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Federico Tripodi, MBA’08, is CEO of Calyxt, a gene-editing technology company focused on the food and agriculture industries, that celebrated its initial public offering on The Nasdaq Stock Market June 20, 2017.
Tripodi started his career in his native Argentina in 1998 in the research field of biotechnology traits and chemistry formulations; he moved to Saint Louis in 2001. He spent nearly two-decades in the ag biotech and seed industry with Monsanto. Calyxt is based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Paris-based Cellectis.
“As more and more food companies are looking for specialty ingredients that can help them to satisfy customers’ evolving needs and desire to lead healthier lifestyles, Calyxt is perfectly positioned to be an industry leader with the emergence of gene editing as a truly game-changing technology in the food space,” said Federico Tripodi, CEO, Calyxt. “Coupled with our innovative commercial strategy, this will allow Calyxt to meet the needs of today’s consumer preferences – all of the while helping to shape the landscape for the future of food as we know it.”
“Calyxt believes that the precision, specificity, cost-effectiveness and development speed of the company’s gene editing technologies will enable it to provide meaningful disruption to the food and agriculture industries. We are proud to welcome Calyxt to the Nasdaq family of innovators,” said Nelson Griggs, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Listings, Nasdaq.
Source: GLOBE NEWSWIRE
Images: NASDAQ, Inc.
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Saturday, July 22, 2017
Disrupting the future of food with gene-editing
Annual Mahoney Life Sciences Prize Established for CNS Faculty
UMass Amherst: News Archive
The College of Natural Sciences (CNS) has announced the establishment of the Mahoney Life Sciences Prize, an annual competition for CNS scientists engaged in high-impact applied life sciences research.The prize is made possible through the generosity of the Mahoney family to recognize UMass Amherst scientists whose work significantly advances connections between research and industry.
The prize is awarded to one faculty member who is the principal author of a peer-reviewed paper about original research on any topic in the life sciences that focuses on new research with translatable applications to industry and society.
It is the first faculty paper prize for CNS.
The prize includes an award of $10,000 as well as opportunities to present the research to industry leaders and the UMass Amherst community.
The three Mahoney brothers received their degrees in chemistry from UMass Amherst. They went on to become leaders in their own industries and have served as high-level alumni advisers to the campus.
The inaugural prize winner will be formally announced in the spring of 2018.
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UT’s Engel Co-Investigator on Grant Funded Through Oil Spill Penalties
Headlines – Tennessee Today
Annette Engel at a marsh.A UT earth and planetary sciences professor is co-principal investigator on a project that will study how practices to restore coastal marshes and lands are impacting marsh food webs.
“Our results will help Gulf of Mexico resource managers to plan coastal marsh restoration efforts to combat land loss in the future,” said Annette Engel, the UT Jones Professor of Aqueous Geochemistry.
The project recently received a $2 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s RESTORE Science Program. NOAA disbursed a total of $16.7 million to fund various research projects from penalties paid by parties responsible for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Michael Polito of Louisiana State University will lead Engel’s research team. Other collaborators include researchers from Rutgers University; the University of Florida; Michigan Technological University; and Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium.
Coastal land loss is a significant problem in Louisiana and elsewhere around the world, Engel said. Over the next three years, the team of 10 researchers, along with their students and research staff, will conduct field work together in northern Barataria Bay, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. It is where the Mississippi River water and its sediment are diverted into the nearby natural salt marshes and created marshes from previous restoration projects.
“The river diversions change the salinity of the water in the marshes, and little is known about the effects of these diversions on salt marsh ecosystems,” Engel said.
The UT group will sample sediment, soil, and water from the marshes, and other researchers will collect plant, insect, and fish samples.
“We will use genetics, chemistry methods, and computer modeling approaches to determine what lives in the natural and created marshes, and to understand how food and nutrients move through the different types of marsh ecosystems,” Engel said.
The UT researchers will focus on the microbial communities and metabolic changes that affect the food ...
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UPMC Radiotherapy Center in Rome Recognized for Highest Quality and Safety Standards
UPMC Radiotherapy Center in Rome Recognized for Highest Quality and Safety Standards
A leader in international health care accreditation, JCI sets the “gold standard” in global health care quality. Its rigorous accreditation process focuses on determining whether a health care facility has the right systems and processes in place to support high-quality and safe patient care, and has the culture and capacity to continuously improve care. JCI’s surveyors examine such crucial issues as patient and family education, access to care and medication management.
“Ensuring our patients receive the best possible care close to home is our No. 1 priority, and demonstrating compliance with JCI standards serves as validation of this commitment,” said PierCarlo Gentile, M.D., medical director, UPMC San Pietro. “Our dedicated staff is fortunate to be part of UPMC’s global network, where we can take advantage of the experience and expertise of our colleagues not only in Italy, but worldwide.”
One of three oncology outpatient clinics accredited by JCI in Italy, UPMC San Pietro offers the most advanced radiation therapy, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy and image-guided radiation therapy, to residents of Rome and the surrounding region. As part of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, the facility leverages UPMC’s cancer expertise from more than 50 treatment locations worldwide. For instance, teams from UPMC’s radiotherapy center in Waterford, Ireland—which also has JCI accreditation—helped to guide their colleagues in Italy through the process, along with UPMC experts in Pittsburgh.
“By collaborating across our global network, UPMC has once again met the challenge of reaching internationally recognized, time-tested and comprehensive quality standards,” said Dwight E. Heron, M.D., director of radiation services, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. “The entire UPMC team can be proud of this accomplishment, which underscores our excellent, patient-centered model of care.”
Established to respond to a growing demand around the world for standards-based evaluation of quality ...
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Xavier Pons, degà de la Facultat de Dret: «En moments de crisi i d’incerteses, la Universitat ha d’influir en la societat»
Universitat de Barcelona - Notícies
«Un element important de la nostra oferta acadèmica són les titulacions internacionals.»
«A la Facultat hi ha un bon nombre de professors i professores que formen part de grups de recerca i que tenen una altíssima productivitat científica.»
«A més de ser una necessitat, també veiem el nou edifici com una fabulosa finestra d’oportunitat.»
21/07/2017
Entrevistes
El degà de la Facultat de Dret, el catedràtic de Dret Internacional Públic Xavier Pons, és expert en dret internacional públic, organitzacions internacionals, dret comunitari europeu, salut humana i seguretat alimentària. Ha actuat com a consultor legal internacional de l’Organització de les Nacions Unides per a l’Alimentació i l’Agricultura (FAO) i ha publicat diverses monografies, obres col·lectives i nombrosos articles en revistes especialitzades de l’àmbit del dret internacional, particularment sobre les Nacions Unides i la Unió Europea. Dins de la Universitat de Barcelona ha ocupat els càrrecs de vicepresident i president en funcions de la Divisió de Ciències Jurídiques, Econòmiques i Socials, i de secretari general, del 2005 al 2008. En aquesta entrevista ens explica la seva actuació al capdavant de la Facultat en un moment marcat per la construcció i posada en marxa del nou edifici, que ha de respondre a les necessitats docents i de recerca del centre.
