Heroes Wear Many Faces: Colleges and Universities Retooling to Fight COVID-19 (A Running List, Week One)

As of 05/08/2020, there are 450 amazing schools included on this list…and counting!

Colleges and universities across the country are closing their doors to their own students amidst the global coronavirus pandemic. As traditional classes are canceled and postsecondary instruction moves online to mitigate the spread of the virus, some of these same institutions are welcoming COVID-19 patients and healthcare workers to campus. This is all part of a nationwide effort to battle this unique public health crisis.

**Editor’s note** This article will be updated frequently as we learn about more schools that have joined the fight against COVID-19. If your school is involved, let us know by contacting us here!

We have broken up this article into weekly section updates. The links to the older lists are here:

Other schools are doing their part by serving as testing sites, donating personal protective equipment for doctors and nurses, and conducting important medical research that could help put an end to the pandemic. In this article, we’ll highlight the efforts of the colleges and universities who have taken extraordinary measures in the fight against the coronavirus.

Coastal Carolina University

Conway, South Carolina

Date Added: 04/03/2020

In response to a request from the Medical University of South Carolina, Coastal Carolina University is 3-D printing protective masks for healthcare workers. The school says the process takes about five hours per mask, and masks are assembled once they reach the medical facility.  

Georgia State University

Atlanta, Georgia

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Date Added: 04/03/2020

Georgia State University has trained many of the respiratory therapists on the front lines of Georgia’s fight against the novel coronavirus. With classes moved online, though, the school has found little use for lab supplies and medical devices. Thus, GSU has donated much of this equipment to nearby hospitals. It has also loaned its ventilators to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to be used where needed.

 Researchers at the university are also studying the drug Auranofin and its effects on COVID-19. The drug is usually prescribed for sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis, but scientists say it has shown promise in treating the novel coronavirus as well. Plans are being made to begin animal studies soon.

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Date Added: 04/03/2020

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is joining the growing list of colleges and universities across the nation using its 3-D printers to produce medical face shields. To help with the current shortage of personal protection equipment imposed by COVID-19, the school is currently printing a dozen of the shields per day. The shields will be distributed by the Pennsylvania Healthcare Association.

Hocking College

Nelsonville, Ohio


Date Added: 04/03/2020

Hocking College has been scouring the laboratories from its School of Health and Safety for unused supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) to donate to nearby healthcare facilities. The school’s recent contribution included over 30,000 pairs of gloves and 130 N95 masks as well as various sanitation supplies.

Various other efforts are ongoing at the college, including a partnership with a local brewery to produce hand sanitizer. Hocking is also looking into gaining access to 3-D printers to produce in-demand nursing devices.

Houston Community College

Houston, Texas

Date Added: 04/03/2020

Houston Community College is hoping to make a huge contribution of protective face shields, thanks to 3-D printing and laser cutting technology. Harris County has dubbed the work “essential critical infrastructure,” so the school has the go-ahead to produce approximately 30,000 of these shields per day.

Idaho State University

Pocatello, Idaho

Date Added: 04/03/2020

To help with the medical equipment shortage caused by the novel coronavirus, Idaho State University is employing its 3-D printers to create components necessary for N95 face masks, face shields, and other critical personal protection equipment (PPE). Their efforts will help ensure healthcare workers and first responders throughout Southeast Idaho have the protective gear they need to stay safe while coming to the aid of those sick with COVID-19.

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville, Alabama

Date Added: 04/03/2020

Jacksonville State University is tackling the public health crisis on several different fronts. Its Department of Chemistry and Geosciences has partnered with Yellowhammer Brewery and Distillery to produce hand sanitizer for medical facilities, health organizations, homeless shelters, and first responders.

The school’s Center for Manufacturing Support is also lending a hand, helping local hospitals turn snorkeling masks into N95-style masks for front-line healthcare professionals.

Volunteers from the university have also taken on the task of sewing face masks for medical personnel. The project was started by an assistant professor of emergency management and has since grown to include volunteers from across the university and the community at large.

The school’s respiratory therapy program has also loaned out its ventilators to local hospitals. A total of six life-saving ventilators were sent to medical centers in nearby Gadsden, Anniston, and Birmingham.

Lone Star College

The Woodlands, Texas

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Date Added: 04/03/2020

Home to Kingwood Respiratory Care program, Lone Star College has loaned out eight ventilators to local hospitals in the area. The school also contributed five nebulizers as well as seventy-five PPE kits for use by healthcare professionals working with COVID-19 patients.

Missoula College

Missoula, Montana

Date Added: 04/03/2020

Missoula College is doing what it can to help in the fight against COVID-19. Not only has it modified clinical requirements and extended temporary licenses to its healthcare students, but the school has also donated personal protective equipment (PPE) and lent its four ventilators to nearby medical centers.

Oklahoma State University

Stillwater, Oklahoma

Date Added: 04/03/2020

Oklahoma State University is doing its part to help the state of Oklahoma slow the spread of the novel coronavirus by providing more testing. The university’s Center for Health Sciences is processing COVID-19 tests for local healthcare facilities and reporting results within 24 hours. The lab has ordered three more testing machines in order to speed up the process. It plans to hire additional staff as needed.

OSU is also partnering with the University of Oklahoma to collect supplies to donate to healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis. Donations of PPE, disinfectant, and other supplies are being made to Tulsa Medical Society. From there, they will be distributed to local hospitals and medical facilities.

Prairie View A&M University

Prairie View, Texas

Date Added: 04/03/2020

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Librarians at Prairie View A&M University are sewing surgical masks to donate to nearby Spindletop Center. Not only are these faculty members contributing 100 hand-made masks, but the John B. Coleman Library at the school’s Northwest main campus is giving pre-sewn kits to students with instructions for making their own masks.

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

Salisbury, North Carolina

Date Added: 04/03/2020

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is battling the pandemic through a few different initiatives on campus. For example, the school’s health education labs are donating unused supplies and personal protective equipment to its local medical facilities.

The college’s Small Business Center has also developed a webinar for local business owners as they grapple with the economic impact of the coronavirus.

San Jacinto College

Houston, Texas

Date Added: 04/03/2020

Joining the long list of colleges and universities across the country who have given its unused laboratory supplies to local medical facilities, San Jacinto College recently made a sizeable donation to Harris County Public Health. The haul included nitrile gloves, hand sanitizer, safety glasses, gowns, and more. The school has also loaned out three respirators to Methodist Hospital Baytown to prepare them for critical COVID-19 patients.

Suffolk University

Boston, Massachusetts

Date Added: 04/03/2020

Suffolk University has recognized the unique challenges that homeless people face during this unprecedented public health crisis. Unlike those more fortunate, the homeless can’t stay at home under the quarantine. Instead, they have to rely on crowded homeless shelters: places that are less than ideal for practicing social distancing. The school has stepped up to help, offering the use of Miller Hall to provide additional space. More spaces may be provided in the future for members of the homeless community who need to self-quarantine.

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Date Added: 04/03/2020

Departments across Texas Tech University have rallied together to help with the shortage of face shields for healthcare workers across the state. The school has over two dozen 3-D printers across campus to help with production, and the university’s School of Theatre & Dance is providing elastic straps for the shields. Over 30 shields have already been donated to University Medical Center, and the school has materials to make at least 300 more. Texas Tech is also working on designs for ventilators and respirators.

University of Bridgeport

Bridgeport, Connecticut

Date Added: 04/03/2020

The University of Bridgeport has offered up the use of Bodine Hall, a recently vacated student residence hall, to nearby Bridgeport Hospital to use as necessary. This space will likely be used as an overflow facility for patients without coronavirus, thus freeing up beds for those infected.

University of Texas of the Permian Basin

Odessa, Texas

Date Added: 04/03/2020

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Engineers at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin are partnering with Texas Tech University Health Science Center to design and manufacture important medical devices in the fight against COVID-19, including protective face shields for doctors and nurses as well as ventilator splitters. The latter device will enable a single ventilator to be used on multiple patients in the case of a ventilator shortage.

UTPB has also donated a unique piece of personal protective equipment to nearby Odessa Regional Medical Center. The plexiglass booth will allow doctors at the hospital to treat patients without fear of exposure to the novel coronavirus. The device was designed by the school’s College of Engineering.

University of Wisconsin- Madison

Madison, Wisconsin

Date Added: 04/03/2020

Virologists at the University of Wisconsin- Madison have developed a potential COVID-19 vaccine dubbed CoroFlu. As its name implies, the new vaccine is an adaptation of an influenza vaccine. Clinical trials on humans are not expected for several months, however.

The school is also loaning out dormitories to local health care professionals in need of temporary housing. Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals from nearby hospitals will be occupying the dorms in order to reduce commutes or limit their families’ exposure to COVID-19.

In addition, engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are busy developing predictive models of the novel coronavirus. The models are intended to provide research-based assistance to public officials throughout south-central Wisconsin as they make policies to deal with the pandemic.

Through its School of Medicine and Public Health, the university is also providing zip code data to public health officials in order to allocate the necessary supplies each community needs. Working with the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality, researchers at the university have compiled health information about local residents in order to determine which areas are at the highest risk for infection and serious illness.

University researchers are also investigating a technique called mass spectrometry that could help doctors distinguish between mild and severe cases of Covid-19. If successful, the method could be used to help healthcare professionals determine which patients have the greatest need for medical equipment and resources, which are in short supply amid the public health crisis.

