61: Adele Schade

Director of the Science Research Institute at Albright College

Adele Schade, director of the Science Research Institute at Albright college, explains that the Berks PPE Resource Network was born because of the pandemic and the need for PPE in Berks county. Initially the focus of the group was to find a way to educate people about the virus. This morphed into finding a way in which people in Berks county be connected and provided with PPE.

When PA regulations allowed, the organization approached all local colleges and universities to help create 3D printing face shields coordinating the manufacturing network of face shields By August, Berks PPE Resource Network created 85,000 protective shields and got them out to 255 organizations in the county. 

Panic and not understanding what was happening was prevalent with many workers. Adele explained that she felt urgency in making shields because PPE was so limited. To help other PA counties, her group made a video showing how the resource network collaborated to produce large amounts of shields. She is very grateful for the successful teamwork and collaboration in Berks county.