Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
University of Washington School of Medicine: State's Firearm-relinquishment Effort Sees Gains
SEATTLE, Washington, Feb. 18 (TNSjou) -- The University of Washington School of Medicine posted the following news release:
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State's firearm-relinquishment effort sees gains
Study saw drops in volume and severity of committed crimes involving people subject to domestic violence protection orders.
Bolstered by a new risk-reduction unit, Washington state's firearm-relinquishment law for individuals subject to a domestic violence protection order significantly reduced the volume and severity of committed crimes, according to a new study published in the Journal of Criminal Justice.
"In
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SEATTLE, Washington, Feb. 18 (TNSjou) -- The University of Washington School of Medicine posted the following news release:
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State's firearm-relinquishment effort sees gains
Study saw drops in volume and severity of committed crimes involving people subject to domestic violence protection orders.
Bolstered by a new risk-reduction unit, Washington state's firearm-relinquishment law for individuals subject to a domestic violence protection order significantly reduced the volume and severity of committed crimes, according to a new study published in the Journal of Criminal Justice.
"Inaddition to preventing harm to survivors and their families, DVPO-related firearm dispossession has helped to reduce crimes more broadly," said Alice Ellyson, the paper's lead author. She is an assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the director of policy at the Center for Firearm Injury Prevention.
Key findings:
* Even though firearms were not relinquished in every relevant case, enhanced implementation of the law led to a 27% reduction in crime over 24 months of follow-up.
* In parallel, the severity of committed crimes dropped 20%.
* Crime reduction was seen even in cases involving the additional risks of stalking or substance use by individuals restrained by court orders and among individuals prohibited from owning a firearm because of a prior criminal history.
The study analyzed more than 6,000 domestic violence protection orders issued in King County before and after the creation of a regional unit in 2018 to investigate high-risk firearm cases and ensure compliance with relinquishment laws.
The unit's goal is to uphold court orders that remove individuals' access to firearms, thereby reducing harm to people seeking protection. Arrest data was used as a proxy for crime.
Domestic violence accounts for 21% of all violent crime in the United States, with intimate partners responsible for more than 65% of these incidents.
"Our findings underscore the value of state legislators' efforts to adequately carry out firearm prohibition and relinquishment policies," Ellyson said. "Meaningful crime reduction didn't require perfect enforcement or compliance."
Federal law prohibits individuals restrained by a protection order from possessing a firearm, but there is no national mechanism to ensure that those individuals no longer have firearms.
Sandra Shanahan, the enforcement unit's program manager, conveyed the daunting nature of that task.
"Prior to the unit's work, there seemed to be paralysis around the fact relinquishment may not be possible in every case and with every restrained person. Along the way, we learned that small adjustments could enhance compliance -- like changing forms to ask the protected person about the restrained person's firearm access and possession, making the relinquishment process easier, and having judicial officers and law enforcement deliver clear and explicit compliance expectations to the restrained person. These tactical changes reduced risks to survivors and communities."
Previous research has found that violent acts against intimate partners tends to be part of a broader pattern of crime. Coordinated work by local agencies can help reduce fatal and nonfatal violence.
"This new study is the latest confirmation that the Regional Domestic Violence Firearms Enforcement Unit is saving lives and reducing overall crime in our community," said King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion. "That is great news for public safety, and an encouraging signal that this innovative partnership, which was the first of its kind in the country, is making a difference for survivors of gender-based violence in King County."
This study was co-authored by Avanti Adhia, UW assistant professor of nursing, and Dr. Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, director of the Center for Firearm Injury Prevention and professor at the UW schools of Medicine and Public Health. Their work was supported by funding from the State of Washington, and partial support was provided by grants awarded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P2C HD042828) to the University of Washington.
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Original text here: https://newsroom.uw.edu/news-releases/states-firearm-relinquishment-effort-sees-gains/
University of Lynchburg Celebrates Success of 'One Lynchburg' Campaign
LYNCHBURG, Virginia, Feb. 18 -- The University of Lynchburg issued the following news:
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University of Lynchburg celebrates success of 'One Lynchburg' campaign
The University of Lynchburg marked the completion of its "One Lynchburg" comprehensive campaign.