Researchers at UW-Madison have also made a surprising discovery related to asthma patients and the coronavirus. Their findings dispute prior assumptions that asthma puts individuals at an increased risk of severe complications from Covid-19. Instead, results point to certain protections from the virus that an asthma sufferer may have.

Meanwhile, the College of Engineering’s Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies has developed an online resource to connect community members and provide assistance and support for weathering the pandemic. Called Covid-19 Wisconsin Connect, the app/website includes an array of features including symptom tracking, guided meditations, discussion forums, and even a bilingual fact checker.

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas

Date Added: 04/03/2020

West Texas A&M University’s College of Engineering has developed antimicrobial copper patches that be placed on high-contact surfaces to lessen the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses. The innovation was developed by the dean of the engineering school along with several graduate students. The team is currently working on smaller patches designed to fit on various smartphones.

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Date added: 04/02/2020

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed an app that could provide a diagnosis of COVID-19 just by analyzing an individual’s voice. The application is still in development, but once refined, it could provide a very simple and fast method of testing for the coronavirus.

CMU is also partnering with Facebook to collect valuable data via online surveys. Both sick and healthy individuals are encouraged to respond to the questionnaire. The resulting data will be used to inform future research into the public health crisis.

In an effort to help its state make public policy decisions, the university is also providing critical data via an information dashboard. The dashboard will be used by officials to determine which regions of the state can safely reopen and resume economic activity.

Binghamton University

Vestal, New York

Date added: 04/02/2020

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Binghamton University has made several contributions to the fight against COVID-19, particularly through its Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science. One such contribution involves the design of a ventilator adapter that could connect multiple patients to a single unit. The adaptors could potentially save lives in the event of a ventilator shortage. The university is also working on new designs for N95 masks and UV sterilization methods.

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Date added: 04/02/2020

Graduate nursing students from Eastern Michigan University are volunteering at a local COVID-19 drive-thru testing site. As licensed registered nurses, the grad students are trained and credentialed to swab patients for testing. The testing center is also considering using undergraduate nursing students from EMU if necessary to deliver test samples to the labs and direct traffic.

The university is also allowing a nearby hospital to use washers and dryers housed in the school’s Student Athlete Performance Center. St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor is using the machines to launder personal protective equipment and hospital scrubs worn by healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hondros College of Nursing

Westerville, Ohio

Date added: 04/02/2020

Almost 100 recent graduates of Hondros College of Nursing are getting temporary licenses in order to join the front lines of the COVID-19 battle in hospitals across Ohio. The state’s governor recently signed legislation that allows these nurses to skip their boards and get the necessary credentials to practice right away.

Hudson Valley Community College

Troy, New York

Date added: 04/02/2020

Hudson Valley Community College has volunteered to be a point of distribution (POD) for emergency medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for its community’s first responders. Employees of the college are staffing the POD, which is reserved only for police, fire, and EMS personnel.

Other efforts are ongoing across the community college’s campus. HVCC’s nursing and dental hygiene programs have rounded up unused lab supplies and PPE to donate to local hospitals and clinics, for instance. The school’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology program is working to design and manufacture face shields for nearby St. Peter’s Health Partners.

Piedmont Technical College

Greenwood, South Carolina

Date added: 04/02/2020

Piedmont Technical College took a proactive approach to preparing its students for the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Months before the college transitioned to online learning for the sake of social distancing, the school began fast-tracking nursing students so that they could graduate early and join the fight alongside other licensed healthcare professionals in South Carolina. Forty-five RPNs and thirty LPNs will complete their programs this semester.

” [Piedmont Technical College President Ray] Brooks described the coronavirus pandemic as ‘our generation’s World War II moment’ and said nurses and other health care professionals are the heroes.”

-Index-Journal, March 31, 2020

Quinnipiac University

Hamden, Connecticut

Date added: 04/02/2020

Joining numerous other colleges and universities across the United States, Quinnipiac University is donating unused personal protective equipment (PPE) from its recently vacated laboratories and classrooms to local healthcare facilities.  In addition, the school is emptying refrigerators and freezers from its dining halls to give to local food pantries. The school is also contributing the use of its empty dormitories for first responders who need to self-isolate during the pandemic.

Seton Hall University

South Orange, New Jersey.

Date added: 04/02/2020

Students from Seton Hall University’s Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine are stepping up to help in the fight against COVID-19 in a novel way—by reading up on the virus. As research results and other high-level medical information comes in about COVID-19, doctors on the front lines need a way to keep up. These medical students are filling the void by poring over the available scholarly research and passing the pertinent information over to doctors in the field. Students working on the project have found it’s the best way to help battle the pandemic without actually scrubbing in.

Somerset Community College

Somerset, Kentucky

Date added: 04/02/2020

A leader in 3-D printing education, Somerset Community College is putting its theory into practice in a big way by manufacturing face shields for Kentucky’s medical professionals. The school hopes to be able to do its part in preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus by making as many of these shields as they can. Currently, they’re producing this critical personal protective equipment (PPE) at the rate of about 100 shields per hour.

SCC is also helping ease the economic impact of the pandemic by offering free online courses to individuals who want to pursue a new career or make a career change. The classes available at no cost include Digital Photography and Blueprint Reading Fundamentals, for example.

Texas A&M University

College Station, Texas

Date added: 04/02/2020

Faculty members from several different academic departments at Texas A&M University are working hard to create an infectious disease model to track the spread of COVID-19. The hope is that the model will be a resource for medical professionals, public officials, and the general public throughout the state of Texas and the nation.

Texas A&M researchers are also looking into the effects of a tuberculosis vaccine on Covid-19. If trials are successful, the TB treatment would be used to prevent mild cases of the coronavirus from becoming worse. The study is part of a collaboration between Texas A&M University, Harvard, and Baylor College of Medicine.

University of California-Davis

Davis, California

Date added: 04/02/2020

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Clinical trials have started at the University of California-Davis for two possible drug therapies for the novel coronavirus: Remdesivir and Sarilumab. These drugs are being tested for their effectiveness in treating patients with severe cases of COVID-19. These separate trials are sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, respectively.

The school is also using an automated testing system that allows doctors to quickly process COVID-19 tests. Using a robot the size of a large motor vehicle, the robot currently tests 400 samples per day and this number is increasing.

UC-Davis will also be participating in pre-clinical testing for a vaccine candidate for the novel coronavirus. The candidate, called VaxiPatch, is a dermal patch that is affixed to the patient’s arm.

University of Hartford

West Hartford, Connecticut

Date added: 04/02/2020

The University of Hartford has offered up the use of its student dormitories to first responders in Hartford and New Haven. The housing will provide a safe place for police officers and firefighters who are self-isolating while awaiting test results or those who choose to stay away from home to protect their families from possible exposure.

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

Date added: 04/02/2020

A professor at the University of Houston has developed a protective coating that he believes can prevent COVID-19 from absorbing into personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks and scrubs, thus providing an extra layer of protection for healthcare professionals. The waterproofing solution is still awaiting approval from the FDA.

The university is also supplying medical face shields for healthcare workers through its Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design. An initial order of 500 shields will be fulfilled for nearby Ben Taub and Lyndon B. Johnson hospitals.

University of Houston-Downtown

Houston, Texas

Date added: 04/02/2020

The University of Houston-Downtown has responded to Greater Houston Partnership’s urgent request for personal protective equipment (PPE) for the city’s medical personnel by making a massive donation of lab supplies. The school’s contribution included 4,500 pairs of gloves and nearly 400 disposable lab coats. The supplies came from the university’s College of Sciences and Technology.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois

Date added: 04/02/2020

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In partnership with medical professionals at Carle Health, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Grainger College of Engineering has developed a prototype of an emergency ventilator. Called the Illinois RapidVent, the device can be plugged into an oxygen tank or other oxygen source. Preliminary testing has revealed performance rivaling that of commercial ventilators. The project is ongoing, and more testing is needed before the ventilators can be used in a clinical setting.

The university’s Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) is also being prepared to house overflow patients from nearby hospitals should they become overwhelmed due to the pandemic. Residence halls on campus are also being prepped for medical workers who need a place to stay while fighting the novel coronavirus on the front lines.

University of Maryland

College Park, Maryland

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Date added: 04/02/2020

The University of Maryland researchers are contributing to the fight against COVID-19 in highly innovative ways. One such contribution is a custom 3-D printed mask based on a scan of the health care professional’s face. This method creates a perfectly fitted mask that is also reusable. Scientists at the university are also working towards developing a sterilization method for disposable masks meant to extend the life of each mask, thereby helping with the current PPE shortage.

Researchers at the University of Maryland are also studying the potential for weather patterns to predict the spread of the coronavirus throughout various regions of the world. The school is now partnering with scientists at MIT to apply its research to the United States in particular.

Graduate students at the university are also hard at work making hand sanitizer for the community’s first responders. So far, over a hundred bottles of the sanitizer have been donated to local police and fire departments.

The university has also given its nursing students an early-exit option in order to provide much-needed assistance to the Covid-19 relief effort in a professional capacity. In order to be eligible, students must meet certain academic requirements. The school has also reached out to area hospitals in order to provide employment opportunities to these early graduates.

Across campus at the Maryland Transportation Institute, researchers have been working on an analysis of each state’s social distancing efforts. Using location data from cellphones, scientists were able to determine which states were most effective in adhering to stay-at-home orders.

