MORRIS COUNTY — Professor Brian Olson, of the Department of Biology and Chemistry at the County College of Morris (CCM) in Randolph, has had his research on COVID-19 published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design to assist with the development of drugs to combat the virus.

Olson, the lead author on the paper, worked with Dr. Tom Kurtzman of Lehman College in Bronx, N.Y. to put together a team of researchers this past March when he realized how extensive the COVID-19 pandemic would become. In the paper, An Online Repository of Solvation Thermodynamic and Structural Maps of SARS-CoV-2 Targets, the researchers provide maps of water molecules on the virus’ proteins that also are known as solvation maps.

Olson explains that knowing which water molecules need to be displaced, and which do not, provides essential information to guide the development of drugs to treat COVID-19. The first step toward determining that is mapping where the water molecules are located on the proteins.

In March, Olson, who had been tracking the coronavirus on several databases, was certain COVID-19 would turn into a pandemic.

“We were seeing clusters on multiple continents and were unable to trace the sources of infection. It was clear this was going to be an immediate and international public health issue,” he said. “That compelled me to do something.”

Utilizing the computational tool, GIST, developed by Kurtzman, the researchers worked from their homes during the pandemic. Prior to being published in the Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design, the research was posted by the team on Chemrxiv, a free web-based archive service, so it could be accessed early by other scientists and researchers while the peer-review process was taking place.

Now that solvation maps of the COVID-19 virus are available, Olson and his team plan to use that information to search for new drugs. Making the information public and free also will aid others in their

search for new and effective pharmaceuticals to defeat the coronavirus. According to Altmetric’s Attention Score, which measures the online attention and activity of research papers, the work conducted by the Olson team ranks in the top 25 percent.

Given that ranking, based on more than 2,200 views and over 300 downloads of the paper, Olson is encouraged about the development of drugs to fight the coronavirus.

“I have never seen the international scientific community come together with the way it has now to find some answers,” says Olson. “There is an international collaboration and the sharing of information that previously would not have been shared.”

Olson, who teaches forensic science at CCM, joined the college’s faculty in 2018. At CCM, he and several other professors, developed the college’s first virtual reality class to teach students forensic science skills by analyzing murder scenes. Along with his work on the coronavirus, he is researching the development of pain killers to replace opiates.

Olson earned his associate degree in science from the Borough of Manhattan Community College, his bachelor’s in biochemistry from Hunter College, his master’s in biochemistry from the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, and is working on his doctorate in biochemistry from CUNY Graduate Center.

He is a strong advocate for community colleges, and CCM in particular.

“Community colleges place a high value on quality teaching,” he said. “I am so fortunate. I have fun researching tiny molecules and on top of that, I get paid to talk to students about narcotics, murders, and other fascinating topics. I can’t imagine having a better job.”

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County and its 39 towns will share $8,415,816 in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding out of $60 Million released by Governor Phil Murphy today for severely impacted county and local governments not qualified to receive direct federal aid.

Morris County will receive $2.3 million while $6.1 million is being shared among the municipalities. The funding is intended to help the towns deal with unexpected costs caused by the pandemic, including increased costs in health benefits, health and human services, public safety, overtime, equipment, and supply expenditures.

The New Jersey Department of Human Services also is providing up to $10 million to support the state’s County Boards of Social Services with COVID19-related expenses such as technology to adapt to remote work requirements, meeting the growing demand for services, and supplies and materials to meet COVID19 health and safety standards.

Qualifying expenditures for the municipal funding include public safety and health-related expenses, COVID19-related overtime, increased residential and health-related garbage collection and services, remote working technology, signage, and information technology related to the COVID19 response and recovery, and public health-related retrofit expenses for reopening.

The Governor said the allocation formula to determine the amounts provided used a variety of relevant metrics, including the municipal COVID19 infection rate, fiscal stress, the Municipal Revitalization Index (MRI), population, and public safety and health and human services expenditures share of the budget to determine the amount of funds counties and municipalities receive.

Funds awarded may not be used for government revenue replacement, including the provision of assistance to meet tax obligations.  Eligible expenditures must be incurred during the covered period between March 1, 2020, and December 30, 2020.

A breakdown on the amounts provided to Morris County and each town in the county is below:

For a complete list of how the $60 million was divided among all 21 New Jersey counties and their municipalities click here.

MORRISTOWN — The Morristown-Beard School Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to appoint Elizabeth “Liz” Morrison as the next Head of School, effective July 1, 2021, on the retirement of Peter Caldwell in June 2021. Liz will be the first woman to serve as Head of School for Morristown-Beard School since the Morristown School and the Beard School merged in 1971. She joins the ranks of only a handful of other women in the state serving in the position.

