UMass making a difference
So much has changed over the past few weeks.
Our five campuses — normally bustling with activity at this time of year — sit quiet, our classrooms, dining halls and dorms virtually empty. Most of our employees work remotely, and all of our classes are conducted online. As in our everyday lives, face-to-face interactions have been replaced with conversations and meetings over phones and computer screens.
This is a reality that none of us could have predicted at the start of this academic year. And yet, while the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to radically transform the way we work, study and interact, one thing that has not changed during this time of upheaval is our commitment to our mission. If anything, that commitment has only grown stronger.
Not only have our campuses and system IT teams taken extraordinary measures to shift all 75,000 students to an all-remote learning model in a matter of days, but the university has gone above and beyond to support at-risk students, help local communities and serve the Commonwealth in the midst of this crisis.
Today, I’d like to share with you just a few examples of the inspiring and selfless work that is happening throughout UMass, work that demonstrates resilience and offers hope:
Answering the Commonwealth's call
Serving the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is an essential part of the UMass mission, and as the Commonwealth battles this pandemic, many UMass community members have boldly stepped forward to offer their help.
- Last Tuesday, 135 UMass Medical Students graduated early prepared to take their places in the front lines in the battle against COVID-19. I had the honor of taking part in their virtual graduation ceremony and thanking these incredible students for their courage and commitment.
- At UMass Amherst’s School of Public Health and Health Sciences, Daniel Gerber, associate dean for academic affairs, is leading an effort to assist the state with its COVID-19 response efforts by offering graduate student, faculty and staff support with testing and lab needs during the crisis.
Working to stop COVID-19
Numerous UMass researchers have lent their expertise and efforts to battling COVID-19, and many are conducting research directly related to stemming the spread of the pandemic.
- Anastasia Khvorova, professor of RNA therapeutics at UMass Medical School, is exploring the feasibility of using RNA-based therapies to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine.
- UMass Boston Associate Professor of Engineering Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli, who specializes in paper-based tests that use biomarkers to test for emerging diseases, is developing a procedure that could help detect COVID-19.
- UMass Lowell researchers have created germ-killing fabric that could help stop the spread of communicable diseases like COVID-19.
- UMass Amherst biostatistician Nicholas Reich was among the 20 global experts invited by the White House Coronavirus Task Force to participate in a coronavirus modeling webinar to help inform the public health response to COVID-19.
- The Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center, or M2D2, a collaboration between UMass Lowell and UMass Medical School, has quickly aligned its efforts to help members of the life sciences innovation community identify funding opportunities to advance solutions for the coronavirus pandemic.
Creating resources for those impacted by the pandemic
Not only have our faculty worked to battle COVID-19 directly, they have developed resources for those impacted by the public health crisis.
- UMass Lowell Clinical Professor of Education Michelle Scribner-MacLean is part of a team that has launched a Facebook group that provides online resources for K-12 teachers, from information about the New England Aquarium’s daily animal demonstrations to livestreamed story readings by authors and illustrators. The group, called K-12 Resources for Teaching Online, has already grown to more than 2,500 members.
- UMass Medical School child psychologist Jessica Griffin has co-authored a resource guide aimed at giving parents and other caregivers research-based tools to help children feel safe and secure during this unsettling time.
Helping students through difficult times
Our campuses are going above and beyond to assist at-risk and vulnerable students, ensuring they have the resources needed to effectively continue their education.
- UMass Boston has launched a “Sponsor a Chromebook” drive to cover the cost of more than 200 new computers for students who do not have computers at home.
- UMass Dartmouth has re-commissioned 200 laptops for students in need to ensure they can continue their classes remotely.
- UMass Lowell has launched a special campaign for students experiencing financial hardships in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Supporting local communities
UMass faculty, students and staff have displayed great compassion and concern for their local communities, donating resources, supplies and food to those in need.
- UMass Dartmouth’s College of Visual and Performing Arts faculty and students will be supporting New Bedford’s VAHA (Visual Arts History and Architecture) Night on April 9 by hosting a virtual tour of the college’s MFA Thesis Exhibition and a virtual dance party.
- The Amherst, Dartmouth, Lowell and Medical School campuses have donated thousands of pieces of essential medical supplies — gloves, shoe covers, N-95 masks and face protectants — to local hospitals across the state.
- UMass Amherst Dining Services is providing two daily meals to 400 students attending Amherst Public Schools at seven locations around Amherst, using its Baby Berk food truck.
- UMass Medical School students are helping to transform the DCU Center in Worcester into a field hospital.
These are just some of the many ways the UMass community has stepped up during this crisis to provide support and be part of the solution. It makes me incredibly proud to see our faculty, staff and students rallying together to invest their time, energy, expertise and resources wherever and whenever they are needed.
These actions reflect who we are and what we stand for as a university. They are the UMass mission in action. And they are a reminder that when this crisis passes, UMass will play an integral role in the Commonwealth’s recovery.
Thank you for all you do to support UMass. Please continue to stay healthy and safe as we work through this difficult time together.
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