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Date added: 04/02/2020

The University of Michigan is handing over the use of its indoor track to serve as a field hospital if necessary. Part of the school’s Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus, the track would house a minimum of 500 beds that would be reserved for coronavirus patients who have been stabilized but still require treatment.

Researchers at the university have also developed a negative pressure helmet apparatus for use in COVID-19 treatment. The helmets serve the dual purpose of treating respiratory symptoms of the coronavirus while protecting healthcare workers from exposure.

U-M is also coordinating a community-wide response to the pandemic. Community members are being asked to help the university in its various efforts to fight COVID-19. This could include monetary donations, contributions of PPE or food items, donations of blood, and more.

The University of Michigan’s School of Social Work & Department of Psychology is also offering psychological support services to essential workers as well as those on the front lines of the pandemic. The program, led by a PhD student at the university, connects workers and therapists in the region.  

On the diagnostic front, researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a new antibody test that could deliver faster, more reliable results. The technology uses a microfluidic device (also called a “lab-on-a-chip”) to detect COVID-19 antibodies. The presence of these antibodies could indicate immunity to the novel coronavirus.

To help ease the shortage of medical equipment necessary to treat critical COVID-19 patients, the university has also designed a device to enhance the capacity of existing ventilators. The device, named VentMI, divides ventilator output between two patients, doubling the current efficiency of ventilator supplies.

University of New Haven

West Haven, Connecticut

Date added: 04/02/2020

Like several other colleges and universities across the country, the University of New Haven is converting its student dorms into housing for its community’s first responders. The university stepped up to help amidst the public health crisis in response to a request from New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker. It plans to house as many police officers, firefighters, and 911 operators as necessary during the pandemic.

“They rolled out the red carpet for us,” [New Haven Fire Chief John] Alston told Esquire. “The University said, ‘We’ve got dormitories. They can stay here.’ We’re not going to put anyone there who’s COVID-positive, obviously. But if we need to observe someone, it’s exactly what we need.”

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications, University of New Haven

Across campus, the school’s College of Engineering and the Cyber Forensics Research and Education Group is working on an app called PandeMICs intended to keep the public informed regarding coronavirus developments and resources. Once fully developed, the application will provide real-time statistics as well as a tool to connect individuals to essential items they need as well as food shelters and community services.

University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, Texas

Date added: 04/02/2020

Faculty and staff from the University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Health Science plan to provide much-needed assistance to the El Paso Department of Public Health Laboratory as they strive to keep up with the growing demand for COVID-19 testing. These trained clinicians already have the skills and knowledge necessary to provide immediate help to the lab.

On another front, UTEP is also gathering its unused lab supplies for donation and 3-D printing face shields for healthcare workers.

Perhaps most importantly, UTEP has launched a research effort to discover a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. The study is being conducted through the university’s School of Pharmacy and involves the use of advanced computers to develop viral protein inhibitors.

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

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Date added: 04/02/2020

The University of Utah is trying to get ahead of the current pandemic by researching ways to prevent a future outbreak. So far, researchers have identified a link between the novel coronavirus and viruses common in animals like bats and pangolins. They hope their studies will eventually lead to effective treatments and preventative measures.

The school was also the recipient of a $200,000 grant from the federal government to support its research efforts into the spread of COVID-19. Specifically, the school will be studying how the virus is spread through mucus.

At the University of Utah Health, engineers have also developed an improved respirator system for healthcare workers fighting on the front lines of the pandemic. The device is not only reusable but also features an air-purifying component. The school is making several hundred of the devices to donate to local medical facilities.

Researchers at the university are also employing supercomputers in order to develop molecular models of drug compounds with the potential to treat Covid-19. The goal is to help accelerate the discovery of viable coronavirus drug therapies.

U of U scientists are also making and testing artificial peptides to combat Covid-19. A similar method has been developed in the past to treat HIV patients. Researchers say it could be two or three years before the treatment is available, however.

University of Washington

Seattle, Washington

Date added: 04/02/2020

The University of Washington has made significant strides to prepare its state to battle the novel coronavirus. It was one of the first schools in the country to begin testing for the coronavirus in early March, using robotic testing machines with the capacity to handle nearly 100 specimens at a time.

The school’s Institute for Protein Design has also developed a puzzle game that they hope will help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The game has been made available to over 750,000 registered users of the website Foldit where researchers hope to crowdsource a solution to this global problem.

UW Medicine’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is also using technology to battle the pandemic. Its new web app provides research-based projections for COVID-19 cases state by state. The app is intended to help public officials and healthcare providers plan for the virus’s peak in each state.

Nearly a dozen departments and groups across campus are also collaborating on an initiative to develop medical-quality face shields for healthcare workers in the area. Over 70 3-D printers across the university have been utilized, and the school has already surpassed the 1,000-mask mark.

Volunteer State Community College

Gallatin, Tennessee

Date added: 04/02/2020

Volunteer State Community College is joining numerous other schools around the nation in donating desperately needed medical supplies to local hospitals during this unprecedented public health crisis. Most notably, the school loaned out ventilators from its respiratory care program to nearby Sumner Regional Medical Center and Centennial Medical Center. Other donations included masks, face shields, gloves, and respirators.

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

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Date added: 04/02/2020

Wayne State University is partnering with Michigan medical centers to test drugs and other therapies in order to evaluate their impact on the novel coronavirus. One such treatment involves the use of plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19.

The school has also developed crucial test kits for Detroit’s drive-thru COVID-19 testing site. The 12,000 kits were assembled by faculty and staff and comprised of materials donated by the university.

The school’s Office of Women’s Health is also providing resources for expecting women throughout Detroit amid the public health crisis. Available services include meals, transportation, medical attention, and mental health assistance. The program, called Make Your Date Detroit, intends to make a positive impact on an especially vulnerable population as the pandemic plays out.

More recently, the school has deployed mobile COVID-19 testing units. In partnership with Ford, the school plans to test at least one hundred Detroit residents per day.

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Date added: 04/02/2020

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Yale University has established a COVID-19 Response Coordination Team to synchronize their many efforts to contribute to the battle against the novel coronavirus. In addition to ongoing medical research regarding genetics, new drug therapies, and the manufacturing of medical equipment, Yale is working to provide a field hospital to contain the projected overflow of patients from nearby hospitals. Faculty and students are also volunteering to help in myriad ways, including providing medical screening, delivering groceries, and even calling nursing homes to chat with lonely residents.

Arizona State University

Tempe, Arizona

Date Added: 04/01/2020

Arizona State University is working smarter, not harder, to process coronavirus tests. Researchers from the school’s Biodesign Institute are using specialized robots to process test samples, a more efficient process than the by-hand method currently used by labs and hospitals. The effort is being funded by a $2 million grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. The university is also making COVID-19 test kits to distribute to local medical facilities.

The university has also volunteered to provide free COVID-19 testing to all first responders in the Phoenix area. According to ASU, these first responders are some of the most vulnerable when it comes to contracting the novel coronavirus.

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, Ohio

Date Added: 04/01/2020

A chemistry professor from Case Western Reserve University has joined a research team to create a COVID-19 anti-viral. The project is still awaiting funding approval from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), but the team is optimistic about its ability to help slow the spread of the virus.

The university is also developing a triage tool that could be used to quickly identify the progression of the virus in COVID-19 patients. The computer-automated tool is programmed to evaluate CT scans for signs that a patient’s condition will deteriorate. Researchers say it could be useful in determining which patients need the most aggressive treatments.

Researchers at the university’s Sears think[box] Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship are also developing an impressive piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) that healthcare workers can add to their Covid-19 toolbox. The “Intubation” box will provide extra protection for medical professionals while intubating patients with the novel coronavirus.

“Taiwanese scientists have been able to clone the coronavirus and provide a copy to study at the molecular level, allowing Tolbert and his team to learn how the virus works.”

Camryn Justice, March 30,2020, News 5 Cleveland

Germanna Community College

Locust Grove, Virginia

Date Added: 04/01/2020

Germanna Community College is stepping up to help the state’s battle against COVID-19 by donating all of the personal protective equipment (PPE) normally used in the school’s nursing and health-training programs to the local hospital, Mary Washington Healthcare. In total, the school was able to contribute over 18,000 pairs of gloves, 250 N-95 masks and isolation gowns, 200 head nets, and 100 booties.

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Date Added: 04/01/2020

Harvard Medical School is giving its fourth-year medical students the opportunity to graduate early so that they can join the front lines of the fight against COVID-19. The decision is a response to the Massachusetts governor’s request for more trained healthcare workers amid fears that area hospital staff will become overwhelmed due to the coronavirus. Students who opt for early graduation may receive a provisional license from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine prior to completing the internship normally required for professional licensure.

Appropriately, Harvard is also battling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the educational front. The school’s undergraduate students are volunteering to help K-12 students with their schoolwork amid the pandemic. Since grade schools across the country have closed their physical doors due to COVID-19, many children are lacking the resources to learn effectively. Harvard is attempting to remedy this problem through a virtual tutoring platform called CovEd.

The university is also studying the link between the coronavirus and exposure to pollution. Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that individuals with COVID-19 who had been exposed to increased levels of pollution were more likely to die of the virus. The study used geographical locations of patients as well as data related to pollution levels by state.

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

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Date Added: 04/01/2020

To contribute to its community’s COVID-19 testing efforts, Humboldt State University is using resources from its Department of Biological Sciences to develop test kits. The resulting 1,250 coronavirus testing kits will be delivered to the Humboldt County Public Health Department via “sterile viral transport.”

