Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
Virginia Tech: Fix for Frost - Engineers Use Electricity to Zap Ice Without Heat or Chemicals
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Nov. 12 (TNSjou) -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
* * *
A fix for frost: Engineers use electricity to zap ice without heat or chemicals
Every sheet of frost contains ionic defects. In a new paper published in Small Methods, Jonathan Boreyko's team uses high voltage to polarize these ions and rip off the frost.
By Alex Parrish
During winter months, frost can unleash icy havoc on cars, planes, heat pumps, and much more. But thermal defrosting with heaters is very energy intensive, while chemical defrosting is expensive and toxic to the environment.
Jonathan
... Show Full Article
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, Nov. 12 (TNSjou) -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
* * *
A fix for frost: Engineers use electricity to zap ice without heat or chemicals
Every sheet of frost contains ionic defects. In a new paper published in Small Methods, Jonathan Boreyko's team uses high voltage to polarize these ions and rip off the frost.
By Alex Parrish
During winter months, frost can unleash icy havoc on cars, planes, heat pumps, and much more. But thermal defrosting with heaters is very energy intensive, while chemical defrosting is expensive and toxic to the environment.
JonathanBoreyko, associate professor in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech, and his research team may have found a new and improved method for deicing. His philosophy is to combat ice by exploiting its own physics instead of using heat or chemicals, creating methods of frost removal that are more cost effective and environmentally friendly.
Their previous work leveraged the small amount of voltage that naturally exists within frost to polarize a nearby water film, creating an electric field that could detach microscopic ice crystals. Now his team is amping up this concept by applying a high voltage to an opposing electrode to more forcibly dislodge frost from its surface. The result is a new method the team has named "electrostatic defrosting" (EDF). The approach to creating it has been published in Small Methods.
Charging forward
As frost crystals grow, the water molecules arrange into a tidy ice lattice. But sometimes a water molecule lands a little off-pattern -- maybe it has an extra hydrogen nearby (H3O+) or is missing one entirely (OH-). Think of it as if you're putting together a big jigsaw puzzle too quickly, so that a piece gets jammed in the wrong spot or is missing entirely. These tiny errors create what scientists call ionic defects: places in the frost where there is a bit too much positive or negative charge.
The team hypothesized that when applying a positive voltage to an electrode plate held above the frost, the negative ionic defects would become attracted and "migrate" to the top of the frost sheet, while the positive ionic defects would be repelled and migrate toward the base of the frost. In other words, the frost would become highly polarized and exhibit a strong attractive force to the electrode. If this attractive force is strong enough, frost crystals could fracture off and jump into the electrode.
Even without any applied voltage, the overhanging copper plate removed 15 percent of the frost. This is because frost can weakly self-polarize even without any applied electric field. However, applying voltage dramatically boosts the extent of polarization. When the team turned on 120 volts of power, 40 percent of the frost was removed. At 550 volts, 50 percent was removed.
"We really thought we were onto something here," Boreyko said. "Keep turning up the voltage and more frost will jump away, right? What was unexpected was when the opposite happened."
Turning up the power further, something curious happened: less frost jumped away, reducing to only 30 percent removal at 1,100 volts and 20 percent at 5,500 volts. The results contradicted the theoretical model, which predicted that the performance should continually improve with increasing voltage.
The team found a possible explanation for this plunge in frost removal at higher voltages. When growing frost on an insulating glass substrate, rather than a copper one, the higher voltages performed only slightly worse. This indicated that charge leakage from the polarized frost into the underlying substrate was occurring, especially at high voltages, which could be mitigated by using a more insulating surface.
Upgrading again to an air-trapping superhydrophobic substrate, now the highest voltage removed the most frost, as initially expected. Turning up the voltage now ripped off up to 75 percent of the frost.
"When using the superhydrophobic surface, the electrostatic defrosting was powerful enough to make a hidden Virginia Tech 'VT' logo become clearly visible on the surface after the frost jumped off," said Venkata Yashasvi Lolla, the lead researcher on the project, now in postdoctoral work at Berkeley.
The research continues, toward the eventual goal of 100 percent ice removal. Part of this research will include the removal of frost on multiple types of surfaces, expanding the potential applications across both industrial and consumer use.
"This concept of electric deicing is still in a very early stage," Boreyko said. "Beyond this first paper, our goal is to improve EDF by reducing charge leakage and attempt higher voltages and electrode placements, among various other emerging strategies. We hope that in the near future, EDF will prove to be a cost-effective, chemical-free, and low-energy approach to deicing."
