From the Nominator

"Published as a digital-only themed issue of Emory Magazine, The Way Forward was a series/package of feature stories that collected the lessons learned from the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it impacted four critical areas: healthcare/medical response, K-12 and higher education, business/economics, and social justice and race relations. 

At the time, the COVID-19 pandemic had taken more than 3 million lives globally—and over 600,000 deaths in the U.S. alone—while many more were reeling from “long-haul” physical and psychological effects. The ripple effects effectively crashed the economy as we knew it, leaving businesses closed, markets reeling, and millions left unemployed and struggling. Schools and universities were forced to abandon in-person learning, turning our educational system on its head. At the same time, racial injustices, social inequities, and political divisiveness converged into a parallel pandemic, adding further unrest and upheaval as protests swept the country.  

Despite all that transpired across these dire months, glimmers of hope and optimism shone through. COVID-19 treatments and vaccines were developed and deployed in record time, protecting millions of lives. Many parts of the economy began to retool and rebound. Students were largely back in school, and teachers learned new techniques to better engage them. Finally, national leaders began to speak up for unity and speaking out against racial injustices. Emory alumni, faculty, and staff shared their insights on what went wrong, what went right, and how they helped lead us back to a semblance of normalcy."

From the Judges

This stood apart from much of the COVID coverage because it looked beyond what was happening and examined the institution's immediate response to lessons learned and new systems developed that can lift everyone.