On Wednesday, Feb. 11, the University of Lynchburg marked the completion of its "One Lynchburg" comprehensive campaign by hosting a celebration dinner in the Hall Campus Center's Memorial Ballroom. In attendance were the University's advancement team and a group of University stakeholders who contributed to the campaign's success.
The
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LYNCHBURG, Virginia, Feb. 18 -- The University of Lynchburg issued the following news:
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University of Lynchburg celebrates success of 'One Lynchburg' campaign
The University of Lynchburg marked the completion of its "One Lynchburg" comprehensive campaign.
On Wednesday, Feb. 11, the University of Lynchburg marked the completion of its "One Lynchburg" comprehensive campaign by hosting a celebration dinner in the Hall Campus Center's Memorial Ballroom. In attendance were the University's advancement team and a group of University stakeholders who contributed to the campaign's success.
Thegoal of One Lynchburg was to raise $40 million in seven years -- by the end of 2025. Its slogan, "One Hive, One Heart, One Home," referenced the three pillars of support it reinforced: endowed scholarships, research and service learning, and innovative learning and gathering spaces.
In his opening speech, Associate Vice President of Advancement Shawn Wood thanked the donors, highlighting the impact of their gifts.
"Tonight, we recognize the power of a community united behind one goal: Ensuring that this incredible institution continues to provide Lynchburg students with One Hive, One Heart, and One Home for generations to come.
"Without you, and so many like you, we would not have seen record-breaking GiveDays, nearly $4 million in gifts to The Lynchburg Fund, 36 realized planned gifts, and 43 newly created endowment funds, that helped us not only reach a goal we were told was unrealistic, but surpassed it."
In her speech, President Alison Morrison-Shetlar provided historical context for the campaign, which began while the COVID-19 pandemic was still at large.
"Back then, the world was uncertain," she said. "We had literally no way of knowing how long the challenges we were facing would last. There was no playbook, and responses needed to ensure this institution's success were changing from minute to minute."
According to Morrison-Shetlar, the administration was told, "We would be lucky if we did very, very little in terms of raising funds. ... But they didn't account for the extraordinary determination of this Hive. ...
"I'm thrilled to announce that we didn't just meet that goal, we shattered it!"
At a drumroll from the audience, Wood and some of the advancement team lined up in front of the stage -- Tom Burrowes '93, '21 MA, senior director of development and alumni relations, Becca Hatcher '13, '16 MBA, director of annual giving and alumni communications, Bethany Walker, major gifts officer, and Sharon Davies, stewardship coordinator.
Each held up cards showing the final donation amount: $42,176,562.22.
In addition to beating the monetary goal of $40 million, the University also beat their time goal -- five years instead of seven.
"Thanks to your generosity, we have revitalized our student experience," Morrison-Shetlar said.
"From the KP Golf Performance Center, and the Enza Steele Champions Walk, to the beautiful new Crank Plaza and renovations in Hobbs-Sigler Hall laboratories and Hundley Hall, you have ensured our students learn and grow in an environment that reflects our commitment to excellence. ...
"WonNation is stronger than ever! You provided new weight equipment in Wake, updated seating and scorer's tables in Turner Gym, and that incredible new video board on Shellenberger Field. ...
"You established the endowment for the Men's Lacrosse program, provided support for updates to the Equestrian Center. ...
"As someone who is the first in my family to go to university, I know that education is a transformative power that changes the trajectory of a life forever.
"Every penny of this $42 million is an investment in that transformation. You, and so many others, didn't give to the campaign; you gave to students who got the opportunity to reach their maximum potential."
To show donors the true impact of their generosity, the coordinators played videos of students explaining how One Lynchburg had made a difference in their lives.
"As an independent veteran student and one of nine children, this help is incredibly important to me," said Da'Janaeia Johnson '27. "It creates a path for me to excel academically and athletically, significantly reducing the financial strain that previously forced me to leave school."
Another student, Jaime Ceja '27, said the funds helped him fully commit to his academic goals.
