Last week, we shared stories of some of our incredible graduate students going above and beyond for the Lowcountry community during the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, we are grateful to share stories of our graduate faculty who have stepped up to help the medical community in Charleston.
R. Grant Gilmore III
Grant Gilmore III, program director for the M.A. in Community Planning, Policy, and Design program, has been coordinating campus efforts to 3D print masks for healthcare workers at MUSC. He is working together with information management, teacher education, Addlestone Library, the School of Science and Mathematics, and the School of Business within the College, as well as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) on the initiative. To get involved, or if you have any questions, please contact Gilmore at gilmoreg@cofc.edu or 843-830-6813.
Dr. Jon Hakkila
Dr. Jon Hakkila, Associate Dean of the Graduate School, and his wife Fahn have donating their time and effort during the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of the Chinese Association in Greater Charleston (CAGC) effort. CAGC raised money from its members to purchase almost 2000 N95 masks and 50 surgical gowns for donation to local hospitals and first responders. When shipping the items and purchasing them on behalf of CAGC became too complex a problem for the organization to resolve, Dr. Hakkila and Fahn drove to Augusta, Georgia to pick up the items and bring them back to Charleston. The masks and gowns have been donated and distributed to the Medical University of South Carolina, Trident Medical Center, Roper St. Francis Healthcare, East Cooper Medical Center, and some local police stations.
We here at the University of Charleston, S.C. commend these faculty members for their tireless work to ensure the safety of the medical workers of Charleston. Thank you for your hard work, kindness, and generosity!
If you know a graduate faculty in the College of Charleston community who is going above and beyond during the COVID-19 pandemic, please send their story to Graduate Assistant Haley Schanne (schannehj@g.cofc.edu).
