Message from the Dean
AHS E-News Spring 2020
During this challenging time, I hope this finds you well and sheltering safely at home. As we each have made enormous adjustments in our personal lives to cope with the reality of the coronavirus, so too has the College of Applied Health Sciences adapted to the extraordinary circumstances we now face.
Like the rest of the University of Illinois, we have become a virtual college. Our faculty and staff have worked tirelessly to make the transition to online instruction as smooth as possible while maintaining the high educational quality for which AHS is known, and our outstanding students have risen to the challenge of finishing the semester via the internet. Our staff are carrying out the daily business of the college from home offices, whether those are in a dedicated room, a corner of the dining room table, or even a closet. It has not been without the occasional glitch, but we have persevered with determination, creativity, professionalism, and no small amount of good humor. I want to assure you that AHS will not let the current situation deter us from pursuing our more than 60-year-old mission of making the world a better, healthier place for individuals, families, and communities.
It is easy in trying times such as these to get bogged down in bad news, and there is plenty of that to go around. But there also is much to celebrate, and that is what we bring you in this newsletter—stories about accomplishment, service, and connection. I hope they bring you pride in your alma mater and hope for the future.
As we continue to shelter at home, I hope you will remember to stay in touch—with family and friends, with neighbors, and with us. We want to hear how you are coping with the pandemic. We are cooperating with the University of Illinois Archives to document this unprecedented time for future generations. You can submit your stories here.
We will get through this and emerge wiser and stronger. Remember to give help when you can and ask for help when you need it. Get outside when the sun is shining. Exercise. Laugh often, and loudly. And above all, stay safe.
Dr. Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell
Dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences