Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
VCU Among the Top 250 Universities Worldwide in Ranking by Time
RICHMOND, Virginia, Feb. 13 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following news:
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VCU among the top 250 universities worldwide in new ranking by Time
Student outcomes and an institution's academic performance, innovation and global engagement are among the factors in the ranking, which places VCU second in the state.
By David Oglethorpe
The inaugural World's Top Universities of 2026 listing by news publisher Time has ranked Virginia Commonwealth University at No. 211 globally.
"This new ranking is another example of the global impact of VCU," said VCU President Michael Rao,
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RICHMOND, Virginia, Feb. 13 -- Virginia Commonwealth University issued the following news:
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VCU among the top 250 universities worldwide in new ranking by Time
Student outcomes and an institution's academic performance, innovation and global engagement are among the factors in the ranking, which places VCU second in the state.
By David Oglethorpe
The inaugural World's Top Universities of 2026 listing by news publisher Time has ranked Virginia Commonwealth University at No. 211 globally.
"This new ranking is another example of the global impact of VCU," said VCU President Michael Rao,Ph.D. "Whether educating the next generation of leaders and global citizens or discovering lifesaving breakthroughs, our students, faculty and staff are continuing to show the world that our university benefits humanity and transforms lives."
For its new rankings, released in late January, Time studied the outcomes of millions of college students and measured universities on three key pillars: academic capacity and performance, innovation and economic impact, and global engagement.
"Our new ranking reflects the groundbreaking research carried out every day at VCU by our very talented faculty, staff, postdocs and students," said P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., vice president for research and innovation. "Our growth over the past five years exemplifies our focus upon team science; knowledge creation; discovery and innovation; social and economic impact; as well as global partnerships. As a result, our research is positively impacting more people every day. VCU continues to be a research powerhouse and a destination for some of the best researchers in the world."
Transdisciplinary by design, VCU's research addresses societal challenges and lifts lives locally and globally. And in the past year, VCU crossed the $500 million mark for both sponsored funding and research expenditures.
VCU's sponsored funding grew by 12% to a record $568 million. The $524 million in research expenditures ranked 46th among public universities and 68th overall, placing VCU among the top 10% of research universities in the country. This growth in expenditures represents a doubling of the research and innovation enterprise in just five years.
VCU currently has 23 programs and graduate schools ranked in the top 50 for their disciplines by U.S. News and World Report. VCU was also one of 80 public, top-tier (also known as R1) research universities to receive the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, highlighting its commitment to advancing community-engaged teaching, research and service. The university is the only Virginia school to offer degrees in each of the health sciences disciplines: health professions, dentistry, medicine, nursing, public health and pharmacy.
VCU was the second-highest ranked university in the state in the Time rankings behind the University of Virginia.
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Original text here: https://news.vcu.edu/article/vcu-among-the-top-250-universities-worldwide-in-new-ranking-by-time
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health: Alcohol Warning Labels May Not Be Reaching US Adults, Research Suggests
CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina, Feb. 13 (TNSjou) -- The University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health issued the following news:
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Alcohol warning labels may not be reaching US adults, new research suggests
Only about one in four adult alcohol consumers in the United States has read the federal alcohol health warning in the past month -- and even fewer remember what it says, according to new research led by Marissa Hall, PhD, associate professor of health behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.
The study, recently published in the journal Addictive
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CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina, Feb. 13 (TNSjou) -- The University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health issued the following news:
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Alcohol warning labels may not be reaching US adults, new research suggests
Only about one in four adult alcohol consumers in the United States has read the federal alcohol health warning in the past month -- and even fewer remember what it says, according to new research led by Marissa Hall, PhD, associate professor of health behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.
The study, recently published in the journal AddictiveBehaviors, examined how often adults who regularly consume alcohol notice, read and recall the current US alcohol warning label, which has remained unchanged since 1989.
The findings suggest the warning may no longer be an effective tool for communicating alcohol-related health risks to consumers.
Analyzing data from a nationally representative sample of 1,036 US adults who reported drinking alcohol at least once per week, researchers found that while about half of respondents noticed the warning label on alcohol containers, only 27% said they had read it in the past month.