Indiana University

Indianapolis, Indiana

Date Added: 04/01/2020

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Indiana University has joined the effort to create faster testing methods for the coronavirus. The project is a collaborative effort among the university’s School of Medicine, IUPUI School of Informatics and Computing, and Indiana University Health. The goal is to create a rapid diagnostic solution that can be administered in a healthcare setting. Using a “benchtop sequencing approach,” the test results could be delivered in hours rather than days.

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa

Date Added: 04/01/2020

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The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Iowa State University is contributing staff and equipment to the coronavirus testing effort. Among the equipment the school is sending to the University of Iowa’s State Hygienic Lab is a robotic DNA extraction machine with the capacity for rapidly testing samples. ISU is also prepared to donate its inventory of personal protective equipment and ventilators if necessary.

Iowa State University researchers are also developing a predictive model illustrating the spread of the novel coronavirus. The highly detailed mathematical model developed through the school’s Department of Statistics will help inform public policy surrounding the pandemic.

The school is also working to improve COVID-19 testing methods. Scientists at the university are developing a small device the size of a smartphone that could provide diagnostic information for the coronavirus as well as other viruses. The school hopes the device could be useful in battling the public health crisis, especially in rural communities.

Johnson County Community College

Overland Park, Kansas

Date Added: 04/01/2020

To help its state prepare for the growing number of COVID-19 patients, Johnson County Community College is donating nine ventilators to the University of Kansas Health System. Under normal circumstances, these ventilators would be used in the school’s respiratory care program. Now, they could potentially save the life of someone infected with the novel coronavirus. JCCC is also donating unused lab supplies to healthcare workers on the front lines.

Joliet Junior College

Joliet, Illinois

Date Added: 04/01/2020

Joliet Junior College is making a significant contribution to the state of Illinois’ fight against COVID-19. Not only is it donating masks and other lab supplies from its Health and Public Services Department, but the school is also employing 3-D printers to create face shields. The equipment will be delivered to healthcare facilities in Joliet and nearby Morris, New Lenox, and Plainfield.

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Date Added: 04/01/2020

msu biggest colleges in america

Home to one of the largest healthcare training programs in the U.S., Michigan State University is prepping its medical students to receive their credentials early so that they can provide much-needed professional services amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The university is collaborating with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) to find a way for the graduates to receive the necessary licenses to join the front lines of the COVID-19 battle sooner rather than later.

Like other colleges and universities across the nation, MSU is also 3-D printing medical face shields to donate to local hospitals.

The university is also working towards improving COVID-19 diagnostics. MSU researchers have developed a test that is purportedly hundreds of times more accurate than current testing capabilities. It has been sent to the FDA for authorization.

MSU has also developed a way to decontaminate personal protective equipment (PPE) using vaporized hydrogen peroxide. This is the second new sanitation process the university has introduced during the public health crisis. It now has the capacity to disinfect up to 15,000 items per day.

From face shields to ventilator parts, 3-D printers are producing PPE that are enabling healthcare workers across the country to care for patients while limiting their exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Date Added: 04/01/2020

The chief of infectious diseases at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Dr. Babafemi Taiwo, is the principal investigator of a new clinical drug trial for COVID-19. The study will evaluate the effects of the anti-viral drug Remdesivir on patients hospitalized with the novel coronavirus. It will be several months before the results of the trial will be evident.

Other scientists from Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine have identified proteins within COVID-19 that enable the virus to go undetected by the human immune system. These researchers say a drug is needed to target these proteins and prevent the virus from replicating once a person is infected.

Across campus in the university’s sociology department, researchers are studying the social impact of the pandemic. Through the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, social scientists have developed a national survey in an attempt to monitor the public response to the public health crisis. They say the results will be critical to shaping public policy in the aftermath of COVID-19.

NU engineers have also developed a virtual way of tracking the nation’s ventilators and ICU beds. The tool is intended to ensure necessary medical equipment is available to the parts of the country that need it the most during the pandemic.

Biologists at the university have just received funding from the National Science Foundation to simplify testing for COVID-19. The school is developing a quick and easy testing device similar to a pregnancy test that would produce rapid results. Crucially, the test would also be administrable from home and without the assistance of a medical professional. Researchers hope the development will expand testing and provide more diagnostic data surrounding the novel coronavirus.

Purdue University

West Lafayette, Indiana

Date Added: 04/01/2020

Understanding the need for quick solutions to the problems the pandemic has presented in recent months, Purdue University is rallying its resources to get products and treatments to consumers as quickly as possible. Specifically, the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization is working on the necessary patenting and licensing to make new technologies available to the public. This includes rapid COVID-19 testing solutions, vaccines, and drug treatments, and decontamination solutions.

Across campus, there are nearly 50 other ongoing research projects related to the coronavirus. Researchers from various university departments are working to learn more about COVID-19, including viable drug therapies, improved manufacturing processes for medical supplies, and enhanced diagnostics.

Like many other universities across the nation, Purdue is also using 3-D printers to produce medical devices and personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare providers.

Purdue has also made the decision to allow early graduation of its pharmacy students amid the public health crisis. Nearly 145 students will receive their credentials and be eligible to work as graduate pharmacists pending their licensure. The move was made in response to concerns over a potential shortage of pharmacists in the coming months.

On another front, the university’s College of Health and Human Sciences is providing resources to local families as they navigate challenges posed by the pandemic. The initiative is called Families Tackling Tough Times Together. Topics covered will include creativity, honesty, and adaptability.

The university’s College of Agriculture has also held a virtual food drive to benefit families in North Central Indiana. The school was able to raise over $80,000 for local Food Finders Food Bank. That will mean nearly half a million meals for residents in the area.

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri

Date Added: 04/01/2020

With three decades of experience investigating infectious diseases, Saint Louis University is preparing to test possible COVID-19 treatments. The school was recently selected as one of nine Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study the novel coronavirus. Drug trial participants must have a diagnosis of COVID-19 and be hospitalized at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital.

The school is also participating in ongoing efforts to discover a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. This important research is being funded by a generous grant from the Sinquefield Center for Research, Inc.

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Date Added: 04/01/2020

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Texas State University has decided to donate ventilators from its Department of Respiratory Care to local hospitals in an effort to prepare them for an onslaught of patients diagnosed with COVID-19. The school has donated four ventilators to Ascension Seton Williamson and two units to Dell Seton Medical Center so far. There are plans to donate more to St. David’s HealthCare in Austin, TX.  

University of Alabama-Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama

Date Added: 04/01/2020

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The University of Alabama-Birmingham is partnering with a biopharmaceutical company to test a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Called AdCOVID, the vaccine is an intranasal spray that will first be tested on mice before it can be used in human trials. Six of UAB’s labs will be devoting all of its resources to the study over the next several months.

UAB is also testing the effects of nitric oxide on COVID-19 patients with severe lung damage as a result of the infection. The study is part of an international clinical trial involving critical coronavirus patients.

UAB is also partnering with Scripps Research to evaluate existing drugs for their potential to treat the novel coronavirus. By testing drugs already approved by the FDA, the university hopes to be able to fast-track effective COVID-19 treatments.

In partnership with Birmingham City Schools and the Tuscaloosa County School System, UA students are also providing free tutoring for K-12 students. These services will be provided via telephone, web conferencing, and YouTube. The program is being offered through the university’s Culverhouse LIFT Program and is intended to relieve the burden on parents who are doubling as teachers for their children amid the pandemic.

University of Alaska-Anchorage

Anchorage, Alaska

Date Added: 04/01/2020

Researchers at the University of Alaska-Anchorage have developed a model to predict the toll the coronavirus will likely take on the state in terms of deaths and hospitalizations. This research-based model includes predictions based on various conditions, including lockdown and social distancing, for instance. Although some of the predictions are grim, the data will help prepare healthcare professionals and public officials as they plan the state’s response to COVID-19.

[update] The school is also consulting with the Alaska Board of Nursing to enable their nursing students to graduate early so that they can join the front lines of the battle against COVID-19. Over 70 nursing students could receive a temporary license that would allow them to practice for a crucial six-month period.

Across campus, the school’s Alaska Center for Rural Health and Health Workforce is developing a “medical supply survey tool” in partnership with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services COVID-19 Task Force. The goal of the initiative is to ensure medical supplies are distributed to the places experiencing the most critical needs.

University of Colorado

Denver, Colorado

Date Added: 04/01/2020

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The University of Colorado is considering joining the increasing number of schools giving their medical students the opportunity to graduate early. Pending the decision, students from the UC School of Medicine are using social media to mobilize other volunteer efforts, including those at the Salvation Army, elder outreach programs, and local hospitals.

Dr. Marc Moss, head of pulmonology at UCHealth Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus, spoke at a news conference with Gov. Jared Polis on Monday, saying the ICU at CU’s hospital is seeing almost double the average number of patients ‘and we’re only at the beginning of this crisis.’”

-Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, March 30,2020

Doctors at the university’s School of Medicine have also designed a virtual physical exam that can be used in telemedicine protocols. The technology will allow patients to see a doctor and be examined without coming into the office and potentially exposing themselves or others to COVID-19.

A faculty member at the University of Colorado’s School of Dental Medicine has designed a potential solution to the shortage of ventilators amid the pandemic. The multi-patient ventilator could treat up to a dozen patients at once. Testing of the prototype is currently underway.

