2020 was an unprecedented year, from the COVID-19 pandemic, to a national reckoning regarding systemic racism and inequality, to several severe weather events and hurricanes to, finally, hope as the first batches of vaccines arrived. Here is a look back at Tulane’s year in photos.
Tulane medical student Rody Alexis looks pleased as he checks out his new hairdo during the annual St. Baldrick’s head-shaving event. The national, volunteer-driven charity supports research to find cures for childhood cancers. (Photo by Sally Asher)
Students gather boxes in preparation to move out of on-campus residence halls in response to the coronavirus. Following the last day of in-person classes on March 13, the rest of the spring semester continued online. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)
Tulane medical students work around-the-clock to assemble face shields donated by Apple. The students organized a regional donation hub to collect personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers. (Photo by Sally Asher, taken prior to mask mandates for general public)
Nadia Golden, MPH, manager of the High Containment Research Performance Core, suits up to enter a lab at the Tulane National Primate Research Center where COVID research was happening 24/7. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)
Tulane President Michael Fitts celebrates the Class of 2020 on the front steps of Gibson Hall. Graduates were sent congratulatory boxes filled with Tulane memorabilia and tuned in for a virtual celebration. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)
Organized by Tulane medical students in response to the national call for racial equality, hundreds of Tulane School of Medicine and LSU School of Medicine faculty, researchers, staff and students, as well as essential personnel from nearby hospitals, unite in a peaceful protest against police brutality and racism. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)
Faculty and staff in the Tulane School of Social Work install COVID-19 safety reminders throughout the school on Elk Place in downtown New Orleans. During the summer, facilities at all Tulane campuses underwent strict safety measures following CDC-recommended guidelines. (Photo by Sally Asher)
Justin Haysbert (center) poses with his parents, Maurice and Tasha Pitts at the Tulane Arrival Center at the Hyatt Hotel in downtown New Orleans. All students were required to test negative for COVID-19 at the center before being allowed onto Tulane campuses. (Photo by Sally Asher)
McAlister Auditorium is transformed into a food distribution site for students as Hurricane Sally approaches. The Louisiana coast was threatened by an unprecedented five storms in 2020: Cristobal, Laura, Marco, Sally and, finally, Zeta, which made a direct hit on the city. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)
Students ride past historic buildings during a bike tour of the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny. The pandemic challenged students to create safe ways to socialize. (Photo by Sally Asher)
The Tulane Green Wave football team debuts WAVE OF CHANGE jerseys during the nationally televised Homecoming game against SMU in Yulman Stadium. The jerseys represent the Green Wave's player-focused group committed to bringing awareness to injustices and inequalities facing society. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)
Tulane doctors were among the first physicians in the country to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine following the FDA's emergency use authorization. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)
A display in the Tulane University Bookstore celebrates the holiday spirit while encouraging COVID-19 safety. (Photo by Sally Asher)
