New op-ed: Federal investments needed for state’s higher education system in fight against COVID-19

On August 6, 2020, CalMatters published an op-ed from Dick Ackerman and Mel Levine, co-chairs of the California Coalition for Public Higher Education, titled, “Federal investments needed for state’s higher education system in fight against COVID-19.” Here’s an excerpt:

From mapping the COVID-19 genome to treating the nation’s first case of community spread of the deadly virus, University of California researchers and physicians have been among the leaders in the global battle against coronavirus.

California State University researchers have  joined the fight as well with their own research initiatives, including developing low-cost ventilators and using artificial intelligence to design a model for predicting COVID-19 patients’ mortality risks to help physicians make informed treatment decisions.

It’s perhaps no surprise then to find that almost three in four Americans recognize research universities are essential weapons in the war on COVID-19 and in tackling other global challenges, and that more than half believe universities have a positive impact on our country.

The op-ed continues:

By acting now to send much-needed federal funds to the state, Congress can hasten our economic recovery and ensure California is ready and able to combat today’s public health emergency and future global challenges.

Read the complete op-ed on the CalMatters website.