Temple takes on the global health crisis

In March 2020, as cases of COVID-19 continued to spread across the globe, Temple University faculty, students and staff pulled together to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

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As the coronavirus pandemic began spreading throughout the Northeast in the early part of 2020, Temple mobilized its resources and the expertise, fortitude and perseverance of the entire university community in response.

In those early days of the pandemic, the Liacouras Center was quickly transformed into a surge medical facility. At the same time, an interdisciplinary task force swiftly assembled to create much-needed personal protective equipment for front-line healthcare workers at Temple University Hospital--who were risking their own lives every day to care for those who had fallen ill. 

Faculty leaned into an unfamiliar situation--an abrupt switch to remote instruction--and created new ways to deliver an excellent education in digital spaces. The entire Temple family pitched in to help students meet emergency financial needs and to help our neighbors get access to information, healthcare, food, medicine and vaccines.

Students volunteered to help local businesses and organizations stay afloat, while Temple researchers rushed to apply their knowledge to efforts that impacted the city, the country and the world.

Fighting COVID-19 galvanized our community in innumerable ways. But that wasn't a surprise. Throughout this tumultuous time, one thing--as always--remained constant and carried us through: the ingenuity and determination of Owls who believe perseverance conquers.

In this series of stories, you'll read about Temple faculty, staff, students and alumni rising to meet the challenge of a once-in-a-century pandemic with grace and grit.