FACULTY FEATURE
>> FOR
INNESOTA ORLD AND THE
Written by OLIVIA HULTGREN
Since the coronavirus pandemic began in early 2020, it’s hard to imagine life without face masks, strictly outdoor dining, and virtual happy hours. Yet, questions still remain. Are we effectively maximizing the safety of our frontline workers? Is six feet always enough? How dangerous are indoor restaurants? Scientific knowledge about the disease known as COVID-19 continues to evolve—and faculty from the College of Science and Engineering have evolved with it. From addressing personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages and safety regulations to grappling with a rapidly emerging mental health epidemic, CSE researchers are helping society to not only understand COVID-19 but to live with it.
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I N V EN T I N G TO M O R R OW
A SWIFT RESPONSE When the coronavirus hit in March 2020, shortages in medical equipment grew. Hospitals lacked sufficient ventilators to treat patients, and medical personnel lacked the PPE they needed to provide care safely. Faculty and industry leaders at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Engineering in Medicine (IEM) started brainstorming. “Professor David Odde (biomedical engineering) reached out to our industry advisory board because there was an urgent lack of PPE in the supply chain,” explained IEM director John Bischof. “Everybody hopped on a call and started talking about ways they could help.”
