Following the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008, financial institutions faced regulatory changes due to inherent weaknesses that were exposed by the recession. Within the United States, regulation came via the passing of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in 2010, which was heavily influenced by the internationally focused Basel III accord. A key component to both of these sets of regulations focused on raising the capital requirements for financial institutions, as well as creating capital buffers to help protect solvency during economic downturns in the future. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of these changes to capital requirements, and to hypothesize as to what would happen if the modern banking system experienced the COVID-19 pandemic recession with the capital and leverage levels of the banking institutions circa 2007. To accomplish this, data from the Federal Reserve describing the capital and leverage ratios of the banking industry will be evaluated during both the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008, as well as during the COVID-19 Recession. Specifically, we will look at by how much capital was improved due to Dodd-Frank/Basel III, the resiliency of the capital and leverage ratios during the modern COVID-19 recession, and we will look at the average drop in capital levels caused by the COVID-19 recession and apply these percentage changes to the leverage/capital levels seen in 2007. Given the results, it is clear to see that the change in capital requirements along with the counter-cyclical buffers described in Dodd-Frank and Basel III allowed the banking system to function throughout the COVID recession without approaching insolvency in the slightest, something that ailed many large banks and firms during the Global Financial Crisis. As an answer to our hypothetical, we found that the drop seen affecting the measures of bank capital experienced during the COVID pandemic when applied to values seen at the beginning of the 2007 recession still led to a well-capitalized banking industry as a whole, highlighting the resiliency seen during the COVID recession thanks to the capital buffers put in place, as well as the direct assistance provided by the federal government (via PPP loans and stimulus checks) and the Federal Reserve in keeping the hit on capital to minimal values throughout the pandemic.

COVID-19 has drastically impacted the student learning experience this past year. Arizona State University nursing students have had to learn fundamental nursing education, clinical experience, and simulation skills virtually. Research has shown that the educational experience during the COVID-19 pandemic has caused psychological and emotional stress on students adjusting to new university protocols and virtual learning. Two Term 8 nursing students questioned how these changes affected nursing students who are in their final semester of nursing school. The Term 8 nursing cohort was invited to participate in an anonymous online survey to provide feedback about their learning experience and recommendations for program leadership. The qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis to underline themes that portrayed the nursing students’ learning experience. The following themes were illuminated: an overall negative impact on virtual learning experiences, self-developed efforts to promote success, the aversion of using an online learning platform, and the desire for academic accommodation and faculty support during this time. Student recommendations for program leadership include requesting more hands-on experience when possible along with increased faculty lenience and understanding with course workload. Students had the opportunity to participate in a study where feedback is taken seriously and will be supplied to leadership to make changes to the ongoing academic dilemmas during the pandemic.

COVID-19 has drastically impacted the student learning experience this past year. Arizona State University nursing students have had to learn fundamental nursing education, clinical experience, and simulation skills virtually. Research has shown that the educational experience during the COVID-19 pandemic has caused psychological and emotional stress on students adjusting to new university protocols and virtual learning. Two Term 8 nursing students questioned how these changes affected nursing students who are in their final semester of nursing school. The Term 8 nursing cohort was invited to participate in an anonymous online survey to provide feedback about their learning experience and recommendations for program leadership. The qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis to underline themes that portrayed the nursing students’ learning experience. The following themes were illuminated: an overall negative impact on virtual learning experiences, self-developed efforts to promote success, the aversion of using an online learning platform, and the desire for academic accommodation and faculty support during this time. Student recommendations for program leadership include requesting more hands-on experience when possible along with increased faculty lenience and understanding with course workload. Students had the opportunity to participate in a study where feedback is taken seriously and will be supplied to leadership to make changes to the ongoing academic dilemmas during the pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic has made a significant impact on both the stock market and the<br/>global economy. The resulting volatility in stock prices has provided an opportunity to examine<br/>the Efficient Market Hypothesis. This study aims to gain insights into the efficiency of markets<br/>based on stock price performance in the Covid era. Specifically, it investigates the market’s<br/>ability to anticipate significant events during the Covid-19 timeline beginning November 1, 2019<br/><br/>and ending March 31, 2021. To examine the efficiency of markets, our team created a Stay-at-<br/>Home Portfolio, experiencing economic tailwinds from the Covid lockdowns, and a Pandemic<br/><br/>Loser Portfolio, experiencing economic headwinds from the Covid lockdowns. Cumulative<br/>returns of each portfolio are benchmarked to the cumulative returns of the S&P 500. The results<br/>showed that the Efficient Market Hypothesis is likely to be valid, although a definitive<br/>conclusion cannot be made based on the scope of the analysis. There are recommendations for<br/>further research surrounding key events that may be able to draw a more direct conclusion.

