It goes without saying that this academic year has been challenging for Brock students, faculty and staff. But facing those challenges once again demonstrated the University’s resiliency in the face of an unprecedented pandemic.

That’s the message from President Gervan Fearon, who this week took the opportunity to look back at the term that was and look ahead to a fall that currently includes plans for on-campus instruction.

“As this academic year comes to a close, I want to thank all the members of the Brock community who have worked so hard to ensure that we remain focused on providing high-quality education and continuing with our important research programs,” says Fearon. “By coming together, we’ve been able to navigate what has been one of the most challenging times in Brock’s history, and are now making flexible plans for a safe return to campus in September.”

Though access to campus has been restricted, Brock researchers continued to play a key role in helping us better understand and recover from COVID-19, using machine learning to predict scenarios related to the virus and leading research on the virus’ impact on food security in West Africa, for example.

Brock has also assisted with Niagara region’s recovery efforts, hosting a large COVID-19 vaccination clinic on campus in April, which saw around 7,000 local seniors receive their first shots.

“I’m incredibly proud of Brock’s efforts in helping the local region recover from COVID-19,” says Fearon. “Now, it’s up to all of us to ensure that, as we recover from this pandemic, we build a society that is more open, resilient and inclusive.”

See video of the President’s message below: