SCITECH

Yale researchers receive grant to develop novel epilepsy brain-computer chip treatment

BY VALENTINA SIMON STAFF REPORTER

An interdisciplinary team of Yale researchers has designed brain-machine interface chips that, when implanted in humans, can reduce the rate of epileptic seizures.

More than three million people experience epileptic seizures in the United States, with 60 to 70 percent of patients able to successfully treat the condition with medicine. For the remaining individuals, surgically removing the parts of the brain where seizures arise, regardless of their role in everyday function, has been the only path toward mitigating the issue. A team of Yale computer scientists, engineers and surgeons have found that short-circuiting the path neurons fire during an epileptic seizure can successfully reduce the rate of seizures in patients. The Swebilius Foundation recently awarded the team a grant to continue its research.

“When the signature traits of a seizure are observed, the device stimulates that part of the brain, and it is not curative, but over time 60 percent of patients will get 50 percent fewer seizures than they had before,” said Dennis Spencer, professor emeritus of neurosurgery, who implants these brain-computer interface chips in patients.

The team is still working to increase the success rate. Currently, each chip contains two electrodes with four contacts. When attempting to short-circuit a seizure, a surgeon can only stimulate the brain on the linear path between those two electrodes.

The chips are uniquely targeted, both spatially and temporally, making them superior to medication or surgery for seizures that extend into critical regions of the brain. However, the chips’ targeted nature makes them inadequate in many cases when seineed to do a lot more real-time processing, and the algorithms are more sophisticated and demanding, but we need to deliver all this on a tight power budget.”

The team is working to increase processing power through hardware-software synergies. Concrete subroutines, such as algorithms that store information, are hardcoded into the chips and are combined to cre-

JESSAI FLORES/STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

zures follow a network of connections, moving quickly around the brain.

“There are multiple nodes we need to monitor and modulate in order to manage a seizure,” said Hitten Zaveri, assistant professor of neurology. “We ate new treatment plans specific to the disease in question. It is similar to how a set of chords, or subroutines of a piano, can be joined together to create a beautiful composition.

“At the power budget that we have, which is 10-15 milliwatts, you really need to optimize down to the wire what you keep on board. It is literally a matter of life and death,” said assistant professor of computer science Aurag Khandelwal, who is a collaborator on the project.

Many patients have comorbidities associated with their epilepsy. These can include severe anxiety and depression. According to Spencer, such disorders often follow the same neural pathways in the brain as epileptic seizures.

The Yale chips have been designed to be multipurpose, meaning that the programs can be coded and uploaded to target other neurological and psychological disorders as well.

“The networks for anxiety and depression overlap a great deal with the networks we see responsible for seizures,” Spencer said. “Ultimately, the attempted treatment to help patients with horrible epilepsy may be a simultaneous attempt to control their anxiety and their seizures. That is the long term mission.”

The team’s paper outlining its design for the chip, “Hardware-Software Co-Design for Brain-Computer Interfaces,” was selected for inclusion in Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE, Micro’s Top Picks in Computer Architecture magazine as one of the top computer architecture papers published in 2020.

Contact VALENTINA SIMON at valentina.simon@yale.edu .

Joint Yale and Harvard study shows people may be infectious beyond ve-day isolation

BY MANAS SHARMA STAFF REPORTER

New research from scientists at the Yale and Harvard Schools of Public Health suggests that the commonly-accepted fi veday isolation period for those who test positive for COVID19 may end when people are still infectious.

The study, which is currently prepublished — meaning it has not yet been peer-reviewed — investigates the time period of viral proliferation and clearance for the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. Researchers analyzed PCR COVID-19 tests of 537 individuals and found that many samples remained positive for between five and 10 days following the initial positivity.

“This study demonstrates that the current 5 day isolation period may well be too short for a significant number of infected individuals,” Howard Forman, professor of economics, management and public health policy wrote in an email to the News. “If our intention is to stamp outspread, we should reconsider a time-based process to exit isolation and reconsider using antigen testing to test out.”

The Omicron COVID-19 variant is highly transmissible and infects a higher proportion of individuals who are vaccinated or have prior immunity than other variants, research conducted on the variant over the last several months has shown. These traits of the variant make it necessary to research how long the virus takes to clear up and how often it proliferates in individuals, according to Nathan Grubaugh, an associate professor of epidemiology.

“Over the past two years, we have been collecting data on the PCR values from very dense samplings. … Our goal was to PCR test samples from 537 individuals for analysis. The testing program periodically tested symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, and tested positive individu-

als daily in order to obtain this dense sampling.

Through this analysis, the researchers were able to measure viral RNA, or the genetic material of viruses. An analysis of the viral RNA allowed for a deeper understanding of the extent of viral shedding of the Omicron variant. Viral shedding is the rate and intensity by which the virus reproduces inside host cells. Rates of viral shedding help inform policies on isolation for individuals who test positive, as it describes the general period of time that an individual could be infectious.