L’any vinent comença l’activitat al nou edifici de la Facultat de Dret, de més de 16.000 metres quadrats, que s’afegeix a les instal·lacions del centre i n’amplia les potencialitats.
Aquest nou edifici respon a una demanda històrica de la Facultat: fa més de disset anys que estem pendents d’aquest tema. Finalment, si bé les circumstàncies econòmiques actuals encara són molt complexes, tenim el nou edifici, que donarà suport a la docència dels cinc graus de la Facultat, amb més de 7.000 estudiants. Entre altres necessitats, ...
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Missouri S&T aerial robotic team to race drones
News and Events
Near the end of July, a team of students from Missouri University of Science and Technology will compete in an intercollegiate aerial robotics event that some have described as a complex chess match for drones. The drones are designed and built by students, including their custom electronics.
The International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC) will take place July 25-27 at Georgia Institute of Technology. This will be Missouri S&T’s first entry into the competitive scene of flying robots. At this year’s event, Missouri S&T’s Multirotor Robot Design Team will use an autonomous aerial robot named “Sentinel” to guide ground-based robots to a specific side of a playing field. The drones must navigate autonomously through an unknown terrain and obstacles, and locate other robots.
Each year, the IARC develops a new challenge that is considered “impossible to complete” by any devices currently owned by government or industry. In last year’s competition, robots had to locate an opening in a building, enter without being detected on a surveillance camera, navigate crowded hallways and reach a particular room without bumping any walls or landing. From there, the robot had to locate a particular paper inbox containing a flash drive, retrieve the flash drive, replace it with an identical blank flash drive and exit the building – all within a short time span.
Sentinel is the first aircraft the team has designed specifically for the IARC. It includes on-board electronics such as a flight control board that allows it to navigate without direct human control, an obstacle-avoiding LIDAR system, and a camera and image processing system. The drone will use the camera, combined with computer software, to identify and target the ground robots that are a part of this year’s competition. Sentinel is made of a carbon fiber base plate and uses lightweight metals to connect its parts for ...
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Alla Voskoboynikova recognized with Steinway award for outstanding piano instruction
UMSL Daily
Steinway Piano Gallery of St. Louis nominated the UMSL music faculty member for the honor, citing her excellence in “guiding each of her students to achieve their maximum potential.” (Photo courtesy of Alla Voskoboynikova)
Ask Alla Voskoboynikova about the striking instruments that dominate her studio at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and she speaks of them as treasured companions.
In one corner stands a beguiling clavichord. The other side of the room belongs to a handcrafted, seven-foot-long grand piano – and she’s especially fond of it.
“Our instrument is more than just an instrument,” explains the associate teaching professor of music. “With this one, UMSL actually sent me to New York to the Steinway factory to pick it out, and I brought this instrument here. So we feel very human about our instrument. It’s a friend.”
That connection between pianists and their pianos – particularly Steinways – made the news Voskoboynikova received last month even more special.
In June, a letter arrived from that same New York factory where she remembers trying out so many beautiful instruments several years ago. She was thrilled to learn that the company was honoring her with a Steinway & Sons Top Teacher Award.
“That came in the mail, and then Gerry Malzone, the vice president of the Steinway Piano Gallery here in St. Louis, came to campus the other day and brought this,” Voskoboynikova says, showing off a framed certificate.
Steinway bestows the awards annually in recognition of outstanding piano instruction and leadership. Malzone emphasizes Voskoboynikova’s renowned presence as a soloist, accompanist and educator as the impetus for the gallery’s nomination of her for the honor.
“Alla has excelled at guiding each of her students to achieve their maximum potential,” he says. “Her passion extends to all students whether their personal goals are for the concert stage or as a music enthusiast.”
Indeed, ...
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Superluminous supernova marks the death of a star at cosmic high noon
Physical and Biological Sciences News
The yellow arrow marks the superluminous supernova DES15E2mlf in this false-color image of the surrounding field. This image was observed with the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) gri-band filters mounted on the Blanco 4-meter telescope on December 28, 2015, around the time when the supernova reached its peak luminosity. (Observers: D. Gerdes and S. Jouvel)The death of a massive star in a distant galaxy 10 billion years ago created a rare superluminous supernova that astronomers say is one of the most distant ever discovered. The brilliant explosion, more than three times as bright as the 100 billion stars of our Milky Way galaxy combined, occurred about 3.5 billion years after the big bang at a period known as "cosmic high noon," when the rate of star formation in the universe reached its peak.
Superluminous supernovae are 10 to 100 times brighter than a typical supernova resulting from the collapse of a massive star. But astronomers still don't know exactly what kinds of stars give rise to their extreme luminosity or what physical processes are involved.
The supernova known as DES15E2mlf is unusual even among the small number of superluminous supernovae astronomers have detected so far. It was initially detected in November 2015 by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) collaboration using the Blanco 4-meter telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. Follow-up observations to measure the distance and obtain detailed spectra of the supernova were conducted with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph on the 8-meter Gemini South telescope.
The investigation was led by UC Santa Cruz astronomers Yen-Chen Pan and Ryan Foley as part of an international team of DES collaborators. The researchers reported their findings in a paper published July 21 in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The new observations may provide clues to the nature of stars and galaxies during peak star formation. Supernovae are important in the evolution of galaxies ...
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Traveling to Mars Will Wreak Havoc on Our Bodies – Can We Prevent It?
UCSF - Latest News Feed
As humans prepare to venture deeper into outer space, including potential trips to Mars, researchers are hard at work trying to understand and mitigate the effects of low gravity and radiation on space travelers’ bodies.
“People think of technology as the limiting factor in space flight, but it’s not,” said Thomas Lang, PhD, a professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at UC San Francisco. “Human physiology is the limiting factor.”
Spaceflight seems to have a particularly notable effect on the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and immune systems. Many of the changes researchers are seeing as a result of spaceflight are similar to those seen in aging, though they happen much faster in space.
“We’re attuned to living in gravity,” Lang said.
As private aerospace companies and NASA are competing to be the first to land on Mars, UCSF researchers, and many others nationwide, are studying the effects of space travel – and trying to find ways to offset those impacts.
