The top 10 BrandeisNOW stories of 2020

From ancient Mayan kingdoms to COVID-19 testing, take a look at our top stories of the year.

From ancient Mayan kingdoms to COVID-19 testing, take a look at our top 10 BrandeisNOW stories of the year as 2020 comes to a close.

10: Between bondage and freedom: Life in Civil War refugee camps

Research by assistant professor of history Abigail Cooper into the refugee camps set up for African Americans during the Civil War has revealed stories of courage and bravery and a new understanding of how blacks built a new future for themselves born from the ashes of slavery. (Read the story)

9. VIDEO: Brandeis community congratulates Class of 2020

In April, the Brandeis University chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society announced the election of 89 new members this year. Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most prestigious undergraduate honor society in the country. Selection for membership is based on the quality of the candidates’ academic record and the breadth of their scholarly interests beyond their concentration. (Read the full story)

7. When should we reopen the economy?

In a paper published in late March, Professor Anna Scherbina argued that the economic benefits of controlling the virus and preventing illness and death are greater than the economic cost of closing most non-essential businesses. (Read the full story)

6. Four ways campus will look different in fall 2020

Brandeis made significant investments ahead of the fall semester: signage, the landscape, workspaces, classrooms, and building heating and ventilation systems, all aimed at enhancing health and safety for the campus community during the remainder of the pandemic. (Read the full story)

5. Photos: Here's what COVID-19 pilot testing looked like at Brandeis

Brandeis began piloting its COVID-19 testing program for the university community the week of July 27-31. Here is a look at how testing at Brandeis worked. (Read the full story)

4. Why the ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ is still pushed by anti-Semites

Professor Emeritus Stephen Whitfield explains how an anti-Semitic hoax more than a century old reared its ugly head again during the Republican National Convention. (Read the full story)

3. The Brandeis alum whose research may lead to a COVID-19 vaccine

Scientist Drew Weissman's research was the basis for several vaccines developed to fight the pandemic. (Read the full story)

2. Teenagers are struggling in quarantine. This student is giving them an outlet.

As the coronavirus became a global pandemic and life around the world changed drastically, Lauren Davis '23 and her friends noticed a trend.

“We felt like the young adult voice was not being recognized, as if these voices weren’t valid,” Davis said.

They decided to do something about it. (Read the full story)

1. Ancient Maya kingdom unearthed in a backyard in Mexico