Featured Stories
University of Nebraska: McGee Finds Calling Through Personal Experience, Hands-on Research
LINCOLN, Nebraska, Aug. 1 -- The University of Nebraska posted the following news:
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McGee finds calling through personal experience, hands-on research
By MJ Strasburger, University Communication and Marketing
When Avery McGee arrived on campus, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare and make a difference in people's lives. After reflecting on her own experiences being born with cleft lip and palate, she realized exactly who she wanted to serve: people with similar experiences.
"Growing up with facial differences comes with a lot of different challenges," she said. "Coming
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LINCOLN, Nebraska, Aug. 1 -- The University of Nebraska posted the following news:
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McGee finds calling through personal experience, hands-on research
By MJ Strasburger, University Communication and Marketing
When Avery McGee arrived on campus, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare and make a difference in people's lives. After reflecting on her own experiences being born with cleft lip and palate, she realized exactly who she wanted to serve: people with similar experiences.
"Growing up with facial differences comes with a lot of different challenges," she said. "Cominginto college and wondering what I wanted to study, I kept remembering my speech therapy years and how cool it would be to help kids like me who grew up differently."
Throughout her childhood, McGee required several reconstructive surgeries and speech therapy to help with feeding and motor speech issues common among people born with cleft lip and palate. Studying communication sciences and disorders in the College of Education and Human Sciences, she saw a way to make an impact on children going through similar challenges.
"Therapy gave me so much confidence, and I just want to share that with kids with facial differences to help them be confident, too."
This year, McGee has been working in the Learning Lab for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, doing research that's helping her gain experience in the field of care that was so meaningful to her.
"It's so interesting to have a window into how people might've worked with me as a kid and seeing what they were trying to get me to understand. Now, as an adult learning how to work with participants, I see how you need to build rapport with people, keep them comfortable and ultimately work toward goals together."
In addition to working in the research lab, McGee will be starting similar research work with Boys Town in Omaha, where she'll be helping study how environmental factors can affect language development.
"I think a lot of the reason that I was able to get this job is because I've already been working in a research lab," she said. "It's going to be a lot of work to do both, but I'm really excited to jump into it."
Looking beyond her undergraduate studies, McGee hopes to stay on campus for graduate school.
"There are a lot of really great opportunities for me to do what I want to do here. I really love Nebraska, so I'm hoping I'll get to stay here for a while."
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Original text here: https://news.unl.edu/article/mcgee-finds-calling-through-personal-experience-hands-on-research
University of Cincinnati Launches Trial to Reduce Radiation for HPV-positive Throat Cancer
CINCINNATI, Ohio, Aug. 1 -- The University of Cincinnati posted the following news:
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UC launches trial to reduce radiation for HPV-positive throat cancer
Researchers hope to reduce side effects for cancer patients
By Cedric Ricks, 260-415-8554, cedric.ricks@uc.edu
A University of Cincinnati physician researcher has opened a new phase II clinical trial to test whether patients with HPV positive throat cancer can safely receive lower doses of radiation.
Sara Medek, MD, assistant professor of radiation oncology in the UC College of Medicine, UC Cancer Center member and UC Health physician,
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CINCINNATI, Ohio, Aug. 1 -- The University of Cincinnati posted the following news:
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UC launches trial to reduce radiation for HPV-positive throat cancer
Researchers hope to reduce side effects for cancer patients
By Cedric Ricks, 260-415-8554, cedric.ricks@uc.edu
A University of Cincinnati physician researcher has opened a new phase II clinical trial to test whether patients with HPV positive throat cancer can safely receive lower doses of radiation.
Sara Medek, MD, assistant professor of radiation oncology in the UC College of Medicine, UC Cancer Center member and UC Health physician,is leading a study that delivers 30 Gy of radiation to certain lymph nodes and tumor areas in HPV positive head and neck tumors to see if treatment side effects can be reduced without sacrificing cancer control.
"Head and neck cancers aren't easily treated," explains Medek. "They require a lot of different types of treatment, including surgery, sometimes chemotherapy and sometimes radiation. And so what we're trying to do in this patient population is that we know that these patients with these tumors tend to do better, and we want to try to minimize treatment side effects."
