Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business: Startups & Sandwiches - Virtual Visit With Best-Selling Author and Leading Entrepreneur Eric Ries
BOULDER, Colorado, April 3 -- The University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business issued the following news:
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Startups & Sandwiches: A Virtual Visit with Best-Selling Author and Leading Entrepreneur Eric Ries
By Jane Majkiewicz
Ries joined the Leeds community virtually to discuss entrepreneurship, values, and his forthcoming book on building enduring companies that help human society flourish.
The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship concluded its Startups & Sandwiches series for the spring 2026 semester on a high note with a virtual visit from Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup,
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BOULDER, Colorado, April 3 -- The University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business issued the following news:
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Startups & Sandwiches: A Virtual Visit with Best-Selling Author and Leading Entrepreneur Eric Ries
By Jane Majkiewicz
Ries joined the Leeds community virtually to discuss entrepreneurship, values, and his forthcoming book on building enduring companies that help human society flourish.
The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship concluded its Startups & Sandwiches series for the spring 2026 semester on a high note with a virtual visit from Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup,The Startup Way, and The Leader's Guide. Students filled Koelbel 218 to hear Ries' insights on business and to learn about his forthcoming book, Incorruptible : Why Good Companies Go Bad ... and How Great Companies Stay Great.
Ries shared his journey from earning a degree in computer science to being "swept up in the dot-com bubble," which he amusingly described as fun at first, but then humiliating. Over the course of his career, he has studied management and worked on innovation across big companies, governments and NGOs--learning along the way how to master key business skills like accounting and governance.
A thought-provoking conversation covered a range of topics. Here are some of Ries' insights.
On the reason for his new book.
"Most of the ways that I was taught about how companies should be run and structured ultimately leads to them being corrupted." The reality, he said, is that there are many ways to make money without creating any value at all. "It turns out that there's actually good evidence that we know how to build organizations that stay true to human flourishing over the long-term." It's time to define new best practices--replacing the old ones that don't work--"that will leave the world better than we found it."
On the realities of entrepreneurship.
Ries drew laughs when he noted that entrepreneurship in the movies is often about a "plucky protagonist with a great idea." As an example, he cited Ghost Busters, one of his favorite films. In real life, it's very different. The hardest work is the foundational decisions, like what features to include in a product and defining customers. But in the movies, "that stuff is so boring it's limited to a two-minute montage."
Seeing thousands of startup stories throughout his career, Ries understands the dark side of entrepreneurship. "It's not all puppies and rainbows. There's also a lot of misery in the startup world," much of it driven by the misguided best practices we've been indoctrinated into that cause us to deviate from what we know to be right, he believes.
That tension often leads to decisions that are misaligned with personal values. "It's time for this to end--we have to reconcile the formal definitions of what business is with our intuitive understanding of what business is for."
On founding the Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE).
"The nice thing about doing something so impossibly difficult is that nobody expects you to succeed."
On the soul of a company.
"It takes me in the book 11 chapters to give the concept of a corporate soul." Organizations, he explained, function like super organisms. He pointed to a study in which the researchers measured the ethical character of different organizations and used the assessments to accurately predict the organizations' behavior in future situations. "If you are a cog in that machine, what you do is not entirely in your own control, and often you end up creating effects that are contrary to your own values. And if that sounds scary to you because you're thinking of starting an organization, then good, it should scare you."
On mission-driven organizations.
While avoiding traditional buzzwords, Ries emphasized that true mission-driven organizations stand apart. "It turns out we have great evidence that people love working at companies like that, buying from companies like that and love investing in companies like that." Their advantage, he said, comes from the most underrated aspect in business--trustworthiness.
On optimism and what's next for business.
Though clear-eyed about current challenges, Ries manages to stay hopeful. "I think the era of shareholder primacy is actually already over ... it's an idea that has basically caused its own intellectual collapse." Change, he believes, will come through generational turnover and a compelling alternative vision. "If you've ever been navigating somewhere and you make a wrong turn, it's not like you say, 'Blow up the car, we'll never get there; we're all doomed.' As long as people wake up out of ... unconscious behavior, then I think we'll be able to get people to recognize the need for this change and turn the car around."
On aligning your decisions with your values.
"If you want to make change, the first step is to make sure that the actual decisions you make--no matter how immaterial they may seem--are in fact aligned with your values. That's your surprising power in your life and career."
