A graphic showing a close up of the covid-19 virus with a text overlay "COVID-19 Why it Matters,Can pandemics be stopped?"

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Video: COVID-19 Why it Matters, Part 6: Can pandemics be stopped before they start?

This video series features UW-Green Bay’s Immunologist Brian Merkel on COVID-19 and Why it Matters. This series empowers viewers with knowledge to help them navigate through the pandemic. Merkel has a Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology from the Medical College of Virginia. He is an associate professor in UW-Green Bay’s Human Biology & Biology programs and has an appointment at the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Microbiology and Immunology. He will be responding to a number of questions related to COVID19 and try to get behind the “why” it’s important to be educated in your decision-making as we navigate the pandemic together.

Video Transcript – COVID-19 Why it Matters, Part 6: Can pandemics be stopped before they start?

Hi, I’m Brian Merkel, Immunologist at UW-Green Bay, and we’re here to talk about Why COVID-19 matters to you. I think an important question is, can pandemics be stopped before they start? And the answer to that is possible but very, very difficult. The evidence indicates that COVID-19 originated from China. At the end of the day we live in a global society and what that means realizing that when disease is anywhere it can be and is always diseases can be everywhere. It really becomes a matter of where we want to apply our resources. Because it’s very difficult to stop a pandemic in terms of preventing it from ever starting. But if we invest in health care and other measures that are going to put us in the best position possible to deal with these problems when they arise the better off we’re all going to be. Particularly with respiratory diseases like COVID-19 you can be asymptomatic and spread the disease. We can circle the globe within 24 hours by jet so, these things are very, very difficult to stop. But the question becomes what are we going to do when they start? And the more we invest in good public health measures the better off we’re going to be.

COVID-19 Why it Matters:

Photo of the Covid-19 virus magnified.

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Video: COVID-19 Why it Matters, Part 5—I’m young! Why should I care?

This video series features UW-Green Bay’s Immunologist Brian Merkel on COVID-19 and Why it Matters. This series empowers viewers with knowledge to help them navigate through the pandemic. In this video Prof. Merkel discusses how we can get back to the life we remember.

Merkel has a Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology from the Medical College of Virginia. He is an associate professor in UW-Green Bay’s Human Biology & Biology programs and has an appointment at the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Microbiology and Immunology. He will be responding to a number of questions related to COVID19 and try to get behind the “why” it’s important to be educated in your decision-making as we navigate the pandemic together.

Video Transcript – COVID-19 Why it Matters, Part 5: I’m young! Why should I care?

Brian Merkel, Microbiology and Immunology, talking about why COVID-19 matters to you.

A big part of what we want to talk about is in terms of empowering you to be a part of this collective effort, to reduce the problem that is COVID-19.

We all want the economy to get back to where we want it to be. We all want to return to the lives that we used to know. So, even though you as a younger individual may have a lower risk in terms of disease and dying from COVID-19, you play a vital role in preventing the virus from being spread to someone else that have may have may have more dire consequences should they become infected.

And so, the more individuals that become infected that can’t handle the disease the greater the impact that’s going to have on the economy, The greater the burden that’s going to have on hospitals, and the harder it’s going to be for us to return to a life that we remembered before COVID-19 became a problem that it is.

So, related to all that we have to start thinking about how the virus is transmitted. This is generally thought as thought of as a respiratory disease. And what that means here is that the virus can contaminate surfaces so, we have to be mindful of washing our hands. The virus can be released when we exhale, when we sing, when we cough, when we sneeze. And the reason why those realities are important because that is the reason why we talk about face coverings. Those are the reasons why we talk about hand hygiene and keeping our hands clean. And the more we do that the greater and harder time we’re going to give the virus to continuing to infect other individuals.

And as more and more of us that do that while we wait for a vaccine, the quicker we’re going to get to be able to return to a life that we remember.

COVID-19 Why it Matters: Video Series Introduction with Brian Merkel https://youtu.be/M-yYPSPk30Q

Part 1: What are viruses and where did this one come from https://youtu.be/DYbiIv8ICgs

Part 2: Two main types of viruses https://youtu.be/O-OVk3rx96s

Part 3: Why is this virus serious? https://youtu.be/EDFyNN8i5G4

Part 4: Why wash hands/wear mask? https://youtu.be/FlcAvlt876Y

Part 5: I’m young! Why should I care? https://youtu.be/TDrEV_beY1U

Virtual Panel: Dr. Ashtok Rai, Dr. Jeremy Metzler, Prf. Brian Merkel, Amy Henniges, Fail Sims-Aubert, Caitlin Henriksen

COVID Conversations: Ask the Experts

The virtual panel: COVID Conversations: Ask the Experts was designed to answer questions of UW-Green Bay students specific to life at UW-Green Bay during the pandemic. Students emailed their COVID-19 related questions in to be moderated anonymously and answered by panelists. This is a live recording from Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020.

