from his many visits to North Korea and reflects on both the future of US policy toward the DPRK and the importance of facilitating engagement between scientists and diplomats.
Topics discussed include:
The DPRK’s dual-track strategy of diplomacy and nuclear development
Hinge points: missed opportunities in US policy towards the DPRK
Reflecting on the most consequential hinge points
Reasons for US policy failures
In-person engagement with proliferation-averse actors
Why a singular focus on DPRK denuclearization has been problematic
What next for US policy on the DPRK?
What scientific and policy communities can learn from each other
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection from the Monkeypox virus, and is spread through skin to skin contact with sores, scabs, bodily fluids and respiratory droplets. It can also be spread by touching materials used by a person with the virus that haven’t been cleaned, such as bedding and clothing.
Monkeypox is not considered a sexually transmitted infection, though many cases have been transmitted sexually. Anyone can get monkeypox.
Most common symptoms:
A rash (can look like pimples, blisters, lesions or sores)
Fever
Headache
Muscle aches
Exhaustion
Swollen lymph nodes
How can I help reduce stigma with Monkeypox?
Stigma can discourage people from seeking medical attention or make them more likely to hide symptoms or illness. While Monkeypox is currently disproportionately affecting men who have sex with men, anyone – regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity – can be susceptible to the Monkeypox virus. To reduce stigma, stay focused on evidence-based facts about the virus (listed on this sheet) and correct misinformation or negative language about how the virus spreads.
Harm reduction strategies to reduce risk:
Avoid gatherings involving prolonged skin-to-skin contact with others
Wear a mask
Utilize proper hand hygiene by washing your hands and using hand sanitizer
Monitor your health – stay home if you aren’t feeling well
Avoid sharing clothing or bedding with others
What if someone thinks they have Monkeypox, or has been exposed?
Students can contact Health Services at 802-443-3290 if they have concerns about symptoms, a potential exposure, or want to know more about PrEP for Monkeypox.
How can I respond to a concerned student?
Respond with empathy while staying focused on the facts. Here are some examples of talking points you can use.
“I’m too afraid to talk to my classmates. I heard Monkeypox is spread through respiratory droplets.”
Example answer: It is true that Monkeypox can be spread through respiratory droplets, but that’s typically going to be with close face-to-face contact for long periods of time. A quick hello to your peers isn’t a big risk. If you’re still worried, let’s find a mask that you can wear.
“I have a bump and I can’t tell if it’s an ingrown hair, a zit, or Monkeypox and I’m freaking out!”
Example answer: Monkeypox can include symptoms of a rash that turn into lesions or bumps, but like you said, it could be lots of other things too. Call Health Services on campus or utilize TimelyCare’s telehealth option to speak to a medical professional and ease your concern.
“Oh, great. It’s the new COVID-19. Just what we need, another pandemic.”
Example answer: I hear your sarcasm and pandemic fatigue, and I agree that we’re all pretty tired! The good news is that Monkeypox isn’t another pandemic, case trends in the U.S. remain contained. Another great thing we’ve learned from COVID-19 is all of the prevention strategies we can use by continuing to social distance, wear a mask, and wash our hands.
Where should I direct a student who wants to know more?
On campus, students can contact Health Services at 802-443-3290 or use TimelyCare’s telehealth services if they have concerns about symptoms or a potential exposure. They can also contact the Health & Wellness Education office to talk through strategies on individual risk reduction, or contact Counseling services for support related to Monkeypox or other concerns.
Thank you to the many Middlebury employees, from all areas of campus, who make the Summer Research Program possible. For over 40 years, students have spent the summer learning with faculty mentors through research projects, experiencing both their college and academic field in a new way.
Come say hello and grab a refreshment as the students speak about their projects at the Summer Research Symposium on Thursday, August 4 from 2-4 pm in the MBH Great Hall.
The Middlebury College Libraries have built an Anti-Racism Reading Guide to help everyone in the Middlebury community connect with books and other resources to support anti-racism efforts and self-education. In this guide you’ll find works encompassing a wide array of perspectives, and covering foundational concepts, lived experiences, and artistic expressions.
The guide also includes all of the works covered in our ongoing Staff Picks reviews of titles related to anti-racism. Most recently Kay Cyr, Interlibrary Loan Associate at Davis Family Library, reviewed Ibram X. Kendi’s How to be an Anti-Racist.
