Answering the Call

Santa Clara students answered the call during the pandemic—helping others and putting their educations to use as contract tracers.

Fifteen students in SCU’s public health program got hands-on with the pandemic—working as contact tracers with Santa Clara County.

After 50 hours of certification training, Broncos called people recently diagnosed with COVID-19.

“It is one thing to study disease outbreaks, but another to speak with people diagnosed with COVID and hear about their individual experiences,” says Lilly Evans-Riera ’23.

First, callers need to discover who else may have been exposed to slow the spread.

“I would ask the caller to retrace their steps two days before their testing date, with questions to jog their memory, such as if they’ve worked recently or if they’ve been with any close friends or family members,” says biology and public health double major Joe Lopez ’21.

Students also helped people stay home by arranging such services as food delivery.

This work, says Kristen Albi ’21, who’s majoring in neuroscience and public health

science, is about “taking on whatever novel challenges your contact or case is facing and quickly coming up with the best way possible to help them receive the help they need.  This kind of work is exactly what Santa Clara’s Public Health curriculum is working to prepare students for.”

post-image
A Plan For Tomorrow

Santa Clara President Julie Sullivan unveils a new strategic plan, Impact 2030, with a focus on increasing access and opportunity, and, of course, SCU’s Jesuit values and Silicon Valley location.

Hoops of Hope

From pink socks to non-profit outreach, Santa Clara Women’s Basketball hosted their annual Pink Game to honor families impacted by cancer.

Flight and Food

Birds can be the key to understanding the environment and SCU students are taking a closer look.

Freedom Fighter

After 22 years leading the Northern California Innocence Project at Santa Clara Law, Linda Starr starts a phased retirement.