Expert Panelist:

  • Dr. Ashok Rai, President and CEO Prevea Health
  • Dr. Jeremy Metzler, Prevea Health; Medical Director for Phoenix Athletics and The Wellness Center
  • Prof. Brian Merkel, Immunologist, UW-Green Bay
  • Amy Henniges, Counseiing Director at The Wellness Center, UW-Green Bay
  • Gail Sims-Aubert, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Climate
  • Moderator: Caitlin Henriksen, Health Educator, UW-Green Bay

Students with any further questions regarding COVID-19 are encouraged to email covidresponse@uwgb.edu.

Transcript:

Coming soon.

 

 

Photos of a student exercising on a treadmill and hooked up to a breathing mask, while two students monitor the male runner and a professor looks on during the UW-Green Bay's Exercise Physiology lab.

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Video: Human Biology is the perfect preparation for health science careers

Caitlyn Hibner knew most of her life that she wanted to become a physical therapist. She has gone through physical therapy herself and came out with a strong desire to help others regain their life. Caitlyn really loves the hands-on labs in the Human Biology Program and how her professors “genuinely want you to succeed and want you to be successful in whatever pathway you’re taking.”

Video Transcript:

I chose the Human Biology Program here at UW-Green Bay because I’ve known that I wanted to go into physical therapy for pretty much my whole life. Going through the physical therapy process myself really solidified that for me so, I knew that I needed to get there, and the Human Biology Program was the way to go. My favorite lab that I have taken at UW-Green Bay is Exercise Physiology being an athlete myself I kind of am forced to work out a lot and this class was so engaging and we did so many cool experiments with all the incredible equipment that we have here and just to learn how the body responds to all that activity is really incredible. What I personally enjoy most about the Human Biology Program, is the professors. They don’t make you just feel like another face in their class. They genuinely want you to succeed and want you to be successful in whatever pathway you’re taking. They help you learn hard content without even really feeling like you’re learning because they make it so fun and so engaging. And I think the biggest thing that they do for you, is they give you opportunities outside of the classroom. They want you to join in on their research and they will go above and beyond to make sure that you get whatever you need whether that’s in their class or not.

A career in physical therapy has always been my dream. I really just want to help people. And since being here, I feel prepared and I feel ready and I know that I’m going to be successful at the next level because of the classes and the experience that I’ve gotten here. The Human Biology Program here at UW-Green Bay is an incredible program for anyone looking to go into the healthcare field, physical therapy, dietetics, future medicine.

So, don’t worry, come to campus and when it’s all said and done, you’re going to miss it and you’re going to want to come back.”

— Video by Sue Pischke, Office of Marketing and Communication

Photo of Custodial Lead Heather Wade pushing her cleaning cart past a row of books as she cleans the Cofrin Library.

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Video: Custodial staff work to keep campus safe

Custodial Lead Heather Wade cleans the Cofrin Library to help prepare for our fall 2020 opening.  Custodial staff across all four campuses have been following new cleaning guidelines provided by the CDC and other health experts. When you see custodial workers, please let them know that our Phoenix Family is thankful for all the work that they are doing to keep us safe on campus.

Photo of the Covid-19 virus at a microscopic level.

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Video: COVID-19 Why it Matters, Part 4: Why wash hands/wear mask?

This video series features UW-Green Bay’s Immunologist Brian Merkel on COVID-19 and Why it Matters. This series empowers viewers with knowledge to help them navigate through the pandemic. Merkel has a Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology from the Medical College of Virginia. He is an associate professor in UW-Green Bay’s Human Biology & Biology programs and has an appointment at the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Microbiology and Immunology. He will be responding to a number of questions related to COVID19 and try to get behind the “why” it’s important to be educated in your decision-making as we navigate the pandemic together.

 

Video Transcript – COVID-19 Why it Matters, Part 4: Why wash hands/wear mask?