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

Date Added: 04/01/2020

Public health officials have warned all Americans to stay at home, arguing that even people without symptoms of the virus can have it. Researchers at the University of Florida are conducting a study to determine the extent to which this is true. The study involves COVID-19 testing of individuals living in a retirement community who are not experiencing symptoms. Outside of the study, the university is also offering drive-thru coronavirus testing for those members of the community who are symptomatic.

Meanwhile, a UF anesthesiology professor has developed a DIY ventilator that can be made from hardware store purchases such as PVC pipes and valves from lawn sprinklers, for instance.  Samsun Lampotang says he does not plan to patent the ventilator and hopes anyone in need of one will use his design.

Researchers at the university are also investigating how children are affected by Covid-19, both socially and biologically. The study is an interdisciplinary effort that seeks to better understand the virus among school-aged children.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Date Added: 04/01/2020

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The University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill is one of a number of different universities studying the anti-viral drug Remdesivir for its effectiveness in treating COVID-19. Researchers out of the school’s Gillings School of Global Public Health have been investigating the drug for several years now, but the World Health Organization has recently fast-tracked their research in light of the current public health crisis.

In addition, the school is also partnering with researchers from East Carolina and Duke universities to determine an accurate number of cases of Covid-19 in North Carolina. The survey will include testing of individuals in several counties throughout the state who show few or no symptoms of the novel coronavirus.

Medical students at the university are also teaming up to help the community’s senior citizens amid the public health crisis. Realizing the at-risk group would be reluctant to venture out for essentials, the students are performing grocery and pharmacy runs for the elderly. They are also calling homebound seniors as a way of relieving the isolation imposed by Covid-19. The group says they will continue to volunteer their services throughout the duration of the pandemic.  

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

Galveston, Texas

Date Added: 04/01/2020

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has partnered with biopharmaceutical company Sorrento Therapeutics to test the company’s drug candidates for coronavirus treatment. This pre-clinical research will be conducted in the school’s Animal Biosafety Laboratory 3, one of the few Biosafety Level 4 (BSL4) labs in the United States.

Auburn University

Auburn, Alabama

Date Added: 3/31/2020, Updated: 04/03/2020

auburn-university

A clinical professor at the Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy will join the state of Alabama’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force. Dr. Spencer Durham is a board-certified infectious disease pharmacist. Governor Kay Ivey appointed Durham to the board so that he could be the voice of the state’s pharmaceutical industry during this challenging time.

Many colleges and universities in the U.S. have contributed to the medical device shortage that COVID-19 has created. Auburn University has discovered a truly innovative way to make a difference though. Engineers from the school’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering have found a way to convert CPAP machines into working ventilators. The prototype, called RE-INVENT, will be shared with health care providers as well as companies interested in manufacturing the device on a large scale.

Across campus, Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine is also doing its part to help mitigate the public health crisis by donating its veterinary ventilators and other medical supplies to East Alabama Medical Center.

More recently, Auburn has begun an initiative to provide 10,000 protective masks to health clinics throughout its local region. The effort is being organized by the university’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

Auburn has also contributed to the state’s Covid-19 testing efforts. Through its Medical Clinic, the school is offering coronavirus testing to the general public via a drive-thru format.

Barry University

Miami, Florida

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Joining several other colleges and universities across the U.S., Barry University has announced it will allow some of its medical students to graduate early so that they can join the fight against COVID-19 in a professional capacity. Specifically, the entire graduating class of the school’s Cardiovascular Perfusion Program will now receive their credentials on April 11, 2020—about a month earlier than planned. Cardiac perfusionists are currently in high demand because they can help coronavirus patients who can no longer breathe independently.

Recently, the school announced that it will also allow early graduation of its nurse anesthetists. Nearly 60 of these medical professionals will be deployed to the front lines of the pandemic with their credentials in hand. A virtual ceremony will be held to honor the graduates.

Colorado State University

Fort Collins, Colorado

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Colorado State University has also joined the nationwide search to find a vaccine for COVID-19. The school’s Infectious Disease Research Center is a Biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) facility, which enables researchers to work with microbes containing the coronavirus and other contagious diseases in a safe and secure environment.  CSU researchers are also interested in how bats have developed a resistance to the virus and how COVID-19 tests could be administered more efficiently. 

More recently, the school has partnered with aerospace and industrial manufacturer Woodward to produce more ventilators amid the pandemic. The prototype for the machines has been submitted to the Food and Drug Association (FDA) and is awaiting approval.

CSU is also launching a coronavirus testing initiative for individuals who show no symptoms of the virus. Of the 500 people already tested, almost 60 tested positive, even though they never had any symptoms of Covid-19. The goal of the research is to develop an early detection method for the coronavirus in order to prevent its spread.

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, Iowa

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Cornell College has found a unique way to contribute to the effort to combat COVID-19. The school is donating its powerful computer processing capabilities to researchers working on an international supercomputer designed to mimic coronavirus proteins. The so-called “clock cycles” were taken from the graphics cards of the PCs used by the school’s esports team, whose activities have been temporarily suspended like most other college activities across the nation. The hope is that by simulating the virus, the crowd-sourced supercomputer can help scientists learn more about COVID-19, including how to manage and even cure it.

Creighton University

Omaha, Nebraska

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Creighton University is one of the many schools across the nation collecting supplies for healthcare workers dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The university’s School of Medicine has set up a donation center to collect any unused personal protective equipment (PPE) such as medical masks, gowns, and gloves as well as cleaning supplies like bleach wipes, for instance. Creighton students will also arrange to pick up supplies for individuals who can’t bring them to the center.

A web developer at the university is also designing a ventilator that can be made from inexpensive household supplies. Once completed, the design will be released to the public as an open-source file that can be used and/or modified.

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia

Date Added: 3/31/2020

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Stepping up to help amidst this public health crisis, Emory University has agreed to participate in a clinical trial to test a coronavirus vaccine. Dubbed mRNA-1273, the new vaccine will be tested in the school’s Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit as part of the study’s first critical phase. Emory is currently looking for volunteers aged 18-55 from Atlanta and Seattle to participate in the trial.

The university has also developed an antibody test that could detect whether or not a person has recovered from COVID-19. The test could also reveal whether the recovered patient has a resulting immunity to the virus. Emory hopes the results of these tests will help slow the spread of the disease while helping the public return to normal activities.

Louisiana State University-Shreveport

Shreveport, Louisiana

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Louisiana State University Shreveport

Louisiana State University-Shreveport has established a new testing lab to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emerging Viral Threat (EVT) Lab is now the first lab in the northern part of the state to receive approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to analyze coronavirus tests and issue diagnoses of the disease. Louisiana is currently among the three states in the U.S. hit hardest by the virus in terms of per capita cases.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Date Added: 3/31/2020

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Laboratories from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are contributing to the battle against COVID-19 by donating unopened personal protective equipment (PPE) to local health facilities. This includes any unused face masks, gloves, gowns, respirators, and cleaning supplies, for example.

On the technology front, MIT is also working with Boston University to develop an app to alert users when they’ve come in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. The smartphone application will be launched through a group called Private Automatic Contact Tracing, or PACT.

Undergraduate students at the university are also providing volunteer tutoring services to K-12 students as part of an initiative called CovEd. In collaboration with Harvard students, MIT tutors are helping to fill the void left by campus closures of elementary and secondary schools across the country amid the pandemic.

MIT researchers are also in collaboration with the University of Maryland to investigate how weather patterns in the United States may affect the spread of COVID-19. Their findings may play a critical role in public policy designed to contain the virus.

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Middlebury College is offering up its recently vacated student dorms to nearby Porter Medical Center to serve as hospital overflow facilities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The school even went the extra mile and drained its ice-hockey rink so that the space could be used as a “pop-up hospital” if necessary.

Missouri Southern State University

Joplin, Missouri

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Missouri Southern State University is taking proactive steps to ensure its nearby hospitals are equipped with the personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary to weather the pandemic. The school has emptied its College of Health Sciences of any unused face masks, gowns, caps, and other equipment to donate to Freeman Health System and Mercy Joplin hospital. The Athletics Department contributed to the effort as well, collecting items such as gloves, gauze, and disinfectants. Perhaps most importantly, MSSU loaned out several ventilators used in the school’s respiratory therapy program.

Missouri State University

Springfield, Missouri

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Missouri State University is helping fight COVID-19 through innovative techniques like 3-D printing and laser cutting. Professionals at the school’s Jordan Valley Innovation Center are making plastic face shields for health care professionals to be worn over their surgical masks. Not only do the shields provide an extra layer of protection, but they can also enable doctors and nurses to wear their masks longer—an important factor given the nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio

Date Added: 3/31/2020

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The Ohio State University is helping medical professionals as well as the public at large prepare for a spike in the state’s coronavirus cases. The school has developed a modeling system in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic in order to predict the number of cases of COVID-19 in Ohio at the peak of the virus’s spread. The planning tool will help medical facilities as they prepare for the onslaught of patients.

The school has also made strides in its effort to improve testing for COVID-19. The university’s Wexner Medical Center has produced testing swabs using 3-D printers and developed critical viral transport media used to move testing samples from the testing site to the lab. Both of these developments have received FDA-approval.

