The past year challenged us, but we embraced our role as a 21st-century public university for the public good and launched FORWARD., a guiding strategy defined by action. We've identified 21 moments during 2020-21 that moved us forward and will continue to make us better. Each of these moments, or actions, are positioning Bowling Green State University and our students for success.

Moment No. 13 – we can manage the health of our campuses. Throughout the global pandemic, BGSU stayed open, naming a Chief Health Officer to lead the University's COVID-19 Response Team. The University introduced new safety measures to manage the health of its campuses and keep classrooms, residence halls and dining facilities open. Through local, regional and statewide partnerships, BGSU conducted 26,882 COVID-19 tests and administered more than 13,327 vaccinations on its main campus.

Chief Health Officer Ben Batey led the University's COVID-19 Response Team throughout the pandemic, spearheading initiatives for the BGSU community and beyond. Batey reflects on the past year, from how BGSU was able to remain open to the critical role partnerships played in moving the University forward during the global pandemic.

Read the Q&A with Ben Batey ➔

In partnership with the Wood County Health Department, BGSU hosted a series of COVID-19 vaccination clinics at the Perry Field House on the main Bowling Green campus in the spring. BGSU Chief Health Officer Ben Batey called the initiative a significant moment for the University and community.

See photos from the large-scale COVID-19 vaccine clinic ➔

In fall 2020, BGSU secured thousands of rapid COVID-19 tests from the state of Ohio, running hundreds of tests daily at Memorial Hall with results in just 15 minutes. The on-campus testing drastically increased COVID-19 testing opportunities for all students, faculty and staff ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, when most students will return home.

Read more about how BGSU secured thousands of rapid COVID-19 tests ➔

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, testing was a scarce resource with limited testing availability and long turnaround times. In November 2020, Wood County Hospital, in partnership with Bowling Green State University and the Wood County Health Department, implemented state-of-the art Thermo Fisher Real-Time PCR technology for COVID-19 testing, the same equipment used by the Ohio Department of Health, for the BGSU community and the public.

Read more about how this initiative changed testing opportunities for the region ➔

Bowling Green State University and the Wood County Health Department have signed a mutual aid agreement and announced an innovative public-public partnership to improve the public health of Wood County and northwest Ohio through health instruction, practice, research and workforce development.

Read more about the partnership ➔