To get ready for student’s return to campus, Penn State started an Operations Control Center.
The University says it will be a hub to manage data on various aspects of Penn State’s efforts to combat COVID-19.

Penn State University’s COVID-19 Operations Control Center will keep records on testing, contact tracing and will distribute supplies for all Penn State campuses.

“I think it will beneficial, just because I know Penn State likes to keep their students involved and informed of things that are currently changing,” Katie Jarvis, Senior English Student at Penn State, said.

“I feel like it’s going to be very near impossible to try and enforce this 42,000 people, all returning to campus at the same time, all amidst the same chaos going on in the world,” Leigha Petuck, Senior Criminology Student at Penn State, said.

Penn State just hired Kelly Wolgast, as the Director of the operation.

She’s an Assistant Dean at the College of Nursing and has a background as a Colonel and Nurse Commander in the U.S. Army.

Wolgast will oversee 16 coronavirus task groups for Penn State’s COVID response.

“Especially with what’s going on right now, I think hiring someone that has a lot of knowledge and experience in that type of stuff will just further help in keeping the students as safe as possible and as informed as possible,” Jarvis, said.

“She is controlling 16 different aspects and I think for that to be one person’s role, in a new role that nobody’s ever done before, I think that could just get a little chaotic and not end up being as successful as they think it will be,” Petuck, said.

Penn State says the control center will focus on coronavirus and related future operations beyond the Fall semester of 2020.