Each year, about 58,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer, resulting in around 12,000 deaths, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
A subset of head and neck cancers, called oropharyngeal cancers, affects the back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and the tonsils. Oropharyngeal cancer can be caused by certain subtypes of HPV, the same virus that causes cervical cancer.
"Patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer are living longer," Medek adds.
How lower-dose radiation could reduce treatment side effects
"There was some preclinical data and some early clinical data at other sites that looked at reducing the dose of radiation to these patients in order to prevent some of the side effects that are associated with radiation, both short-term and long-term," says Medek.
The UC study is building upon that data, which included physicians using specialized scans to identify patients who could safely get less radiation. It will keep full-dose radiation on visible cancer, but lower the dose to nearby lymph nodes that don't show an obvious tumor but could have microscopic cancer cells present. Researchers hope to enroll about 30 patients.
"Because microscopic disease often responds well to lower doses, they can safely drop radiation to those areas -- almost cutting it in half -- while still giving the standard, higher dose to the main tumor. So the thought is that by doing that, we'll still be just as effective at getting rid of the tumor, but hopefully we can reduce some of the side effects from radiation," explains Medek.
Side effects from head and neck radiation can be debilitating, causing sores in the mouth and changes in a patient's sense of taste, along with pain or difficulty swallowing, explains Medek.
"Going through a course of radiation is extremely difficult for this patient population, and so the ability to be able to kind of dial back on some of those is really important to us," adds Medek. "This is a very tough regimen of treatment, unfortunately."
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Frequently asked questions about UC's HPV-positive throat cancer trial
What is this UC clinical trial studying?
The phase II trial, led by UC radiation oncologist Sara Medek, MD, is testing whether patients with HPV-positive throat cancer can safely receive lower doses of radiation (30 Gy) to certain lymph nodes and tumor areas while still effectively treating the cancer.
Why lower the radiation dose for HPV-positive head and neck cancers?
Patients with HPV-positive head and neck tumors often have better outcomes. The trial aims to see if radiation doses can be reduced to help minimize treatment side effects while maintaining good cancer control.
Who is leading the study and where is it taking place?
The study is led by Dr. Medek, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the UC College of Medicine, a member of the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center and a UC Health physician, with patients treated in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Original text here: https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2026/07/uc-trial-lower-radiation-hpv-positive-throat-cancer.html
Syracuse University: A&S Researchers Link Metal Deposits to Oceanic Oxygen Loss During Ancient Ice Ages
SYRACUSE, New York, Aug. 1 -- Syracuse University issued the following news:
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A&S Researchers Link Metal Deposits to Oceanic Oxygen Loss During Ancient Ice Ages
A sweeping analysis by Syracuse researchers of metal contents in ancient marine sedimentary rocks suggests oxygen-poor oceans were common during Earth's six greatest ice ages.
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Earth's oceans went through oxygen loss to produce metal deposits repeatedly during the planet's deepest ice ages. The findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest that ocean deoxygenation is not exclusively a consequence of warmer climate periods
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SYRACUSE, New York, Aug. 1 -- Syracuse University issued the following news:
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A&S Researchers Link Metal Deposits to Oceanic Oxygen Loss During Ancient Ice Ages
A sweeping analysis by Syracuse researchers of metal contents in ancient marine sedimentary rocks suggests oxygen-poor oceans were common during Earth's six greatest ice ages.
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Earth's oceans went through oxygen loss to produce metal deposits repeatedly during the planet's deepest ice ages. The findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest that ocean deoxygenation is not exclusively a consequence of warmer climate periodsbut has occurred under dramatically different climate conditions.
An international team of researchers analyzed manganese and other chemical signatures preserved in more than 27,000 ancient seafloor samples collected from six continents. Across six major glaciations spanning more than 2 billion years, they found the same pattern: sediments from high latitudes consistently contained more manganese than those from tropical regions. The researchers interpret this contrast as evidence that polar oceans remained comparatively rich in oxygen, a condition required for manganese enrichment.
"When we look at the geological history of metals, we can learn about the evolution of atmosphere, ocean and life," says Zunli Lu, professor of Earth and environmental sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Unearthing Secrets of Ancient Oceans
First author Xubin Wang, a postdoctoral researcher at Syracuse University, focused on manganese-rich marine sediments deposited during glaciations ranging from the Huronian Ice Age, roughly 2.4 billion years ago, to the Late Paleozoic Ice Age, which ended about 260 million years ago.
