When COVID-19 transformed our world earlier this year, the fields of medicine, public health, and biomedical research all mobilized as part of the international crisis response. Yet those disciplines are not the only ones with important contributions to offer. The pandemic is multifaceted, and a full range of expertise is needed for essential insights into both its immediate and enduring impact.

In “COVID-19 in Context: A Deans’ Forum on Living with a Pandemic,” the Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and the Virginia Tech College of Science  joined together to illustrate how a range of fields are contributing to our understanding of the pandemic. In a trio of virtual events, Virginia Tech experts in political sociology, statistics, history, international communication, mathematical modeling, occupational health, and disability studies offered a greater context for the pandemic.

Laura Belmonte, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and Sally C. Morton, dean of the College of Science, moderated the events. Visit the individual event pages linked below to watch the videos.

Understanding and Responding: The Politics of Public Health during Epidemics
November 2, 2020, 12 to 1 p.m.
Chair: Laura Belmonte, Dean of the Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
In this event, Rebecca Hester, an assistant professor of science, technology, and society, presented “Pathogenic Entanglements: A Reflection on the Sociopolitics of COVID-19.” Ron Fricker, a professor of statistics, and E. Thomas Ewing, a professor of history, then offered their expertise in “Comparing Epidemics: Influenza in 1918 and COVID-19 in 2020.”

Intervening and Monitoring: Health Policies and Practices during Infectious Disease Outbreaks
November 12, 2020, 12 to 1 p.m.
Chair: Sally C. Morton, Dean of the Virginia Tech College of Science
Julie Gerdes, an assistant professor of English, will drew on her experiences on the USAID Zika team and the international COVID-19 Task Force to present “The Multiple Ontologies of International Infectious Disease.” Lauren Childs, an assistant professor of mathematics, then offered “Choosing Intervention Strategies During an Emerging Epidemic: Bridging Basic and Applied Science.”

Maintaining and Surviving: Challenges to Community Health during an Epidemic

November 30, 2020, 12 to 1 p.m.

Co-Chairs: Laura Belmonte, Dean of the Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and Sally C. Morton, Dean of the Virginia Tech College of Science
In this webinar, Charles Calderwood, an assistant professor of psychology, presented “Maintaining Occupational Health in a Pandemic: Lessons from Before and During an Unfolding Crisis,” followed by the presentation of Ashley Shew, an associate professor of science, technology, and society, on “Cripping a Pandemic.”