Dear students, faculty and staff,
This week, initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine began arriving across the country and in Mississippi. In anticipation of when the university will receive a distribution of vaccines to administer, we have formed a task force to develop a strategy to immunize our community. It will be chaired by Dean David D. Allen, dean of the School of Pharmacy. Below you will find the charge and list of members. I’m deeply appreciative of their willingness to serve. We will keep the university community informed of the task force’s work as it moves forward, including posting information on the new vaccination section of the university’s COVID-19 website.
Thank you,
Noel Wilkin
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Committee Charge:
- Develop a strategy to immunize faculty, staff, and students of the university (and anyone else considered part of our closed point of distribution)
- Ensure that there are ample opportunities for all faculty, staff, and students to be immunized using the supply of vaccines provided by the MSDH
- Work with the asymptomatic testing company and University Health Center to coordinate our vaccination plans with their efforts
- If necessary, coordinate with the distribution channel and any vaccination efforts from MSDH
- Recommend mechanisms to encourage people to get immunized
- Recommend mechanisms by which people can document or demonstrate immunization status
- Make recommendations and provide guidance for our community on all other issues connected to the vaccine
Membership:
- Dr. Noel Wilkin, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, professor of pharmacy administration and research professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Dr. Sandy Bentley, director of Pharmacy Health Services
- Ms. Claire Biggerstaff, undergraduate student and ASB principal of health and wellness
- Dr. Lauren Bloodworth, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice
- Ms. Sydney DuPriest, associate director of campus communication, University Marketing and Communications
- Mr. Josh Glasz, emergency management coordinator
- Ms. Laura Hill, associate general counsel
- Dr. Alex Langhart, director of University Health Services
- Dr. Brent Marsh, assistant vice chancellor and dean of students
- Mr. Rashun Miles, graduate student
- Mr. Eric Pham, pharmacy student
- Dr. Joshua Sharp, associate professor of pharmacology
- Dr. Hubert Spears, staff physician, Employee Health Center
- Lt. Jason Welch, police lieutenant of training & operations, University Policy and Campus Safety