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Original text here: https://www.colorado.edu/business/news/2026/04/02/startups-and-sandwiches-eric-ries-visit
Southern Miss, MGCCC Partner to Expand Degree Pathways at Gulf Park
HATTIESBURG, Mississippi, April 3 -- The University of Southern Mississippi issued the following news:
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Southern Miss, MGCCC Partner to Expand Degree Pathways at Gulf Park
By: Jennifer Rigney
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) held a joint press conference today at the university's Gulf Park campus in Long Beach, Miss., to announce a new academic partnership that will allow MGCCC to offer select freshman- and sophomore-level courses on the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus, creating a seamless pathway for students to complete
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HATTIESBURG, Mississippi, April 3 -- The University of Southern Mississippi issued the following news:
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Southern Miss, MGCCC Partner to Expand Degree Pathways at Gulf Park
By: Jennifer Rigney
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) held a joint press conference today at the university's Gulf Park campus in Long Beach, Miss., to announce a new academic partnership that will allow MGCCC to offer select freshman- and sophomore-level courses on the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus, creating a seamless pathway for students to completecourse requirements for select associate and bachelor's degrees.
The agreement is designed to expand four-year degree opportunities for MGCCC students on the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus while increasing access to instructional locations in the Gulfport, Pass Christian and Long Beach areas. Through the partnership, students will be able to complete their MGCCC associate degree and Southern Miss bachelor's degree consecutively at the Gulf Park campus.
"This partnership reflects our shared commitment to student access, efficiency and success," said Southern Miss President Dr. Joe Paul. "By offering MGCCC courses at Gulf Park, we are creating a more efficient, student-centered pathway from associate to bachelor's degree right here on the Coast."
Under the agreement, USM and MGCCC will work collaboratively each semester to identify MGCCC freshman- and sophomore-level courses to be offered on the Gulf Park campus, with an emphasis on providing sufficient face-to-face options to support both institutions' on-campus degree programs. While MGCCC provides freshman- and sophomore-level coursework at Gulf Park, Southern Miss will continue to focus on upper-division offerings to ensure a coordinated academic pathway for students.
Students enrolled through the partnership will benefit from coordinated academic advising from both institutions each semester, improving course transferability and reducing time to degree.
"Expanding Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's presence at the Gulf Park campus allows us to deepen our connection to the West Harrison County community while making the transfer pathway even more seamless for students," said MGCCC President Dr. Mary S. Graham. "Today demonstrates what can happen when institutions work together with a shared goal of serving students and strengthening our region."
MGCCC students who complete an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher will be guaranteed admission to Southern Miss, barring non-academic factors. Eligible MGCCC graduates may also be considered for the Coastal Pathways Scholarship, which provides $5,000 per academic year for up to two years, as long as funding is available.
The partnership also supports reverse transfer opportunities, allowing students who transfer to Southern Miss with at least 60 hours of MGCCC coursework, but without an associate degree, to complete associate degree requirements after matriculating to the university.
Both institutions will maintain compliance with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) policies and may enter into additional agreements as needed to support the goals of the partnership.
Learn more about transfer opportunities and academic programs at the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus (https://www.usm.edu/gulf-park/index.php).
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Original text here: https://www.usm.edu/news/2026/releases/mgccc-expand-degree-pathways-gulf-park.php
Longwood Announces Chief Justice Bernard Goodwyn, Colonial Williamsburg CEO Cliff Fleet as Commencement Speakers
FARMVILLE, Virginia, April 3 -- Longwood University issued the following news release:
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Longwood announces Chief Justice Bernard Goodwyn, Colonial Williamsburg CEO Cliff Fleet as commencement speakers
As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, a pair of leaders with deep ties to Virginia history and culture will address the Longwood Class of 2026 at commencement ceremonies on May 15-16.
Bernard Goodwyn's tenure as chief justice of the Virginia Supreme Court concluded earlier this year, and he will serve as the University's undergraduate commencement speaker. An acclaimed lawyer and
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FARMVILLE, Virginia, April 3 -- Longwood University issued the following news release:
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Longwood announces Chief Justice Bernard Goodwyn, Colonial Williamsburg CEO Cliff Fleet as commencement speakers
As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, a pair of leaders with deep ties to Virginia history and culture will address the Longwood Class of 2026 at commencement ceremonies on May 15-16.