Manganese serves as a chemical archive of ancient ocean conditions. In oxygen-poor waters, the metal dissolves into seawater. When oxygen returns, it precipitates and accumulates in seafloor sediments.
The study's key advance was examining how manganese concentrations varied from the poles to the equator, a geographic perspective that has received little attention.
"We found a clear latitudinal manganese gradient during glaciation events--a significant difference between high and low latitudes," says Wang. "When we analyzed the background, non-glacial periods, the gradient was almost flat. But during ice ages, it becomes very steep."
Big Data
The scale of the analysis is also unusual.
"500 data points would already be considered extremely good for typical geochemical investigations. In this case, we had the chance to work on 20,000 to 30,000 geological samples to dissect ocean environment in 4 dimensions. Latitudinal patterns of rock geochemistry may tell many new stories but have not been fully explored in these large datasets" Lu says.
Those samples came from the Deep-Time Marine Sedimentary Element Database, which compiles data from North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania.
To strengthen their conclusions, the researchers compared manganese with other chemical tracers. Trace metals such as molybdenum and uranium, which respond in the opposite way to changing oxygen levels, displayed inverse latitudinal patterns, independently supporting the interpretation that oxygen availability drove the observed differences.
Alexandre Pohl of Universite de Bourgogne in France conducted ocean simulations using the cGENIE Earth system model. The simulations matched the sediment record, indicating oxygen-poor upper oceans in the tropics.
The strongest manganese gradients appeared during the Proterozoic Snowball Earth episodes, when ice may have enveloped nearly the entire planet and atmospheric oxygen concentrations were far below modern levels. During the Paleozoic, as atmospheric oxygen gradually approached today's values, the manganese gradients weakened but remained detectable during major ice ages. That long-term flattening mirrors the gradual rise of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere.
Climate, Oxygen and Habitability
The findings suggest that there are still many unknowns in how global wind and ocean circulations changed in different climate states to impact ocean oxygen and habitability.
"For decades, scientists have argued that warming would lead to the expansion of marine dead zones. Mounting evidence points to multiple cases of ocean deoxygenation during cooling related to mass extinctions. I think a more nuanced view on the connections among climate, oxygen and habitability will help our society adapt to future environmental changes" Lu says.
The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the Thonis Family Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. Climate modeling relied on high-performance computing facilities in France, and the project also contributes to UNESCO's IGCP 735 initiative, which investigates the geological record of Earth's early environments and the rise of ancient life.
The Thonis fellowship funded the postdoctoral position that made this project possible, giving Wang the time and support to work with tens of thousands of global rock samples. It also reveals a scientific continuity. Founder Mike Thonis published a Nature paper on manganese and tectonics as a Harvard master's student 20 years ago, and now the first Thonis postdoc has produced another major manganese study revealing fundamental patterns in Earth's ancient oceans.
-- Story by John H. Tibbetts
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Original text here: https://news.syr.edu/2026/07/31/as-researchers-link-metal-deposits-to-oceanic-oxygen-loss-during-ancient-ice-ages/
N.C. State: Study - Rural Communities Face Serious Obstacles in Promoting Physical Activity
RALEIGH, North Carolina, Aug. 1 (TNSjou) -- North Carolina State University issued the following news release:
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Study: Rural Communities Face Serious Obstacles in Promoting Physical Activity
People in rural communities have long experienced disproportionate levels of chronic disease, driven in part by systemic barriers to physical activity. A new study from North Carolina State University highlights ways some rural communities use strategic investment and community collaboration to address some of these challenges.
Researchers interviewed 25 health promotion, parks and recreation and community
... Show Full Article
RALEIGH, North Carolina, Aug. 1 (TNSjou) -- North Carolina State University issued the following news release:
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Study: Rural Communities Face Serious Obstacles in Promoting Physical Activity
People in rural communities have long experienced disproportionate levels of chronic disease, driven in part by systemic barriers to physical activity. A new study from North Carolina State University highlights ways some rural communities use strategic investment and community collaboration to address some of these challenges.
Researchers interviewed 25 health promotion, parks and recreation and communityplanning professionals, referred to as Key Informants , (KIs) from 10 rural counties in North Carolina to better understand how they make decisions around promoting physical activity.