Recall of the warning's content was even lower. It covers five topics, including pregnancy, birth defects, driving a car, operating machinery and longer-term health concerns. Only 4% of respondents were able to correctly recall all five topics, and fewer than two-thirds recalled any individual topic. (Pregnancy-related concerns were by far the most-remembered risk.)
The researchers note that this finding suggests exposure alone may not be sufficient. Warning labels are intended to provide clear, accessible health information at the point of purchase or consumption. When people do not read or remember those messages, the labels fall short of their intended purpose.
"For a health warning to change behavior, people first need to notice and read the label," says Hall, who is also a member of UNC's Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and a faculty fellow at the Carolina Population Center. "This study suggests that the current alcohol warning label leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to capturing people's attention."
The study also found differences in who reported reading the warning. Black adults were significantly more likely to say they had read the label in the past month compared with white adults; a pattern the authors say merits further investigation. The findings come at a time of renewed national discussion about alcohol-related harms. Public health experts have increasingly emphasized the links between alcohol consumption and cancer, injuries and chronic disease -- risks that many consumers remain unaware of.
According to the authors, updating alcohol warning labels to reflect current scientific evidence and modern communication practices could improve public understanding of the lesser-known risks of drinking. Options such as rotating warnings or featuring more prominent designs, such as those that have been used in tobacco control campaigns, may better capture attention and support informed decision-making.
"There are evidence-based ways to make warning labels more effective -- for example, placing them on the front of the package and including icons or images," says Hall. "Unfortunately, the current alcohol warning doesn't follow these best practices, which is a missed opportunity for preventing harms from alcohol. The good news is that Congress has the authority to update alcohol warning labels to them more effective."
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Other co-authors include: Phoebe Ruggles and Carolyn Chelius, both doctoral students of health behavior at UNC Gillings; Cristina Lee, doctoral student of nutrition at the Gillings School; Anna Grummon, PhD, assistant professor at Stanford University and a Gillings alum; Callie Whitesell, project manager in Gillings' Department of Health Behavior; Allison Lazard, PhD, professor with UNC's Hussman School of Journalism and Media; Noel Brewer, PhD, Distinguished Professor in Public Health at UNC Gillings; and Thomas Greenfield, PhD, senior scientist with the Alcohol Research Group.
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Original text here: https://sph.unc.edu/sph-news/alcohol-warning-labels-may-not-be-reaching-us-adults-new-research-suggests/
Southern Connecticut State University: Disability Studies Scholar to Keynote WGS Conference
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Feb. 13 -- Southern Connecticut State University issued the following news:
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Disability Studies Scholar to Keynote WGS Conference
The 2026 Women's & Gender Studies Conference -- "(Re)making the World: A "How-To" Conference on Feminist, Crip, and Decolonial Worldmaking" -- will take place on the Southern Connecticut State University campus on Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18, 2026, and will feature a keynote address by Dr. Nirmala Erevelles, professor of social and cultural studies in education at the University of Alabama.
In its invitation for proposals, the
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NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Feb. 13 -- Southern Connecticut State University issued the following news:
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Disability Studies Scholar to Keynote WGS Conference
The 2026 Women's & Gender Studies Conference -- "(Re)making the World: A "How-To" Conference on Feminist, Crip, and Decolonial Worldmaking" -- will take place on the Southern Connecticut State University campus on Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18, 2026, and will feature a keynote address by Dr. Nirmala Erevelles, professor of social and cultural studies in education at the University of Alabama.
In its invitation for proposals, the2026 conference committee offered a space to explore the pedagogies, practices, and possibilities embedded in the question of "how to?" across disciplines, communities, and movements. The committee sought proposals that move beyond critique to praxis -- embracing failure as pedagogy, interdependence as resistance, and joy as a radical act.
This year's conference theme spotlights a new minor program in Critical Disability Studies being offered to undergraduates at Southern. Philosophy Professor Heidi Lockwood, co-coordinator of the program with English Professor Rachel Furey, said that keynote speaker Erevelles' scholarship speaks directly to the feminist, crip, and decolonial commitments that animate both the conference and the minor.
