TXST Responds To COVID-19

STUDENTS SERVING OTHERS

Our students have stepped up to help others and serve their communities.

• Students in a “Re-Humanizing Communication” course found ways to connect with others and spread joy by writing letters to nursing homes, delivering meals to people in need, and more.
• Ascension Seton Williamson Medical Center in Round Rock hired 10 seniors from Texas State’s respiratory care program to help shore up a personnel shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Clinical Laboratory Science student Maddy Gray joined a team screening for coronavirus among essential workers in her hometown.
• Twirler Kaylee Williams performed for residents in an assisted-living facility in Tyler.
• Students Ian McFarland and Olivia Gunn are making facemasks for healthcare workers.
• Lauren Ashley Guzman created an infographic about how Hays County residents can access local food resources.
• Being an essential worker and college student: The perspective of an HEB cashier and Texas State student Myranda Nichole De La O, whose work hours doubled because of COVID-19
• Students in healthcare financial accounting are volunteering to help others during the pandemic by contacting organizations that serve elderly people to share resources and best practices.
• The cheer team shared a short thank you video with medical personnel, first responders, essential staff, and government officials for working tirelessly to keep us safe and informed.
• A team of student workers partnered with faculty and staff in the College of Science and Engineering to lay the groundwork to manufacture mass quantities of hand sanitizer.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Texas State is helping surrounding communities and Central Texas region.

• The Department of Respiratory Care loaned ventilators to several medical facilities including Ascension Seaton Williamson in Round Rock and St. David’s North Austin Medical Center.
• The Texas State Small Business Development Center is providing assistance and helping business owners negotiate the federal and local assistance available to them.
• Mathworks is offering free teaching materials to teachers, families and organizations.
• Biology, physics, and health professions have loaned PPE to local healthcare partners, such as CTMC, Clinical Pathology Laboratories, and Ascension Seton.
• The university provided a complimentary meal to Hays County first responders on May 14.
• The Ingram School of Engineering and Department of Physics are using idle 3D printers to produce medical grade COVID-19 testing swabs. 
• Texas State's Ingram Hall Makerspace is 3D printing thousands of "ear savers" for law enforcement and healthcare professionals who have to wear facemasks. 
• Computer science lecturer Dr. Ted Lehr serves on the Governor’s Innovation Task Force and Austin’s Smart City Team using technology to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus.
• Dr. Casey Smith realized it was time to take things in his own hands when the nation’s supply of hand sanitizer seemed to dry up. Smith along with Dr. Jennifer Irvin, students and staff developed an in-house hand sanitizer to combat COVID-19.
• The nursing faculty and students with St. David’s School of Nursing at Texas State University-Round Rock participated in two COVID-19 vaccination clinics in January in Austin. More than 1,200 vaccines were distributed during the clinics to St. David’s HealthCare volunteers, staff, and health professions students from area colleges and universities.

FACULTY EXPERTS

TXST faculty and staff have expertise and research relevant to life in the age of coronavirus.