"What we found is that many rural communities must account for long-standing obstacles when trying to build physical activity access," said Annie Hardison-Moody, a professor in NC State's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and an associate director and family and consumer sciences program leader in NC State Extension.
"These practitioners are embedded in structural realities that shape their everyday decisions, and some of those are difficult historical and systematic issues that they're facing," she said. "Whether it's continued impacts from flooding and hurricanes that have kept their communities struggling to get by, or economic disinvestment in communities, there are significant obstacles that rural communities face."
These obstacles make it difficult to maintain and promote spaces for physical activity. Even in places where facilities like parks or playgrounds already exist, a degrading tax base makes paying staff for those facilities difficult. Higher levels of poverty and chronic illness may also make transportation to these facilities difficult even if the facilities are functioning properly.
The researchers found that these obstacles shaped how KIs working to promote physical activity in their communities must allocate resources, which are in short supply to begin with. Informal partnerships and relationships with the members of their communities were vital for sustaining physical activity promotion.
"Because there is so little funding in these communities, you have people doing multiple jobs who realize they cannot do it all on their own," Hardison-Moody said. "What we see is KIs looking to build out those networks in their communities. People in these counties possess incredible partnership skills, and the networks they build are extremely important for health practitioners to tap into if they want to do work in these communities."
In trying to address these issues, KIs reported that many traditional grants or funding sources simply do not work for their specific contexts. For example, grants may assume a community has access to matching funds, pre-existing partnerships or full-time administrative staff which rural counties do not have. This puts local leaders at a disadvantage from the start, as they do not have access to the financial building blocks which could be used to address their needs.
Despite these challenges, KIs pointed out several bright spots, such as forming multi-agency partnerships and using collaborative funding models that help address their most challenging issues. The KIs identified resources and assets that existed in their communities, including recreation resources and natural environments that could be harnessed to promote health.
This research is part of a collaborative project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which selected the ten counties researchers visited.
"This study exemplifies the best of the work we can do at a land grant university, because we are working so closely with so many partners on the ground in these communities," said Hardison-Moody. "From park and recreation directors, our partners in NC State's Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM), and then on the Extension side, working with our family and consumer science and 4H agents," she said. "This information isn't just going to sit in a journal somewhere, we're actively building on what we've learned, and working with PRTM, working with Extension to try to implement projects in the communities."
This publication was supported by the CDC of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of the journal article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
The paper, "Context Matters: How History, Relationships, And Resourcefulness Shape Rural Physical Activity Systems" is published in the Journal of Rural and Community Development. Co-authors include Pauline Grist, Michael Edwards, Brenna Kirk, Jason Bocarro, Nicole Odell, Maeghan Luttrell, Lauren Morris, Virginia C. Stage, Basheerah Enahora, and J. Aaron Hipp, of NC State University.
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Note to Editors: The study abstract follows.
"Context Matters: How History, Relationships, and Resourcefulness Shape Rural Physical Activity Systems"
Authors: Pauline Grist, Annie Hardison-Moody, Jason Bocarro, Michael Edwards, Brenna Kirk, Nicole Odell, Maeghan Luttrell, Lauren Morris, Virginia Stage, Basheerah Enahora, Aaron Hipp, NC Sate University.
Published: May 25, 2026, Journal of Rural and Community Development
DOI: 10.63315/jrcd.v21i2.3035
Abstract: Rural communities experience disproportionately high rates of chronic disease, a disparity influenced by lower levels of physical activity (PA) and persistent systemic and structural barriers. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, we conducted 25 semi-structured key informant (KI) interviews to explore how county-municipal planners and parks and recreation professionals in 10 rural North Carolina counties navigate barriers (e.g., disinvestment, vulnerability to natural disasters, limited administrative capacity) and leverage facilitators (e.g., partnerships, shared infrastructure) to promote PA in their county. Findings revealed two structuring realities: Acknowledging Historical Challenges and Seeking Community Engagement, which consistently shaped stakeholders' approaches. KIs described the long-term impacts of industry loss, disinvestment, and natural disasters as defining features of their community landscape, highlighting how local trust, informal networks, and community voice are essential to every stage of their work. These orientations informed three interrelated processes: Managing Financial and Organizational Resources, Maintaining Community Infrastructure, and Exploring Opportunities for Community Development and Collaboration. KIs emphasized the importance of relying on partnerships, relational networks, and adaptive strategies to sustain PA opportunities despite resource constraints. Our findings underscore the need for long-term and context-specific investment in relational and organizational capacity that aligns with communities' historical and structuring realities to improve rural PA opportunities.