Bone Loss, Back Pain and Dried Plums
Since the first Apollo space flights in the 1960s and ’70s, the effects of space on muscles and bones has been apparent. After just eight days in orbit, the Apollo astronauts were so weak that they had to be pulled from their landing capsules.
In the following decades, astronauts, such as those on the International Space Station (ISS), began to exercise to keep their bones and muscles conditioned during their six-month stays. Still, many astronauts suffer back pain for years after returning to Earth.
To figure out why the back pain occurs after the exposure to low gravity, Jeffrey Lotz, PhD, the David Bradford Endowed Chair of Orthopedic Surgery at UCSF, recently studied the spines of astronauts after their time in space.
What he found surprised him.
He’d imagined that the back pain arose from disks swollen with water that would ordinarily get ...
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FIU’s Naomi Ruele to Compete at the 2017 FINA World Championships
FIU Athletics
MIAMI (July 21, 2017) – FIU's Naomi Ruele will represent her home country of Botswana in this year's FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungry, beginning Monday, July 24. Ruele will compete in 50m back and the 100m back from Danube Arena. The native of Gaborone, Botswana, will take part in the 100m back prelims and semifinals on Monday, July 24, with the finals set for Tuesday, July 25. The 50m back competition will begin on Saturday, July 29, and will conclude on Sunday, July 30, with the event finals. The 2017 FINA World Championship will feature almost 3,000 athletes in six different disciplines, competing in 75 contests over a period of 17 days (July 14-30). Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Twitter (@FIUSwimDive) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSwimmingAndDiving) for all the latest Swimming and Diving news. Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).##### About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in eight different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including FIU Arena and Riccardo Silva Stadium.
About FIU: Florida International University is classified by Carnegie as a "R1: Doctoral Universities - Highest Research Activity" and recognized as a Carnegie Community Engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in fields such as business, engineering, computer science, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU contributes almost $9 billion each year to the local economy and is ranked second in Florida in Forbes Magazine's "America's Best Employers" list. FIU graduates are consistently among the highest paid college graduates in Florida and are among the leaders of public and private organizations throughout South Florida. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the most challenging problems ...
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Shanice Norton Completes Play In FIBA Championship
LSUsports.net
Headline News
LSUsports.net (@LSUsports)LSU Sports Interactive
BATON ROUGE -- LSU junior Shanice Norton recently completed play in her third FIBA European Championships, this time representing Great Britain in the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championships Division B.
Norton had previously represented her home country on the U16 Team at the 2012 and 2013 FIBA European Championships.
Great Britain finished eighth in the competition, scoring wins in group play over Ireland, 69-46, and Romania, 74-48, in the competition in Eilat, Israel.
Norton, who averaged 19.3 minutes a game over seven games, scored 53 points topped by the 13 points in 20 minutes against Israel. She also had nine rebounds in the contest, also her best of the tour. She averaged 7.5 points per game for the tournament, four rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals.
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Dateline Rice for July 21, 2017
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL
Global business experience to help Huntsman as US ambassador to RussiaCharles McConnell, executive director of Rice’s Energy and Environment Initiative, is quoted.Sputnik Newshttp://bit.ly/2uGJXyJ
Opposition strike paralyzes parts of Venezuela as fears of violence mountFrancisco Monaldi, a fellow in Latin American energy policy at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is quoted.The Washington Post (This also appeared in the Houston Chronicle, Boston Globe, McDowell News, AFLNet, Standard Examiner and LMT Online.)http://wapo.st/2uhRTneVenezuela is desperate for higher oil pricesBusiness Insider (This also appears in Bullfax and Latest Nigerian News.)http://read.bi/2gQBEKZ
Fluorine grants white graphene new powersA little fluorine turns an insulating ceramic known as white graphene into a wide-bandgap semiconductor with magnetic properties. Rice scientists said that could make the unique material suitable for electronics in extreme environments. Pulickel Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Engineering and founding chair of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering; postdoctoral researcher Chandra Sekhar Tiwary; and graduate student Sruthi Radhakrishnan are mentioned.National Science Foundationhttp://bit.ly/2txafni
Rice scientists simplify the incorporation of nitrogen into moleculesA Rice laboratory that specializes in synthesizing reagents and intermediate molecules for the design and manufacture of drugs and other fine chemicals has delivered on a promise to generalize the synthesis of electrophilic (electron-poor) aminating agents. László Kürti, associate professor of chemistry; postdoctoral researchers Padmanabha Kattamuri and Jun Yin; and McMurtry College senior Surached Siriwongsup are mentioned.National Science Foundationhttp://bit.ly/2gQmxRr
Houston team one step closer to growing capillariesIn their work toward 3-D printing transplantable tissues and organs, bioengineers and scientists from Rice and Baylor College of Medicine have demonstrated a key step on the path to generate implantable tissues with functioning capillaries.National Science Foundationhttp://bit.ly/2uJktQu
Zealandia: Lost continent beneath New Zealand to be drilledThirty ...
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La UPC, primera a Espanya al Ranking Web of Repositories
Actualitat UPC
El Ranking Web of Repositories, posiciona les universitats i altres institucions d’educació de tot el món en funció del volum, la visibilitat i l’impacte dels seus repositoris. Així, analitza més de dos mil repositoris de tot el món amb domini o subdomini propi que contenen publicacions de caire acadèmic (peer-reviewed papers). Les dades utilitzades per elaborar la segona edició del 2017 del rànquing, publicada el juliol, s’han obtingut a partir de cerques fetes durant aquest mateix mes. Pel que fa a la UPC, classifica la institució a partir dels resultats del repositori d’UPCommons i en aquesta edició puja de posicions, cosa que li permet recuperar el lideratge estatal.Els editors del rànking, Cybermetrics Lab del CSIC, ofereixen tres tipus de classificacions: la principal, que abasta repositoris de tots els temes (tipus Arxiv o RepEc) i repositoris institucionals; l’anomenada Top Institucionals, que conté exclusivament repositoris d’aquest tipus, pertanyents a universitats, ens de recerca i/o organismes governamentals, i una darrera (Portals) que inclou repositoris de difícil classificació, com ara ReseachGate, Academia o Mendeley, no considerats al rànquing principal. Així, en la classificació principal, UPCommons de la UPC es col·loca com el 31è millor repositori mundial (un lloc més amunt que a l’edició anterior), el 12è d’Europa (també un lloc més que a l’anterior) i ha passat del tercer al primer d’Espanya. A la classificació Top Institucional puja també posicions, passant del lloc 25 al 22 del món, del 10 al 8 a l’àmbit europeu i es col·loca també en el primer lloc de tot l’Estat.
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Gallery Showcases Student Talent Nov. 17- Dec. 3
Lone Star College CyFair News
Published on: October 07, 2015
The Fall Art Student Exhibition, featuring some of the best work of Lone Star College-CyFairs talented students, will be on display Nov. 17 Dec. 3.
