Then and now: See Northeastern’s transformation in the pandemic by Xristopher Anderton March 25, 2022 Share Facebook LinkedIn Twitter 07/21/20 – BOSTON, MA. – Sunrise over Krentzman Quad on July 21, 2020. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University Words by Eva Botkin-KowackiPhotos by Matthew ModoonoDevelopment by Xristopher Anderton Swipe between views of Krentzman Quad in March 2020 and after students returned to campus in the 2021-2022 school year at Northeastern University. In 2020, much of the world shut down. Northeastern’s campuses got unusually quiet as Northeastern students returned home for what everyone hoped would be a disruption of only a few weeks. Today, the university is bustling with life. In fact, it has been for quite some time. Northeastern has managed the pandemic with a robust surveillance COVID-19 testing program, including building a state-of-the-art analysis lab for more than a million samples collected since opening a testing site on the Boston campus. Rigorous public health protocols and a vaccination requirement protected our community and made studying, teaching, and working safe for everyone on campus. Here’s a glimpse into what the journey looked like. March 2020 – Quiet campus The day after students moved out of university residence halls, Northeastern’s campus was quiet. April 2020 – Students on the FrontlineS Northeastern students Evelyn Goroza and Thomas Cava began their co-ops at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston in January as patient care technicians in the cardiovascular intensive-care unit and the cardiac surgery floor. When the COVID-19 outbreak began to accelerate, those units were transformed into COVID-19 units—putting Goroza and Cava on the frontlines of the effort to save lives. July 2020 – We Cleaned Everything The COVID-19 public health protocols at the time prioritized cleaning and sanitizing all shared surfaces. The Northeastern facilities team worked around the clock to do just that. Masks were required too, of course. August 2020 – WE BUILT A STATE-OF-THE-ART TESTING LAB, IN WEEKS Northeastern’s Life Science Testing Center at the Innovation Campus in Burlington, Massachusetts began processing coronavirus tests in summer 2020 after receiving state and federal certifications to conduct PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The lab was set up and licensed in the span of a few weeks with the capacity to process thousands of samples each day. August 2020 – TESTING BEGINS On August 17, 2020, we started testing faculty, staff, students and contract employees for COVID-19. On most days we collected around 5,000 samples and shipped them to the Life Sciences Testing Center on our Burlington campus. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University August 2020 – #ProtectThePackNU #ProtectThePackNU branding was hard to miss on campus. There were creative reminders everywhere of the things one had to do to stay safe and keep others safe. August 2020 – RESEARCH LABS WERE BUSY Doctoral students Devyesh Rana and John Biswakarma were among many students and faculty researchers who pressed on with their work while following COVID-19 protocols in the lab. In this picture, they were spraying fluorescent nanoparticles (virus simulant) through fabrics onto glass slides to measure the concentration in Professor Steve Lustig’s lab inside the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex. August 2020 – OUR STUDENTS RETURNED Our safe campus in Boston was ready for our students to resume their education and readjust to a new normal. September 2020 – MOVING IN WAS EASY, MOVING ON WAS HARD Katrina Makayan was one of thousands of students who held on a little longer before saying goodbye to their families and settling in for another great year on campus. September 2020 – Welcome Back A physically distanced but energy-filled celebration marked the beginning of college for thousands of freshmen. September 2020 – Eye ON the virus Network scientist Alessandro Vespignani, an expert in tracking global pandemics, saw a new virus emerging in the beginning of 2020. His concerns and predictions have proven to be accurate over the two years of pandemic that followed. Along with many colleagues at Northeastern and beyond, he became a trusted source for the global press and government agencies. NOVEMBER 2020 – DINING IN AND OUT A bamboo garden, umbrella light fixtures, and a rustic lodge were among the themes inside several new tents on campus. The new spaces welcomed students who wanted to escape the cold for lunch, homework, or good conversations. January 2021 – First shot Northeastern became one of the first universities in the United States to administer COVID-19 vaccines. Nearly 100 people who worked in the Cabot Testing Center, the Life Sciences Testing Center, and University Health and Counseling Services received their first dose. Iloisa Teixeira, a staff member at Cabot, was first in line. Nurse practitioner Jackie Fox administered the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to her. April 2021 – 1 Million tests April 27 marked the day the one millionth COVID-19 test was processed at our Life Sciences Testing Center. May 2021 – Commencement Northeastern celebrated its undergraduate and graduate 2021 Commencement at Boston’s historic Fenway Park in a series of ceremonies on May 8 & 9. May 2021 – Together Graduates of the class of 2021 sat across the field at Boston’s Fenway Park to celebrate their Commencement in a series of ceremonies on May 8 & 9. June 2021 – WE GOT A DOG! Cooper, a beautiful and kind Golden Retriever joined our campus and warmed our hearts. September 2021 – BUSTLING AND FULLY VACCINATED A fully vaccinated community filled the campus as we kicked off another eventful academic year. September 2021 – Class is in Session Students were back full swing with in-person classes and group projects. October 2021 – Full in Fall As the seasons changed, students walked from class to class beneath colorful foliage. NOVEMBER 2021 – COMMENCEMENT 2020 AGAIN, FOR THE FIRST TIME Thousands of alumni returned to Northeastern to make up for lost time and celebrate their graduation. A packed Matthews Arena served as a site for a belated but spectacular Commencement ceremony welcoming graduates from several countries around the world. Chef and entrepreneur, Ming Tsai, addressed the crowd that included parents, children and siblings. December 2021 – Study Time Didn’t SKIP A BEAT With final exams on the horizon, students buckled down in Snell Library in preparation. January 2022 – OMICRON MADE HEADLINES AND SO DID OUR EXPERTS Many of our faculty members became regulars in the press—both in the US and worldwide—sharing their expertise on various aspects of the pandemic, including the location of the next outbreak, the spread of variants, and global supply chain woes. FEBRUARY 2022 – TOGETHER AGAIN The turnout at this year’s Beanpot was unlike any other. After two years of shrinking distances and growing celebrations, a packed TD Garden was bouncing with happy students. And despite the final score, Huskies loved sharing the experience with thousands of friends. In March 2022, Northeastern lifted its mask mandate on its Boston campus in line with the city’s changing rules. This followed the university’s decision to stop requiring weekly surveillance coronavirus testing for all members of the community, and instead make testing optional for anyone that is asymptomatic. Spring is here, it is colorful and beautiful.Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University