How do you manage a COVID-19 surge? When intensive care units are beyond capacity, health care workers are stretched thin, and life-saving equipment is in short supply, there are a lot of tough choices to be made, and quickly. Joe Agor, assistant professor of industrial engineering, is gathering the data on how hospitals prepared and responded to the pandemic, as well as how their patients fared, with the goal of helping to better manage surge capacity for future pandemics or disasters.
https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-10-pandemic-puzzles/documenting-surge-s10e5
How can we get a more diverse group of young people interested in computer science? Focus on equity, says Jill Hubbard, instructor of computer science and co-principal investigator of a multi-university project to change how computer science is taught in high school, funded by the National Science Foundation. Over 40 schools are part of a program to make computer science more welcoming to underrepresented groups.
Story: Changing course
https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/changing-culture-computer-science-education-s10e4
Can middle schoolers learn computer science concepts using tabletop games? How about during a pandemic, when classroom interaction takes place remotely? Researchers in computer science and education are working closely with teachers to develop an innovative curriculum designed to broaden participation in computer science classes.
Board Game Language (BoGL): programming language used in the course curriculum described in the podcast.
Once Upon an Algorithm: book by Martin Erwig, Stretch Professor of Computer Science.
Ain’t We Got Fun in the College of Engineering: video collaboration of musicians in the College of Engineering, recorded remotely.
What can wastewater tell us about the spread of disease? Could the coronavirus’ signature RNA sequence tip public health officials to where the next COVID-19 outbreaks will occur? In this episode, we’ll talk to two researchers who are leading the effort to monitor Oregon’s wastewater streams for coronavirus, in partnership with treatment facilities throughout the state.
https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-10-pandemic-puzzles/tracing-virus-through-sewers-s10e2
What’s life like for long-haul truck drivers in a COVID-19 world? We’ll get behind-the-wheel perspectives from driver (and musician) Paul Marhoefer and from Associate Professor Sal Hernandez who’s looking into how drivers have adapted to demanding conditions caused by the pandemic and the resiliency of the nation’s freight system.
https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-10-pandemic-puzzles/trucking-through-covid-s10e1