All titles included in this reading guide are available through the Middlebury College Libraries. For help connecting to these or any other library resources, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Middlebury librarians via go/AskUs/.
Registration is open for the GMHEC team physical activity challenge!
Grab your coworkers (and partner/spouse/family members) and work together to be the first team to complete the Great Western Loop. This 6,875 mile trail links together five long-distance hiking trails: the Pacific Crest Trail, the Pacific Northwest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, the Grand Enchantment Trail, and the Arizona Trail. It features some of the most remote, beautiful, hostile, and pristine environments in the United States, including the Mojave Desert, the Sonoran Desert, 12 National Parks, and 75 wilderness areas.
Each participant on your team will be able to bike, hike, swim, paddle or engage in a host of other activities which will be converted to steps to move your team toward the finish line. At the conclusion of the challenge all participants will be entered into a drawing to win one of ten prizes including Garmin Forerunner watches and $100 gift cards to your favorite local coop food store. All participants will have an opportunity to win a prize.
The challenge will begin on Monday, July 20th and will start and end at the Grand Canyon. The challenge will conclude when the first team arrives back at the Grand Canyon. Get more details including the link to register at https://gmhec.org/category/well-being/events/
Posted on behalf of Rebecca Schubert, MS RDN NBC-HWC GMHEC Employee Well-being Program Coordinator
Please visit this post on the Center for Community Engagement blog as we celebrate some of Tiffany’s major career accomplishments, announce the new Public Leadership Award created in her honor, and share reflections from colleagues and from Tiffany herself during this time of transition.
Karen, David, and I are following
up on the news from this morning that an
individual in Addison County has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. We
had a lot of information in there from a public health perspective and will, of
course, continue to communicate that vital content as we follow developments
around COVID-19.
We also know that you have
questions and concerns about what working at Middlebury will look like in the
months ahead, and how your jobs and lives—and those of your families and loved
ones—will be affected. We know this firsthand from the many individual
conversations we have had with you, and from our discussions with Staff
Council. We would like to address those incredibly important issues here.
First, it bears repeating what was
said in this morning’s email: This is a
new moment for us, not just for us at
Middlebury, but literally for everyone on the planet. We are in a changed
environment and are all working tirelessly to navigate it.
Our new
educational reality of needing to deliver a curriculum online is taking up much
of faculty and staff time, and you are doing so in unusually stressful
circumstances. We are also working with new financial realities, such as the
extreme stock market volatility and our obligation to refund a percentage of
room and board costs to a great majority of students, to name just two.
At the
institutional level, we are guided by two overarching values that we hold side
by side: the health and well-being of our people, and of Middlebury as a whole.
As we have developed the workplace plan below, our goal has been to ensure that
your pay continues—for as long as possible—and that your work
continues—wherever possible.
Let us tell you
what we mean by that:
—————–
For benefits-eligible
staff, we are committed to paying at their current level for the foreseeable
future and will continue to evaluate on a month-to-month basis.
For the next three months,
we will provide all benefits-eligible employees what we are calling a
COVID-19 Pay Bank of up to 21 days that you can use for
circumstances in connection with the COVID-19 crisis. These are paid days that
you can use in case of COVID-19 illness, or for caring for someone with a
COVID-19 illness, or in the event that you are not able to work, or need to
self-isolate, etc. These are not vacation or CTO days. We need to create a new
pay code for this, which will take us a few days to configure.
In addition to the Pay
Bank, you will be able to use your CTO and SLR under our ordinary policies.
Given the current nature
of the pandemic, and how it is essential to practice social distancing, we will
now require those who are able to work remotely to do so. You can find resources here.
The College still has
students living with us, and we are responsible for their care and well-being.
In normal times, our employees in dining, facilities, health, and safety are
understood as “essential personnel,” which means, when the college is full,
they are required to come to campus. However, because we have a smaller number
of students now, we must deploy a smaller percentage of staff whose
work must be performed on campus.
For those employees whose
work is usually performed on campus—but whose work is now no longer
necessary—we will make best efforts to assign alternative work with appropriate
social distancing. Staff who are reassigned and perform other work will
maintain their current rate of pay.