Brian Merkel, Microbiology and Immunology, talking about Why COVID-19 matters to you.

COVID-19 is a respiratory agent and what that means and why that’s important is that it can contaminate surfaces, so we have to be mindful about keeping our hands clean and washing our hands for 20 seconds.

It also means that when we breathe and exhale and when we yell or when we talk and when we cough and we sneeze because this is a respiratory disease, those are all opportunities for the virus to get out in the environment and infect someone else. Given those realities, that’s why hand washing becomes very important and it’s considered to be 20 seconds to be effective. And face coverings very very clearly when both the infected and uninfected when both parties as much face covering and face and mask wearing as we can have the better off we’re going to be. Because it reduces the ability for the virus to be transmitted and to infect other people.

COVID-19 Why it Matters Video Series:

  • Video Series Introduction with Brian Merkel https://youtu.be/M-yYPSPk30Q
  • Part 1: What are viruses and where did this one come from https://youtu.be/DYbiIv8ICgs
  • Part 2: Two main types of viruses https://youtu.be/O-OVk3rx96s
  • Part 3: Why is this virus serious? https://youtu.be/EDFyNN8i5G4
  • Part 4: Why wash hands/wear mask? https://youtu.be/FlcAvlt876Y

Video: See what COVID testing will look like on the Green Bay Campus

Hi, I’m Jeremy Cleven, and today we’re going to walk through the testing process for those of you being tested on the Green Bay campus.

We’re outside the Kress Event Center right now, near the turf gym. This will be your entrance that you take to come in for the test.

Turf gym entrance

Once you make your testing appointment on the MyPrevea app, you will arrive to the Kress Center at your appointment time. You’ll enter at the first door of the turf gym, come on in wait in the socially distanced staging area, on the assigned spot.

From there you will be asked to proceed to one of the check-in stations. There you will show your ID, verify who you are, and provide us with your student ID number.

Once you appropriately check in you’ll be headed to the collection area. We have three collection areas. Just go to which one you’re called. The collection will involve you just verifying who you are and having a cotton tip swab inside your nostril. It doesn’t go very deep so it shouldn’t bother you too much.

Once your collection is taken you’ll be free to go. We will handle the testing on the back end and you should know your results through the MyPrevea app within a day.

Once we collect your sample you will follow the pathway to exit the building. It’s important to follow the path so we don’t have people running into each other and we can maintain socially distanced interactions. You will be required to leave the building through the door behind me, heading out towards the soccer stadium. You will not be able to re-enter the Kress Center unless you head around to the fitness center area.

This testing process is an important part of keeping you safe and keeping a healthy campus. Thank you for following instructions. Thank you for making the appointments.

Thank you for masking. Thank you for socially distancing.

This is meant to help you have a fun and safe experience while you’re on campus.

Information regarding My Prevea.com

Visit My Prevea.com or use the MyPrevea app. If you do not have an account, you will need to create one. Once an account is set-up, click on COVID-19 Test on the right side of your screen. Follow the process detailed below in Steps 1-7 to schedule a COVID-19 antigen test. Please allow yourself 20-30 minutes for testing. The test will be administered in the Kress Center Turf Gym.

If you have questions about antigen testing, please reach out to the Office of COVID-19 Response at covidresponse@uwgb.edu or by calling 920-465-5060.

UW-Green Bay Provost Kate Burns stresses empathy, appreciates ‘herculean effort’

Provost Kate Burns address the University Community during 2020 Faculty and Staff Virtual Convocation. Video transcript follows:

Hi everyone.

I was so impressed by this weekend’s drive through graduation. Megan DuFrane-Groose, Gail Sims-Aubert, and the entire Office of Student Life should be commended for all of their hard work and creativity in making this event a success. It was really touching to hear the graduates share their stories, see students’ families crammed together in a vehicle (and sometimes several vehicles) to celebrate this important milestone, and feel the pride exuded by our faculty and staff who cheered them on.

It made me think a lot about how we get students to this goal. I know we oftentimes think of graduation as simply a classroom accomplishment. At drive through graduation, it was clear that students were excited to see the familiar faces of people who had supported them both inside *and* outside the classroom. Faculty. Academic and University Staff. We are *all* making an impact on students during their time here.