Bernard Goodwyn's tenure as chief justice of the Virginia Supreme Court concluded earlier this year, and he will serve as the University's undergraduate commencement speaker. An acclaimed lawyer andjurist, Goodwyn was originally appointed to the Virginia Supreme Court in 2007 and served a four-year term as Chief Justice from 2022-26. The Virginia Supreme Court is among America's oldest judicial bodies, with roots predating the Revolution.
In 2025, Goodwyn received the Gerald L. Baliles Distinguished Service Award from the Virginia Bar Association, its highest honor, given for exceptional service and contributions to the bar and public at large. He is the former co-chair of the Virginia Access to Justice Commission, a group created by the Supreme Court, which focuses on the civil legal needs of Virginians while working on issues of access to justice.
A native of Southampton County, Goodwyn began his career in private practice in Charlottesville and Norfolk before serving as judge in the Chesapeake General District Court and First Judicial Circuit Court. He is a graduate of Harvard University, where he played football and ran track, and the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was selected for the Ritter Prize for his honor, character, and integrity.
Goodwyn will address graduating seniors at the undergraduate Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16 at 9:30 a.m. on Wheeler Mall.
Cliff Fleet III is the president and CEO of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which administers the world's largest living history museum. He will serve as the graduate commencement speaker on May 15.
Under Fleet's leadership, Colonial Williamsburg has taken a central role in the planning and celebration of America's 250th anniversary, including a year of educational, preservation, and civic events that mark the American Revolution.
Fleet was named the ninth president of Colonial Williamsburg in 2020 and has launched a $600 million campaign to support the museum's mission. Previously, he served as President and CEO of 22nd Century Group and Philip Morris USA. He is an adjunct professor at William & Mary and co-chair of the Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable. Fleet holds four degrees from William & Mary and is the former president of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.
He will address graduates at the graduate Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15 at 4:30 p.m. in the Joan Perry Brock Center.
"Justice Goodwyn and Cliff Fleet are Virginians who are deeply connected to the history, life, and legacy of the Commonwealth, and are public servants whose careers shape our understanding of our nation," said President W. Taylor Reveley IV. "I am deeply grateful they will join us on this celebratory occasion as we honor the Class of 2026 in this 250th anniversary year."
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Original text here: https://www.longwood.edu/news/2026/longwood-announces-2026-commencement-speakers/
International Maritime Officers Connect With Science at W&M's Batten School & VIMS
GLOUCESTER POINT, Virginia, April 3 -- William and Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science issued the following news:
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International maritime officers connect with science at W&M's Batten School & VIMS
By Ethan Smith
William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS recently hosted the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) International Maritime Officer's Course (IMOC), educating global maritime leaders on how science impacts real-world decisions on issues like pollution, fisheries enforcement and coastal hazards. Hosted approximately two to three times a year by the Office of Research & Advisory Services,
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GLOUCESTER POINT, Virginia, April 3 -- William and Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science issued the following news:
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International maritime officers connect with science at W&M's Batten School & VIMS
By Ethan Smith
William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS recently hosted the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) International Maritime Officer's Course (IMOC), educating global maritime leaders on how science impacts real-world decisions on issues like pollution, fisheries enforcement and coastal hazards. Hosted approximately two to three times a year by the Office of Research & Advisory Services,the training highlights how the Batten School & VIMS advisory mission reaches beyond Virginia to benefit coastal communities around the world.
"Bringing international officers here to see pollution response and prevention, and the other work you do, is something that they will take back to their countries," said Lieutenant Christopher Xirau, who serves in the International Division at USCG Training Center Yorktown. "This program carries a lot of prestige, and many of these officers will eventually be promoted to really high levels. The hope is that when they are admirals, they will apply the lessons learned from all our different instructors, including those from VIMS."
Now hosting its 75th cohort, IMOC is a 12-week professional military education program designed to connect international maritime officers with U.S. Coast Guard mission planning, operations and leadership strategies. Participants, who are members of their respective nations' coast guard, navy or maritime police, engage in a wide-ranging curriculum that spans maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, crisis management and international rule of law.
Since 2022, a daytrip to the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS has served as a key stop in the program, complementing an additional visit to W&M's main campus. The W&M Whole of Government Center of Excellence (WGC) serves as the university contact for USCG Training Center Yorktown and coordinates both the IMOC program and another course held at W&M each year on International Maritime Domain Awareness.