• Texas State expert discusses COVID-19 and the economics of sports
• Faculty in our Trauma and Interpersonal Violence Research Lab in the counseling program described how COVID-19 has worsened domestic violence in the U.S. and abroad, as victims are locked down with their abusers
• Texas State expert sheds light on aerosol medicine for COVID-19 patients: Dr. Arzu Ari, whose research concentrates on aerosol medicine, recently published a paper on “Practical strategies for a safe and effective delivery of aerosolized medications to patients with COVID-19” in the Respiratory Medicine Journal.
• “Stay at home” doesn’t mean “stay indoors.” Faculty in our Department of Health and Human Performance were interviewed about how outdoor recreation impacts physical and mental health, which is even more critical as people are self-quarantining.
• Caring for the elderly during the crisis: How to communicate and stay connected
• Occupational safety: For essential workers, safety is more important than ever
• Teaching and learning online: How students, faculty and workers can prepare
• COVID-19 provides fertile breeding ground for conspiracy theories
• COVID-19 presents obstacles and opportunities for 2020 census
• Impact on national economy: While health care professionals deal with the physical toll of COVID-19, politicians and economists are left to negotiate the financial fallout
• Dr. Jon Lasser, professor of School Psychology, advises how to balance screen time as life moves online.
• College of Education shared tips for parents who became teachers and homeschoolers during quarantine. 
• People with substance abuse among the most vulnerable during pandemic
• Scammers are using phishing emails, phone calls and ads to steal people’s personal information and money during the pandemic. Read tips on how to avoid falling victim.
• Eduardo Perez received a RAPID grant from National Science Foundation for a study on documenting COVID-19 preparedness levels in Texas hospitals.
• Telework survey reveals COVID-19 impact on commuters, charts path forward
• TXST Researcher joins Austin’s Smart City Team & Governor’s Innovation Task Force during COVID-19
• TXST professor tackles questions amid hurricane season, COVID-19 concerns
• A new report from a national work group co-chaired by Dr. Emily Brunson warns that an array of social factors could ultimately undermine the effectiveness of a coronavirus vaccine, once it is developed.

Melinda Villagran, a professor in the Department of Communication Studies and director of the Translational Health Research Initiative, discusses the results of a research study she conducted to survey the impact of daily work commuting in the Austin area in episode 7 of the Big Ideas TXST podcast. 

Texas State professor Alex White utilizes math models to make inroads against COVID-19.

New research by Marcus Felson, professor in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, indicates that data may afford researchers the opportunity to reexamine crime theory, because government stay-at-home orders produced a natural experiment.

Pfizer close to COVID vaccine, Dr. Rodney E. Rohde weighs in on what that means

Texas State study traces impact of COVID-19 on unprecedented expansion and adaptation of telemedicine services in the United States. 

Emily Brunson, an associate professor of anthropology at Texas State University, will co-chair CommuniVax, a national coalition to strengthen the role and involvement of local communities in an equitable COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

ALUMNI IMPACT

Texas State graduates are making an impact in their professions and communities in response to coronavirus.

• Texas State University alumna Maureen Schein (B.A. 2011) raises $100k for local food pantry
• Clinical Laboratory Science graduate Wade Winchell (B.S. 2014) runs laboratory in New York City hospital
• Alumnus Brian Wong (B.B.A. 1987) donates facemasks from Hong Kong to Texas State for protection against COVID-19
• Rebecca Creek Distillery owner Steve Ison (B.A. 1993) shifts production from whiskey to hand sanitizer in fight against COVID-19
• Alumna Kara Kirby (B.A. 2006) helps employers with virtual workforce
• As president and CEO of CHRISTUS Health, TXST alumnus Ernie Sadau oversees operations at 65 hospitals in four states during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Alumnus Luke Adamson and his brothers, also Bobcats, began constructing protective screen for Texas businesses in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 
• With COVID-19 keeping students out of the hospitals and clinics, Radiation Therapy faculty and staff turned to a radiation therapy graduate to help develop the visuals needed for radiotherapy treatment planning program.
• 'Bobcats Are Hustlers!' Despite COVID-19, Christa Freeland '10 Launches a Thriving Startup

BOBCAT RESOURCES

The university provides programs and support services to students.

• The Bobcat Cares program provide funds directly to currently enrolled and eligible students with COVID-19 related expenses.
• The tuition-free Bobcat Promise program benefits currently accepted freshmen with a family annual adjusted gross income of $50,000 now eligible for free tuition.
• Established the Bobcats to Bobcats Scholarship Fund to help students who will need financial support to return to Texas State to complete their education. 
• The university’s food pantry Bobcat Bounty has adjusted its operating mode to offer curbside delivery to better serve students.
• Student Emergency Services Office is available after Bobcat CARES applications close on May 27, to provide emergency financial aid to eligible students who apply.

TXST IN THE NEWS

National and regional news outlets have featured our faculty and staff experts.

