Collaboration in humanitarian operations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

This chapter provides an overview of collaboration in humanitarian operations, focusing on the logistical aspects. Humanitarian logistics and operations has emerged as a subfield of supply chain and operations management and studies how humanitarian organizations can be more efficient in the delivery of humanitarian aid. We review the key characteristics of this subfield compared to traditional logistics and supply chain management. Collaboration is particularly important in the humanitarian context, in which only the collective performance of humanitarian organizations should count. We therefore discuss key factors of collaboration using the humanitarian SCOR model. Finally, we analyze how far the COVID-19 pandemic has forced humanitarian organizations to collaborate differently in their operations and what can be learned from it for the future of humanitarian operations. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023. All rights reserved.

Editorial

While COVID-19 had many negatives it also brought with it many opportunities for growth and increased incomes by young farmers who managed to capitalize on supply chain disruptions to take a significant local market share. Data analysis showed that youth with better developmental relationships with parents, peers, and other adults had higher post-program levels of internal socialemotional strengths (e.g., commitment to learning, positive identity). The article examined how the developmental relationships of African youth participants in a youth economic development program helped them to build skills that could potentially improve their socioeconomic conditions.

Formación en promoción de autonomía y apoyo pedagógico durante confinamiento por covid-19

Se analiza la implementación de un programa de formación docente en promoción de autonomía y apoyo pedagógico y su relación con el compromiso de niños en el aula. El programa se desarrolló durante el cierre de escuelas por la pandemia causada por el covid-19. Se usó diseño mixto convergente-paralelo. Participaron cinco docentes de primaria, de escuelas públicas de Cali, Colombia, y sus estudiantes (N=110). La formación consistió en dos talleres grupales y tres sesiones de acompañamiento individual en modalidad virtual. Se grabaron las clases antes y durante el proceso, codificándose las interacciones. Se observó alta variabilidad en promoción de autonomía y apoyo pedagógico. El compromiso de los niños fue mayor cuando las profesoras promovían mayor autonomía y apoyo pedagógico. Se discutieron variables que afectan el aprovechamiento de la formación.Alternate :This paper analyzes the implementation of a professional development program on autonomy promotion and instructional support in the classroom, and the relationship between this program and students' engagement. The program was designed during the delivery of online classes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study used a convergent parallel design. Participants were five elementary teachers and their students (N = 110) at a public school in Cali, Colombia. The program consisted of two workshops and three online individual feedback sessions. Classes were recorded before and during the program and classroom interactions were coded. The results show high variability in teachers' autonomy promotion and instructional support during the classes. Students' engagement was higher when teachers promote greater autonomy and instructional support. Variables that could affect teachers' use of learning from the program are discussed.Alternate :Analisa-se a implementaçâo de um programa de formaçâo docente para a promoçâo da autonomia e o apoio pedagógico e sua relaçâo com a performance das crianças na sala de aula. O programa foi desenvolvido durante o fechamento das escolas pelo Covid-19. Um método misto convergenteparalelo foi usado. Participaram cinco professoras de ensino básico de escolas públicas de Cali-Colômbia e seus alunos, 110 crianças. A formaçâo consistiu em duas oficinas grupais e tres sessöes de trabalho individual na modalidade virtual. As aulas foram gravadas antes e durante o processo, e as interaçöes foram codificadas. Observa-se alta variabilidade na promoçâo da autonomia e apoio pedagógico. O comprometimento das crianças foi maior quando as professoras promoveram maior autonomia e apoio pedagógico. As variáveis que afetam o aproveitamento do treinamento sâo discutidas.

Establishing a Mindful Leadership Development Pilot Programs to Determine its Effectiveness in Reducing Employee Burnout and Improving Work Performance: A Case Study at Z&A Company, Myanmar