This exhibition features the work LSC-CyFair visual art students have completed in their classes in a variety of mediums such as photography, painting, drawing and ceramics.
Come to enjoy the exhibition and stay to meet the student artists in person at the reception and awards ceremony set from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3.
The Bosque Gallery is located in the Center for the Arts building on the Barker Cypress campus at 9191 Barker Cypress.
For gallery hours and information, go to LoneStar.edu/bosquegallery or call 281.290.5273.
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Tradition of success earns the speech and debate team at LSC-North Harris the title of nation’s best
Lone Star College North Harris News
Published on: May 09, 2014
The Lone Star College-North Harris competitive speech and debate team continued their tradition of success by winning the 2014 Silvia Mariners Perpetual Sweepstakes Award at this years Phi Rho Pi National Speech Tournament. LSC-North Harris is only the third Texas school to win the award since its inception in 1970.
The Silvia Mariners Perpetual Sweepstakes Award is an ongoing prize, given each year to the community college team with the highest point total over the history of Phi Rho Pis annual tournaments.
LSC-North Harris team, which has a history of achievement at the local, regional and national levels, earned 112.5 points at this years tournament to secure the honor. Having won, the LSC-North Harris speech teams point total will now reset to zero next year.
For Wade Hescht, current team coach and a former LSC-North Harris student himself, the award has special meaning.
Winning the Mariner Sweepstakes evokes a double sense of pride for me, said Wade Hescht, director of forensics at LSC-North Harris. The points accumulated to win this award not only include my years of coaching, but also my years as a student competitor for LSC-North Harris."
Hescht, a professor at LSC-North Harris for nearly 20 years, was also an active member of the speech and debate team while attending the college. Now, along with the rest of the coaching team, professors Jonathan Stansbury, Dave Gaer and Casey Garcia, they have developed one of the nations best forensic teams.
In addition to Mariners Award, the team won numerous recognitions throughout the season, including being named the 2014 Phi Rho Pi Regional Champions, the 2014 Texas Community College Forensic Associations State Champions and the 2014 Texas Intercollegiate Forensic Associations State Champions (for two-year and four-year schools).
Once again we had a very talented group of competitors who represented the college wonderfully, said Hescht. Its amazing to see how far we have come, and ...
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Peter Mucha is new Chairs Leadership Program Director at the Institute for the Arts and Humanities
Peter Mucha
Peter Mucha recently began his work as the Chairs Leadership Program (CLP) Director for the Institute for the Arts and Humanities. He succeeds department of communication professor Bill Balthrop, who was the founding chair of the program.
“The departmental chair’s position is one of the most critical academic leadership positions in the College,” says Balthrop.
“It’s a critical, and very stressful, position” agrees Mark Katz, IAH Director and former chair of the music department. “That’s why the CLP is so important—it is both a place of refuge and a great source of wisdom and best practices. Bill deserves so much credit for helping to create this lifeline for Carolina’s chairs. We owe him a great deal.”
Balthrop also served as interim Director of the Institute in 2010, and hosted the ambitious and important “A Symposium on Faculty Innovation” at Hyde Hall that year.
This summer Balthrop is in Europe conducting research into memorials.
“I am currently working broadly at the intersection of rhetorical and cultural practices. I am working on an analysis of the rhetorical functions performed by the American memorials and monuments constructed in Europe following World War I and World War II.”
Mucha said he was inspired by Bill Balthrop when he participated in the program back in 2010.
“Bill Balthrop talked about how the department chair is one of the most essential position in the College of Arts & Sciences,” said Mucha.
Mucha, the Bowman and Gordon Gray Distinguished Term Professor in Mathematics, came to UNC in 2005.
“When [IAH Director] Mark Katz asked me if I would be willing to be CLP Director, it was immediately an exciting opportunity for me,” said Mucha.
He has varied experience in leadership roles. He served as chair of the Mathematics Department in 2010. He joined CLP as a new chair when Balthrop was the director. In 2012, he ...
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Dr. Kane on Challenges Facing Genetic Testing in Prostate Cancer
Newsroom: InTheNews
Publication Date: 7/20/2017
ByLine: OncLive
URL Link: http://www.onclive.com/onclive-tv/dr-kane-on-challenges-facing-genetic-testing-in-prostate-cancer
Page Content: Features Christopher Kane, MD
News Type: National
News_Release_Date: July 21, 2017
NewsTags: Cancer; Genetics, Medical; Urology
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University archivist David McCartney presents at AAUP conference
Iowa Now - Research
David McCartneyDavid McCartney, university archivist in University of Iowa Libraries, delivered a paper, “Documenting Activism: How the Digital Humanities Can Uncover the History of Protest,” June 16 at the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) conference in Washington, D.C.
McCartney, who curated the online exhibit “Uptight and Laid-back: Iowa City in the 1960s,” launched in 2016, described how the website is used as a discovery tool for UI faculty and other scholars from a range of disciplines, including history, rhetoric, journalism, and English. The exhibit is a collaborative project involving two units within the UI Libraries—Special Collections and the Digital Scholarship and Publishing Studio—and members of the UI community. The exhibit features content documenting civil rights activism, the anti-war movement, and other political movements of the era.
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Learned Fellows
All News @ UCSB
The rigorous application and review process for graduate-level fellowships can be daunting, but it comes with the territory when you’re a blossoming distinguished academic. And the payoff is worth it: proof of excellence in research, and an investment in your future.Four UC Santa Barbara graduate students and one recent alumnus from the humanities and social sciences have received just such a professional vote of confidence, winning competitive fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). This is a record number of awardees for the university.
“I’m thrilled to hear of UC Santa Barbara’s excellent performance in a number of this year’s ACLS fellowship competitions, including the prestigious Public Fellows program,” said Carol Genetti, dean of graduate education. “This is a testament to the high quality of our graduate programs across the humanities and social sciences, and the impressive accomplishments of our students.”
The students represent a wide range of graduate work being done at UCSB, with the majority receiving support to help them complete their dissertations. They are:
John Vincent Decemvirale, a doctoral candidate in the history of art and architecture. Decemvirale received a Luce/ACLS Dissertation Fellowship in American Art for his thesis, “Knowing Your Place and Making Do: Radical Art Activism in Black and Latino Los Angeles, 1960 to the Present”
Karen B. Hanna, a doctoral candidate in feminist studies who was awarded a Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship for her thesis, “Makibaka!: A Feminist Social History of the Transnational Filipina/o American Left, 1969-1992”
Megan Lukaniec, a doctoral candidate in linguistics who received a Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship for her thesis, “A Grammar of Wendat”
Or Porath, a doctoral candidate in religious studies who was awarded The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Dissertation Fellowship in Buddhist Studies in support of his thesis, “Intimate Dharma: Buddhism, the Body, and Imperial Authority ...