“These findings and others indicate that there is much

EMILY CAI/STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

use the data we had collected to determine what is the potential fraction of individuals in our sampling that still might be infectious on day fi ve, day six, or day seven so we might better inform our isolation protocols,” Grubaugh, a senior author of the paper, said in an interview with the News.

Through its occupational health program, the National Basketball Association provided the research team with variability in the period that people can infect others,” Harlan Krumholz ’80, professor of medicine and public health policy, wrote in an email to the News. “Some people may clear the virus rapidly and others continue to spread it to others for 10 or more days. Setting a time amount and applying it to everyone will promote the spreading of the virus.”

Through the PCR tests, the researchers analyzed the Ct values, or cycle threshold values, of individuals. Ct values represent how many cycles of DNA amplifi cation it takes for the COVID-19 genetic material to be detected within the sample. Ct values less than 30 usually correspond to a positive COVID-19 rapid antigen test, while values above 30 indicate non-infectiousness for COVID-19.

The study showed that most individuals tested reached high viral RNA after initially testing positive, with many individuals having Ct values less than 30 even fi ve days after the initial positive test result. This meant that those individuals would still be testing positive on the rapid antigen test fi ve days after their initial positive result. Per the study’s findings, positivity does not persist beyond day 10, as all individuals in the study had Ct values above 30 by day 11.

Grubaugh’s lab and colleagues aim to replicate the study in a larger, more representative population in order to best model the viral shedding and infectiousness, leading to better creation of isolation policies. Currently, the CDC recommends that positive individuals quarantine for five days if they are asymptomatic and then strictly wear a mask around others for fi ve days after.

Yale requires that students who test positive quarantine in isolation housing, and, if by day fi ve they have waning or no symptoms, they may test and be released from quarantine if they test negative.

Contact MANAS SHARMA at manas.sharma@yale.edu .

NEWS

Gerken re-appointed as Dean of Yale Law School

COURTESY OF YALE UNIVERSITY

Heather Gerken, Yale Law School’s first female dean, weathered multiple crises during her first term.

BY EDA AKER STAFF REPORTER

Heather Gerken has been appointed for a second term as dean of Yale Law School, University President Peter Salovey announced last week.

Gerken has served as Dean for the past five years and is set to begin her second term on July 1. She is the first female dean of the Law School, and in her first term she aimed to bring together “theory and practice,” launching a new leadership program, running a government law clinic and increasing the diversity of the Law School community. Gerken also faced criticism for her handling of several high-profile incidents throughout her tenure. An eight-person faculty committee reviewed Gerken’s accomplishments during her first term as Dean and recommended her for reappointment. Salovey made the announcement in a Jan. 19 email to the Law School community.

“I think that this is such a joyous job,” Gerken said in an interview with the News. “The magic of our intellectual environment is that it isn’t just something that takes place inside the classroom, but takes place in those exchanges between students and faculty on ideas, when the students meet each other out in the courtyard and when students interact directly with clients.”

Gerken graduated from Princeton University in 1991 and received a law degree from the University of Michigan in 1994. She clerked for Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the 9th Circuit, as well as Supreme Court Justice David Souter. Prior to assuming her deanship, Gerken was a professor who specialized in constitutional and election law. She began teaching at the Yale Law School in 2006.

Gerken said that she is especially proud of her initiatives to allow 70 percent of law students to receive scholarship support in 2020-21 and to create the five most diverse classes in the school’s history. Over half of the students in the Law School’s class of 2024 are female, and 54 percent of the students identify as students of color.

“Members of the YLS community remarked on Dean Gerken’s dedication to the mission of the School, her record of building new innovative programs, her advocacy for scholarly and clinical work, and the inspiring passion that she brings every day to her job,” Salovey wrote in his Jan. 19 message. “She has already accomplished an ambitious agenda in her first term, and I am confident that the Law School will continue to benefit tremendously from her vision, talent, and energy in the years ahead.”

Saja Spearman-Weaver LAW ’23 and Adam Gerard LAW ’23 shared with the News their respect for Gerken and their excitement for her second term.

Gerard added that Gerken has done an “excellent job” making herself available to students as both an academic and an administrator, highlighting that she took the time to meet with him individually, despite not being his professor.

During her first term, Gerken has led the school through several scandals that drew extensive media coverage to the Law School. In October, the Law School was thrust into the spotlight after administrators pressured a student to apologize after sending an email that some saw as racially charged. Some saw the administration’s handling of the incident as an infringement of free speech, and Gerken later apologized for the administration’s actions. In the following month, two students sued Gerken and other Law School administrators for allegedly pressuring them to lie last year in an investigation on law professor Amy Chua’s misconduct.

“The lawsuit is legally and factually baseless, and the University will o er a vigorous defense,” University spokesperson Karen Peart wrote in an email to the News.

“I think the one thing that we all agree on is that we love this institution,” Gerken said. “And you can’t be an academic and can’t be a lawyer without thinking that it’s important to engage with people with whom you disagree. So in a lot of ways, the core values of Yale Law School depend on differences and disagreements. The fact that we’re all knit together by a deep commitment to the school makes those interactions easier rather than harder.”

