Shrum Receives NSF Grant for COVID-19 Research
April 21, 2020
BATON ROUGE – Dr. Wesley M. Shrum, Jr., professor in the LSU Department of Sociology, was awarded a $100,218 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, also known as COVID-19. The grant,
titled “A Comparative Study of How Context Shapes Responses to COVID-19,” will examine
the role of exposure and locative fear, or the fear of people and spaces that could
cause infection, in the response to the global pandemic of COVID-19.
This study will be the first to address comparative issues in a pandemic across both
occupations and countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, as well as to
contribute data to the global understanding of the ways cultural and political contexts
shape responses to pandemics. Shrum’s research team will interview participants in
the United States, Ghana, Kenya, India, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina,
Turkey, and China.
“It’s a truly exciting opportunity, because we’re all in the same global boat here,”
said Shrum. “We need to understand how different places are responding to this problem.”
These research findings will provide grounded guidance for policy makers and others
seeking to understand the diversity of fears, risk perceptions, preparedness, and
acceptable action in pandemics.
“Dr. Shrum is an internationally-known scholar with a tremendous amount of experience
conducting research across many countries,” said Troy Blanchard, dean of the College
of Humanities & Social Sciences. “This study will help answer some of the most important
sociological questions about COVID-19, and these findings will be vital in understanding
how people receive and respond to information about pandemics.”
Dr. Shrum’s area of research expertise is the sociology of science and technology,
particularly in the developing world. This study combines techniques and research
locations from his previous NSF-funded work during the Ebola and Zika epidemics.
About the LSU Department of Sociology
The LSU Department of Sociology is dedicated to research and teaching, a tradition
that has carried on since its inception in 1928. The department serves both undergraduate
and graduate students and is making important contributions to LSU’s general education
mission. The department is also home to the only Ph.D. program in sociology in the
state of Louisiana. Learn more at lsu.edu/sociology.
About the LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences
The LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences positions students, faculty, and staff
to be visionary leaders in their respective fields, a tradition of excellence that
began with the college’s inception in 1908. For more news and information about the
LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences, visit hss.lsu.edu.
Contact Sarah Gaar Keller
LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences
225-578-6906
Ernie Ballard
LSU Media Relations
225-578-5684
eballa1@lsu.edu