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NEH Summer Stipend program submission deadline extended to July 31
Vanderbilt News
Jul. 21, 2017, 2:57 PM
Vanderbilt University may nominate two candidates for the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend program, and the submission deadline has been extended to July 31. The goal of the program is to support individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both. The program provides $6,000 for two consecutive months of full-time research and writing.
The required submission materials include:
Three-page narrative
One-page bibliography
Two-page resume
Full information about the stipend program can be found at the NEH website. The site lists specific submission requirements and evaluation criteria used in selecting recipients and provides examples of application narratives.
Faculty interested in submitting a proposal must apply by Monday, July 31, 2017, at https://vanderbilt.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1759385.
Any questions about this opportunity or the LSO process may be directed to VU-LSO@vanderbilt.edu.
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University of Missouri launches system-wide initiative to adopt affordable educational resources
University of Missouri System
University of Missouri launches system-wide initiative to adopt affordable and open educational resources
June 21, 2017
Effort will reduce the costs of textbooks for students and enhance learning
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Today, University of Missouri System President Mun Choi and Chancellors Leo Morton, Tom George, Garnett Stokes and Christopher Maples announced a plan that will save students significant amounts of money on textbooks and other course materials. This effort is designed to reduce the cost of attendance and enhance learning for students. The plan takes advantage of Open Educational Resources (OER), or class materials that are free for students, and AutoAccess, which is a program that makes textbooks and class materials available online at a lower cost than traditional learning resources.
“High-quality, affordable education is central to our mission as the state’s public higher education institution,” Choi said. “By providing open-source and affordable textbooks, we are meeting the needs of our students by lowering their costs and increasing their access to the resources that will help them be successful on our campuses.”
To accomplish this goal, a working group of faculty, staff and students, including a team of librarians, bookstore personnel and campus instructional design staff, will be formed to provide input from all four campuses. The group will work collaboratively to develop a system-wide strategy to increase awareness of affordable and open resources, incentivize the transition to those resources, and encourage University-created materials to be shared as open resources. This work will be done in conjunction with campus-specific working groups.
“Some students don’t purchase required textbooks because it’s too expensive; it ends up hurting their academic success,” said Nathan Willett, president of the Missouri Students Association. “Any time we can make textbooks or course materials more affordable, it’s a win for students, and the university is still able to provide the same high-quality education. I’m excited to ...
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Computing Alliance Industry Day
Events at UCF
University of Central Florida faculty, staff and students are invited to attend the subject event being hosted by the Sunshine State Education and Research Computing Alliance (SSERCA) on July 24, 2017 at the Institute for Simulation and Training. The purpose of the event is to give hardware, software, and system integration vendors the opportunity to explain, show, and answer questions about their high performance and research computing products to interested faculty and students, as well as high performance computing and research computing administrators. The format of the free event is similar to a small exhibition.
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Two forums scheduled on planned expanded child care program
Student News
Two open forums are scheduled for early August to gather campus community input regarding a planned expanded child care program to serve students, staff, and faculty.The forums are set for Wednesday, Aug. 2 from noon to 1 p.m. in the M110 Media Theater, and Thursday, Aug. 3 from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Family Student Housing Community Room.
A new center and child care program as part of plan for additional student housing were announced May 31 in a campus message from Chancellor Blumenthal and then interim Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor Herbert Lee.
All interested campus community members are invited to attend. The forums will provide attendees the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas with members of the work group organized to develop the program for the expanded center.
In addition, a web page has been published that provides information about the planned new center and program. It includes an online form for interested campus community to submit thoughts and ideas.
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UW Daily – July 21, 2017
UW Daily
UW System / Top Stories
On Campus
COL: Wizarding Academy coming to UW-BC, Spooner Advocate, July 19
EXT: Juneau County board presents 2016 finances (includes UW-Extension restructuring model), Star-Times, July 19
EXT: Lincoln County Fair provides opportunity to learn through 4-H projects, Wausau Daily Herald, July 19
EXT/LAX: 4-H teaches kids invaluable life skills, WXOW.com, July 20
LAX: La Crosse committee wants to name trail for Wheelmen leader, La Crosse Tribune, July 20
LAX: Lindy rock show back for silver anniversary, La Crosse Tribune, July 20
MAD: Kayaking the Apostle Islands mainland sea caves, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 20
MAD: Republicans threaten gynecology program at UW-Madison, Column, Salon.com, July 19
STP/SYS: ‘Kids from Wisconsin’ bring their talents to Stevens Point, WSAW-TV, July 20
State
National
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Retirement celebration for John Hanson set for Friday, July 28
Retirement celebration for John HansonFriday, July 28, 2-4 p.m.Engineering & Industry Building, Third Floor and the Parrish BridgeAll are invited to attend a retirement celebration for John Hanson, senior project manager with Facilities Planning & Construction. Please join us to celebrate John’s retirement after over 20 years of service to UAA!
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W. Track & Field. 51 Spartans Receive MW Scholar-Athlete Recognition
San Jose State Spartans News -- www.sjsuspartans.com
Eight student-athletes received the honor each of their four years at San José State.
July 18, 2017
Colorado Springs, Colo.— A school-record 51 San José State University student-athletes have received a 2016-17 Mountain West Scholar-Athlete Award for their performance in the classroom during their athletic career.The MW Scholar-Athlete Award is one of the highest academic honors bestowed by the conference. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must have completed two semesters at the institution, have a 3.5 or better grade point average and have participated in a competition in a Mountain West-sponsored sport.The Spartan student-athletes represent 13 sports, led by women’s swimming and diving with 13 honorees and followed by women’s track and field with seven.Eight San José State student-athletes have earned an award each of their four years – Jack Veasey (BASE); Karina Nunes (WXC/T&F); Tim Crawley (FB); Chelsea Jenner and Katelyn Linford (SB); Taylor Solorio (WSW); and Marie Klocker and Gaelle Rey (WTN).“Our student-athletes continue to make us proud by showing us that academic excellence is indeed achievable. I am impressed that we continue to set records each year with the number of student-athletes recognized by the Mountain West. Our coaches and academic team work diligently to ensure that every Spartan is successful in the classroom,” said Eileen Daley, senior associate athletics director for academics and student services.The Spartan Scholar-Athletes helped the Mountain West to a new league-record 756 student-athletes recognized.2016-17 San José State University MW Scholar-Athletes# # #
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Zealandia should hold answers about tectonics, past climate
Scientific expedition will explore Tasman Sea for clues about submerged continent
Thirty scientists will sail from Australia July 27 on a two-month ocean drilling expedition to the submerged continent of Zealandia in search of clues about its history, which relates to key questions about plate tectonic processes and Earth’s past greenhouse climate.