Original study: DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202501143
* * *
Alex B. Parrish, Director of Communications, Mechanical Engineering (0202), Email: alexparrish@vt.edu, Work Phone: 540-231-2965
* * *
Original text here: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2025/11/eng-me-boreyko-electric-defrosting-102025.html
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center: Expanding Brain Tumor Research
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, Nov. 12 -- The University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center issued the following news release:
* * *
Expanding brain tumor research
A prestigious $4.5M NIH grant will help advance the understanding about deadly tumors and provide a path for developing new treatments
Author: Nicole Fawcett, Director of Communications, University of Michigan Rogel Cancer
For Maria Castro, Ph.D., moving the needle isn't enough.
"I would like to go further. I'd like to turn malignant brain cancer into a chronic disease that can be managed," she said.
It's a lofty goal, but with a new seven-year,
... Show Full Article
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, Nov. 12 -- The University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center issued the following news release:
* * *
Expanding brain tumor research
A prestigious $4.5M NIH grant will help advance the understanding about deadly tumors and provide a path for developing new treatments
Author: Nicole Fawcett, Director of Communications, University of Michigan Rogel Cancer
For Maria Castro, Ph.D., moving the needle isn't enough.
"I would like to go further. I'd like to turn malignant brain cancer into a chronic disease that can be managed," she said.
It's a lofty goal, but with a new seven-year,$4.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, Castro is poised to push forward game-changing research with tremendous potential to improve outcomes for adults and children with a deadly subtype of brain cancer.
Castro, the RC Schnieder Collegiate Professor of Neurosurgery and professor of cell and developmental biology, recently received the Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
The award is given out once a year to provide long term support to investigators with a history of moving the needle.
The prestigious award reflects Castro's significant contributions to the field of brain tumor research as well as her long history of service to the NIH, participating in intramural evaluation meetings, study sections and special emphasis panel review committees.
"I've been working on brain cancers for 25 years," said Castro, who's a member of the Rogel Cancer Center.
"People now have better outcomes than they did 25 years ago - surgical techniques have improved, radiation therapy has improved and there are some new therapeutics. But the needle hasn't moved in terms of providing lifesaving treatment."
SEE ALSO: Path forward for glioblastoma treatment (https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/path-forward-glioblastoma-treatment?pk_vid=16769926fb243f1f1762933257806b86)
This award will allow Castro to continue her pioneering work in glioma, the most common type of brain cancer.
Specifically, she's looking at a subtype in which a gene called IDH1 is mutated - representing about half of gliomas. These tumors are low grade and occur at a younger age.
Survival can be seven to 10 years, compared to months or years for those without this mutation.
"In spite of the patients living much longer, it's also a delayed death sentence," Castro said.
"Eventually the tumor comes back and kills the patient. These are young people who have this disease and know it's a death sentence. It's like they have a ticking bomb in their brain."
Accepting a prestigious NIH award
Castro is passionate about the work she does.
"But it's not only about the science. The focus of my lab is to develop projects that will eventually lead to clinical implementation."
Work from Castro's lab translated to a clinical trial of gene therapy trial in adult glioblastoma patients, which was recently completed. A similar trial in pediatric and young adult glioma patients will start soon.
"The fact that those trials came from work done in my lab is very rewarding and a huge honor for me," said Castro.
Her driving force is to see her research benefiting patients.
"That's what drives me to do the work I do."
When asked why she pursues basic science, Castro says for her it's a continuum; she starts her research projects from very basic biological questions.
"In five or six years, the answers to these questions lead to novel treatments. It's basic science that translates to preclinical translational science then leads to clinical trials and clinical science."
Working in a lab can be challenging day in and day out, along with the failures and the overcoming of those failures, Castro notes.
"Eventually, seeing all the hard work pan out, though, it's very rewarding."
Embarking on a new research project for brain tumors
The specific topic of her grant is to focus on a subtype of brain cancer in which her lab has done a lot of pioneering work.
"These are tumors that arise in younger patients, around ages 40-45," explained Castro.
"These tumors have a mutation in a metabolic enzyme, which is called a gain of function mutation. It means this enzyme will have a new function and will produce a new metabolic chemical that's only made in the cancer cells. It reprograms the cancer cells to the advantage of the patient."
