Title Page & Abstract
An Interview with Joseph (Jay) Walsh, PhD
Part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Tumultuous 2020 Oral History project
Interview # T20-A-L-2021-025
Dr. Joseph (Jay) Walsh, Vice President of Economic Development and Innovation at the University of Illinois, was interviewed on the date listed below as part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library’s Tumultuous 2020 Oral History project.
Interview dates & location:
Date: Jun 21, 2021 Location: Univ. Illinois Medical Center, Chicago. IL
Interviewer: Philip Pogue, ALPL volunteer
Total Time: 1:28 / 1.47
Accessioned into the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Archives on November 16, 2021.
The interview is archived at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois.
© 2021 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Abstract
Joseph (Jay) Walsh, Tumultuous 2020, T20-A-L-2021-025
Biographical Information/Overview of Interview: Jay Walsh was born in June 1959 in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and graduated from Foxboro High School in 1977. While in high school, he was part of a Saturday program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As a result, Jay attended MIT, majoring in electrical engineering. Jay earned his BA and MA from MIT. Later, he received a PhD in medical engineering in a joint program with Harvard Medical and MIT. Dr. Walsh worked for thirty years at Northwestern University (Evanston, Il) serving in both faculty and administration positions. From 2007-2019 Dr. Walsh was Northwestern's Vice President for Research. Prior to that he was senior advisor to the President for research and science. In May 2020 Dr. Walsh became Vice President for Economic Innovation and Development at the University of Illinois. At the time of this interview Dr. Walsh served on the Board of Directors for the Argonne National Laboratory, MxD (Manufacturing x Digital), MIT Corporation Visiting Committee for Sponsored Research, the Board of Visitors for Vanderbilt Engineering School, and the University Industry Demonstration Project (UIDP). He also chairs the Board of the Chicago Council on Science and Technology. While at Illinois Dr. Walsh was involved in the SHIELD ILLINOIS saliva-based testing program.
Dr. Walsh outlines the work needed to gain approval for the University of Illinois' saliva based COVID-19 testing program which was first used during the summer of 2020 and continue throughout the 2020-21 school year. As a result, the University of Illinois safely offered in-person classes. Dr. Walsh reviews the approval process with the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The importance of the UI Veterinary Lab was explained, as well as the scope of the required clinical trials. In addition, he discusses the partnership of Greenville University, which used the saliva-based test throughout the school year as part of the clinical study. Other topics included the saliva testing process, testing at UIS (University of Illinois Springfield), working with the Governor's office and the Illinois Department of Public Health, and planning at the UI campus for the following school year (vaccinations and SHIELD ILLINOIS testing).
Subject Headings/Key Words: hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic; SHIELD Illinois testing; University of Illinois Veterinary Lab; testing approval from Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute of Health; Illinois Department of Public Health; Greenville University; University of Illinois Springfield; University of IL Dept for Economic Development and Innovation
Notes to the Reader: Readers of the oral history memoir should bear in mind that this is a transcript of the spoken word, and that the interviewer, interviewee and editor sought to preserve the informal, conversational style that is inherent in such historical sources. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is not responsible for the factual accuracy of the memoir, nor for the views expressed therein. We leave these for the reader to judge.
COPYRIGHT
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