Purpose: In today's turbulent world, Organizations are under pressure to perform and adapt to an ever-changing environment, creating stress on the employees, translating to direct and indirect costs to the organization. Among the difficulties the leader of today are facing, those of adaptive challenges are especially difficult. Mindful leadership pointed out that seeing the positive potential of change honestly and assessing a situation and have prospects for the future make people more effective leaders. Mindful leadership skills, mindset and practice are recognized as an effective approach to managing stress, and has benefits of attention, well-being and improve work performance which long been major concerns in organization in Myanmar, in the region and around the world. Power Systems of Zeya and Associated Company Limited (Power Systems of Z&A Company) with 44 employees was selected as a focal company for action research. A total of 16 attributes of the 3 variables: Mindful Leadership, Workplace Burnout and Work Performance had been identified.Design/Methodology/Approach: This research applied action research method which is comprised of mixed-method approach combining both qualitative and quantitative research design. Action Research Model was employed in conducting this research which focused on studying the impact of ODI on Mindful Leadership Development to reduce Employee workplace Burnout and Improving Work Performance. Quantitative data collection has made used of survey questionnaires and qualitative data was collected through observation method. The respondents were chosen from the employees of Power System Z&A Company.Findings: This research study was focused on a mindful leadership development pilot program that can aim to reduce the employees' work burnout level to improve the work performance at Z&A Company. The analyzed data prove that mindful leadership was improved, workplace burnout level was reduced in Post ODI period and they proved that they can handle their stressful and burnout condition. And work performance also improved after ODI. Therefore organization development intervention was significantly impacted on work performance.Practical Implications: According to this research, the researcher suggested two research titles to Z&A Company for further research consider on "Changing organizational culture's effectiveness on work burnout and work performance” and "Motivation in work from home life to reduce work burnout and improve work performance”.Originality/Value: The research contributes the conceptual framework, theoretical framework and action research framework in order meet the objectives of the study as well as contributing the guidelines of the organization for the next level of action plans to overcome the challenges in the uncertainty situation and Covid-19 Pandemic.

Israel's COVID-19 Diplomacy in Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Europe

Israel's aid initiatives have historically been facilitated through the Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV). However, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted MASHAVs ability to provide assistance due to budget cuts and government instability. As such, Israel's COVID-19 diplomacy initiative took on greater importance in maintaining its presence and reputation internationally. This article analyzes Israel's approach to COVID-19 diplomacy, which involved providing medical teams, PPE, and surplus vaccines to approximately 20 countries, and examines the political and strategic calculations behind Israel's decision to extend assistance to specific countries. The article argues that Israel's COVID-19 diplomacy initiative was more limited in scope and geography compared to other countries with similar economic development levels, and aid efforts were concentrated in regions where Israel has sought to increase its involvement in recent years, particularly sub-Saharan Africa and Central Europe. Finally, the article assesses the impact of Israel's COVID-19 diplomacy initiative on its diplomatic relations with recipient countries and the broader international community.

Interventions to enhance psychosocial competence among children in low-and middle-income countries

The study of the psychosocial development of children in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) is mapped by the realities of childhood that are embedded and enfolded in conventional family values, the sociocultural ethos, and choices of a combination of environmental factors that result in a variety of childhoods. This chapter begins with the definition and scope of psychosocial development in children, followed by the conceptual framework and approaches included in various interventions. It provides an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis of various interventions with a focus on early childhood development, children with developmental disabilities, mental health, and life skills in LMICs. Quality early childhood development programs present an opportunity to drastically reduce early health and educational disadvantages for children in LMICs. The impact of Covid-19 on the development of children is presented. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Root Causes of Migration, Development, and US Aid to Northern Triangle States

For decades, governments have sought to deter migration by investing in the development of migrant-sending communities, despite macroeconomic data that shows that development can increase emigration. However, emerging research suggests that well-designed aid can promote rootedness in home communities. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has increasingly attempted to use development to deter migration from the Northern Triangle states of Central America. Is this policy sound?This paper argues that development should not be instrumentalized to discourage people from migrating. It examines migration and development policies from the lens of Catholic social teaching, which recognizes the need for states to respect the agency of individuals. This is particularly important when it comes to complex and consequential decisions like whether to migrate. The Catholic Church recognizes both a right to migrate, when necessary, and the responsibility of states, particularly wealthy nations, to help people realize the right not to migrate;that is, to thrive in their home communities. The paper argues for US government assistance to alleviate poverty and invest in human capital in Central America, but independently of efforts to deter migration. Prioritizing aid to potential migrants risks reducing its effectiveness. The United States should instead pursue a whole-of-government strategy that emphasizes the right relationships with aid recipients, and that prioritizes and empowers the poor and marginalized. The paper is strongly influenced by the author's 15 years of work for Catholic agencies on migration and development, more than one-half of those with Catholic Relief Services.