Patients with this mutation live much longer - anywhere between seven to 10 years.
"So, we're talking about a huge difference compared to those without this mutation, in which survival is under two years."
The United States Food and Drug Administration has approved an inhibitor that will block this tumor, but Castro notes that's only for cancer in the initial stages.
"When the tumor progresses 10 years later, there are no treatments. That's what this grant is about: to develop treatment for when this disease comes back and becomes deadly."
Her team previously discovered that a brain tumor harboring this mutation can modify the development of immune cells or white blood cells that develop in the bone marrow.
The tumor releases a molecule into the circulation that reaches the bone marrow and alters how the immune cells are made in patients' bone marrow.
"In this grant we will investigate how these immune cells are modified, how the tumor cells talk to the bone marrow, and how these reprogrammed immune cells go back into the brain microenvironment to modify the immune response against the tumor," said Castro.
The difference years of research funding makes
The significance of the Javits grant, Castro says, is both the length of time of the grant as well as the amount of money.
"What that will allow my lab to do is, first, keep supporting the outstanding people we have. You have to renew your grants to be able to support your personnel. So this gives us stability in terms of the outstanding people we currently have," said Castro.
It'll also allow her group to take more risks.
"The technologies now are incredible - the omics techniques, bioinformatics, epigenetics, three-dimensional architecture of tumors. The sky's the limit - but these technologies are very expensive. This grant will enable me and my team to harness the power of state-of-the-art technologies to discover biology that will impact tumor progression and enable us to develop novel therapies. That's the push this grant will give to my research program. It's very exciting."
NIH funding has been absolutely critical throughout her career, notes Castro.
"The work we have done, which has been translated into human patients and led to really exciting results - and may lead to changing standard of care for these patients - would not have been possible without NIH funding."
Today, people reach out to Castro from all over the world to enroll in trials that stemmed from 25 years of laboratory research.
That's something the public may not realize, she says.
"Science takes time. You have to fund very basic science because you don't know what is going to pan out. The only one who's going to fund that fundamental work is the federal government," said Castro.
"Pharmaceutical companies and philanthropists often already have in mind what they want to fund. But that's not the way science advances. Science advances by funding good quality work across the board. All the other entities play an important role and help tremendously - but the federal government is key for medical advances across the board."
Patients who have the best outcomes, Castro says, are the patients who get involved with understanding the disease and who enroll in clinical trials.
"This is proven: patients who enroll in clinical trials live longer," she explained. "Which is telling you that basic science, clinical science is really moving the needle - and we need more patients to participate."
* * *
Original text here: https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-lab/expanding-brain-tumor-research
UNM Associate Professor Sarah Hernandez receives Luce Foundation Grant for groundbreaking anthology
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, Nov. 12 -- The University of New Mexico posted the following news:
* * *
UNM Associate Professor Sarah Hernandez receives Luce Foundation Grant for groundbreaking anthology
*
Sarah Hernandez (Sicangu Lakota), associate professor of Native American Literature and director of the Institute for American Indian Research at The University of New Mexico, has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation's Indigenous Knowledge Initiative to publish The Oceti Sakowin Reader: An Anthology of Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota Literature.
Associate Professor Sarah Hernandez
... Show Full Article
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, Nov. 12 -- The University of New Mexico posted the following news:
* * *
UNM Associate Professor Sarah Hernandez receives Luce Foundation Grant for groundbreaking anthology
*
Sarah Hernandez (Sicangu Lakota), associate professor of Native American Literature and director of the Institute for American Indian Research at The University of New Mexico, has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation's Indigenous Knowledge Initiative to publish The Oceti Sakowin Reader: An Anthology of Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota Literature.
Associate Professor Sarah Hernandez
Hernandez will lead this two-year project in partnership with the Oceti Sakowin Writers Society (OSWS), which will serve as the project's fiscal sponsor. Inspired by The Dine Reader: An Anthology of Navajo Literature (2019), this anthology will be the first to bring together Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota voices in a single volume. Funding from the Luce Foundation will support editorial development, community-based research, podcast production, and educational materials, ensuring the anthology preserves and shares Oceti Sakowin literature for generations.
Hernandez's scholarship and teaching emphasize Native/Indigenous literature, literary criticism, and community-engaged research. Her work often involves collaborations with tribal writers, educators, and elders to center the voices of the Oceti Sakowin and preserve the Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota storytelling traditions.