"The board's north star will always be our students," said Julie P. Doyle, chair of the board of trustees, during her speech. "In a time when higher education faces many headwinds, the University of Lynchburg is committed to sailing forward with a purpose."
To close out the ceremony, Price Jett, vice president of finance and operations services and chief financial officer, took the stage to give "the final thank you of the evening."
"This University has always believed, from the days of Josephus and Sarah Hopwood to tonight, that education is not about instruction. It is about transformation. It is the moment when the young person discovers who they are, what they can do, and the kind of life that awaits them."
Before making his exit, Jett welcomed Burrowes to the stage with a surprise announcement.
"I have no idea what's about to happen," Jett said. "Tom, I'm going to turn the floor over to you."
Burrowes took the stage. "I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the 30 years that I've been here and continue to be here and will stay here," he said.
Then, the announcement: "I decided last week that I am going to leave my entire retirement here at the college. Since we're talking numbers, it's valued -- at this point -- at $1.2365 million."
The room erupted in applause, and Burrowes received a standing ovation before leaving the stage.
"I don't know how to follow that," the president quipped, "but the bar is open!"
During dinner, Dr. Julius Sigler '62, '15 DSc, a former professor and dean at Lynchburg, said he felt "a sense of accomplishment" to see the end of the campaign, calling it "a foundation to build on for the future."
Sue Tatom '88 said that watching the student impact videos made her proud, noting, "There's so much opportunity for anybody, and that we can make it possible for them to excel in any way we can."
When asked what "One Hive, One Heart, One Home" meant to her, she said, "It's the family that you meet here. ... the people that are so genuine about why they're interested in you. ... That's what it means to me to be a Hornet."
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Original text here: https://www.lynchburg.edu/university-of-lynchburg-celebrates-success-of-one-lynchburg-campaign/
RIT Researchers Formulate a New 'Recipe' for 3D Bioprinting Stronger, Human-like Tissues
ROCHESTER, New York, Feb. 18 (TNSjou) -- Rochester Institute of Technology issued the following news release:
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RIT researchers formulate a new "recipe" for 3D bioprinting stronger, human-like tissues
Breakthrough work ensures bio-printed tissue keeps its shape and decreases damage to cells
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RIT researchers have developed an ideal recipe that could advance how bio-tissues are produced.
Ahasan Habib, and Christopher Lewis, both professors in RIT's College of Engineering Technology, and undergraduate students Riley Rohauer and Perrin Woods, found a solution to multiple challenges in tissue
... Show Full Article
ROCHESTER, New York, Feb. 18 (TNSjou) -- Rochester Institute of Technology issued the following news release:
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RIT researchers formulate a new "recipe" for 3D bioprinting stronger, human-like tissues
Breakthrough work ensures bio-printed tissue keeps its shape and decreases damage to cells
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RIT researchers have developed an ideal recipe that could advance how bio-tissues are produced.
Ahasan Habib, and Christopher Lewis, both professors in RIT's College of Engineering Technology, and undergraduate students Riley Rohauer and Perrin Woods, found a solution to multiple challenges in tissueengineering today: finding a compatible gel medium to host human cells and a device that can print the delicate cells safely.
Their definitive range of properties and characteristics of the hydrogels may be useful for the development of bio-printed tissues that mimic brain, kidney and heart tissue.
"We tried to design and prepare a dual cross-linkable material. We wanted to make sure we can control the various properties of the final 3D printed parts," said Habib, who is an expert in additive manufacturing, specifically toward functional bio-tissue scaffolds. "We needed to find a 'sweet spot' where we can extrude the matter to get a defined 3D structure, because we are preparing bioink--biomaterials plus cells together --and we wanted to be sure that we are not damaging the cells in the process."
The team found that sweet spot and succeeded in:
* Developing a formula that would allow 3D-printed biostructures, or scaffolds, to maintain their soft, flexible shape during the layer-by-layer print process.
* Ensuring the variable recipes, referred to as characterizations, of natural and synthetic polymers combined effectively and the biomaterials extruded, or pressed, through a 3D printer remained viable.
* Building a custom 3D printer to adequately extrude, or push out biomaterials, with dual crosslinking abilities.
