Assistant Dean for Student Services Frances Lyons has played a critical role in helping the School of Journalism safely reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As an adviser, Lyons has been helping students with the mental health issues they may be facing during this crisis, helping students enroll and prepare for their next semesters, and helping them navigate the choppy waters of post-graduation plans in an unstable economy. She has done all of this while also facing the uniquely challenging task of working from home and raising her own three young children.
Lyons’ workload has intensified because of the pandemic, but she’s also had to reflect on her own emotions surrounding COVID and her growing worries that “back to normal” may be years away. Her team at KU stayed connected and worked hard to help each other out, which gives her hope that KU can be better in a seemingly out-of-reach post-pandemic world.