A citizen of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate, Hernandez is the author of the award-winning book We Are the Stars: Colonizing and Decolonizing the Oceti Sakowin Literary Tradition, published by the University of Arizona Press and University of Regina Press in 2023. The book traces Oceti Sakowin literary history across 200 years, from oral to print to digital forms, and explores how literature has been used to both colonize and decolonize Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota communities and nations.
Hernandez is a longtime board member of OSWS (formerly the Oak Lake Writers' Society), a Native-led nonprofit organization that supports Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota writers and strengthens intergenerational storytelling. In 2020, Hernandez collaborated with OSWS and the First Nations Development Institute to launch #NativeReads: Great Books from Indigenous Communities, Stories of the Oceti Sakowin, a national reading campaign aimed at increasing awareness of Oceti Sakowin literature.
The Oceti Sakowin Reader will expand on these efforts to make Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota literary traditions more accessible to students and educators. "This anthology will help increase access to our vibrant literary tradition so that tribal students can see themselves and their communities positively reflected in their classrooms and textbooks," said Hernandez.
Proceeds from the anthology will support OSWS's broader mission to nurture Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota writers and preserve the Oceti Sakowin Oyate's rich intellectual and literary traditions. Through mentorship, publishing, and education, OSWS continues to foster Da Oceti Sakowin storytelling across generations.
To learn more or support this work, visit www.ocetisakowinwriterssociety.org.
***
Original text here: https://news.unm.edu/news/unm-associate-professor-sarah-hernandez-receives-luce-foundation-grant-for-groundbreaking-anthology
Schneiderman Leads 2025 Lake Forest Reads Conversation With Author
LAKE FOREST, Illinois, Nov. 12 -- Lake Forest College issued the following news:
* * *
Schneiderman leads 2025 Lake Forest Reads conversation with author
Executive Director of the Krebs Center for the Humanities and Professor of English Davis Schneiderman guided a lively, wide-ranging conversation with bestselling novelist William Kent Krueger at this year's Lake Forest Reads community event, which drew strong attendance to the Gorton Center for the program's first-ever daytime weekend gathering.
Readers filled the John & Nancy Hughes Theater November 2 to hear Krueger, author of The River
... Show Full Article
LAKE FOREST, Illinois, Nov. 12 -- Lake Forest College issued the following news:
* * *
Schneiderman leads 2025 Lake Forest Reads conversation with author
Executive Director of the Krebs Center for the Humanities and Professor of English Davis Schneiderman guided a lively, wide-ranging conversation with bestselling novelist William Kent Krueger at this year's Lake Forest Reads community event, which drew strong attendance to the Gorton Center for the program's first-ever daytime weekend gathering.
Readers filled the John & Nancy Hughes Theater November 2 to hear Krueger, author of The RiverWe Remember and the popular Cork O'Connor mystery series, discuss his craft, his characters, and the enduring themes that shape his work. Comparing Krueger's new novel to Willa Cather's My Antonia, Schneiderman described The River We Remember as "a mystery of who gets to remember, whose stories are told, and what's at stake in these questions."
Set in 1950s rural Minnesota, the book begins with the discovery of a body in the Alabaster River and unfolds into a meditation on memory, justice, and the scars of war. Krueger opened the afternoon with a tribute to libraries, recalling a Boy Scout reading badge that first connected him to literature: "Our libraries are the archives of our culture...when our libraries are gone--and our librarians along with them--there goes everything we are as a people."
During their conversation, Krueger distinguished his mystery series from his standalone novels: "A mystery is an intellectual construct--its success depends on the timing of the reveals," he said. "But Ordinary Grace, This Tender Land, and The River We Remember came from my heart. I allowed the story to reveal itself as I wrote."
He credited Minnesota as both muse and moral landscape. "If I can ground the reader profoundly in place, it's easier to understand everything else," he said, calling his novels "valentines to the Upper Midwest." On the book's title, Krueger explained, "We all remember a different river--the currents of our lives shape what we recall."
Schneiderman pressed Krueger on the story's moral and historical depth, from Sheriff Brody Dern's decision to conceal evidence to the town's prejudice against Dakota veteran Noah Bluestone and his Japanese wife, Kyoko. Krueger linked these conflicts to his own family history and postwar America: "I've wondered all my life--when you come back from that kind of wounding, how do you heal? If our brokenness is embraced, you can move forward--even if the tenderness of the wound remains."