Liz comes to MBS from Antilles School, an independent, coeducational college preparatory school in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, where she has served as Head of School since 2016. She brings more than three decades of experience in independent school education, having served as Assistant Head of School at the Millbrook School in Millbrook, New York before joining Antilles School.

“We are confident that under Liz Morrison’s leadership, Morristown-Beard School will attain new heights, our horizons will continue to expand, and our students will continue to flourish,” said John Fay, President of the Board of Trustees. “We look forward to welcoming her this summer, and we wish her unprecedented success!”

Liz’s appointment comes as a result of a thorough and inclusive process conducted by the Search Committee, under the leadership of Trustee Paul Hawkins ’85, ‘P18, ‘P20, and in conjunction with the experienced educational search firm, Carney Sandoe & Associates. The Search Committee was comprised of trustees, faculty, and administration members working collaboratively to evaluate and select our next Head of School. Liz was selected from a national pool of highly qualified and talented candidates of diverse racial and gender backgrounds after a thorough search process that engaged students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and trustees.

“We were thrilled when she enthusiastically accepted our invitation,” said Mr. Fay. “Liz was chosen for her all-encompassing experience in education, her passion for teaching and learning, and especially for her ability to connect with students and earn the respect of faculty, and her commitment to diversity and inclusion. With a student population at Antilles School that is almost 50 percent of students of color, Liz has grown in her understanding of the complexity of race in independent schools, and she is striving to create a curriculum and community where all students feel a deep sense of belonging.  It’s clear that she understands the important role that the Head of School plays in shaping school culture.”

The MBS Board of Trustees was impressed by the breadth of her credentials as an educator and administrator. At the Millbrook School, she held positions as Dean of Students, Academic Dean, and Director of College Counseling. Earlier in her career, Liz served as a math teacher and Chair of the Math Department at Oakwood Friends. More recently, Liz was inducted into the Headmasters Association, a highly prestigious association of only 100 members.

A graduate of The Bryn Mawr School, Liz holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Maryland and a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Throughout the search process, Liz’s supervisors and colleagues were uniforms in their praise for her professionalism, work ethic, communications, and team-building skills, along with her business and curriculum development acumen.

On a more personal level, Liz grew up in Baltimore, Maryland; she was a proud member of the 1986 University of Maryland NCAA Division 1 National Champion Women’s Lacrosse team; has a son and daughter in their twenties, along with two adult stepchildren; her husband Tom is a corporate pilot, and she plans to reside in New Jersey near MBS.

“My husband, Tom, and I are excited to move to New Jersey and thrilled to join the MBS community. From my first introduction to the search committee, I felt a love of teaching from the faculty, the power of collaboration from the administrators, a sense of gratitude, and pride from the Trustees, parents, students, and alumni. I share a belief in the value of an inclusive community, and its potential to transform lives,” said Liz Morrison. “I am grateful to be joining a school community that is willing to grow and learn and aspires to be an institution where every student and family feels seen and valued in the life of the School. The MBS motto, ‘To the stars through adversity’ really spoke to me as I envision a rich learning environment that is rooted in tradition while being simultaneously progressive, valuing the independence of mind and full participation.”

Morristown-Beard School is located at 70 Whippany Road, Morristown. For more information click here.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Surrogate Heather Darling is continuing the series of virtual “Surrogate’s Sessions” she launched last month, with the second session entitled, “What should an Executor Know.” The “Surrogate’s Session” is scheduled for Friday, October 23 at 12:00 Noon.

Anyone interested in joining must please register for the session by clicking here.

Each participant will receive confirmation and access to information.

The “Surrogate Sessions” are an education campaign designed to provide Morris County residents with information on pertinent topics related to wills, estates, trusts, and probate matters. They will also detail improvements in Surrogate’s Office procedures that are making it easier for clients to navigate the process.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Surrogate Darling began an education campaign that featured speaking engagements across Morris County. The goal was to ensure that county residents, especially senior citizens, special needs residents, and their families are aware of what the Surrogate’s Court does and how it can be a resource for them. “I was extremely pleased with the public participation during the first Surrogate’s Session,” said Surrogate Darling. “It was clear that these important topics of discussion are important to Morris County citizens.” The first session on drafting a will is available on the Surrogate’s website. “The second session goes deeper into this particular portion of wills, trusts, and estates and helps interested parties understand the responsibilities of an Executor and also the advantages and drawbacks of this important role in probate,” the Surrogate explained.

Surrogate Darling has invited Tom Torzewski, a well-known estate planning attorney, to join her on the panel.