Gerken added that the Yale Law School community has a unique set of tools that enables them to “get more out of those disagreements” and to move forward.

“YLS faces a lot of challenges, but not because of a lack of steady hand on top,” law professor David Schleicher said. “The reality of the school is like working unbelievably well. … It’s a real pleasure to work in the Law School due to Heather.”

During her first term, Gerken was also forced to face the COVID-19 pandemic, including virtual instruction. Schleicher said that Gerken’s “can do” attitude and “industry and capacity” have been especially crucial to maintain the “heart” of the school during the pandemic.

Schleicher said that Gerken was a “steady captain in troubled waters” for both students and faculty through the Dean’s initiatives — such as her leadership program — and her navigation of the in-person and online classes.

“I was incredibly moved by the way that the faculty and sta and students took care of one another, even on the most exhausting day in the middle of the worst moment of the pandemic,” Gerken said. “That’s what gave me the energy, seeing the sort of love and a ection that everyone has for each other and for this place.”

All of the professors and alumni that spoke with the News noted that they were “unsurprised” with Gerken’s reappointment and noted her drive to build on the Law School’s legacy and provide more opportunities for students and faculty to thrive.

“Heather determined that while it was the case that Yale Law students have gone on to become great leaders and have acted admirably, there was still a need for the Law School to absorb the best teaching and learnings about leadership in particular and impart that to the next generation of law students,” said Rakim Brooks LAW ’16 SOM ’16, president of Alliance for Justice, an organization that provides nonprofits with the tools they need to be advocates. “I think that the folks who are attending the Law School now will have been spectacular in any case, but they’ll be ever more prepared for the positions that they almost necessarily will take up in the world.”

Brooks stressed the weight of Gerken’s accomplishments of leading the school, despite carrying the “burdens as the first woman to occupy that particular seat.”

Gerken said that she is “always thinking” about the generations of womewn who came before her and the challenges they encountered during their professions, adding that she is “so grateful” to have the chance to lead the Law School for another term.

Law Professor Scott Shapiro said that Gerken’s “theory and practice” goal in leadership supports his research as an academic without “static,” while simultaneously allowing him to make a community-based impact by running a clinic for documentary filmmakers.

“I just think that more than anything, she just lets me do my job,” Shapiro said.

Gerken has been dean of the Law School since July 1, 2017.

Contact EDA AKER at eda.aker@yale.edu .

Conklin takes over as Title IX Coordinator

BY SARAH COOK AND TIGERLILY HOPSON STAFF REPORTERS

Elizabeth Conklin, the inaugural associate vice president for equity, access, and belonging, stepped into the role of Title IX coordinator earlier this month. Conklin will serve as Yale’s leader in sex and gender discrimination and harassment prevention.

Conklin’s new role was announced in mid-December by University Provost Scott Strobel and Secretary and Vice President for University Life Kimberly Goff-Crews. Stephanie Spangler, who currently serves as the University’s COVID-19 Coordinator, previously held the role for over a decade. Spangler will continue on at Yale in her current COVID-related position, while Conklin will take on the duties of the Title IX coordinator while continuing on in her equity and inclusion role.

“I have a big vision that guides my work,” Conklin told the News. “Which is to work towards a campus environment where there is no longer any form of discrimination or harassment.”

Title IX is “a federal law that protects people from sex and gender discrimination in educational programs and activities,” according to the Title IX page of the University’s Sexual Misconduct Response and Prevention website. As Title IX coordinator, Conklin is responsible for overseeing the deputy Title IX coordinators, organizing resources and designing campus-wide training to prevent sex-based discrimination and sexual misconduct.

There were 94 complaints of sexual misconduct on campus between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2020, the most recent dates available on the Yale Provost’s website. Conklin said that she wants to make sure there are “robust” resources and clear policies and procedures in place so that any student who is met with discrimination or harassment can feel supported and heard.

Strobel and Goff-Crews wrote in their December announcement that the beginning of the year provided an “optimal time” for Conklin to transition into the new role, due to Spangler’s growing responsibilities as Vice Provost for Health Affairs & Academic Integrity and University COVID-19 Coordinator, and Conklin’s “impressive progress” on programs to address harassment and discrimination.

Goff-Crews told the News that she is grateful for Spangler’s “exemplary Title IX leadership” and that there has been “significant progress” under her direction. Goff-Crews added that Spangler helped form the University-wide committee on sexual misconduct, raised awareness about SHARE and began the Community Consent Educator program for Yale College. Spangler also led the University’s participation in the Association of American Universities’ 2015 and 2019 surveys on sexual misconduct which provided evidence that sexual harassing behaviors have reduced on campus.

“She helped create and enhance the infrastructure we know today: an infrastructure that is set up to maintain and strengthen educational, working, and living environments founded on mutual respect. As a result, campus awareness is very di erent today,” Go -Crews wrote to the News.

The announcement also said that Assistant Provost and Senior Deputy Title IX Coordinator Jason Killhe er will continue to work on the University’s Title IX programs while also continuing to collaborate with Spangler on “other academic integrity matters” in his role as assistant provost.