In Williamsburg, IMOC participants experience whole-of-government instruction from faculty on topics ranging from tools of national influence and entrepreneurial thinking to planning for the unknown and resource-constrained decision-making. Then, at the Batten School & VIMS' Gloucester Point campus, officers receive an immersive look at how science informs real-world maritime operations. Presentations and tours introduce participants to topics such as spill planning and response, illegal fishing and the scientific tools that support decision-making in complex marine environments.
"It's a chance to show how marine science interacts with their worlds and how it can be useful to them," said Emily Hein, assistant director for advisory services. Hein, who works extensively with the USCG on oil and hazmat spill response planning in Virginia, says participation in IMOC demonstrates the global impact of the Batten School & VIMS. "We get the opportunity to reach all these other countries," she said. "The goal is that when they get back home, they will center science in their actions and decision-making."
Throughout the program, information flows both ways. "This is more of a subject matter expert exchange," said Xirau. "We teach them how we do things in the Coast Guard, and we gather a lot of information from them as well. It's a conversation."
Hein agreed the IMOC participants bring insightful global perspectives to the Batten School & VIMS.
"Different countries do things differently, so it's helpful to learn what does and does not work in various places," she said, noting that the variety of experiences adds important nuance to the day's discussions. "Some of them have never talked to a scientist, while others work directly with researchers. Some have never encountered these issues, while others may have seized an illegal fishing vessel just last month."
The ongoing partnership with the USCG highlights the Batten School & VIMS' preeminent role not only in the commonwealth, but across the nation and around the world, according to Megan La Peyre, associate dean of research & advisory services. "This partnership with the USCG reflects their trust in the Batten School & VIMS as a global leader in applied marine science," she said. "When our office connects scientists with maritime leaders, we're doing more than just sharing data; we're building shared understanding that strengthens decision-making and marine stewardship."
Ultimately, the IMOC visit underscores a shared reality: oceans, coasts and waterways connect every nation. By bridging science and maritime operations, the collaborative partnership between the USCG, William & Mary and VIMS helps equip a global network of leaders to better understand those waters.
As Xirau put it, "Using this program to build ironclad relationships with the rest of the world is a win for the United States and for our global partners. The oceans link everyone in the world, and it's on us to be unified stewards of that environment."
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Original text here: https://www.vims.edu/newsandevents/topstories/2026/uscg-imoc.php
Google Software Engineer on Charting His Own Course at Skidmore
SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York, April 3 -- Skidmore College issued the following news:
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A Google software engineer on charting his own course at Skidmore
By Jodi Frank
When Theko Lekena '16 arrived at Skidmore College, he knew he wanted to be a software engineer. What he didn't yet know was how many directions that ambition could take him -- or how much he would come to value defining success on his own terms.
Today, Lekena is a software engineer at Google in New York City.
Lekena returned to campus earlier this year to participate in the Black Excellence Panel, organized through the Career
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York, April 3 -- Skidmore College issued the following news:
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A Google software engineer on charting his own course at Skidmore
By Jodi Frank
When Theko Lekena '16 arrived at Skidmore College, he knew he wanted to be a software engineer. What he didn't yet know was how many directions that ambition could take him -- or how much he would come to value defining success on his own terms.
Today, Lekena is a software engineer at Google in New York City.
Lekena returned to campus earlier this year to participate in the Black Excellence Panel, organized through the CareerDevelopment Center and held in Wyckoff Center in celebration of Black History Month. He joined fellow alumni to share reflections with students on career, purpose, and resilience.
His message was both practical and philosophical: Chart your own course. His advice echoed lessons from his own path -- one shaped by curiosity, recalibration, and persistence. Especially in the era of artificial intelligence, he says, these attributes are increasingly important.
A crash that sparked curiosity
Growing up in South Africa, Lekena and his twin brother played on what he describes as a "janky old" cartridge-based video game system. One day, after making hard-won progress in a game that didn't allow players to save, the screen suddenly filled with gibberish.
"It was just this feeling of dismay," he recalls. "But at the same time, I thought, somebody out there in the world must know what happened and can fix this. And I realized I desperately wanted to be that person."
That mix of frustration and curiosity sparked a lasting desire to understand how technology works -- and to build it better.
Lekena arrived at Skidmore College as a computer science major. Immersing himself in everything from theory to systems, he found something he hadn't necessarily expected from a small liberal arts college: "an excellent computer science program" led by deeply committed professors and defined by small, rigorous classes.