Jerry Dickens standing on a map of Zealandia in Rice’s Keith-Wiess Geological Laboratories (Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)
“We’re really looking at the best place in the world to understand how plate subduction initiates,” said expedition co-chief scientist Gerald Dickens, professor of Earth, environmental and planetary science at Rice University. “This expedition will answer a lot of lingering questions about Zealandia.”
Expedition 371, a cruise sponsored by the National Science Foundation and its international partners in the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), will sail from Townsville, Australia, aboard JOIDES Resolution, one of the world’s most sophisticated scientific drill ships. Expedition scientists will join more than 20 scientific crew members in drilling at six Tasman Sea sites at water depths ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 meters. At each site, the crew will drill from 300 to 800 meters into the seafloor to collect cores — complete samples of sediments deposited over millions of years. The cores hold fossil evidence the scientists can use to assemble a detailed record of Zealandia’s past.
“Some 50 million years ago a massive shift in plate movement happened in the Pacific Ocean,” said Jamie Allan, program director in the National Science Foundation’s Division of Ocean Sciences, which supports IODP. “It resulted in the diving of the Pacific Plate under New Zealand, the uplift of New Zealand above the waterline and the development of a new arc of volcanoes. This IODP expedition will look at the timing and causes of these changes, as well as related changes in ocean circulation patterns and ultimately Earth’s climate.”
IODP ...
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Hidden Secrets of Veterans Benefits
_www.emory.edu
Upcoming Ongoing EventsYour browser must support JavaScript to view this content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings then try again.All Ongoing EventsYour browser must support JavaScript to view this content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings then try again.
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SBUMC Opens New And Expanded Facility Dedicated To Comprehensive Care Of 9/11 First Responders
University News
SBUMC Opens New And Expanded Facility Dedicated To Comprehensive Care Of 9/11 First Responders
Medical Monitoring Program Treats 5,000 Patients as the Need Grows
Stony Brook University Medical Center officially opened its new and expanded World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program (WTCMMTP) facility on December 3. The program cares for approximately 5,000 9/11 first responders living on Long Island. At the ribbon cutting, from left: Senator Brian X. Foley; John Feal, First Responder Advocate; Bill Lindsay (behind), Presiding Officer, Suffolk County Legislature; Dr. Benjamin J. Luft, Medical Director, WTCMMTP; Mike Valentin (center), disabled NYPD detective; Dr. Byranna Ramakrishna, WTCMMTP pulmonologist; Assemblyman Michael J. Fitzpatrick; Glen Klein, NYPD retired detective; Kevin Coenen, FDNY; Melodie Guerrera, Administrative Director, WTCMMTP, and Thomas Ryan, disabled NYPD detective.
STONY BROOK, NY-December 12, 2009- Stony Brook University Medical Center has opened a new and expanded World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program (WTCMMTP) facility to care for thousands of 9/11 first responders who continue to suffer from asthma, pulmonary conditions, post-traumatic stress disorders, and other conditions related to their work at ground zero. The WTCMMTP medical staff, patients, and government officials attended a ribbon cutting of the state-of-the-art facility in Islandia, N.Y., on December 3.
In operation since immediately after 9/11, the WTCMMTP is a federally funded program largely supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), an arm of the Centers for Disease Control. With an annual budget of more than $8 million, the SBUMC program to date has cared for approximately 5,000 Long Islanders and 9/11 first responders, including police officers, firefighters, and construction workers. The program assists 25-to-30 new patients on average each month.
“We all recollect the horror of September 11, 2001, but out of the aftermath came an army of common people, who were anything but common,” said Benjamin J. Luft, M.D., Medical Director of the WTCMMTP. “Tens of thousands came, policemen, fireman, laborers, fathers, and mothers, ...
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Passionate Cancer Patient Advocate At Stony Brook Named Co-Chair Of National Survivorship Committee
Passionate Cancer Patient Advocate At Stony Brook Named Co-Chair Of National Survivorship Committee
Linda Bily named to national post with Cancer Patient Education Network
STONY BROOK, N.Y., January 18, 2011 – Linda Bily, Supervisor and Patient Advocate at the Stony Brook University Cancer Center , has been named Co-Chair of the Survivorship Committee of the national
Photo credit:Jeanne Neville
Cancer Patient Education Network (CPEN). Bily has been employed with Stony Brook since 1990 and serves as a strong cancer patient advocate at the Cancer Center. She also performs community outreach on behalf of the Cancer Center and has been honored for her volunteer work with the Michael Maffetone Community Service Award. She serves on the Cancer Advocates Coalition and the GIFT Program of Stony Brook Foundation. She will serve as co-chair of CPEN’s Survivorship Committee with Kathy Denton of MD Anderson Cancer Center. The committee’s focus is on issues related to cancer survivorship. “This is a great honor and outstanding recognition of an outstanding advocate for our cancer patients at Stony Brook,” said Rose Cardin, RN, MSN, Associate Director of Nursing and Psychiatry and Administrator for Cancer Services at Stony Brook University Medical Center. “Linda will represent the interests of cancer patients nationwide with the same professionalism and passion she brings to her job every day at Stony Brook,” Cardin said. “As a breast cancer survivor, I am passionate about the need for all cancer patients to have the tools necessary for them to advocate for their own best health care,” Bily said. “I serve as a patient advocate and continue to volunteer within the community, and on a national level, as a community outreach educator, grant reviewer, hotline counselor and mentor/buddy. I just love what I do.” A non-profit organization based in Charlottesville, VA, CPEN was initiated in 1989 by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a structure for strengthening ...
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Lone Star College names new president at LSC-Montgomery
Lone Star College System News
Published on: April 29, 2015 Lone Star College announced Dr. Rebecca Riley has been named as the new president of LSC-Montgomery, effective May 1. Riley has served as the interim president since January 2015.
Prior to joining LSC-Montgomery, Riley served as vice president of instruction at LSC-Kingwood, a position she held since August 2009. Riley began her career at LSC-Kingwood in 1993 as an adjunct instructor of art and went on to hold numerous other positions including professor of art, associate dean and dean of arts and humanities, and interim vice president of student success.
We were lucky to have so many qualified candidates interested in the presidency, said Stephen Head, LSC chancellor. Dr. Riley stood out with her unique combination of creativity and analytical ability. She is an excellent communicator who values and practices transparency, inclusion and collaboration.