“[I am] really thankful for the extremely strong foundation that Stephanie Spangler built, and really excited to continue to work closely with Jason Killhe er,” Conklin told the News. “He has been helping to lead this work for a decade at Yale and he is a really important resource and leader in this work.”

Killhe er wrote to the News that his main responsibilities include overseeing the deputy Title IX coordinators, addressing concerns from the community, collaborating with campus partners and evaluating current programs. He is looking forward to “continuing and expanding” on his work with Conklin. According to Killhe er, he and Conklin have worked together before on the Connecticut Title IX Coordinator Coalition and in bringing together the O ce of Institutional Equity and Accessibility with the Title IX O ce.

Conklin came to Yale in 2020, but she previously worked as the associate vice president of the University of Connecticut’s Office of Institutional Equity and as their Title IX coordinator and Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator, according to a Yale News press release. Before arriving at Yale, she also co-founded the Connecticut Title IX Coordinator Coalition alongside Spangler.

Spangler wrote to the News that it had been a “pleasure” to work with Conklin over the years, and that they often shared ideas and experiences with each other when they had been fellow Title IX coordinators, Conklin at University of Connecticut and Spangler at Yale. Spangler was “delighted” when Conklin arrived as associate vice president for equity, access, and belonging, and is now excited for her to step into the Title IX position at Yale.

“I am so grateful — the university is so fortunate — that [Conklin] will now assume this additional important responsibility,” Spangler said.

At Yale, like at the University of Connecticut, Conklin is now responsible not only for Title IX issues, but also for discrimination and harassment of any kind, including in regards to race, religion, sexuality and disability. Conklin said that she feels it is important to recognize that students do not fit singly in any one of these boxes.

“We’re thinking about folks of intersecting identities, and that really impacts the approach to any individual student, how best to support them,” Conklin said.

In assuming her new role, Conklin’s initial priority is to create conversation about identity, community and important issues on campus by meeting with students, faculty and staff to hear their perspectives and experiences. Developing a base and relationships with those who are already involved with Title IX

YALE NEWS

Elizabeth Conklin will serve as Yale’s leader in sex and gender discrimination and harassment prevention.

work will be key in deciding where programming must be enhanced or clarified, she said.

One thing that is special about Yale, Conklin added, is the level of student engagement on Title IX-related issues. Conklin recalled that a highlight in her work so far has been having conversations with students and working with students involved in these e orts.

“Learning will really guide how I approach the work moving forward,” she said.

An initial project Conklin hopes to pursue is enhancing Title IX’s online presence at Yale. In this digital age, Conklin said, the internet is where students will most likely go first for resources. It is therefore important for the website to be as clear as possible so students have a place to turn and learn about next steps, she said.

As for any big policy changes, Conklin said she wants to wait and keep a “close eye on what’s happening nationally.” In April there are supposed to be revisions to the national Title IX regulations, which may affect Yale’s procedures and policies.

“What I can say is regardless of what happens in Washington ... our commitment to continue to provide support and prevention is unwavering,” Conklin said.

Taking on the role of Title IX Coordinator “dovetails” with Conklin’s responsibilities as associate vice president for institutional equity, access and belonging, she said. She plans to continue to work closely with Spangler and Killheffer in aligning Title IX with Title VI, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin, and Title VII, which prohibits employment discrimination.

She will also continue to work on prevention and response strategies for other forms of dicrimination and harassment, on increasing accessibility on campus and on the Belonging at Yale initiative. She told the News she is excited for Killhe er and the Title IX sta to work closely with the sta from the Student Accessibility Services, the O ce of Institutional Equity and Accessibility and the O ce of LGBTQ resources.

Students and faculty can find more information about the University’s Title IX policies on the Sexual Misconduct Response and Prevention website and contact the Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Education Center’s 24-hour confidential hotline at (203) 432-2000 for information and support regarding sexual misconduct.

Contact SARAH COOK at sarah.cook@yale.edu and TIGERLILY HOPSON at tigerlily.hopson@yale.edu.

NEWS

cious in the years of maturity” ALBERT EINSTEIN, THEORETICAL PHYSICIST

Board of Alders approves new inclusionary zoning legislation

BY SYLVAN LEBRUN STAFF REPORTER

Years in the making, New Haven’s first inclusionary zoning law — which will require and incentivize developers to include a ordable housing units in all new market-rate projects — is now set to become city policy next month.

The city’s Affordable Housing Task Force fi rst recommended the implementation of inclusionary zoning policies in January 2019. Introducing the legislation became a major priority for Mayor Justin Elicker’s administration. The law was formally presented to the public in its current form in June 2021. After a number of contentious public hearings and debates within the City Plan Commission and the Board of Alders’ Legislation Committee, the policy fi nally passed with a 25-1-1 vote on the fl oor of the full Board last Tuesday.

The bill mandates that future market-rate housing complexes include a certain portion of units with rents set at 50 percent of the Area Median Income. This portion will be determined by the strength of the market in the neighborhood, with stricter requirements in the downtown area where luxury developments are common. This is intended to encourage mixed-income development and combat historic redlining. The law will take e ect on Feb. 18.