"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Nirmala Erevelles to campus -- and to host conference presenters from 18 states and six countries," Lockwood said. "The 2026 WGS Conference is closely connected to Southern's new Critical Disability Studies minor, Connecticut's first undergraduate program of its kind. Dr. Nirmala Erevelles' keynote reflects the shared focus on disability justice and feminist, crip, and decolonial approaches to understanding power, access, and inclusion."
The conference is being organized by a team of faculty and staff, led by three co-chairs: Lockwood; Kauther Badr, professor of management; and Yi-Chun Tricia Lin, professor and chair of the Department of Women's and Gender Studies.
The conference will be held in the SCSU School of Business Building (10 Wintergreen Avenue, New Haven, Conn.). See the SCSU interactive map here (https://www.southernct.edu/campus-map).
Conference registration is now open; information is available here (https://inside.southernct.edu/womens-and-gender-studies/conferences/2026).
For over three decades, since 1991, the feminist collective at SCSU has been hosting continuously conferences that reach across communities and bring together activists, academics, artists, and feminist practitioners from diverse backgrounds for a feminist feast.
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About Nirmala Erevelles, Ph.D.
Dr. Nirmala Erevelles is a professor of social and cultural studies in education at the University of Alabama. Her teaching and research interests lie in the areas of disability studies, critical race theory, transnational feminism, sociology of education, and postcolonial studies. Erevelles uses a materialist intersectional analysis to foreground the dialectical relationships between disability and race, class, gender, and sexuality and its brutal implications for (disabled) students in U.S. public schools and (disabled) citizens in transnational contexts.
Erevelles has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals in education and in the humanities. Her book, Disability and Difference in Global Contexts: Towards a Transformative Body Politic was published by Palgrave in November 2012 and was awarded the Critic's Choice Award from the American Educational Studies Association. She is currently working on a book-length manuscript tentatively entitled "Cripping Empire: Theorizing Intersectionality as if Black/Brown/Disabled Lives Matter."
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Original text here: https://news.southernct.edu/2026/02/12/disability-studies-scholar-to-keynote-wgs-conference/
SUNY Chancellor King Visits Empire State University to Highlight SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program
ALBANY, New York, Feb. 13 -- The State University of New York issued the following news release:
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SUNY Chancellor King Visits Empire State University to Highlight SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program
SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program Ensures SUNY's Academic Excellence is Fully Affordable for Active-Duty Service Members, Members of the National Guard, and Members of the Reserves
Empire State University Was One of 24 Campuses to Launch SUNY's New Military Tuition Rate for Active-Duty Service Members in Spring 2026, On the Path to System-Wide Implementation in Fall 2026
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Saratoga Springs,
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ALBANY, New York, Feb. 13 -- The State University of New York issued the following news release:
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SUNY Chancellor King Visits Empire State University to Highlight SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program
SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program Ensures SUNY's Academic Excellence is Fully Affordable for Active-Duty Service Members, Members of the National Guard, and Members of the Reserves
Empire State University Was One of 24 Campuses to Launch SUNY's New Military Tuition Rate for Active-Duty Service Members in Spring 2026, On the Path to System-Wide Implementation in Fall 2026
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Saratoga Springs,NY -- State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today visited Empire State University to highlight SUNY's Military Tuition Rate Program. The program, which began at select SUNY campuses in the Spring 2026 semester and will expand System-wide this fall, ensures that SUNY's academic excellence is fully affordable for active-duty service members, members of the National Guard, and members of the Reserves.
"SUNY's military-connected students enrich our campuses through their accomplishments and diverse life experiences," said SUNY Chancellor King. "I applaud Empire State University for being a leader in ensuring our active-duty and veteran students have access to the high-quality, affordable SUNY education to pursue their dreams. There is a place at SUNY for every student, and we are proud to honor our active-duty and veteran students for their leadership, skills, and dedication to their country."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "SUNY is dedicated to ensuring our veteran, active-duty, and military-connected students have access to an affordable, excellent education at the campus of their choice. As an inaugural adopter of SUNY's Military Tuition Rate Program, Empire State University has shown that it is a leader in supporting our military-connected students throughout their academic journeys."
