Office of Community Relations
UF Government and Community Relations
Monday, Aug. 24, 2020
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Across the University of Florida, our 16 colleges, numerous institutes and health care facilities embrace our shared mission of outreach and service to improve and enrich our community, nation and the world. UF in the Community spotlights the impact of UF in our region.
Although UF has students and employees throughout the state, North Central Florida is home to much of our faculty and staff and to our 50,000+ students. Like all area residents, we want a vibrant, safe, healthy and equitable place in which to live and thrive. Here are some of the ways in which we are enhancing our shared community.
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UF Health researchers work to develop COVID-19 vaccine using gene therapy technique |
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A team of University of Florida Health researchers is using an established gene therapy technique to quickly develop a COVID-19 vaccine that could be tested in humans later this year.
The technique uses a harmless virus to help fight a harmful virus. In this case, the harmless virus is used to package and deliver a gene from SARS-CoV-2, the strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The gene therapy vaccine can’t replicate on its own but is potent enough to trigger a beneficial, antivirus response from the immune system.
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UF Health researcher Barry Byrne, M.D., Ph.D., is working to develop a COVID-19 vaccine that uses a gene therapy technique to fight off the virus. Kirsten Coleman, assistant director of research administration for the Powell Gene Therapy Center (foreground), lab technician Megan Wichman and biological scientist Lochlin Cravey are shown in Byrne’s lab. |
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UF Health Updated Screen, Test and Protect Dashboard |
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As the start of fall semester approaches, UF Health is kicking off a new public dashboard that offers an ‘at-a-glance’ picture of COVID-19 trends among members of the university community — faculty, staff and students. These figures should provide a clearer picture of what is happening on campus from day to day. And so far we have good news: The small surge in cases that occurred locally in early June has slowed significantly and prevalence is low — less than 1%.
In addition, our contact tracing effortsare working. We have screened thousands of people, and our disease investigators, working through the public health department, have been able to quickly identify contacts of those who have tested positive and moved swiftly to quarantine them.
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Dr. Fuchs accepts #IPledgeFlorida challenge from UF Student Government |
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The #IPledgeFlorida campaign is a student-led accountability initiative designed to protect our community. We all play a critical role in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Join us in committing to keep our community in good health by taking the pledge and honoring it during the upcoming semester. |
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UF College of Education assisting teachers with shift to online education |
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As schools across the globe are adapting to varying levels of online learning, the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) has launched a Virtual Teaching Resource Hub to ease the transition for reading teachers.
UFLI is dedicated to improving literacy outcomes for students who struggle to learn to read and write through teacher professional development. Among the institute’s latest efforts is a monumental collaboration with best-selling author James Patterson to address Florida’s literacy crisis and double the state’s literacy rates — the James Patterson Literacy Challenge (JPLC).
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Holly Lane, director of UFLI and associate professor of special education |
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UF Neurosurgery team treats 5,000th patient with the UF-invented radiosurgery system
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In the mid-1980s, UF neurosurgeon William A. Friedman, M.D., and medical physicist Frank J. Bova, Ph.D., began looking into a lesser-known treatment technique called radiosurgery. After studying then-available technologies, Bova and Friedman came to believe that the existing systems were not only cost prohibitive but also did not take advantage of the newest technologies in radiation delivery or computer processing.
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Frank Bova, Ph.D. and William Friedman, M.D. |
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UF Alumni: Apply for the Gator100 alumni award for business owners and entrepreneurs |
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Alumni from the University of Florida have created and guided some of the fastest-growing businesses in the world. The Alumni Association is proud to recognize these amazing business owners and entrepreneurs through the Gator100.
We proudly honor their achievements with a special awards event that creates opportunities to increase networks with current and past honorees, inspire fellow Gators in the pursuit of Going Greater, and receive visibility via national, local and industry media outlets.
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For hotels in Florida college towns, August has provided a small bright spot amid the general gloom of the pandemic |
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The state's biggest school, the University of Florida, is also bringing lodging business to Gainesville. Bookings spiked close to move-in dates at the 173-room Hotel ELEO near the UF medical school complex, spokeswoman Jane Watkins said.
"We have seen an increase in bookings over the last two days at a rapid pace, and we still have rooms available to welcome new families to campus," Watkins said in an Aug. 13 statement. UF goes back to classes on Aug. 31.
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The new Hotel Eleo is located near the medical school on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville. |
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UF Health pediatrics researchers discuss school choices |
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The COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on education has prompted concern and debate among educators, students and parents as school districts nationwide wrestle over whether to reopen in the coming weeks and how to safely do so.
For more than 15 years, two University of Florida Health experts — Lindsay A. Thompson, M.D. and Erik W. Black, Ph.D. — have done research related to virtual schooling and children’s health. In a new commentary in JAMA Pediatrics, they detail how virtual schooling may provide a viable means of teaching students who have special health care needs necessitating frequent absences from school.
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UF 2020 football schedule announced |
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The 10-game Florida Football schedule for the 2020 season was unveiled by the Southeastern Conference Monday evening during special programming on the SEC Network.
The Gators' season opener – a Sept. 26 road trip to Ole Miss – was announced on the Paul Finebaum Show earlier in the day. Florida's home opener will be against South Carolina the following Saturday (Oct. 3).
This season will mark the first time since 1987 the Gators' opening game is on the road. Florida traveled to Miami that year.
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Hurricane Season is Here, IS YOUR HURRICANE KIT READY? |
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The 2020 Hurricane season is here but do you have your hurricane kit ready? Emergencies are not planned they suddenly occur so you much you must be prepared. You should have your disaster supply kit ready and know where it is to grab when the time comes you need it. If you prepared a disaster supply kit last year make sure you keep it maintained. You really need to prepare three different emergency kits; one for home, work and your car because you do not know where you’ll be when an emergency occurs. Each kit needs to be personalized to fit your and your family’s needs. |
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Get your Emergency Preparation Checklist Ready for Hurricane Season |
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- Florida Department of Health: COVID-19 data and surveillance dashboard
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- Greater Gainesville Chamber
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- United Way of North Central Florida
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Susan Crowley
Assistant Vice President, Community Relations
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