"Cells in the hydrogel are moving through a microscale tube, a nozzle," said Habib "Our big goal is a dual crosslinking system. If we change the recipe of the material, how will it be impacted rheologically, physically, chemically and mechanically to eventually do a type of dual printing of bioinks?"
Rheology refers to the physics of materials reactions when forces are applied, such as extruding the biomaterials through a 3D printer. Bio-printed materials, composed of cell tissue in a natural or synthetic polymer are required to build the essential scaffolds that mimic human tissues.
Solutions came from a project team made up of students and faculty from biomedical, mechanical and manufacturing engineering across RIT's two engineering colleges. All contributed to experimental design, lab techniques and some elements of the research paper.
"It was a great learning curve for me," said Rohauer, a third-year biomedical engineering student from Guilderland, N.Y. "As I was learning to create and characterize material. I was also learning scientific techniques up front.
"And as I became more confident, the data got better. Then Perrin came in and the print test corroborated what we were seeing with the chemical structure. It behaved the same way in 'real life' as it did on the machine. It was a really cool experience for me to see it move from one application to another."
Woods, a fifth-year mechatronics engineering technology student, agreed. "We found the initiator, the chemical in the material that is going to photo-cross link. Dr. Habib has a really great vision for where this technology is going, both on the material and hardware sides. Tissue engineering is still preliminary, and these are the building blocks of a field."
Woods, who is from Ithaca, N.Y., and will graduate in May, built a custom bio-printer that can shine ultraviolet light while printing in situ. Light triggers a chemical process that can turn bioinks like to one the team developed into solid, stable gels.
One of the aims for this new test device was to ensure the biomaterial was cured and crosslinked, essentially while it is being printed. Often these processes are done separately, and this new technique and new 3D print device made the cross-linking possible and provides an advancement for continued development of bio-inks as well as testing of other types of 3D printed tissues.
"You can 3D-print objects and tissues with a typical 3D printer, but the material may be wrong. Or you can get the right material, and you may not get the right geometries. That is where our lab and our materials come in," said Woods. "We are able to say, bio-printing in a hydrogel can get you close to the tissue engineering solutions you need."
The work was detailed in the January issue of the Journal of Functional Biomaterials. The research team consisted of students and faculty from RIT: Riley Rohauer, Kory Schimmelpfennig '25 Ph.D. (biomedical and chemical engineering) and Perrin Woods; Ahasan Habib and Christopher Lewis: as well as Rokeya Sarah (Keene State College) who worked with the team as a research assistant June - August 2025.
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Original text here: https://www.rit.edu/news/rit-researchers-formulate-new-recipe-3d-bioprinting-stronger-human-tissues
NJIT Secures Nearly $20 Million to Modernize Tiernan Hall
NEWARK, New Jersey, Feb. 18 -- The New Jersey Institute of Technology issued the following news:
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NJIT Secures Nearly $20 Million to Modernize Tiernan Hall
New Jersey Institute of Technology has secured nearly $20 million in state funding to support the comprehensive renewal and improvement of Tiernan Hall, a central academic and research building on campus since its construction in 1972.
The funding -- $12,150,000 from the State's Capital Improvement Fund (CIF) and $7,750,000 from the Higher Education Facilities Trust Fund (HEFT) -- will allow NJIT to address critical deferred maintenance
... Show Full Article
NEWARK, New Jersey, Feb. 18 -- The New Jersey Institute of Technology issued the following news:
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NJIT Secures Nearly $20 Million to Modernize Tiernan Hall
New Jersey Institute of Technology has secured nearly $20 million in state funding to support the comprehensive renewal and improvement of Tiernan Hall, a central academic and research building on campus since its construction in 1972.
The funding -- $12,150,000 from the State's Capital Improvement Fund (CIF) and $7,750,000 from the Higher Education Facilities Trust Fund (HEFT) -- will allow NJIT to address critical deferred maintenanceand replace building systems that are original to Tiernan's construction and now past their useful life.