“This ordinance will make sure that, in the core of our city, future growth and development will benefi t everyone,” Ward 7 Alder Eli Sabin ’22 said at the Tuesday night meeting. “We will no longer have segregated luxury developments. Instead, we will have mixed-income development that protects those who need it most… Everyone deserves to live in a safe neighborhood with good access to jobs, transit and housing.”Sabin called this inclusionary zoning plan “one of the most important pieces of legislation that this board has voted on in a number of years.” Many alders emphasized the centrality of the ordinance to the board’s legislative agenda, in which they pledged to address the city’s housing crisis.

Under the new ordinance, all market-rate developments of more than 10 units within the “core” downtown zone of New Haven will be required to make 10 percent of their units a ordable — with rents at or below 50 percent AMI — and reserve an additional five percent of their units for housing voucher holders. For a two-bedroom apartment, an “a ordable” unit under the requirements of the new bill would have a monthly rent of $1,090 or less city-wide, according to the Connecticut Department of Housing.

In the “strong” zone, which includes East Rock, Long Wharf, Dixwell and Dwight, as well as parts of Wooster Square, Newhallville, the Hill and Fair Haven, only fi ve percent of the units must be a ordable. Throughout the rest of the city, only larger-scale building projects with more than 75 units will be required to make fi ve percent of their units a ordable.

Ward 9 Alder Charles Decker emphasized that the higher percentages set for the neighborhoods with the strongest real estate markets are intended to “prevent future luxury developments in areas like Downtown and East Rock from becoming de facto gated communities,” increasing the supply of a ordable housing across the whole city.

Solidifying the details of this inclusionary zoning policy was a “balancing act,” according to City Plan Director Aicha Woods ARC ’97, and required incorporating public testimony and feedback from housing justice advocates, developers and New Haven residents. Woods said that the goal was to ensure as much affordable housing as possible while not “creating an environment that would potentially stifle development” and reduce the overall housing supply. In his speech of support, Decker noted that this new ordinance was progressive even in comparison to similar inclusionary zoning programs across the country, setting an unusually high threshold for a ordability. Inclusionary zoning policies typically set the rent for ‘a ordable’ units at “70 percent or 80 percent or even higher” of the AMI, he said.

An in-lieu fee will be available as an option to developers who do not fulfill the requirements of the policy. According to Livable City Initiative director Arlevia Samuel, the city will then use these amassed funds to subsidize housing assistance nonprofi ts and smaller a ordable building developments across the city.

Those who comply with the inclusionary zoning requirements will receive a number of benefi ts, including a waiving of parking minimums, tax abatements and permission to build denser units.

These incentives were a cause of debate at the Board of Alders meeting, with Ward 10 Alder Anna Festa, who casted the single dissenting vote, arguing that the bill was too lenient on developers and would be exploited.

“I feel like we’re constantly giving developers a break,” Festa said. “What we’re fighting for is not even enough a ordable housing… You know what the developers are going to do? They’re going to increase the market rate rental in order to make up for what they’re losing in a ordable housing. And we in this city are giving them all these tax breaks.”

In response to Festa, Ward 22 Alder Jeanette Morrison argued that the incentives were the only

SYLVAN LEBRUN/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

The bill mandates New Haven market-rate developers to build a designated percentage of ‘deeply a ordable’ units.

way to be in the position to “ask these people who are building housing with their own money to make sure that there’s a ordable [units] in there.”

Many alders who spoke in support of the ordinance stated that although it represents a step in the right direction, it is in no way enough to solve the a ordable housing crisis. Alder Devin Avshalom-Smith shared that in his Newhallville ward, low-income residents can “barely stand” the 50 percent AMI rents set as a ordable under this new legislation, calling the bill a situation in which “you get something or you get nothing at all.”

“In Fair Haven, this should have happened yesterday,” Ward 16 Alder José Crespo said.

The bill as amended at the Board of Alders meeting includes a provision in which the market environment will be re-evaluated every two years. According to Decker, this is with the hope of being able to raise the affordability percentage requirements and adjust the map to add more land to the core and strong zones in the future.

Michael Piscitelli, the city’s economic development administration, told the News that he was “very encouraged and grateful” that the plan had been approved by the Board of Alders, believing that it will have “signifi cant benefi t” to the residents of New Haven.

His team will be working in the months ahead to collaborate with developers and begin to implement the new requirements into the zoning process. Woods shared that the City Plan Department has developed a manual outlining the procedures for carrying out the inclusionary zoning policy, focusing on specifics of the developer application process, incentives, enforcement, tenant selection and marketing.

“This is an important step forward, but is not in any way a comprehensive solution to providing deeply affordable housing,” Woods said. “However, it is really based in changing some of the legacy land use patterns in our city… to provide opportunities for residents to live in places that they formerly would be excluded from.”

On Feb. 2, the City Plan Commission will hold a special public hearing to evaluate the implementation manual for the approved inclusionary zoning bill.

