With the onset of COVID-19, this past year has been unlike any other. Many things have changed as Trinity transitioned to virtual learning via Zoom, but other things remained the same, such as faculty excellence. Take a look back at the most read stories of the year.
Trinity Named a Top 50 Liberal Arts College in Nation
In October, the University was ranked the No. 41 liberal arts institution and the No. 111 college in the nation by The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education (WSJ/THE), one of the leaders in higher education data. The ranking methodology hones in on four key areas: resources, engagement, outcomes, and environment.
Legal Professional Joins Trinity's Board of Trustees
Trinity announced the appointment of Thomas Evans '84, senior vice president and counsel for the North American transportation business unit of XPO Logistics, to the Board of Trustees in July. “I am honored to become a Trustee at Trinity University to continue strengthening an institution that has made such an impact in my own life and career," he says.
Isabella Rizzo ’21 spent the summer working as a contact tracer for San Antonio Metro Health District. She spent her days speaking with people who had been diagnosed with COVID-19, working primarily to get a list of others who may have been affected. “I felt like it was a way to make myself useful during [the pandemic] and do what I could,” Rizzo says. “Something else to feel at least like I'm doing something and not just watching all of this happen.”
Trinity Authorizes Test-Optional Admissions for Students
In March, Trinity introduced a test-optional policy for applicants for a three-year period to account for cancellations in standardized test dates. Trinity will continue to review and consider test scores for those applicants who want to submit them, but any applicant can also choose to be evaluated only on high school grades, curriculum rigor, essays, recommendation letters, achievements, interviews, and contributions to their school and community.
Trinity Faculty and Staff Honored for Distinguished Achievement
In May 2020, Trinity University recognized a total of 26 members of its faculty and staff for their contributions to the University in areas all across the campus. The awards included Distinguished Achievement Awards, the Trinity Tomorrow award, and the President’s Award for Excellence.
Natasha Muppala ’20 knew she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare when she arrived at Trinity and proceeded to major in biochemistry and molecular biology. Yet, she also began taking religion classes to fulfill curricular requirements and found an unexpected connection between the two disciplines that will serve her well as she begins medical school this fall.
Add a Trinity Background to Zoom
From the lush green lawns with adirondack chairs and cozy confines of Coates Library to sparkling Miller Fountain, Trinity released Zoom backgrounds so students, faculty, and staff were able to take back a small slice of campus life to their work-from-home setups.
Camille Johnson ’21, Rohan Walawalkar ’21, Rachel Kaufman ’22, and Cecelia Turkewitz ’21 spent their summer as researchers for the Trinity University Roots Commission (TURC), which was established in 2018. The initiative, led by a team of Trinity faculty, is looking at the lasting impacts of chattel slavery and the origins of the wealth of Trinity’s founders.
From the onset of the pandemic, Trinity alumni in leadership roles across the country were in the trenches of crisis management while COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the country. Creative problem solving, agility, and innovation are critical leadership skills now more than ever, and Tigers have stepped up to the challenge to develop flexible solutions in challenging and uncertain environments.
Recent Grad Lands Fellowship with National Institutes of Health
Sarah Lovelace ’20, a newly minted Trinity University alumna, began a two-year fellowship with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, working in a lab at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) that conducts research on vaccines for HIV, influenza, and—you guessed it—the novel coronavirus, among other contagions.
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