"Securing nearly $20 million represents a transformative investment in NJIT's core academic infrastructure," said Andrew Christ, who leads NJIT's University Operations division. "In partnership with the State of New Jersey, we are committed to providing a safe and appropriate educational and working environment for the Highlander community. This investment reinforces our commitment to proactively protecting our legacy assets while ensuring the safety and quality of our teaching and research facilities -- allowing NJIT to produce the STEM-trained workforce our state and nation depend on."
Modernizing a Core Academic Facility
Tiernan Hall houses the Otto H. York Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, the Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, and the Department of Physics. More than 4,000 first- and second-year students attend classes in the building each year, including courses in chemistry, physics, calculus, computing, innovation and entrepreneurship and AI.
Tiernan also supports nearly $32 million in funded research projects -- approximately one-fifth of NJIT's total research activity. Work conducted in the building includes projects involving telehaptics platforms with AI analytics, machine learning applications to detect PFAS in blood and flood resiliency initiatives across New Jersey. These efforts are supported by agencies such as the National Science Foundation, NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
The project includes upgrades focused on health, safety and building reliability. Through the CIF award, NJIT will modernize life safety systems to meet current code standards, expand sprinkler coverage, improve emergency lighting and replace major components of the building envelope, including the roof and curtainwall system. The electrical service and distribution system -- including transformer, switchgear and panels -- will also be replaced.
Funding through HEFT will support upgrades to mission-critical laboratory and instructional systems. Mechanical systems will be modernized to provide reliable and energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning in classrooms and labs. Laboratory infrastructure, including compressed air, natural gas, vacuum systems and specialty water systems, will be replaced. Emergency power systems, including a backup generator and uninterruptible power supply, will be updated to support both life safety and ongoing research.
NJIT will contribute additional institutional funds for fume hood replacements and retro-commissioning efforts to improve operational efficiency.
Supporting Research, Sustainability and Long-Term Stewardship
The upgrades are designed to improve reliability in classrooms and laboratories while strengthening the infrastructure that supports experiential learning and research. The building houses instructional and research laboratories where students and faculty advance work in disciplines such as intelligent transportation systems, hands-on engineering design, sustainable energy systems, nanomaterials and environmental remediation technologies.
Energy efficiency measures are incorporated throughout the project. Low-flow, variable-volume fume hoods and upgraded mechanical systems will reduce energy consumption. Retro-commissioning and air balancing will optimize building performance. Improvements to the roof and curtainwall system are expected to enhance thermal performance and resilience.
Rather than replace the building entirely, NJIT is preserving and modernizing its infrastructure -- avoiding the significant carbon emissions that would come from demolishing the structure and manufacturing large amounts of new steel and concrete.
While NJIT has received official notification of the award, construction will begin once funds are fully available, which the university anticipates later this year.
For more than five decades, Tiernan Hall has served as a hub for science and engineering education at NJIT. The upcoming renewal will allow the building to continue supporting students and researchers for decades to come.
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Original text here: https://news.njit.edu/njit-secures-nearly-20-million-modernize-tiernan-hall
Virginia Commonwealth University: Business Connections Receives International Accreditation
RICHMOND, Virginia, Feb. 18 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following news:
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Business Connections receives international accreditation
The program, part of VCU's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, helps individuals with disabilities find and maintain employment.
By Lucian Friel
A Virginia Commonwealth University employment support program for individuals with disabilities has received a three-year accreditation from an independent accreditor of health and human services.
The Business Connections program is part of VCU's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center,
... Show Full Article
RICHMOND, Virginia, Feb. 18 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following news:
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Business Connections receives international accreditation
The program, part of VCU's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, helps individuals with disabilities find and maintain employment.
By Lucian Friel
A Virginia Commonwealth University employment support program for individuals with disabilities has received a three-year accreditation from an independent accreditor of health and human services.
The Business Connections program is part of VCU's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center,which was established in 1983 and is connected to the School of Education. Business Connections provides supported employment services in the Richmond region, as well as Newport News and Petersburg, to assist individuals with disabilities with finding and maintaining employment. The program receives referrals from the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services.
The recent three-year accreditation was issued by CARF - the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. Founded in 1966, the international nonprofit promotes the quality, value and optimal outcomes of health and human services, and its review of Business Connections included the program's services, effectiveness and functionality.
