Public Writing

In addition to my academic writing, I frequently write essays and editorials for broader audiences. My goal in my public writing is to use behavioral science, intervention science, and meta-science insights to analyze contemporary issues in society, and when appropriate, suggest ways to apply those insights to social problems. Links to those essays are below.

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Franklin Fowler, E., & Lewis Jr, N. A. (2025, February 24). How the national conversation shifted from structural racism to DEI. FiveThirtyEight.

*Tepper, S. J. & Lewis Jr, N. A. (2024, July 18). Research: People still want to work. They just want control over their time. Harvard Business Review. 

Lewis Jr, N. A. (2024, May 14). Universities are palaces for the people. Their leaders should remember that. Brookings Institution. 

Lewis Jr, N. A., Bo, I., & Zeidan, R. (2023, July 17). What the US can learn from affirmative action at universities in Brazil. The Conversation. 

Lewis Jr, N. A. (2023, January 23). Are standardized tests racist, or are they anti-racist? The Atlantic.

Del Rios, M., Chomilo, N. T., & Lewis Jr, N. A. (2022, October 25). Covid-19 is an inverse equity story, not a racial equity success story. STATNews.

Lewis Jr, N. A. (2022, June 17). What happens when American children learn about racism? FiveThirtyEight.

Samuels, A., & Lewis Jr, N. A. (2022, March 21). How white victimhood fuels Republican politics. FiveThirtyEight. 

Samuels, A., & Lewis Jr, N. A. (2022, February 15). Democrats helped build the social safety net. Why are many now against expanding it? FiveThirtyEight.

Lewis Jr, N. A. (2021, November 18). Why many Americans underestimate who is most concerned about the environment. FiveThirtyEight.

*Berry, Z., Lewis Jr, N. A., & Sowden, W. J. (2021, September 21). Are You Too Loyal to Your Organization? Harvard Business Review. 

Matias, J. N., Lewis Jr, N. A., & Hope, E. (2021, September 7). Universities say they want more diverse faculties. So why is academia still so White? FiveThirtyEight. 

Chomilo, N., Clinton, C., Guzman-Cottrill, J., & Lewis Jr, N. A. (2021, August 26). How schools can protect our children and their future when reopening. Brown Center Chalkboard, The Brookings Institution.

Lewis Jr, N. A. (2021, June 17). Why many Americans can’t see the wealth gap between White and Black America. FiveThirtyEight.

Lewis Jr, N. A. (2021, March 29). COVID-19 reminded us of just how unequal America is. FiveThirtyEight.

Martin, C., Koerth, M., Rothschild, A., & Lewis Jr, N. A. (2021, March 10). How to convince people the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is as good as the others. FiveThirtyEight.

Lewis Jr, N. A., TIME’S UP Health Care Leaders, & TIME’s UP Impact Lab. (2021, February 25). Vaccines are essential for essential STARS. Employers can help. Opportunity@Work.

Lewis Jr, N. A. (2020, September 14). Why coming up with effective interventions to address COVID-19 is so hard. FiveThirtyEight.

Lewis Jr, N. A. (2020, May 1). How many (and whose) lives would you bet on your theory? The Hardest Science.

Lewis Jr, N. A. (2019, September 12). On ‘light-touches’ and ‘heavy-hands’: 2 strategies to tackle educational inequities. Brown Center Chalkboard, The Brookings Institution.

Jefferson, H., & Lewis Jr, N. A. (2018, April 23). Starbucks won’t have any idea whether its diversity training works. The Washington Post.

Oyserman, D., & Lewis Jr, N. A. (2017, June 12). Can people ‘like me’ go to college? Inequality and dreams of higher ed. The Conversation.