Are State-Level Policies Supporting Community Health Worker Employment? The Jury Is Still Out

In AJPH and elsewhere, a steady stream of research articles, blogs, and opinion pieces have been published supporting the expansion of the community health worker (CHW) workforce.1 As frontline public health workers, CHWs have played an important role in COVID-19 response and prevention.2 Moreover, there is ever-increasing evidence of their effectiveness in promoting access to primary and preventive care, building bridges between communities and health care systems, and improving health outcomes for chronic conditions, particularly in underserved communities.3 Workforce growth is predicated upon sustainable, dedicated financing mechanisms. In the United States, CHW employment often relies on grants and other short-term resources.1,4 Long-term flexible funding models are important for both workforce development and program continuity.5 Medicaid coverage for CHW services has been identified as a potential solution for the constraints to CHW program sustainability.4 Similarly, occupational certification for CHWs provides a pathway for career development and higher earning potential while encouraging workforce growth and integration.6 Although Medicaid coverage and certification are commonly touted as enablers of workforce growth, we actually know very little about how these two policies affect the CHW labor force. Jones et al. state that low wages are the main predictor of resignations among frontline health workers, but they did not examine how wages affect turnover. Because of data limitations, turnover in this study was narrowly defined as leaving the CHW workforce altogether;job transitions within the field were not captured.

Estimating Pedestrian Flows on Street Networks

Problem, research strategy, and findingsCity governments and planners alike commonly seek to increase pedestrian activity on city streets as part of broader sustainability, community building, and economic development strategies. Though walkability has received ample attention in planning literature, most planners still lack practical methods for predicting how development proposals could affect pedestrian activity on specific streets or public spaces at different times of the day. Cities typically require traffic impact assessments (TIAs) but not pedestrian impact assessments. In this study I present a methodology for estimating pedestrian trip generation and distribution between detailed origins and destinations in both existing and proposed built environments. Using the betweenness index from network analysis, I introduce a number of methodological improvements that allow the index to model pedestrian trips with parameters and constraints to account for pedestrian behavior in different settings. I demonstrate its application in the Kendall Square area of Cambridge (MA), where estimated foot traffic is compared during lunch and evening peak periods with observed pedestrian counts.Takeaway for practiceThe proposed approach can be particularly useful for TIAs, neighborhood plans, and large-scale development projects, where pedestrian flow estimates can be used to guide pedestrian infrastructure and safety improvements and public space investments or for locating pedestrian priority streets during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shared Voices of Indonesian Teacher-Educators from Virtual Research-Workshop-Series: Reflections on Covid-19 Pandemic Driven Professional Development

This study aims to explore the perceptions and experiences of Teacher-Educators (TEs) who participated in virtual research-workshop-series as professional development programs. Six TEs, three from natural science and three from social science, participated in a nine-month virtual research workshop series organized by the faculty. In the frame of a case study, the data were gathered from in-depth interviews and a set of questions. The findings revealed that TEs had sufficient research knowledge as they were able to identify good quality of research, read relevant reading research, and signified the importance of research as part of their professional identity. Completion of other tasks, lack of research motivation and collegiality, shortage of research skills and competencies including how to read academic articles due to vocabulary and sentence construction hindered them from conducting research. The workshop has facilitated the TEs autonomy, research skills and competencies, research collaboration, and goal-orientation. The PD program strengthened their research motivation and engagement that scaffold positive insights into their self-research awareness. Moreover, all TEs were able to complete their papers and submit them to reputable journals.

Response of fish farmers to aquaculture development program in Segodorejo, Sumobito, Jombang

Segodorejo Village located in Sumobito Subdistric, Jombang Regency, East Java Province. This village is affected by the COVID 19 Pandemic. The economy is experiencing a process of sluggishness as a result of the pandemic. The "doctor serves" program is done to overcome the problems of youth efforts in fishery cultivation. The research aims to analyze the effectiveness and success of the activities of the serving doctor who has been carried out. The research design using survey methods with questionnaire instruments. The data obtained were analyzed descriptively in the form of characteristics of fish farmers to the program. The results showed some aspects of fish farmers observed to be obtained, namely: most are classified as productive age, education is relatively low and moderate with the average education in vocational/high school, the main job is private, on average has run a business with a length of business time between 5-14 months, and most cultivators have two ponds. Furthermore, the cultivator's response to the program was influenced by age, education, occupation, length of effort, time and respondent's number of pools. This study concludes that the activities of the "Doctor of Service" program are responded to well and associated with increased business and economy.

