Position Description: Using interactive web resources, understand how the pandemic is driven, why lagging indicators are critical, and how to decode the metrics used by policymakers.

Working as a team of 2, Students will be guided through and develop critical thinking and quantitative understanding of exponential growth, basic epidemic modeling concepts, replication number, lagging indicators, and challenges for bending the curve. They will examine ongoing outbreaks in the US and globally, and develop an understanding of how to compare the impacts and management of COVID-19 contagion in different locales by connecting COVID-19 mortality, air pollution, environmental degradation, and poverty.

If the students desire, tutorials introducing data analysis and visualization tools can be incorporated.

Duration: 2 weeks

Work Hours: 10 hours/week

Pay Rate: $15/hour

Qualifications/Requirements:

• no prior experience in the field is necessary

• computer

• internet

• prepare and present work to a live audience

• complete a survey at the end of the project

All necessary software, data, and instructions will be provided.

Opportunities to Explore the EPS Department:

The students will interact with Ju to learn about life at EPS, will be invited to seminars, to the Wofsy group meeting every Tuesday, and to group virtual coffee every Thursday. The student will also present the work to the research group.

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS) welcomes everyone and aims for a diverse and inclusive community. Preferences will be given to rising sophomores and incoming first year students, but we encourage all interested students to apply. Students who are already working with members of the EPS community and non-Harvard students are not eligible for this position.

Application: closed (July 17-21)

Number of Applicants: 28

Number of Positions Available: 2

Students Hired: Ariana-Dalia Vlad (incoming first year)

Cindy Wang (incoming first year)

David Hacker (rising sophomore)