Page 14 - Briefcase V35 Number 1

MEDICAL DATA
Professor Barbara Evans
Surveys show that up to 80 percent of Americans would like to contribute their health information for
scientific studies to improve human health, but very few people do it. Professor Barbara Evans conducts
research in this area and has analyzed the problem.
“Health information is the fuel for 21st century medical discovery,” Evans said. “But people worry about
privacy, and they want a say in how their most personal health information can be used. The federal privacy
protections were designed by ethicists and regulators. They meant well, but the standards apparently are not what
people want.”
Evans has been collaborating with researchers to make changes.
“We’re working to set up people-powered data collaboratives. These are groups of regular people who work
together to put their health records into big datasets for research. The people will vote on what types of research
they are willing to allow and the privacy protections they expect. This is the face of 21st century bioethics helping
people protect themselves through collective bargaining.”
https://tinyurl.com/kkb89gr

CREDIT CARDS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS
Associate Professor Jim Hawkins
Despite regulation, studies show credit card companies still heavily target college students. Associate
Professor Jim Hawkins has conducted research in this area and sees several problems.
“My survey found that students are continuing to receive pre-screened credit card offers in the mail and
companies continue to market to students both on and off campus. Moreover, young consumers are still
qualifying for credit cards without really showing that they can repay the debt,” he said.
Hawkins offers this suggestion. “We’ve learned a lot from this new credit card law, and it’s probably time for
Congress to revisit the topic and close some of the loopholes that students and credit card companies have found
in the law.”
https://tinyurl.com/lstmx29

CLIMATE ENGINEERING
Lecturer Tracy Hester
Climate engineering is a proposed technology that would intentionally alter the earth’s atmosphere to
offset the effects of climate change. Lecturer Tracy Hester teaches Environmental Law and explained how
climate engineering works.
“Climate engineering comes in two varieties,” Hester said. “One reduces the amount of sunlight that reaches
the Earth’s surface, and the other removes greenhouse gases directly from the atmosphere and then isolates the
captured gas in a safe form or place.”
“There are no domestic or international laws yet, but a large group of nations has already acted to control a
specific form that uses iron to fertilize the ocean,” Hester continued. “Legal issues will arise from stretching our
existing laws to cover this new technology. With the technology beginning to move from the laboratory into field
demonstrations, we need to figure it out pretty quickly.”
https://tinyurl.com/k55rqo4

IMMIGRATION POST ELECTION
Clinical Associate Professor
Geoffrey Hoffman
Immigration law was a pivotal issue in the recent presidential election. Geoffrey Hoffman, director of the
Immigration Clinic, explains some of the most important issues facing immigrants right now.
“Clearly the future of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is in doubt, as well as a host of other

12 Briefcase 2017