The event marked another successful collaboration among Lake Forest College, Lake Forest Library, The Gorton Center, Lake Forest Open Lands, Lake Forest Book Store, and Dickinson Hall, with sponsorship from the Friends of Lake Forest Library.
"We are so fortunate and honored to have someone of Dr. Schneiderman's caliber moderate these conversations with notable authors for the past several years," said Lake Forest Library Executive Director Ishwar Laxminarayan.
Since 2012, Lake Forest Reads has united the community each year around a single book and author. Past guests have included Luis Urrea, Rebecca Makkai, Ruth Ozeki, Jean Kwok, Jamie Ford, Marie Benedict, Diane Wilson, and Shelby Van Pelt. With its high turnout and engaging dialogue, this year's program affirmed the power of conversation, community, and the written word to keep Lake Forest's literary spirit thriving.
* * *
About the Krebs Center: The Krebs Center for the Humanities, housed in an Italianate villa on the Lake Forest College campus, fosters creativity, critical thinking, and empathy through interdisciplinary engagement with literature, philosophy, history, and the arts. The Center underscores the College's commitment to preparing students to meet an ever-evolving future where humanistic inquiry remains central.
* * *
URL: Krebs Center for the Humanities
* * *
Original text here: https://www.lakeforest.edu/news-and-events/schneiderman-leads-2025-lake-forest-reads-conversation-with-author
Hunter College Named a Flagship of 'CUNY Beyond' Career Initiative
NEW YORK, Nov. 12 -- Hunter College, a constituent college of the City University of New York, issued the following news:
* * *
Hunter College Named a Flagship of 'CUNY Beyond' Career Initiative
Hunter College has been chosen for the first wave of colleges in the new CUNY Beyond career initiative, CUNY Chancellor Felix V. Matos Rodriguez announced in his "State of the University" speech this week.
The initiative aims to accelerate the professional success of CUNY undergraduates by integrating connections to careers into every stage of students' academic path. CUNY Beyond hopes to reach 100%
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Nov. 12 -- Hunter College, a constituent college of the City University of New York, issued the following news:
* * *
Hunter College Named a Flagship of 'CUNY Beyond' Career Initiative
Hunter College has been chosen for the first wave of colleges in the new CUNY Beyond career initiative, CUNY Chancellor Felix V. Matos Rodriguez announced in his "State of the University" speech this week.
The initiative aims to accelerate the professional success of CUNY undergraduates by integrating connections to careers into every stage of students' academic path. CUNY Beyond hopes to reach 100%of undergraduate students, with post-graduate success measured by 80% of Bachelor's and Associates graduates consistently employed in their career of choice after a year.
The first wave of CUNY Beyond colleges includes Hunter, Lehman, LaGuardia, and Borough of Manhattan Community College.
All 19 undergraduate CUNY campuses will implement the CUNY Beyond career success strategy from July 2025 through May 2030, with the goal of connecting 180,000 New Yorkers to careers by 2030. The university is giving Hunter $2.3 million to implement the program.
CUNY Beyond will build on several steps Hunter already has undertaken in its HunterWorks! career initiative.
The chancellor stressed in his address, for example, that CUNY Beyond will bring career thinking into the classroom.
"As is the case nationally, only a quarter of CUNY students use our amazing campus career services. Yet all of them go to class," he said. "So instead of waiting for students to walk into a career center or the next job fair, we are working with our faculty and faculty peer leaders in every discipline to embed career touchpoints in their classes, in advising and orientation and in their everyday college experience. We are moving beyond the old notion of career connections as distinct from the academic journey, or something that students don't need to think about until their junior or senior year."
During the last two years, as part of HunterWorks!, almost half of Hunter's departments have embedded faculty and staff as designated internship coordinators or faculty career specialists. Meanwhile, 31 courses at Hunter now incorporate career success strategies and activities in their curriculum through HunterWorks! curriculum innovation grants to faculty members. A Practitioners-in-Residence program also has created courses in key career sectors that are taught by industry professionals.
"We are grateful to CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos-Rodriguez and Vice Chancellor Lauren Andersen for their immense support of our faculty and staff who are committed to positioning our students for career success," said Dean of Academic Innovation and Outcomes Robert Domanski, who directs HunterWorks!. "CUNY Beyond will make an enormous impact by allowing us to further build the capacity of our academic departments to prepare and connect students to internships and jobs in ways that are customized for each field."