Objective: This study looked at three key variables of fear of COVID-19, preventative behaviors, and vaccination intent among college students in the United Sates. In addition, the three key variables were compared between genders, age groups, race groups, and over time to see if there were any significant findings. <br/>Method: This longitudinal study consisted of two anonymous online surveys administered on REDCap before and after a COVID-19 vaccine became available. <br/>Results: The findings suggested positive correlations between students’ fear of COVID-19 and their preventative behaviors with the passing of time. Hispanic/Latino participants had significantly higher fear of COVID-19 scores compared to Non-Hispanic Whites and other races at Wave I and II. Participants between 25 and 30 years old had a marginally greater difference fear of COVID-19 score compared to those less than 25. Females had significantly higher mean preventative behavior score than males at Wave II. There was a significant association between race/ethnicity groups and vaccination intent. <br/>Conclusion: Knowing why different groups do not engage in recommended preventative behaviors or receive vaccinations can tell us more about what tailored interventions may need to be developed and implemented to promote health and wellbeing in this population. Further research needs to be done regarding race, gender, and age and how these different groups of college students are responding to COVID-19 and why.

In a healthcare system already struggling with burnout among its professionals, the COVID-19 pandemic presented a barrage of personal and occupational strife to US healthcare workers. Structural and everyday discrimination contributed to the health inequities of people of color in the US, exacerbated by COVID-19-related racism and xenophobia. There is little research regarding the effects of COVID-19 and related and/or concurring discrimination upon minority nursing staff, despite their importance in supporting the diverse American patient population with culturally competent, tireless care amid the pandemic. This cross-sectional survey study aimed to examine 1) the relationships between discrimination, social support, resilience, and quality of life among minority nursing staff in the US during COVID-19, and 2) the differences of discrimination, social support resilience, and quality of life among minority nursing staff between different racial/ethnic groups during COVID-19. The sample (n = 514) included Black/African American (n = 161, 31.4%), Latinx/Hispanic (n = 131, 25.5%), Asian (n = 87, 17%), Native American/Alaskan Native (n = 69, 13.5%), and Pacific Islander (n = 65, 12.7%) nursing staff from 47 US states. The multiple regression results showed that witnessing discrimination was associated with a lower quality of life score, while higher social support and resilience scores were associated with higher quality of life scores across all racial groups. Furthermore, while participants from all racial groups witnessed and experienced discrimination, Hispanic/Latinx nursing staff experienced discrimination most commonly, alongside having lowest quality of life and highest resilience scores. Native American/Alaskan Native nursing staff had similarly high discrimination and low quality of life, although low resilience scores. Our findings suggest that minority nursing staff who have higher COVID-19 morbidity and mortality rates (Hispanic/Latinx, Native American/Alaskan Native) were left more vulnerable to negative effects from discrimination. Hispanic/Latinx nursing staff reported a relatively higher resilience score than all other groups, potentially attributed to the positive effects of biculturality in the workplace, however, the low average quality of life score suggests a simultaneous erosion of well-being. Compared to all other groups, Native American and Alaskan Native nursing staff’s low resilience and quality of life scores suggest a potential compounding effect of historical trauma affecting their well-being, especially in contrast to Hispanic/Latinx nursing staff. This study has broader implications for research on the lasting effects of COVID-19 on minority healthcare workers’ and communities’ well-being, especially regarding Hispanic/Latinx and Native American/Alaskan Native nursing staff.

Covid-19 is unlike any coronavirus we have seen before, characterized mostly by the ease with which it spreads. This analysis utilizes an SEIR model built to accommodate various populations to understand how different testing and infection rates may affect hospitalization and death. This analysis finds that infection rates have a significant impact on Covid-19 impact regardless of the population whereas the impact that testing rates have in this simulation is not as pronounced. Thus, policy-makers should focus on decreasing infection rates through targeted lockdowns and vaccine rollout to contain the virus, and decrease its spread.

This scoping review provides a synthesis of research which maps the literature on the topic of COVID-19 related impact on Undergraduate Student Mental Health and Baccalaureate Success. The purpose of this review was to identify existing literature pertaining to the psychological repercussions of COVID-19 on the undergraduate population, describe the range of successful interventions used to reduce stress and demand on the U.S. undergraduate population during a pandemic, and identify implications for future research. Due to the novelty of coronavirus and limited research on the given topic, this review provides a framework of available research by identifying types of available research, identifying how research is conducted on the topic, identifying and analyzing knowledge gaps, and clarifies key concepts in literature.

When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged on an international scale, the disruption of routine and social interactions caused challenges in mental health, as people began to self-isolate and confine themselves from the world. Although the sudden interruption of social interaction led to stress and anxiety, human-animal interactions have shown a decrease in stress, anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness and social isolation. The purpose of this thesis is to determine whether companion animals influence mental health, specifically depression and anxiety, in college-aged students who attended the Arizona State University Downtown Campus during the 2020-2021 academic school year.