Contact SYLVAN LEBRUN at sylvan.lebrun@yale.edu

City o cials optimistic about falling cases

BY YASH ROY STAFF REPORTER

On Tuesday, Mayor Justin Elicker and other top health city o cials expressed optimism about falling COVID-19 case counts in New Haven.

Several officials communicated updates about the city’s pandemic response at a press conference outside City Hall. As of the latest city COVID19 report from Jan. 17, New Haven is averaging 34 cases per day, according to Public Health Director Maritza Bond.

“I just want to start, first of all, by saying that we’re in a much better place than we were even a week ago, with Omicron,” Elicker said. “You look at the trends and they are very promising. Yesterday, the Governor reported a daily test positivity rate of 11 percent. So we are definitely on the downward trajectory, like many places in the country, which is great.”

Elicker added that between the tests provided by the state and tests acquired by the city, New Haven has provided 40,000 rapid tests to the community and 10,000 rapid tests to municipal employees.

Rick Fontana, emergency operations director, also shared that the city is hosting free PCR testing sites at 60 Sargent Dr. and on the New Haven Green, which are open every day but Friday. These sites reopened on Jan. 4 after staff shortages forced them to close in December.

“The tests have made a big difference,” Fontana said at the press conference. “Keeping people in work, and it’s worked really well for the Board of Education. I also want to take a minute to thank the State of Connecticut. They took a beating when those tests weren’t available back almost a month ago, but they really responded and have done a great job. We’re in good shape.”

He added that the PCR tests have had “no lines” and are “organized really well.”

Elicker also announced on Friday that the requirement that all city employees be “fully vaccinated” will include receiving a booster shot, which is in accordance with CDC guidelines.

Elicker added that under the current defi nition of “fully vaccinated” — which consists of two shots — 81.1 percent of city employees, excluding NHPS staff, are vaccinated. He further specifi ed that 66 percent of the police department, 79.2 percent of the fire department and 87.8 percent of non-public safety employees are vaccinated. The police vaccination rate was 65 percent in October which means the vaccination rate has increased one percent in three months.

At the press conference, Bond added that the state had implemented a vaccination requirement at elderly homes, which the city would be working to implement.

“I am actually elated that the Governor put in a mandate on protecting our vulnerable population and our marginalized groups, which is the elderly,” Bond said. “My grandmother is one of the elders that lives in a local nursing home, and so the fact that we will be there verifying vaccines, and/ or testing is something that I want to just commend the Fovernor’s leadership.”

Bond added that she “encouraged all community members to continue to be vigilant and to continue to follow mitigation strategies.”

Elicker told residents that the Governor’s mask and vaccination or testing mandates are going to expire on Feb. 15, but he noted that Lamont has asked the legislature to renew the mask mandate but does not plan to ask for the renewal of the vaccination or testing mandate.

New Haven Public Schools will keep its masking and vaccination or testing policy in place, according to Elicker.

“The city of New Haven’s current mask mandate already covers the schools,” Elicker said. “Because the mandate covers all public indoor spaces, we will count the schools under that. The most important thing that folks need to understand is that students and school staff will continue to be required to wear masks, regardless of whether the state legislature decides to re-up the Governor’s mask mandate or not.”

Elicker also explained that since “school personnel are technically city employees,” they will continue to be covered under the municipal mandate. He added that “school employees should understand that nothing will change except who is requiring them to be vaccinated or get tested.”

The city of New Haven employs 1,430 workers.

Contact YASH ROY at yash.roy@yale.edu

SPORTS

Yale Athletics updates attendance policies

TIM TAI/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

All fully-vaccinated members of the Yale community, except undergrads, are able to attend games with a 50 percent capacity limit on fan attendance.

POLICY FROM PAGE 14

icies for Yale faculty, sta , and graduate students and those for undergraduates. Undergraduates have been permitted to move on campus since Jan. 14, but are currently under a campus-wide quarantine. Zeren Toksoy ’24 has attended Yale ice hockey games since high school and plans to move in on Jan. 21, over two weeks before undergraduate students are allowed in venues.

“It’s probably a good idea to have these guidelines since cases are really bad right now,” Toksoy said. “I’m surprised that they’re letting faculty and grad students. For undergrads, it makes sense, but I don’t think graduate students should be allowed to go.”

According to Yale’s COVID19 dashboard data on the week of Jan. 10 through Jan. 16, 98 graduate students tested positive while 70 undergraduates tested positive for COVID-19. Many Yale graduate schools, including the School of Public Health, the School of the Environment and the School of Architecture, plan to return to in-person instruction on the same date as Yale College.

Associate Athletic Director Mike Gambardella did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.

Women’s basketball’s 69–67 victory over Brown on Monday was the first game of the year with community attendance.

Will McCormack contributed reporting.

Contact HAMERA SHABBIR at hamera.shabbir@yale.edu. “We should never let a football game be determined from a coin. I think that’s the most craziest rule in sports.” DION DAWKINS BUFFALO BILLS LEFT TACKLE

Five wins in a row for Yale

W. BASKETBALL FROM PAGE 14

scorer and rebounder, was out due to injury. With four seconds remaining, the Bulldogs called a timeout with possession to draw up a play. Christen McCann ’25 caught the inbound pass at the top of the key, driving to her right and hitting a game-winning layup in heavy tra c to seal the victory for Yale.