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"You hear about these engineering powerhouse universities like Georgia Tech, Carnegie Mellon, and Caltech. But I had incredible computer science professors at Skidmore. That's something that deserves far more recognition."
- Theko Lekena '16, Google software engineer
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Building skills for the real world
Hands-on experiences on campus and beyond deepened that learning, allowing him to apply theory in real-world settings and refine his understanding of the profession he hoped to enter.
As a student staff member at Skidmore's IT Help Desk, he learned what it meant to apply technical knowledge in real time. He troubleshot malfunctioning laptops and helped classmates navigate digital crises under deadline pressure. The role demanded not just technical skill but also communication, patience, and empathy. The job would prove unexpectedly formative later on.
Lekena also interned as a software developer at Odd Networks, a newly created startup at the time that developed streaming service technologies. The internship helped clarify the distinction between writing code and engineering software systems.
"Studying computer science from a classroom perspective can make you a very good programmer," he explains. "But the elements that ultimately make you a good software engineer are things you learn while working with other people to build complex systems."
A strategic first step
That blend of academic rigor and practical experience proved critical after graduation, when Lekena attended a National Society of Black Engineers career conference and interviewed with Google. The role was to work within a yearlong IT residency program, which focused on internal technical support, much like the work he did for Skidmore's IT Help Desk but on a global scale.
Crucially, he leaned on his Skidmore IT Help Desk experience during the interview process. The troubleshooting, user support, and steady communication translated directly. The position placed him on a team supporting Google employees across operating systems and devices, helping maintain the technical infrastructure that keeps a global company running. Although it wasn't the engineering role he had initially envisioned, he recognized it as a strategic entry point into one of the world's leading technology companies.
While rooted in IT support, the residency emphasized continuous learning. Participants were encouraged to identify technical areas they wanted to explore and to build new skills alongside their daily responsibilities. That push toward self-directed growth shaped his trajectory.
Lekena soon rotated into a software engineering role in California, working within Google's compiler infrastructure, the foundational systems that translate human-readable programming languages into machine instructions. He later spent two years engineering blockchain infrastructure at financial technology company Axoni before returning to Google.
Defining success on your own terms
Today, Lekena works on an infrastructure team within Google Search, building developer tools that support the engineers who create features used by millions of people. His team develops systems that help product teams measure how new features perform once released, from updates to search results and navigation tools like Google Maps to the latest features that include AI shopping and planning tools.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping that landscape, he notes. For Lekena, that means maintaining a mindset of constant learning and adapting to new tools and approaches as technology evolves.
At the Black Excellence Panel, he encouraged students to think intentionally about their own definitions of success, noting that success is not handed out fully formed. It is refined through experience and pursued with intention, strengthened through iteration, resilience, and a willingness to keep learning.
"Be willing to start climbing," he advises. "It might not be a straight line, but there will be a path upward."
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Original text here: https://www.skidmore.edu/news/2026/0330-theko-lekena.php
GVSU Earns National Recognition for AI Innovation in Education
ALLENDALE, Michigan, April 3 -- Grand Valley State University issued the following news:
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GVSU earns national recognition for AI innovation in education
By Brian Vernellis
The development of a visionary AI-powered application has earned Grand Valley a prestigious national honor.
GVSU was selected as a 2026 CIO 100 Award winner by Foundry, recognizing the leadership of the Information Technology Division in the development of ProfAI, which was showcased at Tech Week GR in 2024 .
For more than 40 years, the CIO 100 Awards have honored institutions and organizations that drive innovation,
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ALLENDALE, Michigan, April 3 -- Grand Valley State University issued the following news:
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GVSU earns national recognition for AI innovation in education
By Brian Vernellis
The development of a visionary AI-powered application has earned Grand Valley a prestigious national honor.
GVSU was selected as a 2026 CIO 100 Award winner by Foundry, recognizing the leadership of the Information Technology Division in the development of ProfAI, which was showcased at Tech Week GR in 2024 .
For more than 40 years, the CIO 100 Awards have honored institutions and organizations that drive innovation,deliver measurable value, and demonstrate excellence in the strategic use of information technology.
The project began when Chandrash Baid, assistant professor of management in the Seidman College of Business, sought help creating course content for his students. He connected with Joseph Van Harken, IT Innovation + Research's innovator-in-residence, to explore potential solutions.
