COVER STORY
UNIVERSITY RISES TO COVID-19 CHALLENGES As a university community, we are proud of our dedicated health graduates who answered the call to action and headed to the frontline when COVID-19 struck. Staff across multiple departments also played their part in getting much-needed supplies to those who needed it most. WLV Life pays tribute to all their efforts. 2020 has been an exceptionally difficult year – across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in hundreds of thousands of people losing their lives, while millions more have suffered from the disease. But out of this appalling crisis has come heartening stories of individuals, businesses, charities and organisations rallying to help healthcare professionals and vulnerable people in our society – and the University is no exception. Staff members across our campuses have done superlative work to help, while our Nursing and Paramedic Science students also stepped up. More than 400 of our third year Nursing and Midwifery students entered the NHS to help deliver frontline care, while 84 Paramedic Science students applied to the West Midlands Ambulance Service to enter active duty as soon as they could. Seven postgraduate Pharmacy students also went to work in pharmacies, GP clinics, hospital and in pharmacy clinical homecare. Several of our departments came forward to aid our local community, manufacturing vital personal protection equipment (PPE) to keep health professionals safe, thanks to a fundraising effort, launched by the Alumni and Development team. As WLV Life went to press, more than £9,000 had been raised from more than 160 people, the proceeds of which went towards efforts across the University. Staff at the School of Engineering used 3D printers to make much-needed face shields for nurses, paramedics, care homes and other frontline careworkers across the region.
08
LIFE MAGAZINE
Using Prusa 3D printing machines from a variety of sources, including Telford Campus where they are used by students for engineering projects, staff perfected a fast and streamlined manufacturing process for RC3 headbands using a polymer called Polyethylene terephthalate glycol modified (PETG). As a part of the social distancing policy, some staff also printed headbands from home, using University equipment or personal 3D printers. When the headbands were printed, a transparent plastic visor, cut to shape using the School of Engineering’s Zund cutting table, was added to the front, creating a protective barrier that shields the whole face. So far, about 2,000 visors have been produced and distributed across the West Midlands, with more being produced each day. Dr Matthew Palframan and Dr Mark Hewitt from the School of Pharmacy, and Dr Aman Dhir of the School of Engineering’s Chemical Engineering department produced 140 litres of sanitiser that was given to local frontline care facilities.
SUMMER 2020