Empire State University was an inaugural adopter of the SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program, a system-wide initiative that ensures active-duty service members, members of the National Guard, and members of the Reserves can access a high-quality, affordable SUNY undergraduate degree or microcredential program in-person or online without additional costs or barriers. The program addresses a long-standing challenge faced by active-duty service members whose federal tuition assistance often falls short of full tuition at public universities.
Empire State University President Lisa Vollendorf said, "Empire State University was founded to meet students where they are -- and for 55 years, that has included the men and women who serve our country. Removing financial barriers for service members has long been part of that commitment. With military-connected enrollment at a five-year high, we know this work matters."
State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner said, "Empire State University, located in Saratoga Springs, is once again, leading the way in empowering learners from diverse backgrounds to achieve their educational goals. Noted for its stewardship in online learning, Empire State University is now a leader within the SUNY system for its inaugural adoption of the SUNY Military Tuition Rate Program. Thanks to this new tuition program along with the newly established on-campus Veterans clinics, our Veterans will have a much-needed centralized hub of educational, financial and community support services - all of which will help ensure Military service members' future success. Of course, I hope our Veterans consider New York, ideally upstate New York, not just their college alumni state, but their home, well beyond graduation. I am grateful to Empire State University for its dedication to flexible, accessible, and affordable education for all students, especially for the men and women who are bravely serving our country."
This year, Empire State University has seen enrollment of active-duty, National Guard, and Reserves members increase 4.7%, and veteran enrollment has increased 5%, compared to the previous year. Overall, military-connected enrollment at Empire State University has seen an 8.4% increase, and the university is at a 5-year high with more than 1,000 military-connected students enrolled so far this year. Additional active-duty, National Guard member, Reserves member, and veteran with registration still open for enrollments are expected in the Spring Express Term 2 and Summer 2026 semesters, putting the campus on track to exceed last year's enrollment.
SUNY is committed to supporting veterans and military-connected students on their path to a college education. SUNY's dedicated one-stop shop website, www.suny.edu/military, includes information on available credit for military service and experience; tuition assistance, such as the Veterans Tuition Awards program approved by Governor Hochul; specialized scholarships, and dedicated campus services like veteran lounges and associations for all 64 SUNY campuses. The website also connects veterans with services offered by the counties where each campus is located, helping them stay close to home and community, and is regularly updated as new information becomes available.
To further support veterans and military-connected students, SUNY launched the Veterans Enrollment and Support Internship Program, appointed SUNY's first-ever Assistant Director of Enrollment for Military and Veteran Recruitment, expanded prior learning assessment to help both adult learners and current and former military members to advance their careers, and SUNY also provides free college application waivers for military-connected students year-round, to up to seven campuses.
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About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY's 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country's oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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Original text here: https://www.suny.edu/suny-news/press-releases/2-26/2-12-26-2/military-tuition.html
Rutgers: Ketamine May Fight Chronic Fatigue, Study Suggests
NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey, Feb. 13 (TNSjou) -- Rutgers University issued the following news:
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Ketamine May Fight Chronic Fatigue, Study Suggests
By Andrew Smith
Ketamine, a decades-old anesthetic and fast-acting treatment for severe depression, may also offer some people rapid relief from chronic fatigue, according to a small proof-of-concept study (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43440-025-00808-4) led by researchers at Rutgers Health and the National Institutes of Health.
Ketamine's effects in the 10-participant clinical trial minimally outperformed an active placebo that
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NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey, Feb. 13 (TNSjou) -- Rutgers University issued the following news:
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Ketamine May Fight Chronic Fatigue, Study Suggests
By Andrew Smith
Ketamine, a decades-old anesthetic and fast-acting treatment for severe depression, may also offer some people rapid relief from chronic fatigue, according to a small proof-of-concept study (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43440-025-00808-4) led by researchers at Rutgers Health and the National Institutes of Health.
Ketamine's effects in the 10-participant clinical trial minimally outperformed an active placebo thatunexpectedly exhibited its own antifatigue action. However, participants who received a single low-dose infusion of ketamine experienced a sufficient energy boost to justify further study.
