I WILL EXPLAIN WHY >>> THE SEMESTER CANNOT START AS PLANNED AT UNC AND NC STATE . >> THERE ON THE FRONT LINES WHEN IT COMES TO OFFERING HELP TO UNIVERSITIES HOPING TO STAY HAD A CORONAVIRUS CASE IS SPREADING AND WRAL'S LENA TILLETT SPOKE WITH AN EXECUTIVE ABOUT HOW CONTACT TRACING COULD PLAY A ROLE IN DISTRIBUTION OF A VACCINE. >> Reporter: SEAN BERRY IS THE LEADER FOR CONTACT TRACING SOLUTIONS AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. SO OF COURSE CONTACT TRACING IS NOT A NEW CONCEPT IN PUBLIC HEALTH, BUT THIS PARTICULAR METHOD IS TOLD HOW THEY ARE ASSISTING VARIOUS ADVERSITIES ORGANIZATIONS WITH CONTRACT CONTACT TRACING. >> UNIVERSITIES ARE DIFFERENT KIND OF COMMUNITY. THEY TEND TO BE CONTAINED. THEY HAVE MEMBERS AND GROUPS WHO ARE SELF-CONTAINED ARE IN THE SAME SPACE AND IT PROVIDES A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHALLENGE BUT ALSO A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. WE ARE TAKING DATA THAT UNIVERSITIES ALREADY COLLECT ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS AND STAFF AND FACULTY AND TRY TO USE IT ANYWAY THAT WOULD QUICKLY GATHER INFORMATION OF WHO IS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THEM SO THAT ONE HEALTH OFFICIALS WANT TO PERFORM TRADITIONAL CONTACT TRACING THEM ALL OF THIS AND THEIR FINGERTIPS AND CAN ACT QUICKLY TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS. >> Reporter: WE HAVE SEEN CASES JUMP AT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY. HAVE YOU HEARD FEEDBACK FROM YOU PARTNERS ABOUT HOW EFFECTIVE YOUR MODEL IS? >> ABSOLUTELY. THEY HAVE HAD GREAT SUCCESS AT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY CONTACTS WHEN A STUDENT DOES COME DOWN WITH A CASE OF COVID-19. THERE HAVE BEEN STORIES AND OKLAHOMA STATE AND IT CERTAINLY CAN HAPPEN. THE CONTACT TRACING TECHNOLOGY DOES NOT PREVENT COVID-19, BUT IT DOES HELP UNIVERSITIES RESPOND VERY QUICKLY SO THAT THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE IS MINIMIZED. >> HERE IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA BOTH UNC AND NC STATE POINTED TO GATHERINGS HAPPENING OFF CAMPUS. HOW COULD THIS HELP IN TRACKING DOWN STUDENTS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED IN OTHER WAYS WHEN IT IS HAPPENING OFF CAMPUS? >> THAT IS ONE OF THE SHORTCOMINGS WE ARE TAKING DATA THAT THE UNIVERSITY COLLECTS EITHER IN ITS SYSTEMS OR WI-FI. STUDENTS ARE INTERACTING OFF CAMPUS AND THE SAME TYPE OF TECHNOLOGIES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN TRYING TO TRACK THE BEHAVIOR AND WHO IS INTERACTING WITH WHOM. THAT IS A SHORTCOMING. IF YOU'RE ON CAMPUS THEY DO A FANTASTIC JOB OF DOING THAT BUT ONCE YOU LEAVE THE COMMUNITY IT BECOMES A BIGGER CHALLENGE. >> SO MANY STUDENTS CHOOSE TO LIVE OFF CAMPUS AFTER THEY WERE ON CAMPUS THE FIRST COUPLE YEARS AT VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES TO BE HEARD FROM UNIVERSITIES LIKE DUKE UNIVERSITY OR UNC OR NC STATE ? >> YES. THEY'RE INTERESTED IN THIS INNOVATIVE APPROACH TAKING DATA ON WHICH STUDENTS ARE ASSIGNED TO WHICH DORMITORY AND WHICH CLASSROOM BUILDING THEY MAY BE IN OR FACULTY AND STAFF AND THEN COMBINING THAT WITH THE WI- FI DATA ON CAMPUS THIS IS A UNIQUE WAY TO LOOK AT CONTACT TRACING LOOKING AT THE DATA THAT THEY ALREADY COLLECT ON STUDENTS AND FACULTY USING IT IN A VERY SMART WAY. UNIVERSITIES ARE VERY INTERESTED AND INTRIGUED. >> AND YOU SPECIFICALLY SAY WHETHER DUKE OR UNC OR NC STATE ARE ACTUALLY INVOLVED? >> IS DEFINITELY INTEREST AROUND THE COUNTRY . >> LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT PHASE OF THE BATTLE FOR A VACCINE. HOW DO YOU SEE ANALYTICS PLAYING A ROLE IN HELPING WITH THE LOGISTICS OF DISTRIBUTION OF THAT VACCINE? >> A FASCINATING QUESTION. WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS WHEN THE VACCINE IS FIRST PRODUCED THERE WILL NOT BE ENOUGH FOR EVERY AMERICAN TO RECEIVE THE VACCINATION THE QUESTION BECOMES FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS PERSPECTIVE TO WHOM SHOULD WE PROVIDE THE VACCINE? WHO IS THE MOST NEEDY? WHERE IS THE VACCINE GOING TO HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT IN REDUCING THE OVERALL THREAT TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC? ANALYTICS CAN PLAY A ROLE IN THAT IN TRYING TO HELP DETERMINE WHO IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE POPULATION TO TRY TO GIVE THE VACCINE? WHERE ARE THE PLACES WHERE IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE, GIVEN THE LIMITED RESOURCES? IN ANALYTICS THAT IS CALLED OPTIMIZATION. TRYING TO TAKE LIMITED RESOURCES AND GET THE GREATEST IMPACT THAT IS A CLASSIC ROLE FOR ANALYTICS TO PLAY EXPECT IS THAT AN EQUALIZER? THERE IS A BIG CONCERN ABOUT WHO WOULD GET THE VACCINE FIRST. COULD DATA ALLOW IT TO BE MORE OF A FAIR PROCESS IN TERMS OF DISTRIBUTION? >> ABSOLUTELY. DATA CAN BE USED TO CREATE A SENSE OF FAIRNESS AND A SENSE OF EQUALITY THAT EVERYBODY WILL PLAY BY THE SAME RULES WHEN IT COMES TO RECEIVING THE VACCINE AND WHO ARE THE PEOPLE WHO CAN REASONABLY TAKE THE RISK OF NOT GETTING THE VACCINE UP FRONT WHEN THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE. >> Reporter: THANK YOU SO MUCH