Last spring we all worked together to somehow accomplish the impossible. We reached out to students. We called them when they hadn’t registered. We checked in on them when they weren’t turning in their work or missing class. We were focused on caring for the whole student inside AND outside the classroom. Academic Affairs and Student Affairs partnering together. These efforts paid off. Our enrollment is up, especially at a time when others across the country are seeing enrollment declines. Our enrollment is up, partly because of recruitment, but largely because of retention.

Retention is everyone’s job. Let me say that again. Retention is EVERYONE’s job. I want all of us (regardless of our roles) to be thinking about how we can better support and better retain our students. This may take a variety of forms:

  • Creating an inclusive campus climate. When students come to our campuses, we want them to feel welcome and that they belong. I am so glad that we will be engaged in inclusivity and equity training this year. Our times call for this emphasis on social justice, but it is also the right thing to do. Cultural competence is a journey, not a destination. As an institution of higher education, we need to model this dedication to learning, reflection, and growth.
  • We have proudly announced ourselves to be an access institution. This means we need to support the students we have. I know many of you attended the SpeakOut Institute this summer. One quote that really stuck with me is “Access without support is not opportunity.” We should all consider in our own areas what that support may look like. We are rolling out Navigate this fall semester. This is a great time to take a look at the Canvas training and learn more about this tool if you haven’t already. Our early alert system with grades and feedback is only as effective as we make it. Research has shown that early alert systems are especially important for students of color and first generation students who may not know how they are performing in their classes. We need to build early feedback into our courses so that students can better understand how they are doing and take steps accordingly.

It’s a new academic year. I appreciate the herculean effort it took to get us here. Countless staff and faculty working together to get us ready. I know many of you are feeling excited, optimistic. But also nervous. Overwhelmed. Worried about work/life balance/childcare and school arrangements. This is not business as usual—we are very much outside our comfort zone. This is how our students are feeling too. Here’s the thing though. Our students have always felt this way, excited about the promise of higher education while simultaneously navigating the headwinds in their lives. I want us to harness these new positive and negative emotions we’re feeling as we go into the fall to better understand and support our students. This is a massive empathy boost. If last spring taught us anything, we can accomplish so much when we were all working together toward a singular purpose: student success.

Photo of a student employee wearing a mask at working at the University Ticketing and Information Center (UTIC) in the University Union.

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Video: Student Mask Information & Distribution

Greetings Phoenix family. Safety is our top priority this fall and that is why all individuals must wear a face covering once inside any UW-Green Bay campus building, which includes the concourse system. The University provides two free cloth facemasks for every student. On the Green Bay Campus, students can pick up their free masks at the University Ticketing and Information Center (UTIC) in the University Union. At the Marinette, Manitowoc, and Sheboygan Campuses, pick up your masks at or near Student Services. Also, on the Green Bay Campus inside the Community Center at Residence Life, students have the option for the mask laundry exchange service, where you pick up a clean mask, return it to be laundered, and immediately receive a new clean mask. Students unable to wear a face covering, should contact Disability Services at dis@uwgb.edu or 920-465-2841 before classes begin regarding accommodations. For more information related to COVID-19 and the University’s plan for returning to campus safely https://www.uwgb.edu/phoenix-forward

Video Transcript:  Greetings Phoenix family, I’m here to talk to you about staying safe. Safety is our number one priority here on-campus for the fall. Students we have two options for masks for you. In the University Union we have the University and Ticketing and Information Center, which is where if you are looking for a mask for the fall, we have you covered. You can go ahead and pick up two reusable masks that we’ll issue to you all students. You can also pick up those masks in Residence Life at the Community Center. An additional option is if you want a mask that will launder for you, you go ahead and pick that up in the Community Center and then when you’re done and like a clean one you drop it off and we’ll reissue you a new clean one. We have two types of masks that I’ll explain what they are: This is the first type that if you pick up in the Res Life Community Center will be launderable. So, you pick this mask up we’ll issue you one and then when you want it cleaned you just drop it off and we’ll reissue a second one. This mask here is one of the up to two that will go ahead and issue the students who are looking for a reusable mask that’s theirs to keep. If you’re looking for something a little more fancy or looking for some of your share your GB spirit we do have masks available for sale in the Phoenix Bookstore. They have this version and they also have a similar one that says Green Bay and across the front. Those are available for purchase if you want to pick something else up that’s different and show your school spirit. If you are unable to wear a mask for any medical reason, we do ask that you reach out to the Disability Services Office to make sure that you have an accommodation put on file and they can help you through the process to find a suitable alternative to make sure we keep you and us safe on campus.