In addition, Ohio State is also allowing some of its medical students to graduate early so that they can join the front lines of the fight against COVID-19. Its Board of Trustees recently approved the graduation of more than 50 Doctor of Medicine students so that they can contribute their newfound expertise amid the public health crisis.

Researchers from the school’s Wexner Medical Center are also testing the use of nitric oxide to treat COVID-19 patients. The therapy is intended to prevent respiratory disease from getting worse in patients who have symptoms of the virus. If successful, it could keep patients off of ventilators and out of the intensive care unit.

The school is also fighting COVID-19 on the mental health front. In partnership with Trusted Health (a career resource center for nurses), the school is proving wellness services to travel nurses amid the current public health crisis. The services will include access to an emotional support hotline as well as a wellness counseling program.

Over $200,000 of university funds have recently been allocated to COVID-19 research. Funded projects span multidisciplinary topics such as coronavirus detection methods, economic and environmental impacts of the pandemic, and school meal programs, for instance.

Rice University

Houston, Texas

Date Added: 3/31/2020

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In response to the potential for a nationwide ventilator shortage, Rice University’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen has developed an inexpensive solution—small ventilators that cost only about $300 each. The hope is that these economical devices could provide substitutes for the larger, more expensive ventilators for patients who aren’t as critical. The prototypes will be finalized by the end of March.

The university has also developed two online surveys in order to collect data related to the local impact of COVID-19. The goal is to provide local officials with the information necessary to make informed decisions about social distancing measures, stay-at-home orders, and other pandemic responses.

On the economic front, the university is also reaching out to help local businesses as they weather the pandemic. Through its Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, Rice has developed an initiative along with local agencies called the Back in Business Initiative. The program will provide education and resources to help small businesses recover from the impact of the coronavirus crisis.

Rowan University

Glassboro, New Jersey

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Rowan University is answering its state’s cry for more personal protective gear by 3D-printing face masks made from plastic spools. Although the masks will not provide as much protection as the CDC-recommended N95 masks, they may prove a better alternative to bandanas or paper masks. The washable masks will feature removable filters and straps.

Engineering students are also making intubation boxes for nearby South Jersey hospitals. Inspired by an open-source design first created by a doctor in Taiwan, the boxes are designed to protect healthcare professionals during the intubation process.

To alleviate the shortage of healthcare professionals on the front lines of the public health crisis, Rowan is also allowing seniors from their two medical schools to graduate early. Eligible students from the university’s Cooper Medical School and School of Osteopathic Medicine will graduate about a month earlier in order to offer their much-needed services to patients in New Jersey and around the country.  

Salisbury University

Salisbury, Maryland

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Salisbury University is among a number of colleges across the country collecting personal protective equipment (PPE) to donate to its local hospitals. SU has set up a donation center in order to gather as many needed items as possible to give to healthcare workers at Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) and Atlantic General Hospital (AGH). Items collected include respirator masks, eye protection, face shields, gloves, and thermometers.

The school has also made a sizeable donation of food to local homeless shelters and food pantries.

In addition, the school is also designing and producing devices to protect healthcare workers who must intubate COVID-19 patients. Well over a dozen of the “intubation cubes” have already been donated to nearby medical facilities. The university is considering designs for other devices such as reusable respirators and cast resin face shields, for example.

The school has also agreed to house healthcare workers who need a place to quarantine during the pandemic as well as patients who are recovering from Covid-19. Over 100 individuals from nearby Peninsula Regional Medical Center will be occupying residence halls at the university.

Simpson University

Redding, California

Date Added: 3/31/2020

simpson-university

Students from Simpson University’s Betty M. Dean School of Nursing are doing their part to battle COVID-19 by volunteering at nearby Shasta County’s Public Health Department. Among the BSN students’ tasks include providing information to the public about the coronavirus and answering phone calls from medical providers and community members. University alumni are also stepping up to help throughout the region.

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Date Added: 3/31/2020

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Temple University has donated the use of its indoor arena—the Liacouras Center—to local hospitals to use for non-coronavirus patients. This will free up Philadelphia area hospital beds for those stricken with COVID-19. The arena normally hosts university athletic events, which have been canceled in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. The school hopes to be able to house 250 patients once all of the arrangements have been made.

Like many other schools of higher education across the nation, Temple University is also using its 3-D printers to manufacture protective face shields for donation to local healthcare providers. So far, the school has produced nearly 3,000 of these shields.

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee

Date Added: 3/31/2020

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In response to a request from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Tennessee State University is using its 3D printing machines to help produce protective face gear for the state’s healthcare professionals. The project represents a combined effort from students, faculty, and staff from TSU’s College of Engineering, College of Agriculture and Library Services.

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Tufts University is among the many institutes of higher education around the country donating the use of its empty dormitories to local hospitals. The school’s residence halls will be transformed into quasi-medical centers in an effort to relieve area hospitals as they struggle to accommodate COVID-19 patients. The university’s president has also been vocal in urging other colleges and universities to do the same for their nearby medical facilities.

The university’s Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group (MGGG) is also working to develop a model for a network connecting hospitals to nearby universities who have volunteered to house healthcare workers. In addition to a model for Massachusetts, the school is developing plans for New York and Michigan as well. The models represent a logistical solution to the problem of transporting medical personnel from hospitals to residential facilities in the least amount of time possible.

Should the pandemic continue for months…the need for additional infrastructure to help combat this national health emergency will become increasingly apparent. That’s where the campus facilities of most American colleges and universities might prove to be a game-changer.

Forbes Magazine, Michael Nietzel – March, 2020

Tulane University

New Orleans, Louisiana

Date Added: 3/31/2020

According to the director of the Tulane National Primate Research Center (TNPRC), the university is in a unique position to contribute to the fight against COVID-19. Home to the only center of its kind to house a regional biocontainment laboratory, the university has the resources to safely study infectious disease and its effect on nonhuman primates. The goal of the research is to develop better diagnostic tools as well as effective treatments and vaccines.

Across campus, Tulane’s National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice is looking into the ways in which schools across the nation are responding to the Covid-19 crisis. The study, which will analyze data from roughly 150,000 schools in the United States, has been funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences.

Tulane’s students are also stepping up to help the community during the coronavirus crisis. From assisting at Covid-19 testing sites to delivering food and medical supplies, Tulane’s student body has answered the communal call for help in myriad ways.

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

Date Added: 3/31/2020

In response to the need for more physicians on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19, the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix is giving its fourth-year medical students the opportunity to graduate early. Eligible students must complete all graduation requirements in advance and must submit a formal request to the school. A projected 50 or so graduates could be practicing in the field as early as mid-April.

Scientists at the University of Arizona Health Sciences (UAHS) Biorepository are also doing their part to fight the pandemic by making thousands of coronavirus test kits.  According to the director of the biorepository, the school has the materials necessary to make up to 7,000 kits to help with the nationwide shortage.

Meanwhile, students in the College of Nursing are making homemade cloth masks for healthcare workers that can be used in addition to standard PPE. The nursing students have also shared their design online, so that others can also contribute to the cause.

Scientists at the school have also developed important antibody tests that could determine whether individuals are immune to COVID-19. The school plans to first administer these tests to local first responders and healthcare workers. The second group to be tested will include university faculty, staff, and students.

UA Health Sciences and the Data Science Institute researchers are launching a text messaging program in order to gather more information about coronavirus symptoms throughout the state. The goal of the program is to better inform public officials about the spread of the virus throughout Arizona. Participation is both voluntary and anonymous.

Researchers at UA have recently been awarded half a million dollars in funding for various interdisciplinary studies probing the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. Topics addressed will include effects on mental health, risk factors for infection, and certain drug therapies.

University of California- San Diego

San Diego, California

Date Added: 3/31/2020

The University of California-San Diego recently announced that it will begin testing the anti-viral drug Remdesivir for its effectiveness against COVID-19. The drug has already undergone clinical testing for other viruses like SARS and Ebola. Eligible patients will be those in the UCSD or UC Health systems who have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus. The study is expected to last for three years.

UC-San Diego has also expanded its Microsetta Initiative to allow individuals worldwide to contribute to the existing COVID-19 knowledge base. “Citizen-scientists” are invited to participate in the project, which could help pave the way for viable coronavirus treatments.

UC- San Diego researchers have also discovered that a specific symptom of Covid-19 is correlated with a mild case of the novel coronavirus. A recently published study out of the university reports that a loss of smell may indicate a case of coronavirus that can be treated without hospitalization. The findings could be important to medical providers who must allocate healthcare resources to the most critical patients.

University of California- San Francisco

San Francisco, California

Date Added: 3/31/2020

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The University of California- San Francisco is using its science labs to help in the coronavirus testing effort. The school hopes to be able to conduct 1,000 COVID-19 tests per day, starting with the most critical patients. By assisting local hospitals and medical facilities in making diagnoses, UCSF aims to help slow the spread of the virus.

The university has also made strides in improving the testing process. In partnership with Mammoth Biosciences of San Francisco, the school has designed an efficient testing system that can yield results in just 30 to 45 minutes. The test is currently undergoing FDA approval.

UC-San Francisco researchers are also working with scientists from Stanford University to study the prevalence and spread of the coronavirus in the Bay Area. The study’s focus will be on both healthcare workers and Bay Area residents and will seek to understand virus transmission, antibodies, and immunity.

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Realizing the significant economic impact of the pandemic, the University of Chicago is helping feed residents of its nearby communities by partnering with the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The Partnering for Community Impact initiative aims to provide at least 3,000 meals per day over the next 10 weeks to families and individuals living in South Side. The university is also offering grants and other financial support to local businesses and their employees.

