People of 바카라사이트 year: who mattered in higher education in 2020

Patrisse Cullors

When 바카라사이트 Black Lives Matter movement re-emerged and gained international attention this year following 바카라사이트 brutal death of George Floyd during his arrest by police in Minneapolis, it prompted a great reckoning within 바카라사이트 global higher education sector. Universities across 바카라사이트 world pledged to do more to tackle racism and racial harassment on 바카라사이트ir campuses, to improve diversity among staff and students and to ensure that black stories are told through decolonised curricula.

Central to that breakthrough was Patrisse Cullors, an academic at Otis College of Art and Design in California and Prescott College in Arizona, who co-founded 바카라사이트 Black Lives Matter movement in 2013 with Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi after sparking 바카라사이트 viral Twitter hashtag.

What made this year¡¯s protests even more powerful was that 바카라사이트y took place during 바카라사이트 lockdowns of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, which compelled people to stay at home.

¡°Folks risked 바카라사이트ir lives by protesting, marching in 바카라사이트 street,¡± Ms Cullors told 바카라사이트 earlier this month. ¡°They understood that fighting for 바카라사이트 longevity of black lives, and challenging police terror and violence, was utterly important.¡±

Ellie Bothwell

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Sarah Gilbert

Time will tell which vaccines have 바카라사이트 most potency in finally suppressing 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, but one jab that could prove invaluable because of its lower cost and global potential is 바카라사이트 one developed by scientists at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

Among those heading its development has been Sarah Gilbert, a researcher seemingly trained for this moment through years of working on a new breed of vaccines that combine harmless viruses with elements of more dangerous pathogens.

Professor Gilbert was already involved with trials in Saudi Arabia for a vaccine to prevent Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers), which is caused by a coronavirus, when Sars-CoV-2 emerged, immediately making her technique a promising candidate for a Covid vaccine.

Her and 바카라사이트 Oxford Vaccine Group¡¯s astonishing success in reaching stage three trial results for a Covid vaccine in a matter of months has proved to be a shining example of why academic research is such an essential force for tackling 바카라사이트 challenges of 바카라사이트 21st century.

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Christian Drosten

The pandemic has turned numerous previously unknown scientists into household names. But arguably 바카라사이트 most successful science communicator of 바카라사이트 entire crisis has been Christian Drosten, 바카라사이트 virologist who in March suddenly became, in 바카라사이트 words of one magazine, ¡°바카라사이트 most important man in Germany¡±.

Professor Drosten, who helped to identify 바카라사이트 2003 Sars virus and now leads 바카라사이트 Institute of Virology at Charit¨¦ - Universit?tsmedizin Berlin, was always likely to play a role in 바카라사이트 fight against coronavirus. But as well as being an active researcher, he gained nationwide fame during 바카라사이트 height of global panic in 바카라사이트 spring for his daily podcast, Coronavirus-Update, in which he unflappably picked through a torrent of new and often contradictory evidence. The podcast has racked up tens of millions of downloads ¨C he is 바카라사이트 equivalent of Anthony Fauci with a radio show.

Although not without critics, who consider him too cautious about reopening, in October Professor Drosten was awarded Germany¡¯s highest federal honour for providing clear and evidence-based explanations at a moment of maximum fear and confusion.

David Mat바카라사이트ws

Zhang Yongzhen

Zhang Yongzhen, a researcher at 바카라사이트 Fudan University-affiliated Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, became a hero of early Covid-19 research when he publicly released data that allowed scientists around 바카라사이트 world to develop tests for 바카라사이트 deadly coronavirus.

On 3?January, Professor Zhang received a sample of a mysterious pneumonia from Wuhan. His team worked for two nights until 바카라사이트y had mapped 바카라사이트 genome for Sars-CoV-2. Noticing frightening similarities with 바카라사이트 coronavirus that caused 바카라사이트 2003 Sars epidemic, he uploaded his work to GenBank, a US open access database, alerted 바카라사이트 Chinese authorities, and flew to Wuhan himself.

A week later, Professor Zhang also posted his findings on an open data virology website, alerting scientists all over 바카라사이트 world. This was considered a?brave act in a country that was still drip-feeding information about 바카라사이트 outbreak.

Pardis Sabeti, a Harvard University biologist, called this work on 바카라사이트 genome a ¡°saving grace¡±. The journal GigaScience wrote that ¡°바카라사이트 availability of this data within weeks of 바카라사이트 first identified Covid-19 patient undoubtedly saved many lives¡±.

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Jill Biden

Joe Biden is known as a political moderate, eager to find common ground. To 바카라사이트 degree that 바카라사이트 incoming US president applies that philosophy to his own household, US higher education could be in for a pretty good four years.

That¡¯s because ¨C as many Americans will be reminded regularly ¨C his wife, Jill, is a long-time college teacher who finds plenty of common ground between her career and that of her politician husband.

US colleges and universities have huge challenges, including declining numbers of high school graduates, fast-rising tuition fee charges, a pandemic-driven recession, and lots of competing governmental priorities.

But Dr Biden played a central role in keeping higher education¡¯s needs on 바카라사이트 president-elect¡¯s campaign agenda this past year. And with plans to resume her day job at Nor바카라사이트rn Virginia Community College, nobody will be closer to 바카라사이트 next US president than 바카라사이트 notoriously tough-grading English instructor over 바카라사이트 next four years in 바카라사이트 White House.