CUNY Beyond aims to raise student degree attainment and career outcomes by focusing on known springboards of economic mobility, such as participation in paid internships and proactive connection with employers.
It is organized around five pillars:
* Career exposure and exploration, beginning before students set foot on campus and continuing through their academic journey, through aligning academic choices with career aspirations and labor market intelligence.
* Integrated academic and career advisement, by scaling integrated tools and advisers who discuss course schedules and critical career milestones to ensure students are aware of career options
* Career-connected coursework, by integrating career connections into the classroom, supported by industry professionals teaching in-demand skills
* Paid work-based learning, by providing students with access to paid internships, co-ops, and apprenticeships early in their academic careers, including by embedding these opportunities into their degrees
* Systemwide and campus-based employer engagement, by connecting students with employers on campus and via CUNY-wide events.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.hunter.cuny.edu/news/hunter-college-named-a-flagship-of-cuny-beyond-career-initiative/?news-feed=all-news&source=/news/
From Watchmaker to Molecular Biologist: Swift Leads OSU-OKC's Biomanufacturing Program
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Nov. 12 -- Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City issued the following news:
* * *
From watchmaker to molecular biologist: Swift leads OSU-OKC's biomanufacturing program
Armond Swift's path to becoming director of the biomanufacturing program at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City was a winding one. Appropriate in some ways, as along the way, Swift made plenty of winds and turns as a watchmaker. Now, he leads one of the leading biomechanical programs in the state.
A Tulsa native, Swift dropped out of high school twice before eventually earning his GED diploma and
... Show Full Article
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Nov. 12 -- Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City issued the following news:
* * *
From watchmaker to molecular biologist: Swift leads OSU-OKC's biomanufacturing program
Armond Swift's path to becoming director of the biomanufacturing program at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City was a winding one. Appropriate in some ways, as along the way, Swift made plenty of winds and turns as a watchmaker. Now, he leads one of the leading biomechanical programs in the state.
A Tulsa native, Swift dropped out of high school twice before eventually earning his GED diploma andreturning to school decades later. Today, he leads one of the state's most workforce-driven STEM programs, preparing students for careers in biotechnology and biotherapeutics.
"I'm a high school dropout twice," Swift said. "I dropped out of high school twice, immediately before I would have graduated. I stayed in, I got my GED, and then failed miserably at college because I was young and had other priorities."
After years of working in various industries -- including medical transcription and watchmaking -- Swift returned to school in 2008, starting at Tulsa Community College. He earned his associate, bachelor's and master's degrees, completing his graduate work in 2018.
"So, I was a manual machinist, then a watchmaker, and now I'm a molecular biologist," Swift said. "My Tinker Toys just got smaller and smaller."
Swift's passion for biotechnology is evident in both his teaching style and curriculum development. At OSU-OKC, he oversees a hybrid biomanufacturing program that combines online coursework with intensive, hands-on lab training.
"All of the learning, all of the reading, all of the homework and tests are online," Swift said. "Most of our students work, so that they can do that at their leisure during the week. Then they come in and we do our labs, and our labs are pretty intensive."
His students work with mammalian cell strains, such as Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, commonly used in industry to manufacture complex proteins. In one lab, students insert a jellyfish-derived gene into CHO cells to produce a green fluorescent protein.
"They get a visual confirmation that it happened," Swift said. "We're all about manufacturing proteins, usually for therapeutics, but also enzymes for detergents."
Swift's program is designed to meet the growing demand for biomanufacturing professionals. Graduates can pursue careers as bioprocess technicians, quality control analysts and research associates.
"There are jobs right here, right here in Oklahoma City," Swift said. "My two-year students are already getting job offers."
For Swift, teaching is more than a job -- it's a calling.
"I absolutely love what I'm doing," he said. "Biology sounds really scary, but it's just super cool. The things that occur at the subcellular level are just amazing. It blows my mind every day."
And Swift remains on a mission to demystify biotechnology for the next generation. During Innovation Week at Science Museum Oklahoma, Swift introduced seventh-grade students to the world of molecular biology through hands-on demonstrations designed to spark curiosity and inspire future careers.
"What we were doing there was we were just being present, trying to introduce kids," Swift said. "This was entirely seventh graders. So they're quite a ways off from coming into my program, but we kind of want to be there to let them know, this is an option."