McCann tallied 19 points on the day. Head coach Allison Guth praised her performance and growth over the course of the season, referring to her by the nickname “Consistent Chris.”

“She is someone we can count on, not just in the game-winner against Brown, but taking the toughest defensive assignment every game,” Guth said.

In league play, Yale’s o ense has come to life. Against non-conference foes, the Bulldogs averaged just under 60 points per game. Against Ancient Eight opposition, that number has increased by five points per game.

One of the key factors to the team’s improvement in conference play has been due to the performances of point guard Jenna Clark ’24. Clark is averaging 36.5 minutes per game and has taken the reins on o ense. She averaged over eight assists per game over the break, consistently feeding Emsbo and Alex Cade ’22 inside and finding open shooters on the perimeter. Clark currently ranks sixth in the country in assists.

“It’s super rewarding to be up there with some of the best players in the country,” Clark said. “It’s all because my teammates are hitting shots and they’re awesome and they’re really helping me. It’s cool for me, but they’re making the shots, so it’s everyone together.”

The frontcourt duo of Emsbo and Cade have been the recipients of many of Clark’s assists. The two forwards average a combined 25 points and 17 rebounds a game, while also ensuring that Yale almost always has an advantage with their physicality inside.

While Emsbo has been playing through a nagging injury of late, she has barely missed a beat, shooting 52 percent from the field in league play and nearly averaging a double-double over the course of the season. During Emsbo’s one-game absence against Brown, Cade scored 18 points and made 11 rebounds. She has also thrived in a complementary role alongside Emsbo, scoring with great e ciency while providing tough defense on the other end of the floor.

“[Emsbo and I have] played together for two years. I think we work really well together. I trust her on the inside like no other,” Cade said.

Nearly halfway through league play, the Bulldogs find themselves in a good spot. The team is two wins above fourth-placed Harvard, and will look to preserve that lead in the standings while trying to surpass Princeton and Columbia during the second half of the season.

The Bulldogs’ youthful squad has not held them back, as six of their eight leading scorers are underclassmen. While the team’s performances have improved dramatically over the first half of the season, some members of the squad believe they have barely scratched the surface of their potential.

“It’s about keeping the momentum and not ever flatlining,” Clark said, talking about the team’s mentality going forward. “We’ve got a chip on our shoulders. We think we can be the best team in the league, and we just have to go out and prove that every game.”

The Yale women’s basketball team last won the Ivy League in 1979.

Contact ANDREW CRAMER at andrew.cramer@yale.edu.

MUSCOSPORTSPHOTOS.COM

The Bulldogs are riding a five-game winning streak into the second half of the season.

Bulldogs best Lions, 83–72

M. BASKETBALL FROM PAGE 14

Yale head coach James Jones succinctly summed up how coaches and Swain’s teammates might remember Tuesday’s game after this season has passed.

“Thank you, Mr. Swain!” Jones exclaimed as he walked out of his postgame press conference. “Appreciate you today.”

Luke Benz ’19, a Harvard Biostatistics Ph.D. student and a parttime Ivy hoops analyst, noted on Twitter that Swain’s 37 points were tied for the sixth most by any Ivy League men’s basketball player during conference play since the 2002–03 season, which is the farthest his database extends. The guard from Brockton, Mass. was just a triple away from becoming the first Yale player to score 40 points in a game since John J. Lee ’58 GRD ’59, the namesake for Yale’s arena, scored that many in 1958 against Harvard. Instead, his 37 were the most a Yale player has scored since 2019 NBA draft pick Miye Oni netted 35 vs. Princeton in Feb. 2019.

Columbia shot just 38.2 percent from the field in the first as the Bulldogs played their best opening minutes of the season, pushing the pace and knocking down more than half of their field goal and threepoint attempts in the first half.

“I thought the energy and e ort that we started the game [with] was tremendous, as good as we’ve played on both sides of the ball all year,” Jones said. “We’ve been trying to play a little bit faster and play o our o ense in transition, where we can just flow into our motion after a missed shot and a defensive rebound.”

The Bulldogs cooled after their ferocious start but still led 46–28 at the break.

Swain, who did not attempt a three-pointer in the second half, entered halftime with 24 points on six-of-eight shooting from deep. His 14 made field goals also set a new career record, and he scored the ball with ruthless e ciency: a 14-of-20 mark from the field represented his highest field goal percentage this season.

“When you hit threes, it kind of just adds up,” Swain said.

“It was less than a 20-point game at the half, and we felt like it should have been more at that point,” Swain added when asked about how his 24 first-half points affected his thought process at

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Yale was heavily favored to win the contest, with ratings site KenPom giving the Bulldogs a 95 percent chance at victory.

the break. “So we just wanted to come out aggressive again in the second half.”