"Individuals with disabilities add great value to every workplace and community," said Jenn McDonough, director of Business Connections. "It is important to our center to continue providing high-quality services to those individuals seeking employment, as well as those who are currently employed. ... We are excited about the next three years and all of the great accomplishments our job seekers with disabilities will achieve."
In 2024 and 2025, 75 percent of Business Connections clients who obtained employment held their jobs for a continuous year or longer, according to its outcomes report. All employees were being paid competitive compensation of minimum wage or higher in industries such as health care, food service, retail, academia, government, manufacturing, hospitality and entertainment.
"Nothing is more exciting than hearing a hiring manager tell a job seeker that they've got the job, and then to continue to support both a business and the individual in finding success," said Mallary McEvoy, a Business Connections lead counselor. "When our job seekers get hired, there is a ripple effect: The employee and the business are now more diversified, and communities see more representation for individuals with disabilities, [while] families see the individual accomplishing new goals.
"The individual is included in their community," she added, "a part of something that historically was only seen as accessible for those who were 'able.'"
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Original text here: https://news.vcu.edu/article/2026/02/business-connections-receives-international-accreditation
Montana PBS Purchases Three TV Stations in Eastern Montana, Allowing Residents Access to Free Public Television for First Time
BOZEMAN, Montana, Feb. 18 -- Montana State University issued the following news:
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Montana PBS purchases three TV stations in eastern Montana, allowing residents access to free public television for first time
Isabel Hicks, MSU News Service
Montana PBS has closed a deal to purchase three television stations in eastern Montana that will now provide communities in that part of the state with free, over-the-air public television for the first time.
In October 2025, Montana PBS finalized purchase of KYUS-TV in Miles City, KXGN-TV in Glendive and K13IG-D (a translator relaying the KXGN signal)
... Show Full Article
BOZEMAN, Montana, Feb. 18 -- Montana State University issued the following news:
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Montana PBS purchases three TV stations in eastern Montana, allowing residents access to free public television for first time
Isabel Hicks, MSU News Service
Montana PBS has closed a deal to purchase three television stations in eastern Montana that will now provide communities in that part of the state with free, over-the-air public television for the first time.
In October 2025, Montana PBS finalized purchase of KYUS-TV in Miles City, KXGN-TV in Glendive and K13IG-D (a translator relaying the KXGN signal)in Sidney. The PBS programming on the three stations went live in February.
The new stations will deliver all five Montana PBS broadcast channels: the primary Montana PBS channel with Montana-made and national PBS programs; Montana PBS kids with 24/7 educational children's programming; Montana PBS Create, which features lifestyle and how-to programming; Montana PBS World, which includes news and documentaries; and Montana Public Affairs Network for unedited coverage of the Montana Legislature.
The stations were offered for sale by the Marks Group following the death of owner Stephen Marks in 2022. Aaron Pruitt, Montana PBS director, said commercial television broadcasters had passed on buying the stations because the small market sizes wouldn't have been sufficiently profitable. Then, in 2023, recognizing that those communities did not have access to free public broadcast television, the Marks Group offered the stations to Montana PBS.
Pruitt said the conversion of commercial public TV stations to a noncommercial educational license is extremely rare in the broadcasting industry.
"In this case, it was made possible by a willing seller who recognized the value of educational programs for extremely rural communities that have never received PBS," Pruitt said.
The process took years of negotiations, engineering studies, real-estate acquisition, Federal Communications Commission approvals and a supportive vote by the Montana University System Board of Regents to come to fruition, he said.
Efforts to acquire the eastern Montana stations began years before the current federal funding challenges for public media, Pruitt said. He added that the move reinforces the broadcaster's mission of bringing free, educational programs to all Americans.
The new stations will increase resident access to broadcast television in all three rural areas. In Glendive, the loss of KXGN-TV - the only broadcast station in the history of the community - would have meant that residents would no longer have access to any over-the-air TV. Its designated market area is the smallest in the nation, Pruitt said. Dawson Community College also played a key role in helping deliver the MTPBS signal from the campus to the broadcast transmitter in Makoshika State Park near Glendive, he added. In Sidney, viewers have historically had access to TV stations from Williston, North Dakota, but now residents will be able to watch content about their own state, from news to historical documentaries.
