OFFERING HELP DURING THE PANDEMIC
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HILE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CREATED many challenges for both our local community and those we serve abroad, it also created opportunities to help. The students, faculty, and staff of the Judy Genshaft Honors College answered that call for help in a variety of ways. Honors instructor Raman Sachdev, who teaches Acquisition of Knowledge (AOK), was recognized by the university as one of the “Heroes Among Us” in 2020. Honors students take AOK during their first semester on campus. In this class they explore the different ways in which knowledge is created and consumed. Sachdev was not scheduled to teach a summer AOK course, but volunteered to rearrange his schedule and teach one to help the university determine how to best handle in-person instruction for the fall semester.
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In his summer “pilot” course, half of his class was in the classroom with him (socially distanced and wearing masks), and half joined synchronously using the Microsoft Teams platform. This was a new way of teaching, and Sachdev quickly adapted to offer a safe and impactful experience for all of his students. He tested new technology for the university and provided valuable feedback to shape USF’s instruction plan. He also helped train other faculty members to ensure the best possible experience. This included teaching courses and training other AOK instructors on the St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses in the fall. As this was the first semester post-consolidation, the course was new on those campuses and Sachdev served as an important resource. “Raman’s work this past summer and fall is an excellent example of why our College highlights the need for collaboration and why it is so important in a crisis,” says Dr. Charles Adams, Dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College. “He was flexible and worked with the facilities, information technology, administration, faculty, and communications teams to create an effective plan for hybrid instruction. Our College is proud to have him represent us in this way.”
Another important part of the students’ partial return to campus (while following all CDC guidelines) was ensuring that the facilities, signage, materials, and communications were all aligned with a safe environment. As a result, Dean Adams organized a College Safety Committee, led by Office of National Scholarships Associate Director Lauren Chambers, who holds a master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Florida. The committee met regularly to create best practices for safe use of the Allen Building, plan for and obtain all the required materials (hand sanitizer, masks, desk partitions, signage, etc.), and communicate policies and practices to the Honors community. 8 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA
Raman’s work this past summer is an excellent example of why our College highlights the need for collaboration and why it is so important in a crisis.”
– Dr. Charles Adams
“I am very grateful to this committee for the countless hours they spent preparing for our return to the building,” says Adams. “It was a smooth process during a difficult and unfamiliar time thanks to their hard work and excellent planning.” One Honors student who worked hard to help others during the pandemic is recent alumna, Avalon Jade Theisen. During the summer of 2020 she organized the creation and delivery of more than 5,000 “care cards,” cards meant to spread appreciation and positivity during the pandemic. As part of her non-profit “Conserve It Forward,” Theisen delivered the cards to isolated seniors in the community and the essential workers staffing local grocery stores during lockdowns. The local ABC news station covered her work, and when asked why she chose grocery store workers, Theisen replied: “These are the people who are feeding us and keeping us healthy. This was just my way of saying thanks.” Another example of an Honors student who was called to help others during the pandemic is biomedical sciences major, Maha Uppal. A senior from Fort Lauderdale, Uppal was