On another front, the school’s Biological Sciences Division is also requesting donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) from its research labs to help supply nearby medical facilities.

University of Chicago researchers are also conducting clinical trials to study the effect of antibodies in blood plasma on the treatment of the coronavirus. The study will examine the impact of blood transfusions from recovered COVID-19 patients on those sick with the virus.

To help small businesses in the area as they endure the economic pain imposed by the pandemic, UChicago is also providing financial assistance in the form of grants. The university has dispersed over $650,000 to 182 businesses in the local area as part of its South Side COVID-19 Community Support Initiative.

Meanwhile, law students at the university are working together to create a website for local businesses. The site, called Shop in Place Chicago, enables area residents to shop local businesses from one central hub. According to the students who created the site, it is an effort to help small businesses weather the pandemic.

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

Date Added: 3/31/2020

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The University of Georgia is one of several schools across the nation to join the hunt for a coronavirus vaccine. In partnership with a company out of Rhode Island called Epivax, the school is testing vaccine possibilities under the leadership of the Center of Vaccine and Immunology director, Dr. Ted Ross. His team is also studying the virus to determine whether or not it will return each year as the flu does.

UGA is also producing over 100 face shields per day through its College of Engineering and the Instrument Design and Fabrication Shop. These shields will be donated to area hospitals such as Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center and St. Mary’s Hospital.

In addition, the school’s College of Veterinary Medicine has made a contribution to nearby hospitals. The donation included critical personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as a potentially life-saving ventilator.

Across campus, the university’s College of Education is studying how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting education in the United States. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the study will investigate STEM programs in particular and how they are pivoting to face challenges posed by the public health crisis.

University of Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Researchers at the University of Hawaii have been studying the effects of the anti-insomnia drug Zopiclone on the coronavirus. Preliminary data suggest that the drug produces more favorable outcomes for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 compared with a control group. The first study was conducted by the university’s John A. Burns School of Medicine in collaboration with scientists in Wuhan, China.

The university’s John A. Burns School of Medicine has also developed an online screening tool to connect patients to healthcare providers who can help determine whether or not individuals should be tested for COVID-19. Called UHawaii Telehealth, the service features live video chats and is free to non-insured patients.

In addition, the National Science Foundation has also funded a University of Hawaii at Manoa project to study the area’s wastewater for the presence of Covid-19. The study intends to inform methods of working with the coronavirus in water environments and to help researchers better understand the transmission of the virus.

University of Illinois

Springfield, Illinois

Date Added: 3/31/2020

The laboratories at the University of Illinois have been transformed into makeshift manufacturing plants as staff members scramble to produce hand sanitizer and PPE for local healthcare workers. The goal is to produce 1,500 gallons of the sanitizer along with as much PPE as possible. UIC has also been chosen by the National Institutes of Health for clinical trials of an anti-viral drug that could be used to treat COVID-19 patients.

University of Maine

Orono, Maine

Date Added: 3/31/2020

The University of Maine has agreed to help its local communities through the donation of needed supplies and resources, including the use of its empty campus buildings. Hundreds of masks and gloves have already been collected from a dozen different departments across the university to be given to local hospitals. Gallons of hand sanitizer produced at a university laboratory were also donated to Central Maine Medical Center. In addition, the school’s Advanced Structures and Composites Lab has plans to begin making face shields for healthcare professionals.

The university is also allowing its nursing students to graduate early so they can answer the urgent call for front line workers in the fight against COVID-19. Nearly 40 senior nursing students at the school are set to receive their credentials early. Most of them will begin their nursing careers caring for patients throughout Maine.

University of Montevallo

Montevallo, Alabama

Date Added: 3/31/2020

The University of Montevallo is using its on-campus 3-D printers to produce face masks for nearby Shelby Baptist Medical Center. Michael Price, the Digital Media and Emerging Technologies Librarian at the school’s Carmichael Library, began the project and has since elicited help from other members of the faculty. UM is asking for the community’s support in providing materials or monetary donations to fund the project.

University of Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha, Nebraska

Date Added: 3/31/2020

The University of Nebraska Medical Center was the first test site in the U.S. to host a clinical trial for a COVID-19 treatment. Sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the study examined the effect of the anti-viral drug Remdesivir on patients hospitalized with the novel coronavirus. UNMC is also participating in new research to learn more about how the virus is spread.

Through its Global Center for Health Security and College of Public Health, the University of Nebraska Medical Center has developed safety guidelines for meat processing plants amid the pandemic.  The protocols are intended to help prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading throughout these facilities while meat production is ongoing.

University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Like several other colleges across the nation, the University of North Carolina-Charlotte has stepped up to contribute to the need for face masks in the healthcare industry. Faculty members at the university are using 3-D printers to mass-produce these masks. So far, they’ve made 250. To scale the project, instructors are now creating how-to guides for their students who want to join the cause.

University of Southern Maine

Portland, Maine

Date Added: 3/31/2020

The University of Southern Maine has found a unique way to help in the COVID-19 response effort. The school has transformed its Sullivan Gymnasium into a temporary homeless shelter. The additional facility will make it possible for individuals in need of shelter to practice social distancing in order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

University of Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

Date Added: 3/31/2020

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Researchers at the University of Tennessee have been studying a possible COVID-19 cure using a supercomputer. Through a partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the university is examining a chemical compound and its potential to stop the novel coronavirus from spreading.

University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas

Date Added: 3/31/2020

Like many other universities across the country, the University of Texas at Austin has begun research efforts to develop a viable COVID-19 vaccine. In partnership with the National Institutes of Health, university researchers have developed a 3-D atomic-scale map of the virus’s spike protein—the part of the coronavirus that attaches to human cells. The science, conducted largely through UT Austin’s new Sauer Laboratory for Structural Biology, is critical to the development of effective COVID-19 treatments.

Other ongoing research into the coronavirus pandemic at the university involves a pandemic planning tool. First developed in 2012, the tool has been updated to reflect the current health crisis and is now being used to emphasize the need for social distancing measures.

UT-Austin has also jumped on the national bandwagon as a producer of 3-D-printed medical devices and PPE. The school is making medical face shields through its Pharmaceutical Engineering and 3-D Printing Lab. Plans are also in the works to create a ventilator separator device to help with the current shortage of these critical machines.

The school is also using its powerful supercomputer—Frontera—to develop a sophisticated model of COVID-19. The goal is to create more insight into the virus and how it affects human beings. If successful, the model could lead towards the development of effective treatments and vaccines.

In terms of fundraising for the Covid-19 relief effort, the university is also partnering with local healthcare providers and nonprofits to raise money for the city’s homeless population. The funds will go toward providing housing for community members who need shelter and healthcare services during the coronavirus pandemic.

UT-Austin is also taking hints from an unlikely source in its efforts to find viable treatments for Covid-19—llamas. Researchers at the university are investigating how these animals uses nanobodies to fight off infection. Most importantly, they’re looking into how to use these nanobodies to develop human treatments for the novel coronavirus.

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming

Date Added: 3/31/2020

University of Wyoming

Students at the University of Wyoming have answered the call for help amid the coronavirus pandemic by volunteering to help test for the virus. Along with an associate professor at the university, the students worked with the Wyoming Public Health Laboratory in Cheyenne to help process COVID-19 tests. So far, the lab has processed nearly 800 samples.

The university’s College of Business is also stepping up to help ease the financial impact of Covid-19 on local businesses. Professors and faculty members will be available via Zoom to answer questions from local small business owners and to provide helpful resources amid the pandemic.

Research into the variables that determine how the coronavirus affects different segments of the population is also ongoing at the University of Wyoming. Some of the factors being studied include age, environmental factors, and health, for instance. Results of the research could be used to help decide how to treat the virus in certain types of patients as well as how to best implement social distancing measures.

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Date added: 3/26/2020

Cornell University is doing its part to fight the pandemic on several different levels. Many of the school’s laboratories, including those in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, are donating respirator masks, nitrile gloves, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to Cayuga Medical Center and other nearby health facilities in the midst of a supply chain shortage that threatens to put doctors and hospital staff at risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Cornell is doing more than just making donations, though. Researchers in its Department of Microbiology and Immunology are working on ways to diagnose and treat the novel coronavirus. Meanwhile, researchers from the Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering are participating in studies funded by the National Institute of Health to discover more about how the virus spreads.

On another front, Cornell is helping small businesses in the region recover from the economic impact of the pandemic. The university recently made a $100,000 donation to the Ithaca COVID-19 Small Business Resiliency Fund.

Drexel University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Date added: 3/26/2020

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Doing its part to protect healthcare workers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Drexel University is using its resources to design and manufacture surgical masks using innovative 3D knitting machines. The initiative, led by design professor Genevieve Dion, aims to provide doctors and nurses with washable masks made of anti-bacterial and anti-viral material. Dion also hopes to partner with Oat Foundry in order to create a reusable respirator that would provide even more protection.

Researchers at the school’s College of Engineering have also developed a tool to detect different variations of COVID-19. By determining how the virus is mutating, scientists can better understand the spread of the virus and possibly create more effective treatments.

The immediate goal is to develop surgical masks that can be washed, sized, and even be made of anti-bacterial and anti-viral material, said Charles Cairns, dean of the Drexel School of Medicine.”