For a symptom that has long resisted intervention, even a minor signal is noteworthy.
"Fatigue has always been ignored because it's so difficult to understand what's causing it," said the study's senior author, Leorey Saligan, a professor at the Rutgers School of Nursing who is also a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute, the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, together with RWJBarnabas Health.
Chronic fatigue is a persistent exhaustion that leaves victims without the energy needed for work, family life and basic function. No amount of extra rest fixes it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 3.3 million American adults suffer from chronic fatigue. This experience is more pronounced in individuals receiving cancer treatment and those with chronic illnesses. Most cancer patients who complete primary cancer therapy develop it, often lasting a year or more. The condition also afflicts individuals with fibromyalgia, lupus and chronic fatigue syndrome.
The standard approach to manage chronic fatigue is exercise, which works well for those patients who can motivate themselves to begin a program and stick with it for a few weeks. Most cannot.
Saligan began wondering if ketamine could help after his earlier research found that blood concentrations of a glutamate receptor called mGluR5 predicted chronic fatigue - or its absence - in cancer patients who completed cancer therapy. Ketamine blocks glutamate receptors, making it logical for testing whether that pathway might be a target for potential treatment.
The study enrolled 10 participants with chronic fatigue during cancer survivorship, those with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or lupus. Each received one injection of ketamine and, two weeks later, an injection of a sedative called midazolam that served as an active comparator.
Before injections began, the investigators set a clear threshold for a "positive" result that would merit further trials: a 20% drop in real-time fatigue scores three days after ketamine infusion. Actual real-time fatigue scores were an average of 21% lower than preinjection levels three days after injection. The largest effect appeared at 24 hours after injection, when real-time fatigue decreased by nearly 39%.
Ketamine's performance wasn't significantly better than that of midazolam, which also produced reports of lower fatigue despite not being used as a treatment for the condition. This could indicate that the midazolam had a therapeutic effect or that fatigue levels naturally fluctuate.
The truth would likely be clearer if the study had achieved its initial goal of enrolling 59 participants. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and strict eligibility criteria limited recruitment, said Saligan, who is preparing a larger clinical trial in breast cancer survivors.
Even if ketamine proves effective, Saligan doesn't envision it as a long-term medication. The most promising use, he said, might be as a bridge, a short energy boost that motivates patients to engage in other strategies that provide lasting relief, such as exercise.
"The idea is to prompt or reset the brain so people feel more motivated and able to take part in treatments that are proven to reduce fatigue," said Saligan.
Ketamine is off-patent and has already been studied for other health conditions, such as depression. A nasal spray version for depression, esketamine, is available, and drug companies are developing second-generation compounds with fewer side effects. Because of this, there are many promising opportunities to continue and expand this line of research.
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Original text here: https://www.rutgers.edu/news/ketamine-may-fight-chronic-fatigue-study-suggests
Professor of Anthropology Presents Program on Medical Anthropology to IUP Proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine Steering Committee, Team
INDIANA, Pennsylvania, Feb. 13 -- Indiana University of Pennsylvania issued the following news:
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Professor of Anthropology Presents Program on Medical Anthropology to IUP Proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine Steering Committee, Team
Indiana University of Pennsylvania professor of anthropology Abigail Adams presented a program on medical anthropology, disease theory systems, and the Appalachian region, of which Indiana is included, to the leadership team and steering committee of IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
Adams is a cultural anthropologist in IUP's Department of
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INDIANA, Pennsylvania, Feb. 13 -- Indiana University of Pennsylvania issued the following news:
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Professor of Anthropology Presents Program on Medical Anthropology to IUP Proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine Steering Committee, Team
Indiana University of Pennsylvania professor of anthropology Abigail Adams presented a program on medical anthropology, disease theory systems, and the Appalachian region, of which Indiana is included, to the leadership team and steering committee of IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
Adams is a cultural anthropologist in IUP's Department ofAnthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences and is director of IUP's Global Health Program. She specializes in political conflict, human rights, and medical anthropology and teaches courses in medical anthropology, anthropology of gender, anthropology of human rights, anthropology of food, cultural anthropology, contemporary anthropology, and Latin America.