To celebrate the new stations, Montana PBS is planning two days of events to be held in Miles City on April 24 and 25. There will be a Clifford the Big Red Dog meetup for children at the Miles City Public Library, a PBS pint night at Otium Brewing, a "coffee and conversation" meetup at The Ugly Mug, and a special screening of Montana PBS's brand-new documentary "Jonnie" at the Montana Theatre.
Anyone interested in attending can check for more information at montanapbs.org.
"We're really looking forward to meeting as many people from Miles City and the surrounding region as possible," said Kyle Sorenson, director of marketing and communications at Montana PBS. "We want to welcome them to the Montana PBS neighborhood."
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Original text here: https://www.montana.edu/news/25113/montana-pbs-purchases-three-tv-stations-in-eastern-montana-allowing-residents-access-to-free-public-television-for-first-time
First "hype cycle" of AI development put tech above humans
DARWIN, Australia, Feb. 18 -- Charles Darwin University posted the following news:
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First "hype cycle" of AI development put tech above humans
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Users around the world have rushed to adopt artificial intelligence - especially in safety-critical fields - but a new study has revealed the hype has prioritised technology for technology's sake instead of human-centred development.
The study examined the rise of eXplainable artificial intelligence (XAI) by reviewing research published about XAI's use in biomedical sensing and imagery between 2017 and 2023, a time identified by the authors
... Show Full Article
DARWIN, Australia, Feb. 18 -- Charles Darwin University posted the following news:
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First "hype cycle" of AI development put tech above humans
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Users around the world have rushed to adopt artificial intelligence - especially in safety-critical fields - but a new study has revealed the hype has prioritised technology for technology's sake instead of human-centred development.
The study examined the rise of eXplainable artificial intelligence (XAI) by reviewing research published about XAI's use in biomedical sensing and imagery between 2017 and 2023, a time identified by the authorsas the "first hype cycle of XAI development".
XAI is a set of processes and methods which allow humans to understand the decisions and outputs made by machine learning algorithms.
The study was conducted by academics from Torrens University, Charles Darwin University (CDU), Australian Catholic University (ACU), University of Technology Sydney, and University of New England.
The study found the technique Shapley Additive eXPlanations (SHAP) to be the most popular XAI method in biomedical sensing, not for its effectiveness but for its accessibility and easy application.
SHAP was used in 77 per cent of studies examined, and its application was primarily used in healthcare, civil engineering and energy.
Co-author and CDU Adjunct Professor Niusha Shafiabady, who is also ACU's Head of Discipline for IT, said while SHAP was crucial in shaping this research field, it also constrained research and progress.
"Very few studies compared SHAP to alternative XAI methods, and even fewer evaluated whether clinicians could interpret SHAP explanations correctly," Professor Shafiabady said.
"It set expectations for what an 'explanation' looks like, and it encouraged researchers to treat feature attribution as the default form of interpretability.
"But SHAP also carries assumptions that often break down in biomedical contexts, including independence assumptions, sensitivity to preprocessing, and instability across correlated features."
Professor Shafiabady said XAI was in its transitional phase, and that it must move from "plausibility" to "accountability".
"The field has moved beyond the initial hype, but it has not yet reached methodological maturity," she said.
"The hype cycle revealed a deeper structural issue where XAI is treated as a technical add-on rather than a human-centred safety mechanism. Explanations must be evaluated not only for how they look, but for how they perform in real clinical workflows.
"This means developing domain-specific XAI methods that respect the structure of biomedical data, building standardised evaluation protocols, and involving clinicians, technicians, and end-users in the design and testing of explanations."
eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI): A Systematic Review for Unveiling the Black Box Models and Their Relevance to Biomedical Imaging and Sensing was published in Advances in Biomedical Imaging and Sensing: Technologies, Applications, and Future Directions, a special issue of the international journal Sensors.
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Original text here: https://www.cdu.edu.au/news/first-hype-cycle-ai-development-put-tech-above-humans%C2%A0%C2%A0