Philadelphia Inquirer, March 2020

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

Date added: 3/26/2020

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Researchers at Johns Hopkins University’s Whiting School of Engineering Center for Systems Science and Engineering have developed a global map of COVID-19 cases to track the spread of the disease. This real-time online resource shows the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus by country, the number of people who have died from the virus, and the number who have recovered. The project, led by Professor Lauren Gardner, was established in January of 2020 and is intended to aid in the effort to keep the public, and healthcare workers, in particular, informed about the public health crisis. The university is also sponsoring research into a coronavirus treatment that involves using blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients to treat critically ill sufferers.  

New York University

New York, New York

Date added: 3/26/2020

In a bold move, New York University has announced that it will allow students from its Grossman School of Medicine to graduate early so that they can join the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, students willing to work in the city’s internal or emergency medical departments and who have met all graduation requirements are eligible to receive their credentials early, according to the university. The decision, which came in response to NY Governor Cuomo’s request for more physicians in the state’s health care system, is still pending approval from the university’s accreditation agencies.

Rutgers University

New Brunswick, New Jersey

Date added: 3/26/2020

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Rutgers University’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has taken the form of an entirely new research center. Named the Center for COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness, the new addition to the Rutgers Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases (i3D) will serve as a hub for the many different university research projects related to COVID-19 that are in progress.

As the number of coronavirus cases spikes in America, we can expect to see more schools contributing to the battle against COVID-19 in myriad ways. The hope is that these institutions of higher education can step in to help end the pandemic sooner, and then get back to the important job of educating America’s students.

A saliva test developed by researchers at Rutgers University has received emergency approval from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Instead of throat or nasal swabs, which are currently in short supply, the test only requires the patient’s spit. The innovative diagnostic method could greatly expand the rate of current COVID-19 testing.

On the diagnostic front, the university is 3-D-printing nasal swabs to assist with widespread testing for COVID-19. The swabs will be tested at a nearby nursing home and if successful, could be used statewide.

The school is also initiating a large-scale study of healthcare workers who may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus. Administered through the school’s Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences, the study will seek to discover new information regarding potential drug treatments, diagnostic tools, and long-term health monitoring solutions.

The university has also launched a social media initiative for its community’s minority and immigrant population. Through its Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, the school is offering translation services via Twitter in order to keep these communities updated with relevant information necessary to navigate the pandemic.

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York

Date added: 3/26/2020

Stony Brook University continues to take great strides in combatting the COVID-19 outbreak.

Students enrolled in Stony Brook University’s Renaissance School of Medicine are battling the pandemic via telemedicine, conducting online research and meeting with patients over video calls. It’s a win-win situation that allows students to gain hands-on experience in their fields while freeing up doctors to handle patients with the most critical needs. Participating students are third and fourth-year medical students. In addition, the Chemistry Department has begun producing hand sanitizer, which they provide to the front-line medical personnel at several Long Island hospitals. The US Army Corps of Engineers is erecting a field hospital on campus to aid in treating the overflow of patients at local hospitals.

The university has also volunteered to house a mask decontamination system to help with the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). Using two different machines, the Critical Care Decontamination System will sanitize 80,000 N95 respirator masks per day to allow healthcare workers to reuse the masks without fear of contamination.

[Update] Recently, the university expedited the graduation of its 2020 class of medical students so that they can join physicians on the front lines of the pandemic. The graduating class had a virtual graduation ceremony on Zoom.

The school has also embarked on a clinical trial to test the effects of estrogen therapy on Covid-19. The study will include men as well as women over the age of 55 with mild symptoms of the illness. There is an existing body of research suggesting that estrogen could help eradicate the virus and assist in tissue repair during coronavirus recovery.

Across campus at the university’s iCREATE Lab, 3-D printers have been humming nonstop in an effort to provide local healthcare providers with the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to keep themselves safe while treating patients during the coronavirus outbreak. As a result, five thousand medical face shields have been donated to nearby Stony Brook Medicine.

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Date added: 3/26/2020

Battling the effects of the virus on a different front, the University of Arkansas is looking into the economic impact of COVID-19. Researchers at the school’s Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) in the Sam M. Walton College of Business have been studying the effects of social distancing efforts on the restaurant, recreation, and personal care service industries. They’ve published the results of the study, which forecasts an economic decline in the four major metropolitan areas of Northwest Arkansas. CBER director Mervin Jebaraj says he hopes the analysis will prompt legislators to do what they can to help businesses survive the financial crisis caused by the coronavirus.

Across campus, students from other university departments are making hand sanitizer and masks to donate to local hospitals and medical facilities. UA is also working with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to develop a predictive modeling system that could help public officials track the coronavirus and also provide data to inform vaccines.

Students and faculty members from the university’s Eleanor Mann School of Nursing are taking an even more hands-on approach to mitigating the pandemic. Professors have stepped up to man coronavirus screening centers throughout Northwest Arkansas while nursing students are answering phones and performing other tasks as needed.

Law students at the university are also working to support individuals in the community who are struggling due to the economic impact of the pandemic. These students are offering legal assistance free of charge to community members facing eviction and foreclosure. It’s all part of a partnership between the University of Arkansas, the Center for Arkansas Legal Services, and Legal Aid of Arkansas.

Researchers at the university have also received nearly $200,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation to study the fear response to the coronavirus pandemic. The study will investigate the effects of social and economic disruptions related to the outbreak and how it affects societal wellbeing.

Economic decline is the forecast of experts as the world struggles to deal with the Covid 19 pandemic

University of Miami

Miami, Florida

Date added: 3/26/2020

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The University of Miami has devoted substantial resources to the fight against COVID-19. Researchers from its Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department are developing “rapid test strips” to diagnose the virus in patients. If approved by the FDA, the test strips could make a diagnosis of coronavirus available within just 30 minutes of swabbing the patient’s throat. Currently, a coronavirus diagnosis takes at least 24 hours.

It is also contributing to the fight against the coronavirus through research. Specifically, the university is studying how COVID-19 is affecting those individuals who use cannabis. It’s a collaborative effort among various departments, including the School of Nursing and Health Studies, the Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Public Health Sciences, and the Office of Hemispheric and Global Affairs.

Students at the University of Miami are also doing their part to help healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 battle. In addition to running errands for individual doctors and nurses, the students are also organizing donations of critical personal protective equipment (PPE).

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date added: 3/26/2020

The University of Minnesota has answered the call for help amidst this unprecedented health crisis in several different ways. Its medical school has repurposed whole laboratories in order to devote more resources to the cause. So far, researchers have developed a new coronavirus test and began numerous clinical trials to test the effects of various medications on COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the school’s colleges of Engineering and Design are working on developing new masks and ventilators that can be mass-produced.  The university is also working to prepare a 100+-bed hospital facility for coronavirus patients.

More recently, university researchers have identified the part of the novel coronavirus that connects to human cells and enables the infection to spread faster. The scientists hope the revelation could lead to effective drug treatments or even a vaccine.

The school has also developed a predictive model of the potential coronavirus spread. The model is being used to inform and guide public policy, including social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders, for example.

More recently, the school has partnered with the Mayo Clinic to begin testing individuals for potential COVID-19 immunity. These tests will determine whether the patient has developed antibodies for the virus, indicating that they’ve had COVID-19 and recovered. Public officials will use the information to make decisions regarding the state’s economic reboot.

The FDA has also recently approved the university’s prototype of a low-cost ventilator called the Coventor. The device is intended to provide an alternative treatment option when traditional ventilators are unavailable.

University researchers are also testing whether the coronavirus has seeped into the state’s groundwater systems. The study has been funded by Minnesota’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.

Engineers at the university have also developed a prototype designed to provide greater protection for front-line healthcare workers. The “respiratory protective box” is meant to provide an extra barrier between medical professionals and their patients to prevent the spread of the virus during treatment.

The University of Minnesota’s Colleges of Engineering and Design are working hard to fill the shortfall of much needed medical ventilators

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Date added: 3/26/2020

The University of Pittsburgh has opened one of its dorms to medical staff who prefer to stay away from their homes for fear of exposing their families to the coronavirus. Lothrop Hall is a 14-floor student residence facility designed for an occupancy of 700. Students have been instructed to move off-campus due to concerns over COVID-19.

The university has also pioneered the research into the novel coronavirus, beginning its examination of a sample of the virus in February of 2020 to create a diagnostic test as well as a potential vaccine.

In partnership with the University of Louisville, university researchers are also investigating the potential of an HIV drug to treat Covid-19. The drug therapy has already shown promise in treating other strains of the coronavirus. If approved, it will be administered to Covid-19 patients via a nasal spray.

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia

Date added: 3/26/2020

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Virginia Commonwealth University has also developed its own coronavirus test for VCU Health patients with aggressive symptoms of the virus. This test is designed to produce same-day results, which will help doctors manage patients with the infection more effectively. VCU’s fight against the virus isn’t over, though. The university is looking into several other diagnostic solutions to help mitigate this public health crisis.

William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, New Jersey

Date added: 3/26/2020

William Paterson University has agreed to be a testing site for COVID-19. Tents have been set up on the university’s campus, and county residents can get tested via a drive-thru service. Tests are limited to patients showing symptoms of the virus who have a doctor’s referral. The campus testing site will be open daily until test supplies run out.

Coronavirus testing is a crucial step in combating the pandemic. By identifying who has contracted the disease, those on the frontline will be better able to allocate life-saving and protective supplies.

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