Swift's demonstration centered on the use of micropipettes -- precision instruments used to measure and transfer minuscule amounts of liquid in laboratory settings. Students practiced moving colored water using the same tools employed by professionals in biotech labs.
"A micropipettor is a piece of equipment that you hold in your hand, and you can dispense extremely precise amounts of liquids," Swift explained. "The largest we would ever move would be one milliliter, and the smallest is 0.2 of a single microliter."
The exercise gave students a tangible glimpse into the scale and precision of biotechnology. Swift used food-colored water -- jokingly referred to as "dihydrogen monoxide" -- to make the activity both educational and fun.
"They could take it home with them, they could pick their colors, whatever," he said. "It was more popular than I expected, which was great. It was very gratifying."
Swift's goal was simple: make an impression. He hopes students will remember the experience when they begin considering career paths in high school.
As director of OSU-OKC's biomanufacturing program, Swift is passionate about raising awareness of the field. He said the biggest challenge isn't a lack of jobs or low pay -- it's that most people don't know what biomanufacturing is.
"My journey in life at this point is to get the word out," he said.
Swift's outreach efforts have already made an impact. He recalled one student who enrolled in the program after a chance conversation at a grocery store.
"One of my present students was my cashier," Swift said. "I gave him the tour, showed him our programs, showed him my lab, and then like two weeks later, he emails me and said, 'Yeah, I did that. I went ahead and enrolled.'"
With growing demand for biotherapeutics and biotechnology, Swift believes OSU-OKC is positioned to lead the way in workforce development.
"I think we're right there at the front, at the leading edge," he said. "And I think we're going to continue leading on that. There's no reason not to."
* * *
Original text here: https://news.okstate.edu/articles/osu-okc/2025/from-watchmaker-to-molecular-biologist.html
CIM Unveils CIM Summer Institute, Bringing World-Class Training Under One Unified Banner
CLEVELAND, Ohio, Nov. 12 -- The Cleveland Institute of Music issued the following news on Nov. 11, 2025:
* * *
CIM unveils CIM Summer Institute, bringing world-class training under one unified banner
The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM), one of the world's preeminent conservatories, proudly announces the launch of the CIM Summer Institute.
This exciting new initiative unites and expands CIM's celebrated summer programs under one dynamic umbrella, increasing opportunities for young musicians from elementary school to graduate level to study, perform, and collaborate at the highest level.
... Show Full Article
CLEVELAND, Ohio, Nov. 12 -- The Cleveland Institute of Music issued the following news on Nov. 11, 2025:
* * *
CIM unveils CIM Summer Institute, bringing world-class training under one unified banner
The Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM), one of the world's preeminent conservatories, proudly announces the launch of the CIM Summer Institute.
This exciting new initiative unites and expands CIM's celebrated summer programs under one dynamic umbrella, increasing opportunities for young musicians from elementary school to graduate level to study, perform, and collaborate at the highest level.
"The CIM Summer Institute represents an exciting evolution of our summer programming," said Scott Harrison, CIM's Executive Vice President and Provost.
"We're providing students and aspiring professionals with a more connected, world-class experience that introduces them to the same artistry, rigor, and inspiration that define CIM year-round. It's a powerful statement of our commitment to cultivating the next generation of exceptional musicians."
The CIM Summer Institute brings together the school's renowned summer offerings in piano, chamber music, brass performance, and more -- creating a cohesive structure that encourages cross-disciplinary learning and collaboration.
"It's all too easy, when you're studying music seriously, to stay in your own world," said violist Jennifer Arnold (BM '03, PS '05, Vernon), program director of the CIM Summer Institute. "By connecting our programs, we're encouraging our students to actively engage with and learn from their colleagues."
The new Summer Institute will convene in two sessions in summer 2026, from June 12- 21 and July 5-12, bringing in students from around the globe. It will be followed by a third week dedicated to the local community with two levels of the Academy Day Camp.
As part of the Institute, CIM will continue to offer a wide range of elite training opportunities, including the Lang Lang Foundation Young Scholars Summit, Chamber Music Institute at CIM (CMI@CIM), the CMI Advanced String Quartet Program, the CIM Brass Lab, and the Young Artist Piano Seminar.
Each of these programs is led by top faculty and pairs intensive, one-on-one instruction with collaborative ensemble experiences -- including private lessons, masterclasses, rehearsals, and public performances -- providing an immersive, conservatory-level learning environment.