National Development Banks in Europe – A Contribution to Sustainable Finance

Prispevek pojasnjuje ključne spremembe financiranja naložb v Evropski uniji v zadnjih petnajstih letih in proučuje dodano vrednost nacionalnih razvojnih bank za trajnostno financiranje. Za izvajanje evropskega zelenega dogovora in okrevanje po pandemiji covida-19 so potrebna sredstva v doslej nepredstavljivem obsegu. Neizogibna je tudi potreba po sprejetju novega trajnostnega naložbenega pristopa in prilagoditvi delovanja finančnega sistema. Obstoječe raziskave poudarjajo vlogo nacionalnih razvojnih bank pri sprejemanju proticikličnih ukrepov in spodbujanju vladnih javnopolitičnih ciljev, vendar je bil njihov pomen za trajnostno financiranje doslej prezrt. Prispevek zato preučuje razvoj pristojnosti bank ter ocenjuje njihov napredek in nadaljnje potrebe v zvezi s spodbujanjem trajnostnega financiranja. Raziskava je potekala v dveh fazah. Prva faza je vključevala preučitev operativnega okolja nacionalnih razvojnih bank in njihovega vpliva na premagovanje tržnih pomanjkljivosti in izboljšanje dostopa do financiranja. Druga faza se je osredotočila na primerjavo med novimi regulativními zahtevami, zlasti evropskim zelenim dogovorom, uredbo EU o taksonomiji in delovanjem nacionalnih razvojnih bank. Uporabljena metodologija je vključevala podroben pregled literature, teoretične raziskave, zbiranje podatkov in pregled obstoječih raziskav, kar je bilo podlaga za primerjalno analizo in analizo po skupinah. Prispevek ugotavlja, da nacionalne razvojne banke kljub skupnim ciljem in pooblastilom izkazujejo pomembne razlike glede vključenosti vlade v strateško usmerjanje in odločanje ter dejanskega prispevka bank k ciljem nacionalne politike. Rezultat potrjuje hipotezo, da nedavne spremembe strateškega in regulativnega okvira EU zahtevajo le manjše spremembe pri usmerjanju naložb nacionalnih razvojnih bank. Njihova prvotna zasnova in cilji so že v skladu z novimi pričakovanji, vlagajo pa predvsem v gospodarske sektorje, ki jih nova taksonomija uvršča med trajnostne. Navedeno je pomembno za znanstveni diskurz o bistvenih pogojih za trajnostno financiranje, obenem pa rezultati zagotavljajo uporabne smernice za razvojne banke/finančne agencije v Evropi. Prispevek ponuja konkretno podlago za nadaljnje proučevanje evropskega finančnega sektorja, medtem ko bi lahko nedavno sprejeti sveženj o digitalnih financah raziskave še dodatno razširil.Alternate :Purpose: The paper explains critical changes to investment funding occurred over the past fifteen years in the European Union and explores the added value that National Development Banks create for sustainable finance. The delivery of the European Green Deal and the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic require an unprecedented scale of resources. The need to adopt a new sustainable investment approach and adjust the operation of the financial system has become inevitable. Existing research has underlined the role national development banks play in counter-cyclical measures and promotion of the government's public policy goals. However, their standing in the sustainable finance landscape has enjoyed less attention so far. The paper, therefore, looks at how the remit of the Banks has evolved and assesses their progress and further development needs in relation to promoting sustainable finance. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research has followed a two-phase design. The first phase has included the examination of the operational setting of National Development Banks and their impact on overcoming market failures and improving access to finance. The second phase concentrated on drawing a comparison between the new regulatory requirements, in particular the European Green Deal, the EU Taxonomy Regulation and the functioning of the National Development Banks. The methodology has included a detailed literature review, desk research, data collection and re-assessment of earlier surveys, which has been used for prescriptive comparative analysis and cluster analysis. Findings: The paper concludes that National Development Banks, despite their common goals and mandates, demonstrate important variations in terms of government involvement in strategic direction and decision-making and the Banks' actual contribution to national policy goals. The outcome confirms the hypothesis that recent changes to the EU strategic and regulatory framework only require minor amendments to the direction of NDB investments. Their original setup and objectives are already in accordance with the new expectations and they invest mostly in economic sectors that the new taxonomy system classifies as sustainable. Practical Implications/ Originality/Value: This is important for the scholarly discourse on the essential conditions for sustainable finance. Meanwhile, the results provide usable guidance for development banks/funding agencies in Europe, too. The paper offers a solid ground for continued explorations of the European financial sector, whereas the recently adopted Digital Finance Package could further widen the agenda of the research direction.