She is extensively involved in the Appalachian Teaching Project and the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services. Working with several faculty colleagues, she has led students studying issues of opioid addiction, COVID-19, rural food security and poverty, sustainable and asset-based development, and community gardens in the communities surrounding IUP. She is also a research associate with the Mid-Atlantic Research Teaching Institute (MARTI).
Most recently, she mentored a student team from IUP who developed "The Youngest Appalachians: Obstetric and Pediatric Care and Infant Wellbeing in Rural Communities," presented to the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative, a grant-funded program of the Appalachian Regional Commission. For the past several years, she has aligned her research to train police departments about concerns over racism and social injustice, including the Indiana Borough Police Department.
In her presentation, Adams discussed the "fallacy of underdifferentiation," which is the tendency to view lesser-developed countries and poor people as all the same with the exact same needs, noting that providers may not be aware of or ignore cultural diversity among and between people living in poverty and adopt a uniform approach.
She also discussed Appalachia's identity and heritage, noting its unique subculture, including that 42 percent of the region's population is rural, compared with 20 percent of the population. She also shared her research on Appalachian folk illness and folk medicine; "granny women" and matrilocality and women's work; the history of the region; and 10 cultural values of Appalachians: individualism, religion, neighborliness and hospitality, family solidarity or familism, personalism, love of place, modest and being oneself, sense of beauty, sense of humor, and patriotism. Her presentation also addressed the issue of "insider versus outsider," stereotypes of the region, the importance of cultural awareness, and recommendations for best practices, including avoiding over-medicalizing social suffering and respecting boundaries of traditional Appalachian families.
"Medical anthropologists serve as cultural interpreters between local systems, and Western biomedicine and medical anthropology has a role in training new doctors as cultural awareness is critical to reduce health disparities, build trust, and improve patient outcomes," Adams said. "Cultural competencies enable providers to avoid diagnostic errors caused by misunderstandings, improve treatment adherence, and deliver equitable, patient-centered care by respecting diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and communication styles.
"Cultural awareness involves acknowledging one's own biases, gaining knowledge about different cultural practices, and developing skills to interact effectively across cultural boundaries. I'm absolutely thrilled that IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine will be training new doctors for rural health to bridge the mortality gap, as residents of the Appalachian region often experience higher disease burdens with fewer resources," Adams said.
"The proposed college of osteopathic medicine team is very grateful to Dr. Adams for her outstanding, and very relevant, presentation," IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose said. "IUP's faculty and staff have deep expertise on so many important topics, based on groundbreaking research and study at national and international levels," she said. "We do not take for granted the opportunities and resources that we have through these 'gems' of IUP," Rose said. "Having so many expert colleagues, who continue to be so supportive of the project and so willing to share their knowledge and advice with us, is so incredibly valuable and is a great advantage for our work to establish the college," she said.
IUP's Council of Trustees endorsed the exploration of a possible development of a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP in December 2022.
IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine has "candidate status" from the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, which recognizes that IUP has done the required planning and has the resources necessary to apply for pre-accreditation status within two years. "Candidate status" is the second step in seeking accreditation from COCA.
The IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine team is working on the next step in the accreditation process, seeking "pre-accreditation status." When proposed colleges achieve pre-accreditation status, they are permitted to begin recruiting students.
In December 2025, IUP's Council of Trustees approved the Doctor in Osteopathic Medicine degree, which would be offered through IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine. The next step in the approval process is review by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors.
In December 2025, Founding Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith was selected as the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners 2025 Item Writer of the Year for the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-USA) Level 1 examination. The NBOME is an independent examination board that provides the sole means for assessing on a national level the competencies for osteopathic medical practice through national, standardized examinations for osteopathic medical students.
There are only three colleges of osteopathic medicine in Pennsylvania, all at private universities; IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine would be the only college of osteopathic medicine at a public university.