For elementary and middle school students, the Academy Day Camp offers the opportunity to spend a full week immersed in musical exploration and development, offering a taste of the Academy at CIM.
Music FUNdamentals, for students entering grades 2 to 6, focuses on the building blocks of melody, harmony, and rhythm while Ensemble FUNdamentals, for students entering grades 6 to 8, focuses on the development of ensemble skills to prepare students for success in orchestra and band.
Applications for 2026 Summer Institute programs open Nov. 11 and close April 1, with priority consideration for those who apply before Feb. 1. Full details and online applications are available at cim.edu/prep/summer.
The non-refundable application fee is $25 through Dec. 15 and $40 thereafter. A $300 enrollment deposit is required upon acceptance (applied toward tuition), except for the Academy Day Camp.
Limited merit- and need-based financial aid is available; applicants may request consideration when applying. Questions may be directed to CIMSummerInstitute@cim.edu.
* * *
2026 CIM SUMMER INSTITUTE PROGRAMS
Lang Lang Young Scholars Summit
Dates: June 13-18, 2026
About: During the third annual intensive presented by the Lang Lang International Music Foundation and led by faculty pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi, 15 outstanding young scholars from the U.S., China, and Europe will gather at CIM for a week of sessions with CIM's renowned piano faculty.
Chamber Music Institute (CMI@CIM)
Dates: June 13-21, 2026
About: Faculty members Eun-song Koh (violin), Jennifer Arnold (viola), and Daniel Pereira (cello) preside over this popular intensive for intermediate to advanced string players ages 12 to 24. The program features daily chamber music coaching with faculty artists, at least one private lesson, masterclasses, and music enrichment classes. The session culminates in a performance on June 20 or 21 by all participating groups.
CMI Advanced String Quartet Program
Dates: June 13-21, 2026
About: Professional chamber musicians and CIM faculty members Todd Phillips (violin) and Si-Yan Darren Li (cello) lead this advanced program for musicians ages 18 and up. Participants may apply as individuals or pre-formed ensembles but also may be assigned to a group. Students will enjoy daily coaching sessions, masterclasses on solo repertoire, and playing in a conductor-less chamber orchestra led by Phillips. The program concludes with a public performance by all ensembles on June 21.
A limited number of Advanced String Quartet fellowships are awarded to highly accomplished young musicians who demonstrate exceptional musical ability and commitment to chamber music. Fellowships cover full tuition and on-campus housing. Recipients are responsible for the $500 dining fee. Fellows are responsible for their own travel to/from the program.
Young Artist Piano Seminar
Dates: July 5-11, 2026
About: CIM's Young Artist Piano Seminar is a week-long intensive designed to inspire and challenge advanced pianists ages 10 to 18. Under the guidance of award-winning faculty pianist Gerardo Teissonniere, young artists from around the world will refine their performances of advanced repertoire, deepen their musical and technical understanding, and elevate their performance skills. The program includes daily lessons and masterclasses, Dalcroze Eurhythmics and Piano Literature classes, a student showcase performance, and a piano concerto competition.
CIM Brass Lab
Dates: July 6-10, 2026
About: This selective program, led by faculty member John Sebastian Vera (trombone), is a chance for high school musicians and incoming college freshmen to take their skills to the next level. Students on trumpet, horn, trombone, and tuba will spend a week studying brass fundamentals and solo and chamber music repertoire with leaders in their fields. The week will culminate with a public performance on July 10.
Academy Day Camps
Dates: Aug. 3-7, 2026
Program hours: 8:30am-4pm
Registration is limited to 50 students in each level.
Music FUNdamentals - Entering Grades 2-6
About: In this unique, music-focused day camp, students will explore composition, improvisation, and core musicianship through engaging and fun activities. Prior knowledge of music is not required. Each day will include choir singing, movement-based eurhythmics, composition, guest performances, and outdoor activities.
Ensemble FUNdamentals - Entering Grades 6-8
About: Middle-school students who are enjoying their school band or orchestra will be inspired by this program conceived specifically for them. Prior experience on a band or orchestra instrument is required. Each day will include large ensemble rehearsals and small group coaching sessions with CIM faculty, along with introductory sessions in music theory, eurhythmics, and guest performances.
Application, audition requirements, and tuition information for all programs is available at cim.edu/prep/summer.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.cim.edu/aboutcim/news/cim-unveils-cim-summer-institute-bringing-world-class-training-under-one-unified