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Original text here: https://news.ncsu.edu/2026/07/study-rural-communities-face-serious-obstacles-in-promoting-physical-activity/
Clarkson University Partners With Industry Executives to Launch Introduction to Manufacturing Seminar Course
POTSDAM, New York, Aug. 1 -- Clarkson University issued the following news:
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Clarkson University Partners with Industry Executives to Launch Introduction to Manufacturing Seminar Course
As manufacturers race to adopt artificial intelligence, strengthen supply chains and expand production, Clarkson University is giving students a front-row seat to the industry's transformation through a new seminar course led by executives from some of the world's leading manufacturing companies.
The new one-credit seminar, Introduction to Manufacturing, will launch during the fall 2026 semester through
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POTSDAM, New York, Aug. 1 -- Clarkson University issued the following news:
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Clarkson University Partners with Industry Executives to Launch Introduction to Manufacturing Seminar Course
As manufacturers race to adopt artificial intelligence, strengthen supply chains and expand production, Clarkson University is giving students a front-row seat to the industry's transformation through a new seminar course led by executives from some of the world's leading manufacturing companies.
The new one-credit seminar, Introduction to Manufacturing, will launch during the fall 2026 semester throughClarkson University's Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP). The course will introduce students to the technical, business and strategic dimensions of modern manufacturing.
The weekly seminar is open to graduate students and upper-class undergraduates from all majors, including non-engineering disciplines. Members of the public are also invited to attend the lectures free of charge. Registration information is available on Clarkson's Introduction to Manufacturing webpage.
The seminar will feature senior executives, CEOs, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and technology leaders who have helped shape industries ranging from semiconductors and aerospace to medical devices, consumer products, robotics, advanced sensors, and modular construction. Speakers will share insights into how products move from concept to commercialization, the challenges of leading complex manufacturing organizations, and the technologies transforming factories around the world.
"Manufacturing is evolving rapidly, and students entering the workforce and professionals need an understanding of both the technology and the business decisions that drive our industry," said John Whitman, corporate vice president at Micron Technology Inc. "Clarkson's Introduction to Manufacturing course creates an opportunity for students and professionals to hear directly from industry leaders about the challenges, opportunities and innovations shaping manufacturing today."
Students and professionals will also explore manufacturing strategy, product development, operations, automation, artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing, supply chain resilience, digital transformation, quality systems, sustainability, workforce development, and the growing role of manufacturing in economic competitiveness and national security.
"Advanced manufacturing continues to be a major driver of New York's economy, making workforce development more important than ever," said Hope Knight, president, CEO and commissioner of Empire State Development. "Clarkson's Introduction to Manufacturing course gives students and professionals valuable exposure to industry perspectives while helping prepare the next generation of talent that will support continued growth across the state's manufacturing sector."
The course will be taught and moderated by Fram Akiki '86, president of Joun Technologies and a member of Clarkson University's Board of Trustees. Akiki has more than 40 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, including executive leadership positions with IBM, Qualcomm and Siemens.
Featured speakers for the Fall 2026 seminar include:
* Priya Abani '97, CEO and president, AliveCor Inc.
* Greg Akiki '82, senior director, GlobalFoundries
* Tom Capek P'15, senior vice president and chief engineer, Corning Inc.
* Hannah Henley '10, president, INFICON Intelligent Sensor Solutions
* Bill Kleftis, CEO, Spartan Consulting Services
* Steve Landry, retired executive, TreeHouse Foods, The J.M. Smucker Co. and Procter & Gamble
* Hope Knight, president, CEO and commissioner, Empire State Development
* Ken McAvey '97, senior vice president and general manager, GlobalFoundries
* Roland Menassa '85, vice president of Manufacturing Technology, Skyline Champion Corp.
* Chris Monoski, executive vice president of Manufacturing, CACI International Inc.
* Elisabeth Reynolds, professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and former White House National Economic Council official
* Amy Villeneuve '86, board director, advisor and former COO and president, Amazon Robotics
* John Whitman, corporate vice president, Micron Technology Inc.
