Where You Light Rain Read It First 67/45 THE TUFTS DAILY Est. 1980 VOLUME LXVIV, NUMBER 51 TUEsday, APRIL 14, 2015 TUFTSDAILY.COM Archimedes Project to host Health Service to offer Ideation Lab at Tufts free HIV testing by Gabriella Zoia Klein added that Tufts was relations student, one graduate by Melissa Kain and other people here have Assistant News Editor a great place to start a campus student from the Sackler School Assistant News Editor really taken a lead in terms of chapter. and one graduate student from … trying to get this informa- From April 17 to 19, the “There is a large South Asian the Friedman School of Nutrition From April 15 to April 30, tion out at the university level Tufts chapter of the Archimedes community at Tufts, and it’s Science and Policy,” Klein said. Health Service will be offer- because of the difference it Project will host a weekend-long great to see people who want to Shinday noted that the ing free HIV testing to stu- can make in peoples’ lives Ideation Lab on “Technologies help out where they’re from in a Ideation Lab is designed to dents. The free testing aims to for decades,” Bowdler said. for Clean Water and Sanitation meaningful way,” he said. “attract some really bright and raise awareness about the “We’re hoping that other col- in India.” Klein recruited students to motivated students, faculty and importance of getting tested leges take the initiative to do The Archimedes Project is a work on his team to plan the community members that can for HIV, in order to begin treat- this work as well, because it is national organization that devel- Ideation Lab together in order share and debate ideas from their ment and to prevent further so important.” ops social ventures to increase to create an effective Archimedes paradigms of specialization.” transmission of the virus. Bowdler also praised the and maintain clean drinking Project program. The event brings thinkers from According to Michelle work that THA has done to water access and sanitation sys- “The idea was to find a prob- a variety of different disciplines Bowdler, senior director of promote these health initia- tems in the developing world. lem that we could solve and sub- together, according to Shinday. health and wellness service, tives. Jordan Klein, a junior, decided sequently find the money to fund “We want students to be exposed the screening involves a blood “On this issue, [THA] to found the Tufts chapter of the the program,” he said. “We’re to ideas and principles preva- test. Students interested in has been really proactive,” Archimedes Project when he thinking cohesively — we also lent in other fields of study that receiving the test should make Bowdler said. “They’ve really heard about the organization and want to get the right experts and they might not have necessar- an appointment, and they will been great partners with us on wanted to get involved, but was a good group of students that all ily encountered on their own,” receive results three to five this.” unable to travel to Haiti to work want to get something done.” Shinday said. “By using a multi- days after the test is taken, Emma Brenner-Bryant, a on its project. Klein explained that his pas- faceted approach, we hope to she said. junior who serves as co-leader Nikhil Shinday, a junior, sion for the project is at the nexus maximize the potential that each “There are such good treat- of THA, explained that THA explained that the Archimedes of social enterprise and water, business idea has in the Lab.” ments for HIV infection now, works to represent the needs Project is different from other sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Klein added that the Ideation and it’s just so important for of students in terms of health non-profits. A cohort of 30 students from Lab differs from a hackathon or people to know their status,” policy and to relay informa- “[The] social enterprise part a variety of backgrounds, who a business planning competition Bowdler said. tion about resources at Tufts [of the Archimedes Project] pre- will be divided into teams, in various aspects. “In a hack- Medical Director Margaret and Health Service to stu- cludes the ‘white savior’ mentali- will be involved in this week- athon, you don’t know anything Higham also testified to the dents. ty that a lot of non-profits have by end’s Ideation Lab. Klein until you’re there. In a business importance of detecting HIV “Last year, we decided to avoiding human capital, which is explained that what makes the planning competition, you sub- early, regarding both the do a lot of publicity [for free relatively plentiful in developing event unique is its inclusion mit your plan beforehand,” he available treatments and the HIV testing] … because a lot nations, as the main resources of students from a variety of per- said. “In our Ideation Lab, every- importance of preventing fur- of students had been asking provided,” Shinday said. spectives. one knows what the topic is, but ther transmission. about testing and were con- Shinday also noted that “An ideal team looks like this: everyone will find out their teams “They are also less likely fused about how much they the Archimedes Project empowers one student from Fletcher, one on Friday.” to spread [HIV],” she said. would have to pay,” she said. locals socioeconomically by pro- undergraduate student major- He added that the organizers “Early in the illness, people Brenner-Bryant also said viding them with entrepreneurial ing in computer science, one aim to encourage both collab- are extraordinarily infectious that this has been the first year business plans to run themselves. undergraduate international oration and competition at the … once people know their sta- that Health Service has offered event. “This is not a competition tus, if they are infectious, they pre- and post-exposure pro- of teams or people, but of ideas,” tend to be more careful with phylaxis. Furthermore, the Klein said. safe sex.” resources offered at Tufts Klein explained that at the Bowdler said that HIV test- are more convenient for stu- event, the best idea will win the ing is offered all year long, and dents than using off-campus competition. “If your idea wins, is generally covered by insur- resources, she said, noting you don’t have to work on it mov- ance. However, free testing that THA hopes to raise aware- ing forward. If your idea didn’t at Health Service only occurs ness for students through win, but you still really want to be once a year, she said. its efforts and the upcoming involved, you’re more than wel- “It’s a way to raise aware- panel. come to join the winning idea’s ness,” Bowdler explained. “The hope is to give people team,” he explained. According to Bowdler and information and answer stu- The winning team will receive Higham, there is a slight dents’ questions,” Brenner- $1,000 in seed money to help increase in HIV testing when Bryant said. “As students, we cover expenses during their proj- free testing is offered, but only have so much informa- ect’s incubation period. Then, Health Service sees many stu- tion, and so we want to make Klein predicts that grants and dents who receive sexually the gap smaller between the other funds will be able to cover transmitted infections (STI) administration and the stu- ongoing costs. tests every day. dents.” In the future, Klein sees the “We offer this information Brenner-Bryant added organization as being a general all year long because it’s a that if students have con- space for students interested in public health issue,” Bowdler cerns, questions or comments water sanitation issues and social said. for Health Service staff and enterprise. The free testing, which is administration, they can “[I plan on] planning Ideation supported by Tufts Health reach out to THA through Labs in the future to solve differ- Advocates (THA), will be their email address and have ent issues and ideally incubate occurring along with a panel their voices heard. business plans for Tufts students on pre-exposure and post- According to Bowdler, HIV that have ideas but don’t neces- exposure prophylaxis — drugs treatments and testing have sarily want to launch it them- that can be taken to reduce evolved significantly over the selves,” Klein said. HIV risk both before and after years. The Archimedes Project would infection — led by Higham. “I’ve been working on HIV then connect ideas with someone The panel will take place at issues for 25 years,” Bowdler who “ideally has roots in the area 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April said. “When I worked at a [that the idea is based on], has 14 in the Sophia Gordon treatment center for injec- that entrepreneurial drive and Multipurpose Room. The tion drug users … we were would be able to commit to it event is co-sponsored by the just beginning to talk about full-time,” he said. Tufts University LGBT Center HIV infection and really see- Klein concluded that he wants and Public Health at Tufts ing the impact, and the dif- the Ideation Lab to “provide a (PHAT). ference now in terms of the space to put your heads together “We’re really proud of this available [treatments] and and solve a problem by working effort. Pre-exposure and post- the need for testing, because RUSSELL WATKINS / THE DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT with students in other disciplines exposure prophylaxis is such of the difference it can make UN’s Office for Project Services built this toilet in Kalvallam, Sri Lanka, that they usually wouldn’t be able an important public health in people’s lives … can’t be with funding from UKaid.