Doctors of osteopathic medicine, or DOs, complete four years of osteopathic medical school, with an emphasis on preventive medicine and comprehensive patient care. They are trained to recognize the interrelated unity among all systems of the body, each working with the other to promote overall health and wellness. Osteopathic medical schools have a long tradition of serving rural communities. Physicians who are trained in osteopathic medicine are four times more likely to select primary care specialties and almost twice as likely to practice in rural areas as allopathic (MD) students are.
National studies show that graduates from programs of osteopathic medicine are more likely to pursue primary care in rural and underserved areas--57 percent of all doctors of osteopathic medicine practice as general practitioners, and more than 20 percent of DO graduates practice in rural areas. Demand is high for osteopathic medicine training: in 2021, 22,708 applicants competed for 8,280 seats at schools of osteopathic medicine.
IUP's proposed college of osteopathic medicine and IUP's commitment to addressing the rural health crisis have resulted in funding from individual donors, foundations, agencies, and legislators totaling more than $48 million. Fundraising for the project is part of IUP's Impact 150 $150 million comprehensive fundraising campaign, raising funds for healthy students, a healthy university, and healthy communities.
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Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025 and through the Impact 150 comprehensive campaign, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking to its next 150 years of student success, innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.
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Original text here: https://www.iup.edu/news-events/news/2026/02/professor-of-anthropology-presents-program-on-medical-anthropology-to-iup-proposed-college-of-osteopathic-medicine-steering-committee-team.html
Penn State Beaver Earns International Arboretum Accreditation
MONACA, Pennsylvania, Feb. 13 -- Pennsylvania State University Beaver campus issued the following news:
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Penn State Beaver earns international arboretum accreditation
The campus is home to 400 maintained trees, a pond, wetlands and stream
By Kristen Doerschner
The Penn State Beaver campus has been recognized as an accredited arboretum by ArbNet, an international accreditation program based out of the Morton Arboretum of Chicago.
Penn State Beaver was accredited as a Level I arboretum, a designation that means there are at least 25 different labeled species of trees or other woody plants
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MONACA, Pennsylvania, Feb. 13 -- Pennsylvania State University Beaver campus issued the following news:
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Penn State Beaver earns international arboretum accreditation
The campus is home to 400 maintained trees, a pond, wetlands and stream
By Kristen Doerschner
The Penn State Beaver campus has been recognized as an accredited arboretum by ArbNet, an international accreditation program based out of the Morton Arboretum of Chicago.
Penn State Beaver was accredited as a Level I arboretum, a designation that means there are at least 25 different labeled species of trees or other woody plantspresent. When Bartlett Tree Experts visited the campus in August, they identified 50 different species on campus.
As part of this accreditation, Penn State Beaver is now listed on the Morton Register, a comprehensive database that lists arboreta and botanic gardens around the world with a substantial focus on woody plants. Penn State Beaver joins University Park, Abington and Schuylkill as accredited member campuses of the Commonwealth Arboreta Network (CAN).
The addition of the campus to the Morton Register is the result of an initiative to identify and map trees on campus. Penn State Beaver joined the CAN initiative in 2025. The CAN, which began in 2023, helps to fulfill the University's land-grant mission through education, research and community collaborations.
Beaver campus sits on 105 acres, and is home to a pond, stream, wetlands, four acres of recently converted turf-to-meadow, and approximately 32 acres of diverse woods with several grand "wolf oaks" -- a name for very old and large trees that have an expansive canopy.
Campus staff maintain about 400 trees of 50 different species, including various genus of maple trees, a sycamore, a Chinese chestnut, large native pin oaks and a 44-inch silver maple, which is the largest tree on campus.
One tree of particular interest on campus is a large American elm near the Laboratory Classroom Building.
Eric Hinzman, a consulting adviser for Bartlett, said American elm trees are considered rare after Dutch elm disease wiped out most of the trees in the United States. He said the tree at Beaver is in very good condition, and it is apparent it has been well-cared for by the campus grounds staff.
The inclusion on the Morton Register and the Commonwealth Arboreta Network are part of ongoing sustainability efforts on the campus including the turf-to-meadow project, initiatives with Reforest Our Future and composting in the Brodhead Bistro.
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Original text here: https://beaver.psu.edu/story/15366/2026/02/12/penn-state-beaver-earns-international-arboretum-accreditation