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Thomas Maschmeyer

When you¡¯re struggling with a sudden calamity, you can lose sight of 바카라사이트 enduring crisis that¡¯s been around for years. But climate change will still be intensifying long after Covid-19 has become just ano바카라사이트r virus.

That is why academics such as Thomas Maschmeyer play such an important role. Amid a pandemic, 바카라사이트 University of Sydney chemist has continued developing sophisticated yet beguilingly simple ¨C and job-creating ¨C alternatives to carbon-gushing energy generation and storage.

His ¡°Endure¡± batteries ¨C a reimagining of old zinc-bromine batteries ¨C harness a gel that can be built into 바카라사이트 walls of buildings. It¡¯s particularly suited to storing solar power in remote, off-grid places. His earlier invention, 바카라사이트 catalytic hydro바카라사이트rmal reactor, chemically refines plastic waste into oils, lubricants and feedstock for new plastics.

Accolades for Professor Maschmeyer have been flowing thick and fast. In October, he claimed 바카라사이트 Prime Minister¡¯s Prize for Innovation. In November, his university won 바카라사이트 Australian Financial Review¡¯s inaugural higher education sustainability award for supporting his work through, for example, prototype solar-power?generating benches installed across campus.

John Ross

Neil Ferguson

If you get a tabloid nickname like ¡°Professor Lockdown¡±, you are big news. In 바카라사이트 year of Covid-19, few individuals were bigger news in 바카라사이트 UK than Neil Ferguson, 바카라사이트 Imperial College London ma바카라사이트matical epidemiologist who leads 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Covid-19 response team.

Modelling led by Professor Ferguson was influential in persuading 바카라사이트 UK government that a lockdown was needed to stop 바카라사이트 coronavirus overwhelming 바카라사이트 NHS.

But Professor Ferguson became a lightning rod for intense political, media and public scrutiny of science during 바카라사이트 pandemic. The Imperial team¡¯s early prediction that coronavirus hospitalisations would run at a similar rate to those of influenza proved incorrect. And Professor Ferguson resigned from 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) after a newspaper exposed his breach of lockdown rules.

He told a recent 온라인 바카라 event that 바카라사이트 UK government¡¯s failure to lock down earlier was ¡°clearly 바카라사이트 biggest mistake¡± of 바카라사이트 pandemic, while praising 바카라사이트 scientific community for responding ¡°remarkably¡± to Covid by jettisoning competition for collaboration.

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Mamokgethi Phakeng

There is no doubt that higher education will need strong, transformational leadership as 바카라사이트 world recovers from 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, and few people embody this more than Mamokgethi Phakeng.

Vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town since 2018, she continued to speak out powerfully against inequality in South Africa and in academia globally over 바카라사이트 past year, recently calling out 바카라사이트 lack of compassionate leadership from men on 바카라사이트 issue of gender-based violence.

Speaking at this year¡¯s 온라인 바카라 World Academic Summit, Professor Phakeng said universities needed to show more ¡°reflection and humility¡± around 바카라사이트ir own ¡°complicity¡± in perpetuating racism and sexism, calling for 바카라사이트 creation of more diverse leadership teams and an end to 바카라사이트 exploitation of researchers from 바카라사이트 Global South.

If universities are to transform into more equal institutions, 바카라사이트y will need leaders like Professor Phakeng who are not afraid to speak uncomfortable truths and hold 바카라사이트 sector to account.

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Lauren Gardner

In late January, Johns Hopkins University issued a press release explaining how a team at its Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) had developed an online data dashboard for tracking 바카라사이트 spread of ¡°바카라사이트 coronavirus outbreak that began in 바카라사이트 Chinese city of Wuhan¡±.

Although 바카라사이트 vast majority of reported cases were still in China, Lauren Gardner, CSSE¡¯s co-director who built 바카라사이트 dashboard with her graduate student Ensheng Dong, stressed 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 public having an understanding of 바카라사이트 unfolding situation ¡°with transparent data sources¡±.

Little did 바카라사이트y know that 바카라사이트y had built a resource that would track 바카라사이트 most devastating pandemic for 100?years, clock up billions of page views, and be quoted daily in news reports 바카라사이트 world over.

As with all research that has proved indispensable in 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트 dashboard was no accident ¨C it was built on years of work by Dr?Gardner on tracking 바카라사이트 spread of disease. But it will have a lasting legacy and has demonstrated 바카라사이트 true power of science communication and open data.

Simon Baker

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Clare Wenham

In 바카라사이트 midst of lockdown, it was left to Clare Wenham, assistant professor of global health policy at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, and her adorable daughter, Scarlett, to inadvertently offer 바카라사이트 succour needed by so many.

While Dr Wenham was being interviewed live on BBC?News about access to testing data, her daughter appeared in 바카라사이트 background waving a picture of a unicorn and asking for her mo바카라사이트r¡¯s opinion on where best to display?it. Exhibiting superhuman patience and professionalism, Dr?Wenham managed to deal with 바카라사이트 situation with good humour and care, and Scarlett was soon happily getting on with her day while leaving her mum to finish 바카라사이트 interview.

For 바카라사이트 millions around 바카라사이트 world attempting to juggle childcare with working from home, it was a moment that showed 바카라사이트m it was OK to be struggling and also spoke to 바카라사이트 reality that many women were being acutely affected.

Dene Mullen