In stealing the show early, Swain also masked a weaker second-half for the Bulldogs, who were outscored by the Lions 44–37 after the break. Yale effectively contained Columbia’s senior forward Ike Nweke in the first half, limiting him to two rebounds and two points on one-of-six shooting from the field. Nweke, who missed most of the nonconference slate with a pair of injuries and was averaging 18.8 points and 7.2 rebounds in his last five games, stepped up in the second.

The 6-foot-7, 248-pound forward is listed about 30 pounds bigger than Yale’s largest defender on the court, forward Isaiah Kelly ’23, and Nweke frequently found his way to the rim after halftime. He finished the contest with a teamhigh 21 points and nine rebounds. Columbia forward Patrick Harding led all players with 11 boards.

Jones said teams with a lead can be a bit more reluctant “to do the dirty work” defensively and said he thought that was evident for Yale in the second half. He said defenders did a good job moving Nweke to make him work in the first half but allowed the forward to get better positioning in the second. “Once you allow a good player to get post position, it’s over,” Jones said.

Yale has often played much stronger second halves than first halves this season and has particularly struggled between the opening tip and the first media timeout. The opposite was the case on Tuesday, though the Elis’ lead never returned to single digits. Yale was heavily favored to win the contest in the first place, with men’s college basketball ratings site KenPom giving the Bulldogs a 95 percent chance at victory.

“We can’t play one half of basketball,” Gabbidon said. “That’s been somewhat of a theme for us … Starting to learn to put those two halves together is key. Obviously we’re figuring a little out — we came out strong [in the first]. But continuing to be physical and not worrying about fouls and just playing our brand of basketball regardless is really important.”

Yale coaches wore sleek black quarter-zips and white Under Armour sneakers in support of Coaches vs. Cancer and its annual Suits and Sneakers week, which runs from Jan. 24 to Jan. 30 this year.

Jones, who typically wears suits with his sta on the sideline, said he is on the Coaches vs. Cancer committee. He and Brown men’s basketball head coach Mike Martin talked to other coaches in the league, and the conference’s coaches decided to all wear three-quarter zips “as a show of pride.”

Jones’ mother’s name, Edna Davis, was inscribed on the top of his shoes. She passed away from cancer in 2010, Jones said.

“Having her name on [them] just made me feel good, like she was with me tonight which was nice,” Jones added.

Yale has now defeated Columbia in 10 of the programs’ most recent 11 meetings.

Dartmouth, Colgate no match for Elis

HOCKEY FROM PAGE 14

hard sixty minutes at both ends of the ice,” Meloni said. “It’s fun to play in those games when you’re competing hard and everyone buys in one hundred percent.”

After 40 minutes of scoreless play, the Bulldogs scored three unanswered goals from three different players. Emma Harvey ’25 split the Colgate defense and found Rebecca Foggia ’22 down the ice for a pass. Foggia shot one past the Raiders’ goalie on a breakaway early in the third period to make the game 1–0. Later in the third period, Tess Dettling ’22 attempted a wraparound shot. Welch crashed the net and capitalized on the rebound with a back-door, bardown shot for a short-handed goal for Yale.

The Raiders pulled their goalie less than a minute after Welch’s goal. Hartje scored an empty net goal with under five minutes left to go in the game for her tenth goal of the season.

The next day, Yale faced off against Cornell (7–8–1, 5–5–1) for a solid 4–1 victory. The game proved to be aggressive with a total of nine penalties between the two teams.

“This was a terrific weekend of hockey for our team,” head coach Mark Bolding told Yale Athletics. “To get all the available league points was a huge success. We scored a lot of different ways and also defended well. I am excited to keep improving as the road to the playo s gets closer.”

After Cornell took the lead midway through the first period, forward Rebecca Vanstone ’23 evened the score early in the second with a backhand shot o of a breakaway. Claire Dalton ’23 gave the Bulldogs the lead going into the second intermission when she scored after following up on Hartje’s initial shot.

At the start of the third frame, Anna Bargman ’25 returned to the ice after serving time in the box for her second penalty of the game. As she went in on a breakaway that shift, she was tripped from behind by Cornell’s Izzy Daniel. On her penalty shot, Bargman beat the Cornell goalie top shelf glove-side. Bargman got her second goal of the night on an empty net goal after the Big Red pulled their goalie with a little more than three minutes left in the game.

The Massachusetts native was named ECAC Rookie of the Week for her performance this past weekend as she now ranked seventh on the team for points with a total of seven goals and 13 points this season, leading all new Bulldogs.

After winning six of their last seven games, the Elis hope to continue their hot streak as they head into this week.

“This week, RPI and Brown should be good tests — hopefully we can keep our structures in place and earn a couple wins,” Welch said.

The Yale women’s hockey team is scheduled to face o at home against RPI on Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. This weekend, the Bulldogs compete against Brown in backto-back games. The team will first travel to Providence for a 6 p.m. game on Friday before returning to Ingalls Rink for their Saturday game at 6 p.m. All games will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Contact ROSA BRACERAS at rosie.braceras@yale.edu and SPENCER KING at spencer.king@yale.edu.