Introduction to Manufacturing is the third executive seminar series launched at Clarkson, following the success of Introduction to Semiconductors and Introduction to Energy and Utilities. Together, the courses connect students and professionals with industry experts while providing insight into emerging technologies, workforce trends and the challenges shaping critical sectors of the global economy.
For more information about Introduction to Manufacturing, visit the Clarkson Introduction to Manufacturing webpage or contact Fram Akiki '86 at makiki@clarkson.edu.
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Clarkson University is a proven leader in technological education, research, innovation and sustainable economic development. With its main campus in Potsdam, N.Y., and additional graduate program and research facilities in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley, Clarkson faculty have a direct impact on more than 7,800 students annually through nationally recognized undergraduate and graduate STEM designated degrees in engineering, business, science and health professions; executive education, industry-relevant credentials and K-12 STEM programs. Alumni earn salaries among the top 2% in the nation: one in five already leads in the c-suite. To learn more go to www.clarkson.edu.
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Original text here: https://www.clarkson.edu/news-events/clarkson-university-partners-industry-executives-launch-introduction-manufacturing-seminar-course
Bowdoin College: Tracking Marine Life - Students Showcase Summer Research at Schiller
BRUNSWICK, Maine, Aug. 1 -- Bowdoin College issued the following news:
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Tracking Marine Life: Students Showcase Summer Research at Schiller
By Tom Porter
Bowdoin students have been based at Schiller Coastal Studies Center over the summer break pursuing a variety of research projects.
From sea snails to lobsters to sea stars (a.k.a. "starfish"), a number of undergraduates (plus one recent graduate) have been making full use of the center's facilities, including dry labs and the seawater-filled web laboratories.
Three projects were featured at a recent presentation held at the 118-acre
... Show Full Article
BRUNSWICK, Maine, Aug. 1 -- Bowdoin College issued the following news:
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Tracking Marine Life: Students Showcase Summer Research at Schiller
By Tom Porter
Bowdoin students have been based at Schiller Coastal Studies Center over the summer break pursuing a variety of research projects.
From sea snails to lobsters to sea stars (a.k.a. "starfish"), a number of undergraduates (plus one recent graduate) have been making full use of the center's facilities, including dry labs and the seawater-filled web laboratories.
Three projects were featured at a recent presentation held at the 118-acreresearch center, which is located about twelve miles from the main Brunswick campus and includes two-and-a-half miles of coastline.
A common theme of the research was how marine life reacts to various stressors, caused either by changing environmental conditions or by predatory threats.
Meet the students
* James Ingraham '28 spent his time pursuing a solo project examining a type of sea snail known as the periwinkle (Littorina littorea), comparing samples from along the New England coast and looking at the effects of urbanization.
The study, supervised by Doherty Marine Biology Postdoctoral Scholar Christopher Wells, is titled "Small Snail in a Big City: Effects of Urbanization on Growth of Littorina littorea in New England Intertidal Zones."
* Court Callis '27 is part of a team studying how lobsters in the Gulf of Maine adapt to the stress of changing temperatures. The project title is "Does Fluctuating Temperature Influence Thermal Tolerance in H. americanus Motor Networks?"
The faculty advisor on the project is Assistant Professor of Biology and Neuroscience Daniel Powell, and the other student researchers are Henry Burke '28 and Anna Feng '28.
* As a recent graduate, Graham Lucas '26 has been working as a postbaccalaureate researcher on a project called "No Arm, No Problem? Locomotion and Growth in 4- vs 5- Armed Sea Stars."
Under the guidance of James R. and Helen Lee Billingsley Professor of Marine Biology Amy Johnson and Research Affiliate Olaf Ellers, Lucas and his team are studying how sea stars (commonly known as starfish) can adapt to the loss of an arm.
Also involved in the project are Ellie Carter '28, Tipton Heminway '28, Avery Kyle '28, Zachery Ozols '28, Sara Schubert '28, and Cherish Zhao '28.
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Original text here: https://www.bowdoin.edu/news/2026/07/tracking-marine-life-students-showcase-summer-research-at-schiller.html
Bates College: Alumni Association Presents Alumni Awards Recognizing Service, Career Achievements
LEWISTON, Maine, Aug. 1 -- Bates College issued the following news:
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Alumni Association presents alumni awards recognizing service, career achievements
By Alexandra DeMarco
At Bates Reunion in June, the Alumni Association gathered to present the annual Alumni Council Awards, recognizing the exceptional career and service achievements of five alumni.