Familial Responses to Death in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers: Losing Control and Holding On

Purpose: To explore how families respond to the death and dying of their loved ones in a hospital setting, archival research was conducted using eight qualitative articles describing next-of-kins’ perceptions of end-of-life care in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs). The articles were based on the qualitative arm of the VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) study entitled, “Best Practices for End-of-life Care and Comfort Care Order Sets for our Nation’s Veterans” (BEACON).Design: The archival research consisted of an interactive methodological process of data immersion, analysis, and interpretation which resulted in the emergence of two overarching thematic frameworks called “losing control” and “holding on.”Findings: “Losing control” is the process that occurs when the patient experiences a cascading sequence of deleterious biological events and situations rendering the caregiver no longer able to direct the timing or setting of the dying trajectory. The notion of “holding on” captures family member’s responses to the need to maintain control after relinquishing the patient’s care to the institutional setting. During the patient’s hospitalization, the dual dynamics of “losing control” and “holding on” unfolded in the spatial, temporal, and life narrative domains.Originality: The findings not only contribute to better overall understanding of family members’ responses to death in the pre-COVID-19 hospital setting but also heighten the awareness of the complex spatial, temporal, and narrative issues faced by family members who lost a hospitalized loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rural development problems and new approaches to their solution in Russia

Russia faces a number of challenges to socio-economic development, the most dangerous of which is the depopulation of rural areas. Traditionally, policymakers have viewed rural development as a secondary goal to agricultural production, especially in the light of policies to increase agricultural exports. All this does not contribute to their development. The authors discuss the main challenges to rural development and describe how the recently adopted state program for integrated rural development, focused on supporting local initiatives, can reverse current trends. Among the most important measures are the development of the Internet and the participation of citizens, businesses, municipalities and their consortia in initiative projects. The effects of COVID-19 will have both positive and negative effects on rural development, but the pandemic has made people more likely to think about moving to the countryside.

Digital Virus: How Covid-19 Intersected with Cyberspace to Impact International Politics *

Although Covid-19 has caused disruption to societies, governments and economies, states have used the crisis to pursue foreign policy goals in cyberspace, despite the best intentions of international organisations. The key events in the intersection of cyberspace, international politics and Covid-19 can be categorised as disinformation campaigns spread through social media and cyber events targeting vaccine development programmes or medicine regulators. The success of these means that cyber involvement in international politics will only increase, and could be described as an extension of power politics. Disinformation has been the success story of the intersection of cyberspace and international relations. As countries slowly reopen, inevitable delays are likely to be a source of discontent. The significant minorities in democracies that have expressed reservations regarding vaccines appear to be an obvious target for a disinformation campaign. This means that Covid-19 may have a digital aftermath long after the pandemic subsides.

What makes a great teacher during a pandemic?: JET

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged many assumptions underlying education, including those related to the qualities that are most essential to being an effective teacher. We interviewed 23 state primary and secondary school teachers about what makes a great teacher during a pandemic. Two themes were identified: caring for pupil wellbeing, and dealing with uncertainty. Teachers reported that the need to demonstrate these qualities, while always important, has intensified during COVID-19. These findings indicate that teacher education and professional development programmes may benefit from recognising and assisting teachers to develop these qualities.

Economic study of the performance of Egypt's agricultural sector in the face of contemporary challenges

