ABOVE: The view from the Julio Garcia Diaz building at UPR’s Río Piedras campus after the storm
TUGRUL GIRAY, UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO
Two weeks ago, builders finally started to repair the ceiling over Tugrul Giray’s lab at the University of Puerto Rico’s Río Piedras campus, near San Juan. It’s been more than 500 days of leaking and mold, since Hurricane Maria tore through the island in September 2017—a deadly category 5 storm that caused a humanitarian crisis, with an estimated death toll in Puerto Rico of nearly 3,000.
Giray’s lab is among 14 or so in the Julio Garcia Diaz biology building, which was among those severely damaged, particularly as it was already undergoing roof repairs when the storm hit. Water seeped in through the roof and windows, damaging costly research equipment, furniture, and lab materials. Toxic mold thrived in the moist, hot climate, creating hazardous conditions that made the ...