Van Harken and the team at GVSU's futurEDlab partnered with students and faculty to develop ProfAI, an AI-powered tool that transforms hour-long lectures into concise and accessible 5-7 minute segments. The platform also generates a digital avatar of the instructor, mirroring their appearance and voice to deliver the content.
ProfAI is currently being used by a small group of faculty members. Van Harken said the tool is designed not to replace instruction, but to create more opportunities for meaningful faculty-student engagement.
"Emerging technology can feel intimidating, but when we explore it together, it becomes an opportunity," said Van Harken. "ProfAI is about helping faculty feel more confident using these tools, creating efficiencies in their work and opening the door to new ways of thinking about teaching and learning."
Grand Valley will be recognized at the CIO 100 Awards & Conference in August in Frisco, Texas.
"The futurEDlab is a collaborative platform uniting people, ideas and technology to spark innovation and shape the future of education at GVSU," said Eric Kunnen, senior director of IT Innovation + Research.
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Original text here: https://www.gvsu.edu/gvnext/2026/gvsu-earns-national-recognition-for-ai-innovation-in-education.htm
Binghamton University: Eureka - Researchers Develop Way to Detect Breakthroughs in Science
BINGHAMTON, New York, April 3 (TNSjou) -- Binghamton University issued the following news:
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Eureka! Researchers develop new way to detect breakthroughs in science
Large-scale analysis reveals 'disruptive' innovations in research history
By John Brhel
The history of science and technology is marked by major breakthroughs -- the theory of evolution, the splitting of the atom, the development of antibiotics -- and a research team including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York, has developed a method to help pinpoint discoveries that reshaped the course of science.
A
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BINGHAMTON, New York, April 3 (TNSjou) -- Binghamton University issued the following news:
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Eureka! Researchers develop new way to detect breakthroughs in science
Large-scale analysis reveals 'disruptive' innovations in research history
By John Brhel
The history of science and technology is marked by major breakthroughs -- the theory of evolution, the splitting of the atom, the development of antibiotics -- and a research team including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York, has developed a method to help pinpoint discoveries that reshaped the course of science.
Astudy publishing in Science Advances maps the landscape of innovation to identify disruptive studies and patents that challenge existing paradigms and inspire waves of follow-up research. The measure was developed by a team including Sadamori Kojaku, assistant professor of systems science and industrial engineering at Binghamton University, along with his colleagues Munjung Kim and Yong-Yeol Ahn at the University of Virginia.
Progress in science is often marked by major breakthroughs, but tracking which discoveries are truly revolutionary is a monumental task. A disruptive work makes prior research obsolete, leaving traces in how future papers cite it. But the most widely used metric focuses only on a paper's closest citations, missing the bigger picture. This narrow view makes it particularly unreliable for simultaneous discoveries, where the bigger picture matters.
"Science doesn't evolve incrementally, but sometimes we see abrupt changes. Scholars are interested in when and why exactly the disruption happens," Kojaku said. "And to do that, we need to create a metric to kind of tell scholars, 'OK, this is the disruption happening in a given year.'"
Using a machine-learning technique known as neural embedding, the researchers built a map of approximately 55 million scientific papers and patents. Each paper is represented by two points -- one reflecting the research it built upon, another reflecting the research it inspired. When a paper is truly disruptive, these two points are far apart, meaning it redirected future research away from what came before it.
The system can identify major breakthroughs, like Nobel Prize-winning papers, but unlike other disruption indexes, it is sensitive to broader contexts and can better identify "simultaneous discoveries." A good example of a simultaneous discovery is the development of the theory of evolution by both Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, or the development of differential calculus by Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.
Knowing when major breakthroughs occur can help us better understand the conditions that lead to disruptive moments and fuel more breakthrough science.
"By having more accurate metrics, we can actually investigate where the disruption is happening in the map of science," Kojaku said. "It can have significant implications for science policy. It's also helpful for prioritizing funding. We now have the quantitative metrics to investigate at which stage of research the disruptive work occurs and matters most."
After reviewing the impact of research papers, the researchers are considering a follow-up paper focused specifically on tracing the trajectory of individual researchers.
The paper, "Uncovering simultaneous breakthroughs with a robust measure of disruptiveness," appeared in Science Advances on April 1.
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Original text here: https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/6153/eureka-scientists-develop-new-way-to-detect-breakthroughs-in-science