Lone Star College-Montgomery has such a rich tradition of not only helping students succeed, but of also being an integral part of the community, said Riley. I am excited to have been chosen to continue that tradition and look forward to working with the talented faculty and staff.
What really stood out to us is how much Dr. Riley understands Lone Star College and her commitment to our fundamental goals, values and vision, said Head.
Riley holds an Ed.D. in higher education leadership from Sam Houston State University, an M.F.A. in printmaking and art history and a B.F.A. in painting and art history from Texas Tech University.
All finalist candidates participated in meetings and open forums with the chancellors cabinet, community leaders, faculty, staff and students.
Riley currently serves on the board of directors of the Humble Area Assistance Ministries. She has served on numerous other boards in the past including the Community Chamber of Commerce and Culture Shapers.
Dr. Rebecca Riley has been named as the new president of Lone Star ...
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"Alchemy of Tea" Comes to LSC-Kingwood
Lone Star College Kingwood News
Published on: April 24, 2015
LSC-Kingwood art professor Mari Omori uses tea to make this piece titled, Mask Summer for the Alchemy of Tea art exhibition that will be on display at the college May 20-June 24.
Tea has been a part of sacred rituals across the globe for centuries. To showcase this custom, Alchemy of Tea will be on display at Lone Star College-Kingwood.
This art exhibit will be housed in the colleges Fine Arts Gallery May 20 to June 24. Alchemy of Tea brings together a group of American artists inspired by tea. This unique and stunning collection of work provokes viewers to ponder the transformation of tea in its consumable and degradable form into art objects.
The fragility and golden hues found in this collection project the historical and spiritual roots of tea while each artist's subjects juxtapose a contemporary take on tea as a medium and muse, said Kris Larson, gallery director.
Alchemy of Tea is curated by Jen Crickenberger of the Cornelius Art Center in North Carolina. Featured artists include Barbara Bartlett, Bridget Conn, Elizabeth Alexander, Jennifer Coyne-Qudeen, Mari Omori, a LSC-Kingwood art professor; and Rodney Thompson.
From tea-stained installation works to photography and porcelain -this exhibition has something that will inspire everyone, Larson said.
An open house with refreshments will be held on Thursday, June 4 at 12 p.m. in the Fine Arts Gallery, followed by a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. Reservations are recommended for the tea ceremony and can be emailed to kc.artgallery@LoneStar.edu.
The LSC-Kingwoods Fine Arts Gallery is located in the Performing Arts Center (PAC), room 114. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and closed on weekends. All gallery events are free and open to the public. For more information call 281-312-1534 or visit the gallery website at www.LoneStar.edu/arts-kingwood.
Register now for credit classes online ...
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Happy Birthday Walt! Writers in Performance Series Celebrates with Annual Gathering
Lone Star College Montgomery News
Published on: April 06, 2015
Join the Writers In Performance series for a two-part birthday celebration for acclaimed poet Walt Whitman, on Thursday, May 7 at Lone Star College-Montgomery and Dosey Doe Music Café in Conroe. Enjoy Walt Whitman discussions by author Ed Folsom, open-mic poetry readings, live music and more.
Continuing the long-running annual tradition of sonnet andverse, the Writers In Performance series hosts a two-part birthday celebration for acclaimed poet Walt Whitman, on Thursday, May 7. The celebration will bring together more than 20 of the regions best-known poets for what, according to Dianne Logan of the Montgomery County Literary Arts Council, is known as one of the longest-running Whitman birthday celebrations in the world. The first event, which takes place at Lone Star College-Montgomery at 3 p.m. in the General Academic Center (Bldg. G), Ed Folsom, Ph.D., author of Walt Whitman: The Measure of His Song and other works on Whitman, will discuss nineteenth-and twentieth-century American poetry and ways poets have talked back to Walt Whitman over the years, and how Whitman tapped into the American culture. As a professor of English at the University of Iowa, Folsom has written, edited, and co-edited a number of books on Whitman, including Walt Whitmans Native Representations and Walt Whitman and the World, as well as directed and co-directed a number of Whitman conferences around the world. Other poets and authors Folsom has penned about include William Carlos Williams, Frederick Douglass, and Emily Dickenson. Then, at 7 p.m. at Dosey Doe Music Café in Conroe, the celebration will continue with the traditional gathering of poets in an open-mic reading and birthday bash. All Whitman enthusiasts are invited to read a favorite work of Whitmans during the open mic segment of the celebration. Additionally, soprano Dr. Marion Russell Dickson, pianist Shannon Hesse, and clarinetist Richard Nunemaker will perform several selections from twentieth and twenty-first century ...
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LSC-Tomball 2017 Commencement Ceremony Sets Viewership Record
Lone Star College Tomball News
Published on: May 18, 2017 TOMBALL, Texas Lone Star College-Tomballs 2017 Commencement Ceremony was one for the record books, with more than 1,200 friends and family members in attendance and an unexpectedly high number of viewers via live stream.
Weve had over 800 hits, but the remarkable data is the locations of viewership, said LSC-Tomball Client Technologies Tech Jay Hargett. The only continents we did not have viewers on was Australia and Antarctica continent. From Jordan to India, Pakistan, Morocco, Ukraine, to other Central and South American countries, this service was well received locally and internationally. It says that our student base is as diverse as the world is, and I think thats impressive.
During the ceremony, 192 LSC-Tomball students walked the stage on May 13 at Faithbridge Church-Klein Campus. Everyone has a story," LSC-Tomball President Dr. Lee Ann Nutt, who presided over the ceremony, told graduates. Each of us have overcome adversity or challenges along our journey. The perseverance required to make it to this day is a testament to the nature of the commitment each of you has to your future.
The commencement exercise is the pinnacle of the academic year. Representatives from the Lone Star College Board of Trustees and members of the Chancellors Cabinet were in attendance at this years ceremony. Though not all participated in the 2017 Commencement Ceremony, more than 650 students graduated from LSC-Tomball this year. LSC Executive Vice Chancellor Dr. Alicia Harvey-Smith, delivered the keynote address. The graduates also heard from student speaker and fellow graduate Carmen Castellanos.
"As excited as I am for the future, looking back at my LSC-Tomball experience, I could almost cry just realizing that I'll never again sit in a history class with Babu to learn about the Civil War and see no less than a dozen professional grade cat pictures," Castellanos said during her speech, referring to a beloved History professor and his famous pets. " ...
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Local Rising High School Seniors Get Hands-on Approach to Medicine
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In the Clinical Learning and Simulation Skills (CLASS) Center at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), rising high school senior Elizabeth Lozano bent over her manikin, carefully performing her first intubation. When she straightened, second-year MD student and mentor Damani Mcintosh-Clarke complimented her technique with a “good job!”“I was the first to do it,” Lozano said proudly. “I did some research at home, [but] they showed us [here] first. It’s pretty cool.”