In the light of the research problem, the main objective of this research is to determine the extent to which the agricultural sector is able to fulfil its role in the development of the Egyptian economy and to assess its performance in the light of contemporary local and regional changes during the first and second decades of the twenty-first century by examining a set of sub-objectives. The research has produced a series of findings, the most important of which are: The agricultural sector has contributed to reducing the economic burden on the Egyptian economy during the second decade of the present century in terms of its contribution to foreign trade It was also found that the exchange rate increased in favour of exports and imports, as well as that the agricultural sector declined in its role in the national economy in terms of its contribution to GDP, suffered from periods of contraction in the size of its economic activity affected by some economic decisions made in the Egyptian economy, as well as some political changes that were not matched by economic changes. The research also found that the rate of utilization of the agricultural area unit in Egypt declined during the two study periods. The research also showed that the political events of the second decade of the present century and the subsequent economic and social changes were never in favour of agricultural employment. It has also been shown that the agricultural sector has become a volatile employment sector and that its aim in absorbing more employment must go hand in hand with the implementation of comprehensive development programmes that balance the use of technology and labour, and that the continued omission of this social aspect will lead to a decline in the ability of the agricultural sector to absorb more labour in the coming years, which will have a negative impact on the national level. An assessment of the performance of the agricultural sector between reality and target shows that about 66.7% of the targeted increase in the value of Egyptian agricultural exports over the period was achieved. (2017-2020) A gap of $ 2.83 billion in this value is expected by the year 2030, as shown by the achievement of the target for the contribution of the agricultural sector to GDP, as well as a significant gap between the reality and the planned increase in the agricultural area by rehabilitation where about 56 have been achieved,8% of the target increase up to 2020, as shown by the difficulty of achieving the agricultural sector's employment absorption targets.1% dropped to about 21.7% in 2018 and then decreased to about 20.0%.6% in 2019, and with the spread of Covid virus in 2019, this proportion is expected to fall short. On the basis of the findings, the research recommended a review of the set of actions and policies that would restructure agricultural activity, which would increase the contribution of the agricultural sector to GDP, especially in view of the many challenges that might hamper agricultural activity, and a study of the possibilities for horizontal agricultural expansion in the light of the anticipated crisis in Egypt's share of the Nile waters after the next phase to fill the Zabia renaissance dam. The research also recommends that operational programmes should be reviewed to promote economic development in the agricultural sector, with comprehensive development programmes that balance the use of technology and labour so as to stabilize the situation of agricultural labour, especially skilled labour, and to impede the inhibitors to achieve the objectives of the agricultural sector.

Unlocking the potential for achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 - 'Zero Hunger' - in Africa: targets, strategies, synergies and challenges.

BACKGROUND: The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 ('Zero Hunger') aims to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030. Thus, a range of different strategies are needed to facilitate the achievement of SDG 2 to overcome challenges and enable synergies between various SDG targets. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to highlight Africa's progress toward SDG 2, including targets, strategies, synergies and challenges. METHODS: We scrutinized published research articles in peer-reviewed journals, UN reports and in-country Africa reports (between 2015 and 2020) that were relevant to the current topic. RESULTS: Several hunger indicators are showing slow progress or even deterioration in Africa. The prevalence of undernourishment in the general population was 19.1% in 2019 and is expected to increase to 25.7% by 2030. Improvements in child stunting in several regions in Africa are slow, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where about 34% of under-fives were stunted in 2012 and 31% in 2019. In Eastern Africa, stunting prevalence decreased from 38% in 2012 to 34% in 2019. Major drivers of hunger are poor governance and state fragility, war and conflicts, increasing inequality, weak economic development, climate change, biodegradation - and now lately the Covid 19 pandemic - factors that all increase food insecurity. CONCLUSION: Africa is off track to reach SDG - 'Zero Hunger' - by 2030. Current efforts and progress are insufficient. Africa must champion the SDG agenda on a national, regional and global level to facilitate synergies to unlock the potential for reaching 'Zero Hunger' throughout the continent.

The use of strategies from the social sciences to inform pipeline development programs for under-represented minority faculty and students in the health sciences.

Representation of under-represented minority (URM) faculty in the health sciences disciplines is persistently low relative to both national and student population demographics. Although some progress has been made through nationally funded pipeline development programs, demographic disparities in the various health sciences disciplines remain. As such the development of innovative interventions to help URM faculty and students overcome barriers to advancement remains a national priority. To date, the majority of pipeline development programs have focused on academic readiness, mentorship, and professional development. However, insights from the social sciences literature related to "extra-academic" (e.g., racism) barriers to URM persistence in higher education suggest the limitations of efforts exclusively focused on cognitively mediated endpoints. The purpose of this article is to synthesize findings from the social sciences literature that can inform the enhancement of URM pipeline development programs. Specifically, we highlight research related to the social, emotional, and contextual correlates of URM success in higher education including reducing social isolation, increasing engagement with research, bolstering persistence, enhancing mentoring models, and creating institutional change. Supporting URM's success in the health sciences has implications for the development of a workforce with the capacity to understand and intervene on the drivers of health inequalities.

A response to an article entitled "Improving teacher professional development for online and blended learning: a systematic meta-aggregative review".

This response reviews the article entitled "Improving teacher professional development for online and blended learning: a systematic meta-aggregative review" (Philipsen in Educ Technol Res Dev 67:1145-1174, 2019) from a practice perspective. Philipsen (Educ Technol Res Dev 67:1145-1174, 2019) conducted a systematic meta-aggregative review that targets teacher professional development for online and blended learning. This paper summarizes the key findings of their study and discusses the value of the findings and how they could be applied to prepare K-12 teachers for online and blended learning. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also discussed.