"It is truly inspiring to witness the transformative power of our alumni as they engage in informed civic action and lead in diverse fields," said Leah Elsmore '12, president of the Alumni Association for the 2025-26 academic year. "This year's
... Show Full Article
LEWISTON, Maine, Aug. 1 -- Bates College issued the following news:
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Alumni Association presents alumni awards recognizing service, career achievements
By Alexandra DeMarco
At Bates Reunion in June, the Alumni Association gathered to present the annual Alumni Council Awards, recognizing the exceptional career and service achievements of five alumni.
"It is truly inspiring to witness the transformative power of our alumni as they engage in informed civic action and lead in diverse fields," said Leah Elsmore '12, president of the Alumni Association for the 2025-26 academic year. "This year'srecipients reflect the ardor and devotion -- Amore ac Studio -- that define the Bates experience, serving as a powerful reminder of the potential within our entire alumni network."
Peter R. Basiliere '76 received the Alumni Community Service Award in recognition of his leadership and civic service in Milford, N.H., where he was elected town moderator and school district moderator. After retiring from a career as a leader in additive manufacturing, Basiliere, an active Rotarian, began serving as a volunteer with the American Red Cross. Since then he has joined disaster relief teams in California, Vermont, the Carolinas, and, most recently, Guam, where he oversaw the Red Cross' food operations after a super typhoon hit the island. Basiliere's commitment to service and strengthening communities around the country reflects Bates' ideals of purposeful work and responsible stewardship of the wider world.
Scientist Noah E. Petro '01 earned the Alumni Professional Recognition Award in recognition of his career and leadership at NASA, where he has worked since 2007. Since 2017, he has been the lab chief of NASA's Planetary Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry lab, which conducts research on Mercury, Venus, Earth, and their satellites. He is the project scientist for Artemis III, the 2027 mission that will bring astronauts to the moon's surface for the first time since 1972. Petro's work at NASA, both highly scientific and serving the general public, exemplifies Bates' mission of combining intellectual rigor with public good.
Physician Christopher B. Lanoue '99, P'26 earned the Bruce Stangle '70, P'96, GP'26 Award for Distinguished Service to the Bates Community in recognition of his commitment to supporting Bates students and alumni through their medical school journeys. An emergency medicine specialist with MaineHealth, Lanoue has worked closely with the Center for Purposeful Work, mentoring Batesies pursuing medical careers, and done so with "generosity, warmth, and openness." His leadership and service, emblematic of Bates' values, has touched countless people as they themselves prepare for a career of serving others through medicine.
Rachel Ebersole '17 was presented with the Distinguished Young Alumni Award in recognition of her career as a museum educator and her leadership within the alumni community. Ebersole is the manager of teen programs at The New York Historical museum and library, where she also oversees a digital learning lab and makerspace. Ebersole is a dedicated leader within the New York Bates Network, fostering alumni community and hosting events. Her volunteer service to the college is an inspiring example of the transformative power of the young alumni network.
Erica Seifert Plunkett '86 earned the Helen A. Papaioanou '49 Distinguished Alumni Service Award, which recognizes alumni who have given exceptional service to the college. Plunkett served as class co-president while at Bates and, since graduating, as an Alumni Council member, a dedicated class agent, and a committee leader. Plunkett has also led an accomplished career in research; she spent more than 25 years at the Wellesley Centers for Women supporting research projects studying mental health literacy and mental health in adolescents. She is now a project manager at Brown University's Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute, working on projects related to adolescent depression prevention.
The Office of College Advancement also presented Kathryn (Kali) M. Brown '21, Craig E. Comins '81, and Meg W. Curran '11 with Bates' Best Awards, which recognize dedicated volunteers who have expressed a passion and commitment for advancing the mission of the college.
"Our alumni continue to do incredible work in their communities and professions, and honoring this year's award recipients is a privilege," said Assistant Vice President for Alumni Engagement Sarah Cameron. "Every year, these awards remind us of the strength and reach of the Bates network, and we look forward to seeing who our community nominates next."
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Original text here: https://www.bates.edu/news/2026/07/31/alumni-association-presents-alumni-awards-recognizing-service-career-achievements/