Lozano was one of more than a dozen seniors from Washington, D.C.-area public and charter high schools participating in the SMHS Office of Diversity and Inclusion DC Health and Academic Preparation Program (DC HAPP), which gives qualifying students the opportunity to explore a career path in medicine. Students must receive two recommendations from teachers or guidance counselors and demonstrate an interest in pursuing health care to be accepted into the program.
“I’ve always been interested in science and medicine. Since the start of third grade, I’ve wanted to be more than just a doctor; I want to be a surgeon,” said to Ezechinyere Njoku, a senior at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School. “I want to learn as much as much as possible about the medical field and the medical world because there are so many things you can do that I still don’t know myself. Everything in this program is learning.”
Njoku, like Lozano and fellow cohort member Djibril Fall, a senior at Woodrow Wilson High School, embraced the array of learning experiences DC HAPP offers: guest speakers, a community health project, college preparation seminars, lectures on career paths and health conditions, and hands-on training.
“I’m open to everything and trying to take as much as I can in of all the things we do,” Fall said, later adding that the hands-on approach “is the ...
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Curtis named WVU Extension Service director of communications and marketing
Stories | WVU Today | West Virginia University
At
the heart of the West Virginia University Extension Service is a passion for the state and its
people. That statement also holds true for Tara Curtis, the new director
of communications and marketing for the University’s main outreach arm,
bringing more than 20 years of public relations, communications and marketing
experience to the unit.
Not
only is she a Mountaineer through and through in regards to her work experience
and academic career, but she’s also acutely aware of Extension’s mission as she
spent part of her youth growing up in West Virginia 4-H programs.
According
to Curtis, it’s a foundation that will serve her well as the University and
Extension Service work tirelessly to improve the lives of all West Virginians.
“The
work done through WVU Extension is vital to our state. Our educational
programs, resources, outreach initiatives and research open doors to
opportunity for our fellow West Virginians,” said Curtis. “I’m looking forward
to working with the Extension team to showcase these amazing stories while connecting
people to the wonderful things we offer.”
WVU
Extension Service Dean and Director Steve Bonanno expressed that he
was delighted with the hire, and knows full well the capabilities that Curtis
brings to the WVU Extension Service.
“Tara
is well respected in the WVU community for her professionalism and passion for
the University’s mission,” said Bonanno. “But, what gives me the most
confidence in her is the fact that she’s so active in numerous community and charitable
organizations around town — that demonstrates a character that aligns with the
core of what we’re all about.”
Curtis
comes to the WVU Extension Service after serving as the director of
communications and marketing for the WVU School
of Nursing. Before that, she led communications for the WVU Alumni Association for more than 11 years.
She
holds a bachelor’s ...
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OSU Brings Piano Class to Stillwater Community
Oklahoma State University - News and Communications
An Oklahoma State University music professor is offering a new, non-credit piano class for Stillwater-area adults. Aimed at beginners and those who wish to brush up on their skills, Introduction to Piano will take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings between 5:30 and 6:20 p.m. from Aug. 22 – Dec. 8 inside the Seretean Center for the Performing Arts at OSU.
Instructor Nataša Kaurin-Karača has taught Class Piano at OSU since 2006 and has 15 years overall of delivering piano instruction. She plans to take the fundamentals of that class and adapt them for beginning students in the community.
“Perhaps they always wanted to learn to play, but were reluctant to start with individual lessons or they thought it would take years of lessons to be able to play confidently,” Kaurin-Karača said. “Taking Class Piano is a wonderful way to make that first step and may start a new, highly-rewarding hobby.”
Over the course of 16 weeks, students will learn the basics of piano, but will soon move to both classical and popular music repertoire. Assignments may also be tailored to the interest of individual students. No experience is necessary to enroll in the class.
“If a student played a different instrument and already knows some basics of notation, that will only speed up the process for them but even students with no experience are welcome,” Kaurin-Karača said.
A typical lesson includes several activities introducing new repertoire, harmonization of folk and popular tunes, ensemble playing, sight-reading, and technical exercises. It is a non-credit course, so no quizzes or tests will be administered and grades will not be assigned. There will be a final performance, which is open to the public.
Registration is $350 for the 16-week class and is due by Aug. 8.
To register online or for more information, visit http://asoutreach.okstate.edu/community/piano or contact Program Coordinator Christine Nichols at Christine. ...
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Tree thinning project gives NAU forestry students real-world experience
NAU NewsNAU News
Forestry students walked away with real-world experience after being tapped to research and create a prescription to help Northern Arizona University maintain and protect its on-campus ponderosa pine forest while reducing the fire hazard. Next week, the university will put those plans into action.The 17 students, led by professor Kristen Waring, a silviculturist, worked with grounds crews at NAU to determine what they wanted to accomplish with the trees east of the Babbitt Administrative Center and along the Sinclair Wash, where the Flagstaff Urban Trail System runs through campus. They collected data on the understory of the forest, measured the slope and examined the trees before determining which needed to be cut down to improve the long-term health of the forest, reduce fire safety and get rid of any unhealthy trees.
“We want to make our campus forests safer by managing them like any other forest would be managed, such as tree thinning and removing some pine needles to let the forest understory plants grow more naturally,” said Susan Dietrich, a grounds supervisor at NAU.
The project’s goals are:
Promoting healthy forest conditions by reducing competition-related mortality, increasing native understory production and maintaining tree species diversity
Promoting conditions not conducive to high severity fire by reducing the amount of forest “litter” and reducing the hazard for crown fire through monitoring tree height
Providing a safe space for human activities by maintaining appropriate sight lines, cutting down dead branches that stretch into the urban trail and removing trees that are potentially hazardous to humans
In their research, the students determined that if the trees are left to grow with no thinning, competition for scarce resources would cause a decrease in the number and health of the trees in the next several decades. The fire danger for a crown fire, which would move along the tops of the trees and wipe ...
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DePaul makes list of best online liberal arts colleges
DePaul Newsline
(Image courtesy of College Choice)
Last month, College Choice named DePaul to its list of the 25 best online liberal arts colleges for 2017. The website recognized DePaul for providing adult students the opportunity to customize their education explicitly to their career goals through the School for New Learning's Individualized Focus Area program. The site also recognized the program's wide range of tracks and concentrations.
The website pulled statistics for the list from DePaul's websites, as well as nationally recognized U.S. News & World Report and The National Center for Education Statistics. College Choice is an independent online publication dedicated to helping students and their families find information about colleges and universities. By publishing rankings and reviews, the site aims to make choosing the right college easier.
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