In his opinion piece for The Washington Post, Princeton’s Eddie Glaude writes, “We must attend to our national grief. Mass death cannot be reduced to a private, individual moment.” Glaude continues, “The dead are not yours and yours alone. They are ours — all of them… We just have to figure out what ours will mean when colored by such unimaginable grief.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/06/pandemic-will-pass-our-grief-will-endure/?arc404=true

The week of March 9 was unlike any other at Princeton. In response to concerns about the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the University undertook a rapidly evolving series of measures that included the temporary move of all classes to online instruction, the cancellation of all athletic contests for the spring season, and ultimately a decision for all undergraduate students to return home, except for those whose academic, financial, travel, housing, or immigration and visa situations made it necessary to stay. The global coronavirus outbreak had already disrupted the studies of undergraduates in study-abroad programs, but the new measures touched every aspect of student life. PAW lays out a timeline that highlights some of the developments of an eventful week.
https://paw.princeton.edu/article/coping-covid-19

Princeton’s Cecilia Rouse, former member of Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, offers advice on what Americans should know about about coronavirus and the economy. “What we need is for everybody to stay home and not go broke doing it,” she said. “The faster we can get this pandemic under control, the faster we can snap back.” https://www.vox.com/coronavirus-covid19/2020/4/2/21201905/coronavirus-economic-crisis-recession-depression-stimulus-checks-covid-19

Princeton researchers have been awarded a National Science Foundation RAPID grant to study how anxiety about COVID-19 influences how we learn and share information about the pandemic. What the researchers find could help inform the design of campaigns to enhance communication of accurate information and decrease misinformation during times of crisis. Alin Coman, associate professor of psychology and public affairs, will lead the team.
https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/04/02/nsf-rapid-grant-awarded-study-how-anxiety-affects-spread-covid-19-information

Philip Warren Anderson, one of the greatest theoretical physicists of the postwar era, died Sunday, March 29, at Princeton Windrows, age 96. Anderson was the Joseph Henry Professor of Physics, Emeritus, at Princeton University. His illustrious career included a Nobel Prize and fundamental contributions to understanding the nature of materials and collective phenomena more generally — from everyday items such as magnets to exotic superconductors and new forms of matter such as topologically ordered states. He also contributed to the Anderson-Higgs mechanism, which is a key basis for the Standard Model of Particle Physics.
https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/03/30/nobel-laureate-and-princeton-physicist-philip-anderson-dies-age-96

At Princeton University, the school’s Dean of Research recently approved a “Open Source Action-Oriented Research agenda,” a project initiated by the Black Box Research Group. Black Box Research Group is a university effort led by Princeton SoA Assistant Professor V. Mitch McEwen; McEwen is also a co-founder of the architectural practice A(n) Office.
https://archinect.com/news/article/150190628/architecture-schools-are-using-digital-fab-labs-to-3d-print-medical-equipment

Efforts by Princeton alumni, like those of Dr. Laura Forese ’83, executive vice president of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, are highlighted in this piece by Princeton Alumni Weekly.
https://paw.princeton.edu/article/march-31-2020-alumni-doctors-working-fight-covid-19

Faculty members are invited to apply for Princeton University funding to support research projects that consider biomedical, health-related and fundamental science related to the COVID pandemic, as well as those that impact corresponding policy, social, and economic topics. Funding of up to $100,000 is available for projects lasting up to one year. Proposals will be anonymously peer-reviewed by a committee that will make funding recommendations.
https://research.princeton.edu/research-administration/covid-19-information-researchers

Members of the DarkSide experiment at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy have temporarily put their hunt for dark matter on hold in an attempt to stem the deadly tide of COVID-19. The 26-strong group of physicists from Europe and North America has designed a new, stripped-down mechanical ventilator that it hopes can be mass-produced quickly and cheaply using off-the-shelf components. The new ventilator design has been spearheaded by Cristiano Galbiati, a physicist at Princeton University in the US and the Gran Sasso lab who is currently locked down in Milan.
https://physicsworld.com/a/physicists-unveil-new-simplified-ventilator-for-covid-19-patients/

A new research paper examining the 2014-15 Ebola outbreak in Africa and co-authored by Princeton’s Johannes Haushofer, could hold crucial insights for policymakers grappling with the novel coronavirus pandemic — namely, the importance of public engagement and trust during health crises.
https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/what-the-ebola-outbreak-could-teach-us-about-how-to-contain-the-novel-coronavirus

According to a Futurity piece, co-authored by Princeton faculty, “China’s response may have delayed the spread of the virus to cities outside of Wuhan by several days and interrupted transmission nationwide. The findings could be useful to countries that are still in the early phases of the COVID-19 outbreak.”
https://www.futurity.org/china-first-50-days-covid-19-infections-2321582/

In their opinion piece for The New York Times, Princeton’s Joshua D. Rabinowitz and Caroline R. Bartman write, “The importance of viral dose is being overlooked in discussions of the coronavirus. As with any other poison, viruses are usually more dangerous in larger amounts. Small initial exposures tend to lead to mild or asymptomatic infections, while larger doses can be lethal.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/opinion/coronavirus-viral-dose.html

President Eisgruber joined the “Talking Feds” podcast, along with the presidents of the University of California and Notre Dame, to discuss how their institutions are responding to COVID-19 and their support for the DACA program. https://www.talkingfeds.com/talkingfeds/00-00-2019/template-g4f54-3w9jc

Princeton University has offered admission to 1,823 students for the Class of 2024, including 17% who will be first-generation college students and 61% of U.S. citizens or permanent residents self-identified as people of color, including biracial and multiracial students. The University expects that approximately 60% of the enrolled class will receive financial aid; more than 20% of admitted students come from low-income backgrounds. This year’s admission process reflects the University’s enduring commitment to attract, enroll and support extraordinary students from all backgrounds. https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/03/26/princeton-pleased-offer-admission-1823-students-class-2024

Daniel Te, a junior concentrating in philosophy with a certificate in urban studies, discusses forming Acts of Kindness, a Pace Center student organization. Acts of Kindness (AOK) aims to create a more compassionate environment on campus. The organization has recently transitioned to working and engaging virtually, along with other campus resources.   https://pace.princeton.edu/news/why-i-serve-acts-kindness https://pace.princeton.edu/how/respond-virtually