• The Atlantic: "A Vaccine Reality Check" Dr. Emily Brunson, College of Liberal Arts) 
• New York Times: "Mistrust of a Coronavirus Vaccine Could Imperil Widespread Immunity" (Dr. Emily Brunson, College of Liberal Arts) 
• MSN: "Should schools reopen amid the pandemic?" (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• Forbes: "We Can't Let Our Guard Down: Here's How To Celebrate July 4th safely" (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• Austin 360: " In this time of coronavirus, dad step into new roles at home" (Dr. Jon Lasser, College of Education) 
• Good Housekeeping: "Where to Buy Lightweight and Breathable Face Masks for the Summer" (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• Business Insider: "7 red flags to be on the lookout for when restaurants reopen" (Dr. Celeste Monforton, Health & Human Performance)
• Forbes: "The Coronavirus Pandemic Isn't Over: Keep Washing Your Hands As Economic Open" (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• Bloomberg: "Automakers Are Ramping Up Production, Unnerving Factory Workers" (Dr. Celeste Monforton, Health & Human Performance)
• Medium: "The Science of Superspreaders" (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• Business Insider: "7 red flags to be on the lookout for when restaurants reopen" (Dr. Celeste Monforton, Health & Human Performance)
• Fox 7 Austin: "Texas State using 3D printers to produce coronavirus testing swabs" (Juan Gomez, College of Science and Engineering)
• Reform Austin: "The Crisis of Mental Health and COVID-19" (Dr. Millie Cordaro, College of Liberal Arts)
• Psychology Today: "Will the Pandemic Ruin Your Relationship?" (Rhonda Balzarini, College of Liberal Arts)
• The Guardian: "I desperately miss human touch. Science may explain why" (Marian Houser, College of Fine Arts & Communication)
• Men's Health: "When Will the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic Be Over?" (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• Huffington Post: "Where To Buy Cloth Face Masks For Coronavirus Online" (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• Healthline: "When Will We Know If Reopening States Has Worked or Backfired?" (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• Bustle: “How To Shop Safely When Stores Reopen During Coronavirus” (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• Bloomberg Businessweek:  “The Human Cost of Cheap Meat Gets Higher in the Pandemic: Working in a processing plant has always been grueling and dangerous. With Covid-19, it’s even scarier.” (Dr. Celeste Monforton, Health & Human Performance)
• U.S. News & World Report: “The Coronavirus Choice: Governors might open a state but Americans will decide for themselves if they are ready to emerge from the crisis.” (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• TIME Magazine: “Coronavirus accelerating rapidly, what you need to know” (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• Forbes: “Why young and healthy people should take coronavirus seriously” and “Here’s what you actually need to buy to prepare for coronavirus” (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• Huffington Post: “How to wash your face mask to prevent spread of COVID-19” and “How long coronavirus lives on clothes” (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• Business Insider: “How to process and deal with grief and loss” (Dr. Maureen Keeley, College of Fine Arts and Communication)
• Martha Stewart: “Five High Touch Areas to Disinfect In your Home” (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• Men’s Health: “Here’s the likelihood of getting coronavirus from mail” (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• CNN: “More than ever, we need nature. It makes our children happier” (Dr. Tina Cade, College of Applied Arts)
• New York Times: “Crisis Gives Fake Cops an Opening to Exploit” (Dr. Marcus Felson, College of Applied Arts)
• The New Yorker: “What would Freud make of the toilet paper panic?” (Dr. Susan Morrison, College of Liberal Arts)
• U.S. News and World Report: “How medical students can stay safe from coronavirus” (Dr. Rodney Rohde, College of Health Professions)
• ABC News: “Stopping virus a huge challenge at crowded US meat plants” (Dr. Celeste Monforton, Health & Human Performance)
• Business Insider: "How to decide if it's worth the risk to return to malls, gyms, salons, and more as states reopen but experts remain cautious" (Dr. Celeste Monforton, Health & Human Performance)
• Huffington Post: Before You Engage A Vaccine Skeptic, Here's What You Need To Know (Emily K. Brunson, Anthropology)