For those employees
for whom we cannot find alternative work on campus, we may be able to
temporarily assign some people to alternative work off campus, in
coordination with the hospital and the town, with appropriate social
distancing. Details of how such assignments would work have not been determined
yet, but we would make best efforts to maintain current rates of pay.
If none of the above
alternatives is successful, we will ask staff to use their COVID-19 Pay Bank,
Medical Leave Assistance Program, and their own CTO or SLR. These
employees will be given “on reserve” status and may be called back if work
becomes available. If on-reserve staff are called back, they will be
required to return to work. If they do not return to work when called
back, they risk losing their pay and access to their COVID-19 Pay
Bank.
We will create special
forms of recognition to honor those employees who cannot work remotely, and
whose positions take them into the community—either in Middlebury College or
the Town.
—————–
We know this is a lot to take in,
and that it will take adjusting to, as well.
Given the twin values we held in
balance during the making of this plan—the
health and well-being of our people, and of Middlebury as a whole—we feel we
have created a way forward that is compassionate, creative, and based in the
realities of the day. We still have details to work out and will have
more to tell you within the week.
In the meantime, while some of you
are already working remotely, those of you with responsibilities that can
only be performed on campus should continue to report to work on campus as
long as you are not sick. Thank you for all that you do for Middlebury, for our
students and faculty, and for each other.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate, we want to update you on a few things:
We’re following CDC guidance by implementing “social distancing” practices, but are prepared to provide you with the great service you’re used to and deserve.
E4 and New Directions have been closely monitoring the state of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic through the CDC and WHO, and we are actively taking steps to protect our employees and our business operations across the nation. Following guidance as recommended by the CDC, we have implemented the following “social distancing” practices internally, starting Monday, March 16:
Employees in all non-critical roles are encouraged to work from home.
All business travel is suspended at this time.
Meetings are restricted to teleconference/web conference services, within client contract requirements.
These practices will be in effect until at least Friday, April 3, 2020, at which point we will evaluate the need for an extension based on the current COVID-19 situation.
Resources are available and will continue to grow.
In addition to the regular resources you’re used to – counseling, work/life referrals, legal/financial consultations, etc. – there are COVID-19 specific information available and is updated regularly. Here’s some examples:
• Tip sheets: handouts are available on a wide variety of topics. Most relevant to these times may be:
• Coronavirus and Mental Health Tips
• Tips for what to do when feeling overwhelmed about an outbreak
• How to talk to your kids about Coronavirus
• Tips for transitioning to work from home
• Guidance for Leadership on how to talk with staff about Coronavirus
Please use this information to keep your teams informed, mentally healthy and moving forward.
New Directions/E4 maintains a Business Continuity Plan for epidemic/pandemic illness.
New Directions/E4 maintains a Business Continuity Plan that includes procedures for epidemic/pandemic illness for all New Directions/E4 service center areas. New Directions/E4 Business Continuity Planning Team, which includes leadership from key departments in the organization, including IT, Clinical Operations, Customer Service and Human Resources, have been brought together as an internal task force to monitor and manage resource allocation and ensure critical business functions are appropriately staffed. New Directions/E4 network access capabilities currently allows for an increase of remote usage by staff and has been tested in recent adverse weather conditions. New Directions/E4 has the capability to re-distribute contact center calls within minutes using established protocols which designate backups for clinical care management activities. Current education and regular communication is available to members and partners through account management, social and web distribution channels. As we navigate these unprecedented challenges, know that we will keep you informed as much as possible. We are putting these measures in place to take care of our employees so that they can continue to best serve you.
We’re thinking of you during this intense time and always.
Stay well, partners.
Faculty and staff well-being remains a priority. While we are home and practicing social distancing, it is crucial that we remain well and stay connected. To support faculty and staff well-being and connection, I will be organizing a number of events over the coming weeks including yoga, meditation, circuit training, art classes and more. Things are happening quickly so if you’d like the inside scoop, join the private GMHEC Well-being Facebook group. If you are not on Facebook and want to know what’s happening, join the All Things Well-being listserv which you can find under groups in your Middlebury Outlook/email. If you have suggestions for things you’d like to see offered, shoot me an email at rebecca.schubert@gmhec.org. Take care and stay well.
Rebecca Schubert, MS RDN NBC-HWC GMHEC Employee Well-being Program Coordinator
